Outdoors & Beyond ... A Girl-Led Focus
According to a study by the Girl Scouts Research Institute (GSRI), girls who regularly spend time outdoors eclipse their
peers who spend less time outdoors in environmental stewardship, challenge seeking, and problem solving—all important
traits in twenty-first century leadership.
GSWPA keeps up-to-date with the interests of today’s girls, which is evident in its wide range of outdoor program
offerings—everything from beginner horse camps to high-adventure rafting trips.
Outdoor collaboration
Girl Scouts experienced a watershed moment at Journeypalooza at Camp Redwing in September. GSWPA’s Student
Conservation Association (SCA) interns Ariel Barasch and Christina Spohn teamed up to create hands-on activities that
helped girls understand how people impact a community’s watershed and its freshwater supplies.
“Watersheds help girls see the bigger picture of where they live and how what goes in their local creek will end up traveling
across the country and into the Gulf of Mexico,” explained Spohn.
The interns’ work at GSWPA focuses on conservation education, which Spohn says is best taught by connecting conservation
to girls’ everyday lives.
“Talking about the pollutants in the huge Ohio River watershed while standing
next to the small Connoquenessing Creek at Redwing can help girls make that
connection,” she said.
The SCA internships at GSWPA are part of a collaboration between GSUSA and
the SCA that is funded by a grant from the Richard King Mellon Foundation. This
pilot program includes five councils: GSWPA, Girl Scouts of Alaska, Girl Scouts-
Arizona Cactus-Pine Council, Girl Scouts of Greater New York, and Girl Scouts of
Southeastern Michigan. Learn more at gswpa.org.
SCA Intern Christina Spohn talks to girls about conservation at Journeypalooza 2016.
The Importance of
Getting Outdoors —
The Proof is in the
Research
• Eighty percent of Girl Scouts
who had been camping said
it was their most memorable
experience.
• Girl Scouts who have regular
outdoor experiences are
better problem solvers and
challenge seekers.
• Outdoor experiences promote
healthy social development.
• Spending time in nature
improves concentration and
creative reasoning.
Source: More Than