Growing the Sisterhood

By Casi Lopez-Xiong

It’s back to school time! As a third-generation youth educator, a second-generation Girl Scout, and now the leader of a Girl Scout troop, this is always a fun season for me. The many children in my life are preparing themselves for a new year of learning, socializing, and fresh opportunities. As I witness their enthusiasm for the year ahead, I am getting excited right along with them.

But with a new year and fresh opportunities can also come new stressors, like the pressure to achieve academically and the ongoing challenge of navigating social life as a tween. Further, with the ubiquity of smartphones and social media, in addition to emerging technologies in school, kids are spending more time on screens—a lot more. With all these contributing factors, it’s no wonder that youth today are craving more in-person opportunities to connect with each other and build friendships. Thankfully, this is something Girl Scouts specializes in. At a time when many young people are struggling with their mental health, it’s as important as ever for their grownups to get serious about things like fun and friendship.

In fact, recent research by Girl Scouts of the USA has shown that friendship provides a powerful antidote to the feelings of loneliness and isolation that many girls are experiencing. The study found that girls as young as five report feelings of loneliness which, over time, can erode their sense of self-confidence. Conversely, more than half of those surveyed reported that having a friend by their side encourages them to try new things and step out of their comfort zones. That’s why I get so much out of being a Girl Scout troop leader. I remember those experiences of going camping and having sleepovers with my troop, and how much of a difference it made knowing my Girl Scout sisters always had my back—even as the only Latina in my troop.

I can see this in my Girl Scouts, too. Whether it’s sharing a sweet treat, maintaining the integrity of the buddy system, or reaching out to fix another girl’s hijab, these kids don’t miss a beat when it comes to showing up and supporting each other. The fact that they come from a variety of cultural and religious backgrounds isn’t a point of intrigue to them—it’s just the way things are, and it’s beautiful.

From my view, Girl Scouts isn’t just teaching my girls how to become leaders—but also how to be good humans, or ‘sisters to all’ as the pledge goes. And some very compelling data has shown that these positive values stay with Girl Scout alums into their adulthood. On average, former Girl Scouts attain higher levels of education and hold more leadership roles. They’re also likely to report high life satisfaction and cite Girl Scouts as having had a positive impact on their lives. Not only that, but Girl Scout alums display higher levels of resilience when facing risk and adversity, confidence in their goals and ability to achieve them, and willingness to stand up for what they believe in. In Girl Scouting, we call these the three C’s—courage, confidence, and character. And it is my personal goal to instill these attributes in every Girl Scout who comes into my life.

If helping to raise, inspire, and influence this generation of girls sounds like your kind of thing, then I encourage you to get involved. Whether or not you’re a parent of a Girl Scout, there is room for you in this community and the youth need to see leaders who look like them. Whether as a troop leader, a community volunteer, or just helping out once or twice, there is a role for you in Girl Scouting! Learn more at gsrv.gs/unete .

The post Growing the Sisterhood appeared first on Sahan Journal .