Girls Strengthening Their Communities
Girl Scouts Heart of the South is pleased to offer Challenge and Change: Challenge Yourself,
Change the World, a national teen leadership program partially funded by a
grant from Girl Scouts of the USA
and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Through participation in this program,
girls learn to identify community problems, recognize and build on local
assets, and design a sustainable solution and action plan.
Girl Scouts Heart of the South is partnering with volunteers
and community leaders to bring this nationally recognized program to girls in
our jurisdiction. The USDA grant is
focused on rural youth development and is designed to reach girls ages 14-17 in
specific counties. Girls are currently
participating in Leflore County, MS; Washington County, MS; Holmes County, MS; Benton County, TN; and Decatur
County, TN.
Girls start from their own strengths and interests, and then
learn more about their community; digging into topics such as community capital
and understanding community challenges. Using their new skills and awareness,
they design and implement a socially oriented, entrepreneurial project that
builds on local assets to strengthen their community.
Challenge and Change
blends a formal curriculum with the Girl Scout Leadership Experience Model to
build youth leadership and expand opportunities in rural communities. It
incorporates the “Discover-Connect-Take Action” approach of the Girl Scout
Leadership Experience. Through guided learning experiences, girls discover the issues they care about and
their own strengths. They connect
with their communities and learn about the challenges rural communities face.
Then, they take action by leading their
teams and implementing a well-designed plan that makes a lasting difference.
Look for more about the results of the take action projects
girls are currently planning in future issues of Connections. To learn how you can get involved with Challenge and
Change, and help girls make their communities and world a better place, contact
Lori Brougher, Grants Manager for
Girl Scouts Heart of the South, at lori.brougher@girlscoutshs.org or
800-727-8104.