Girl Scouts Advocate on Behalf of Healthy Media Images for Girls

By the time the average girl graduates from high school, she will have spent 15,000 hours watching television versus 12,000 hours in school. This does not include the hours spent online, playing video games, listening to the radio, or reading magazines1.

Now imagine her mind like wet cement, able to be shaped, molded and embedded by unhealthy media images of women. Women who are unrealistically-thin and uncommonly beautiful, from an industry that values appearance above intelligence, creativity and ability. What happens when you put an object into wet cement and let it sit? It hardens, and becomes nearly impossible to remove.

As the premier leadership organization for girls and a leading authority on their healthy growth and development, Girl Scouts is raising awareness about the importance of promoting healthy media messages about girls and women.

To respond to the needs of our customers and stakeholders and move "at the speed of girl," it is important to revisit the Core Business Strategy that was developed in 2004. The Core Business Strategy was created six years ago using a process called Strategic Learning. At this time we created a new mission statement, a vision statement to be the premier leadership organization for girls in the US, and developed the Five Strategic Priorities.

To keep this forward momentum, a cross-section of people in Girl Scouting across the nation has been invited to participate on the National Strategy Steering Team. The goal is to bring together different perspectives and strategic thinkers to help us identify next steps. In April 2010 the National Board expressed their desire to have diversity and increasing membership be the key drivers of whatever strategy is created. The five challenges identified are:

1. How do we further clarify our mission?
2. How do we define and achieve Financial Excellence?
3. How can we quickly transform the way we leverage technology?
4. How can we enhance our delivery system?
5. How can we leverage strategic partnerships?

The Team will work from now through October to decide on the next iteration of the Core Business Strategy for the Girl Scout Movement.

Stay tuned for more information!