The Girl Scouts Outreach Program brings the full Girl Scout experience to girls in underserved areas. We have traditionally partnered with afters-chool programs connected to schools in the lowest income areas with a weekly in-person program for each program level. 

Our program has emphasized the key program areas for Girl Scouts (STEM, Life Skills, Entrepreneurship, Civic Engagement and Outdoor Learning) and has included field trips and camp.

Serving 800 Girls

The program will serve an estimated 800 girls in grades K to 12 living in the lowest-income neighborhoods of Kansas City, Missouri.

This year we plan to continue emphasizing key program areas, as well as focusing on mental wellness. We plan to offer five sessions that are four weeks a piece. We will have programming at Operation Breakthrough during the summer months as well. We also plan to provide the girls five different field trip opportunities, as well as day camp during the summer of 2023 at a Girl Scout camp property.

We will help girls improve their STEM literacy and critical thinking skills from home. We will add a physically active piece to get the girls moving during every troop meeting and give them a weekly challenge to help them stay active.

The troop meetings give the girls a space to process their feelings about what is happening in their world. Girls will work on important social skills during troop meetings, including listening without interrupting, taking turns, sharing, using appropriate manners, greeting each other, playing fairly and responding to other people's emotions.

The girls we serve live in low-income neighborhoods in Jackson County and face the greatest risk for substance abuse, violence, delinquency and school drop out due to multiple factors associated with racial inequality as well as gender and economic inequity. 

Mitigating Risk Factors

The Girl Scout program mitigates these risk factors through experiences and activities grounded in best practices in youth development and linked to The Search Institute's 40 Development Assets, including positive values, social competencies and positive identity, that are related to reducing risky behaviors  and increasing outcomes (prosocial behavior, leadership, and resilience).

Girl Scouts are 33% morelikely to participate in outdoor activities. Outdoor experiences develop skills and values that help girls achieve better academic and social outcomes.Girls also participate in progressive, multi-year experiences that lead to meaningful community change. As early as Kindergarten, girls mobilize others to support and serve important causes like community food banks and animal shelters.

As girls progress through their Girl Scoutjourney, they advocate for positive change, meet with public officials to educate them about important issues, and work with others to solve community problems.

Retaining Members

Parent and caregiver communication will be a critical component to successfully recruiting and retaining girl members, and it is our strong intent to not lose any additional Outreach Troop members. We also know that gauging the social and emotional health of girls is critical; changes to meetings will be all in-person. This will create more personal connections with their troop members and troop leaders. This will also give girls the opportunity to share their feelings, frustrations and concerns in a safe, judgement free space.

Locations

Click on the window icon (upper right corner) of the map below to expand. List of all program locations is included with expanded view of map. Locations are also listed on this page below the map.