I’ve been a Girl Scout for the past 10 years, and even today, the skills I learned as a kindergarten Daisy Girl Scout continue to improve my life. Ten years of practicing cash handling, creating sales pitches, identifying issues in my community, and fostering interpersonal skills have allowed me to excel in jobs and volunteer work.  

I know how to make change for a customer or become involved in my community. I have continued with Girl Scouts because of the opportunities and life skills the program grants me. This winter, I am participating in a program that teaches car care, cooking skills, financial literacy and career readiness; with the program’s completion, a $1,000 scholarship is awarded. In my last two years as an Ambassador Girl Scout, I also hope to explore the opportunities and scholarships opened as soon as I earn the Girl Scout Gold Award. 

Yet, even with the extensive and similar benefits of Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, many Scouts drop out of Scouting around late middle school or would never consider joining Scouts for the first time in high school. Sticking with Scouting provides high schoolers with these benefits in preparing for post-secondary paths. 

For college-bound students, Scouting is an excellent extracurricular and form of volunteer work for an application. Earning a Gold Award or Eagle Scout Award also makes one eligible for numerous scholarships on the regional and national levels. For students joining the military, Gold Award Girl Scouts and Eagle Scouts can be ranked up upon entry. On job applications, Scout membership shows employers that an applicant has contributed to their community, has customer service experience from selling cookies or popcorn, and has developed the traits of a Scout. 

The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) strives to “prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetime by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law,” as stated in their mission statement. Members of BSA are reported as being more likely than non-members to embrace positive social values, have a greater sense of hope for their future, and develop kindness, helpfulness and cheerfulness.  

The Girl Scouts of the United States of America’s (GSA) mission statement outlines Girl Scouts as building “girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.” According to a 2017 study by the GSA, Girl Scouts are more likely than non-Girl Scouts to exhibit strong leadership outcomes; earn “excellent” grades; graduate college; feel hopeful about their future; and aspire to STEM, business and law careers. 

For junior Ryan Dang, who has earned his Eagle Scout Award, staying with Scouts was worth it. Boy Scouts has equipped Dang with camping skills, perseverance and job interview experience. “We’re not torn into adulthood so quickly…[Boy Scouts] does a pretty good job of transitioning from kid to a teenager to an adult,” Dang said. Dang said he has an advantage over non-Scouts in his readiness for life. “I think I’m a lot more prepared than other boys my age,” Dang said. 

Time restraints are often a barrier to continuing with or joining Scouts in high school. Attending monthly meetings, council activities and finding the time to sell cookies or popcorn with a troop can be hard to fit into a high school schedule. Even if someone has time for Scouts, they do not necessarily have time to devote to the over-80-hour service project that many Scouts work towards. However, joining Scouts is an investment in one’s future. The life skills and development of character are not just extracurriculars; everyone will need to learn these skills at some point. Scouting teaches these skills before students enter the professional or post-secondary world. Devoting time to Scouts now will pay off in the saved time and leg-up in your future. For instance, the financial literacy badges I have earned over the years will make managing my money as an adult that much easier. 

The benefits of being a Boy Scout or Girl Scout do not stop in elementary or middle school. In preparing for adulthood, Scouting is an invaluable asset. Both the BSA and the GSA aim to provide youth with the necessary social, moral and life skills to make a difference and be successful adults. Girl Scouts has been the number one factor in developing my confidence and sense of responsibility. 

If you would like to become involved in Scouting, visit www.girlscoutsnebraska.org for Girl Scouts or mac-bsa.org for Boy Scouts.