Girl Scouts launch “I Can't Wait To” campaign

Every day, 15 million children—including kids as young as five—are without supervision at home or on the streets after school, according to a report by the Afterschool Alliance. As budget cuts affect activities like camps and after-school programs, filling the gap often falls to Girl Scouts and other nonprofits depending on volunteers.

To address this issue, Girl Scouts has launched “I Can't Wait To,” a new girl and volunteer recruitment campaign highlighting the fun, excitement, and anticipation that are part of the Girl Scout experience for elementary school girls, their caregivers, and potential volunteers. The campaign will run during Girl Scouts' National Recruitment Week on Sept. 30–Oct. 5, 2013.

Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois currently serves nearly 18,000 girls locally and desperately needs more volunteers to accommodate the growing list of girls looking to become Girl Scouts. Activities offered through the Girl Scout Leadership Experience provide an answer to parents and caregivers looking for safe and enriching after-school activities for their children. To join or volunteer, girls and families can visit www.girlscouts.org/join.

Girl Scouting works! Research from the Girl Scout Research Institute shows that women who were Girl Scouts have a stronger sense of self, greater civic engagement, and higher educational attainment and income than those who weren't Girl Scouts. More important to girls, Girl Scouting is a fun way to try new experiences that make them realize they can be anything they want to be!