Local Girl Scouts learn about civics, democracy on Zoom
Fifteen-year-old Ameenah Zawahir of Hoffman Estates said she's had a great time helping moderate conversations on Zoom about civics and democracy for her Girl Scout service unit.
"I really learned a lot from it. It was just a good opportunity to learn how local government works," she said. "It was really interesting how much the people skills and the networking plays into the job."
Ameenah is one of three young moderators for the Zoom series hosted by Girl Scouts Service Unit 406 - which includes more than 80 troops generally in Hoffman Estates, Hanover Park, Schaumburg and Elk Grove Village - featuring its local mayors, a judge and a lawyer.
The series was organized by Selena Randecker, the service unit's manager, and Carrie Parsons, the service unit's event coordinator. Randecker's two daughters, now in their 20s, used to be in Girl Scouts, while Parsons currently has two daughters in Girl Scouts.
Girl Scouts of the USA launched this year new civics badges called "democracy" for all its six levels, from Daisies to Ambassadors, that feature progressive learning about the complexities of government.
Daisies learn things like, "What is the White House?" while Ambassadors learn about advocacy, lobbying and gerrymandering, Randecker said. The girls also have watched some video recorded court cases, and discussions include the representation of women in government and women's right to vote.
Service Unit 406 always tries to set up activities focusing on new badges, and this is a particularly timely opportunity to raise civic awareness with the upcoming Nov. 3 general election, Randecker said. "All of our mayors said, 'Yes, absolutely,'" she said.
A particularly well-attended Zoom call was with Cook County Circuit Judge Patricia Fallon, which featured 78 families, she said.
The Girl Scouts submit questions prior to the calls, including: "How did you get your job?" "What's your typical day?" and "How do you work with the governor?" Conversations have touched on the structure of local government and how people are elected to local office. For example, the girls were surprised that local mayors are nonpartisan, Randecker said.
Service Unit 406 also will be hosting a mock election online this year.
"Obviously, at this age, it is not about the girls 'choosing a party,' but allowing the girls to have a voice, for them to see if the outcome of the election might have been different with the way they 'voted,'" Parson said. "We want them to understand that voting is privilege and that they can make a difference."