Girl Scouts of West Central Florida Inc

GSWCF served 10,911 girls in grades K-12 and 7,990 adult members in the Florida counties of Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Marion, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk and Sumter. GSWCF is a girl-led organization that believes in providing hands-on learning experiences in order to develop empowered girls. GSWCF members benefit from their participation in a variety of activities and programs that foster a strong sense of self, positive values, challenge-seeking, healthy relationships and community problem-solving. These opportunities are supported by four program pillars: STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), outdoors (camping, environmental stewardship and adventure), life skills (healthy living, civic engagement, global citizenship and communication skills) and entrepreneurship (goal setting, financial literacy and business ethics). In December 2016, the Girl Scout Research Institute surveyed a nationally representative sample of girls to assess specific ways girls benefitted from participating in Girl Scouts. The Girl Scout Impact Study (2017) provided compelling evidence that Girl Scouts demonstrate more well-rounded lifestyles and a stronger propensity for success than non-Girl Scouts. Girl Scouts were more likely to: exhibit strong leadership outcomes; earn "excellent" grades; expect to graduate college; aspire to STEM, business, and law careers and feel hopeful about their future.

Through community troops, GSWCF provides the Girl Scout Leadership Experience to more than 2,886 girls (21% of GSWCF's total girl membership) who experience barriers to the Girl Scout experience. Grant funding enables these girls to participate in traditional Girl Scout activities such as badge work, advocacy, the Girl Scout Cookie Program and a variety of emotional and behavioral skill-building exercises that develop their self-esteem, confidence and critical life skills. These girls are served in troops that are established in easily accessible locations such as community centers, schools and churches, among other sites. Research has shown that members of community troops experience improvements in the areas of confidence, communication, interpersonal relationship skills, improved grades, improved school attendance and decreases in school disciplinary action. The Girl Scout Impact Study (2017) showed that Girl Scouts are more likely than non-Girl Scouts to have adults in their lives who help them pursue their goals and think about their future.