To the editor:

Girls are returning to school after a challenging time — staying home and away from friends has interrupted routines and made many students feel disconnected. We know girls will continue to grapple with new challenges this fall, and that’s where Girl Scouts comes in.

Girl Scouts is a safe, small group experience that is a perfect companion to the classroom. It’s something girls can look forward to, count on, and use to get out from behind a screen. Now more than ever, Girl Scouts is crucial to the social, emotional and mental wellbeing of girls across central Indiana.

Research shows girl-only spaces like Girl Scouts give girls a safe place to share their opinions and ideas with other girls and caring adults and to try new things without fear of failure.

In Girl Scouts, girls’ social and emotional learning and leadership development is the center of all our STEM, entrepreneurship, outdoor adventure and life skills programming. Girls learn to tie together the knowledge, attitude and skills necessary to help them understand and manage their emotions, set and achieve goals, establish positive relationships, and gain a sense of belonging — which we know our girls need right now more than ever.

At Girl Scouts, we are here, we are exploring, we are learning, we are badge earning, and so much more, now more than ever before.

For more information about joining Girl Scouts as a girl member or adult volunteer, visit www.girlscoutsindiana.org/join.

Danielle Shockey, CEO, Girl Scouts of Central Indiana (submitted by Katie Dawson, communications manager)

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