To the Editor:

In the spirit of the holiday, I wanted to personally thank all of those who make Girl Scouting possible for the 30,000 Girl Scouts in Connecticut. From our hardworking volunteers and parents who bring Girl Scouting to each girl to our incredible donors and supporters: Thank you! You know that you are fueling the pipeline of future women leaders who will work for a better world for us all.

Girl Scouts provides the best leadership experiences for girls. At Girl Scouts, girls have the opportunity to leave the academic and social pressures of school and enter a safe, all-girl environment where they aren't afraid to take the lead or raise their hand. Girl Scouts is, and remains to be, the longest-standing, one-of-a-kind leadership development program for girls, with proven results.

With more than 100 years of experience, Girl Scouts is the best choice for girls. We offer outdoor adventure and activities for girls with a number of our properties across the state, including seven day camps and one resident camp. We recently introduced 23 new STEM and outdoor badges, and provide programming in robotics, rocketry, and programming.

Single-gender learning works, and gives girls the opportunity to try things that might scare them if they were in a classroom with boys, like STEM or leadership roles. With Girl Scouts, there are no boundaries - just a sisterhood of your best friends in the entire world and caring role models who will guide you every step of the way.

The need for female leadership is urgent, and Girl Scouts offers girls and young women the tools they need to succeed. Join us again in 2018 as we empower every GIRL (Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-taker, Leader) to take the lead like a Girl Scout. To learn more, visit gsofct.org. Happy Holidays!

Warmly,

Mary Barneby, CEO Girl Scouts of Connecticut

340 Washington Street, Hartford         December 20, 2017