From the very beginning, Girl Scouts has been about developing girls' leadership.

Now we're doing it better than ever with national, outcomes-based program activities that give girls the specific knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values that will make them leaders in their own lives and in their communities.

The New Girl Scout Leadership Experience features "journeys" in which girls:

• Gain a global and multicultural perspective.
• Learn about the history of Girl Scouting and its traditions.
• Embrace the values expressed in the Girl Scout Law.
• Become environmentally aware and develop attitudes and self- understanding that promote healthy living.

The Girl Scout Leadership Experience represents a leap forward in how Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character.

Nearly a century ago, Girl Scout founder Juliette Gordon Low recognized that developing girls’ leadership abilities was critical for ensuring they would be the positive change-makers of the future. Since Low’s time, the world has changed dramatically. This ever more complex and uncertain world clearly requires a new kind of leader – one who values diversity, inclusion, and collaboration and is committed to improving neighborhoods, communities, and the world.

The new Girl Scout Leadership Experience model engages girls in discovering themselves, connecting with others, and taking action to make the world a better place. This model begins with a definition of leadership that girls understand and believe in: a leader, girls say, is defined not only by the qualities and skills one has, but also by how those qualities and skills are used to make a difference in the world.

Recent research highlights that girls want leadership opportunities where they can learn by doing and are cooperative learning experiences. This more inclusive and empowering model of shared leadership is also the one most valued by girls. It encourages girls to take an increased responsibility for designing and implementing activities, and this results in opportunities for them to see how their actions can impact the lives of others.

The Girl Scout Leadership Experience identifies three “keys” to leadership:

• Discover – girls understand themselves and their values and use their knowledge and skills to explore the world.
• Connect – girls care about, inspire, and team with others locally and globally.
• Take Action – girls act to make the world a better place.

To develop and evaluate this program model objectively, 15 anticipated benefits or measurable outcomes were identified within the three keys to leadership. Tying the new Girl Scout Leadership Experience to outcomes serves three vital functions: to measure the impact of the Girl Scout experience, to determine what future modifications are needed, and to communicate with others how the girls are benefiting from their Girl Scout experience.

When Discover, Connect and Take Action activities are girl led and involve learning by doing and cooperative learning, girls achieve the desired and expected short term leadership outcomes, ultimately resulting in Girl Scouting achieving its mission.