Posted on October 6, 2010

Girl Scouts Go on a Recruiting Push for Hispanic Members

Edward L. Kenney, News Journal (Wilmington, Delaware), October 6, 2010

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The Girl Scouts of America has been increasingly focusing on attracting Hispanics nationwide. The number of Hispanic Girl Scouts increased by about 20,000 from 2006 through 2009, with the total last year of about 291,000 representing about 12% of the nation’s 2.4 million Girl Scouts, according to Liz Farrell, spokeswoman for the Chesapeake Bay Council.

“They’re making up a large percentage of our population now, and our numbers don’t reflect that, and we have to do something about it,” she said.

Across the USA, Girl Scout volunteers have been going into schools with high Hispanic populations, into Latin American Community Centers and other facilities to talk about what they offer. {snip}

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A national survey by the Girl Scout Research Institute last year revealed that 50% of Hispanic girls have a desire to be leaders.

“They found that the main barrier for them in their aspirations was their self-confidence,” Farrell said. “Girl Scouts provides that. Girls lose their self-esteem around boys. We want them to know that they can test their skills and have that confidence to go on to be leaders.”