Girl Scouts of the United States of America
Project Title
For project support to advance civic engagement and democracy education through hands-on, experiential learning opportunities
Date
Dec. 11, 2025
Duration
24 months
Description
Too few adolescents have access to high-quality civic learning during the middle school years. To address this gap, Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA), a national organization founded in 1912 and committed to fostering girls’ leadership and civic engagement, willlaunch a civics initiative for middle school girls delivered directly in schools through facilitators. The program builds on a successful 2025 pilot that demonstrated the effectiveness of school-based programs in reaching low-income girls who may not otherwise access troop experiences. With Carnegiesupport, GSUSA will create a co-branded Civics Series Experience Box containing program guides, activity prompts, and badges. Through in-school sessions, girls will earn the Democracy for Cadettes Badge, pursue the True North Award through values-driven civic action, and culminate with a real-world civics experience such as state capitol visits or advocacy events, earning a co-branded Carnegie patch. The initiative will launch in 40 schools across the country, reaching 2,000 Cadettes and their families, with priority given to low-income communities.