Poughkeepsie is Starting New Girl Scout Troops

POUGHKEEPSIE – Girls in the Poughkeepsie City School District (PCSD) will soon be able to join new Girl Scout troops, with hopes of starting more in the future.

Being a Girl Scout has a long-term positive impact on girls’ leadership skills and development, a Vanderbilt University Peabody College study found.

Girl Scouts builds individuals with leadership qualities:
• A strong sense of self: Girls have confidence in themselves and their abilities, and form positive identities.
• Positive values: Girls act ethically, honestly and responsibly, and show concern for others.
• Challenge seeking: Girls take appropriate risks, try things even if they might fail and learn from mistakes.
• Healthy relationships: Girls develop and maintain healthy relationships by communicating their feelings directly and resolving conflicts constructively.
• Community problem solving: Girls have a desire to contribute to the world in purposeful and meaningful ways, learn how to identify problems in the community, and create “action plans” to solve them.

Through the efforts of Justinne Rodriguez, Krieger Elementary School Community Schools liaison, and under the leadership of Natasha Brown, executive director of Community Schools, the district recently collaborated with Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson to create Troop 10043, a bilingual troop, for 18 girls from Smith Early Learning Center. The Troop will be led by Nancy Campos and Charm Blaze, PCSD parents, and will meet each Saturday during the Community Schools Saturday Morning Lights program at Poughkeepsie Middle School.

A second troop is in the works at Krieger Elementary School with the intent of establishing troops at each district elementary school.

“What better way is there to develop our girls’ leadership skills than through a nationally accredited program such as Girl Scouts of America?” Brown asked. “What makes Troop 10043 even more impactful is that our Scouts will have the opportunity to be immersed in a second language while developing their leadership skills.”

Girls interested in becoming a Girl Scout at a school that does not yet have a troop are encouraged to contact Julianna Lindquist, ACC AmeriCorps Community Schools Fellow, at jlindquist@poughkeepsieschools.org.

Those interested in becoming Troop leaders can access the Girl Scouts of America website and look under the “Get Involved” tab. Once a commitment is made to serve, interested parents or community members should contact Rodriguez.