INDIANAPOLIS — Girl Scouts of the USA has received a $15 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to support diverse membership growth within six Girl Scout councils serving Indiana girls. The funding will further the vision that every girl in Indiana will have the opportunity to live her best life physically, academically, emotionally, and socially through engagement in Girl Scouts.
The six Girl Scout councils, including Girl Scouts of Central Indiana, Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana, Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana, Girl Scouts of Northern Indiana Michiana, Girl Scouts of Southwest Indiana, and Girl Scouts of Western Ohio, will work together in a newly formed coalition over a three-year period. The coalition will serve as an incubator to find creative solutions to reach and better support Hoosier girls and families in all 92 counties, with a particular focus on girls and families who have historically not engaged with Girl Scouts.
The Indiana Girl Scout coalition will begin its work by learning about the unique needs of girls and families by holding community listening sessions and partnering with community leaders and influencers to highlight local girls’ needs and solutions for supporting every Hoosier girl’s ability to live her best life through Girl Scouts. The coalition will assess those learnings and work to remove identified barriers that prevent girls from thriving.
By the end of the grant term, the Girl Scout councils expect to better serve the needs of girls ultimately increasing the number of Girl Scouts in Indiana by nearly 50 percent. These thousands of girls will benefit from proven outcomes of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience, which research shows can contribute to their academic, physical, emotional, and social development.