Girl Scouting in Underserved Areas
Girl Scouts of NE Kansas & NW Missouri
Information and Statistics
The Problem:
Girl Scouts is committed to serving every girl, everywhere. Within the council’s 47-county jurisdiction, Girl Scouting is offered in rural areas, suburban neighborhoods and densely populated urban communities, serving over 36,000 girls with the help of 10,000 adult volunteers. Extension and access to Girl Scouting for all girls are key criteria of an effective Girl Scout council.
All girls face unique and difficult challenges growing into adulthood in today’s complex world. Gender inequity, peer pressure and low self-esteem affect all girls as they mature. While all girls face challenges growing up, statistics show girls and young women living in underserved area face greater obstacles and a higher level of risk.
Alarming Statistics:
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Children who are born to undereducated parents face the highest odds of living in chronic poverty. (Kids Count, 2006)
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The poverty rate among children living with parents who dropped out of high school is 57 percent. (Kids Count, 2006)
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Without positive role models, the likelihood that girls will be prepared for their future is drastically reduced. (Kids Count, 2006)
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Teens left alone during non-school hours are more likely to engage in sexual intercourse, alcohol or drug abuse, smoking, violence and gang related behavior. (Kids Count in Missouri Data Book, 2004)
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Children in divorced or single parent families have less parental interaction and are less likely to be interested in school and participate in extracurricular activities than children in married-couple families. This puts them at a greater risk for poor academic performance, suspension from or dropping out of school and anti-social behavior. Twenty-eight percent of children in Kansas and 32 percent of children in Missouri live in single-parent families. (Kids Count 2007)
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In Kansas, 39 percent of children live in low-income families with 6 percent living in extreme poverty. In Missouri, the numbers are 42 percent and 8 percent respectively. Twenty-eight percent of children in Kansas and 32 percent of children in Missouri live in families where no parent has full-time, year-round employment. (Kids Count 2007)
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Forty-seven percent of Kansas children receive free or reduced price lunch, while 51 percent of Missouri children participated in the free or reduced lunch program. (Food Research and Action Center, State of the States 2006)
The Good News:
Not only is Girl Scouts of NE Kansas & NW Missouri committed to serving underrepresented communities but, since 1996, has experienced increasing success in doing so. In these areas, the high number of single head-of-household families with limited resources contributes to a lack of adults with discretionary time to volunteer.
Girl Scouts has developed several signature programs focused on girls in underserved areas council-wide. The programs thrive in these communities as they provide positive, stable mentors for young girls; use girls’ free time in a productive manor; supply missing support systems and encouragement; and open a whole world of possibilities to girls who often cannot see outside their neighborhood.
Girl Scouts prioritizes this type of programming and, in addition to committing income from product sales and United Ways, resources from foundations, corporations and individuals are actively sought.
The Numbers:
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