Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Racial Justice
At Girl Scouts of Southern Nevada, our mission is to build girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place. Embracing every Girl Scout from all backgrounds, we are committed to fostering diversity, equity, inclusion, access, as well as social and racial justice. We strive to create a welcoming environment where every member feels a true sense of belonging.
We are proud to be an Anti-Racist Organization because everyone benefits from such an environment. Empowering ALL girls is at the heart of what we do, and we acknowledge the ongoing work required to make Girl Scouts a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive organization. Our goal is to provide every girl with the opportunity to participate in a movement that encourages them to overcome barriers and become leaders in their community and the world. We recognize the impact of systemic racism and oppression. We are committed to creating an anti-oppressive society, starting with our own community.
Our members, referred to as Girl Scouts or girls, may not all identify as exclusively female or use she/her pronouns. We honor and support all identities. We encourage Girl Scouts, volunteers, board members, and staff to use and respect desired pronouns.
Creating safe, inclusive environments, we practice genuine inclusion, encouraging everyone to share their authentic selves. We celebrate, welcome, and affirm individuals with disabilities and/or neurodivergence, striving to make our programs accessible and accommodating to the needs of Girl Scouts.
We support the leadership at Girl Scouts of the USA for creating a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Racial Justice Steering Committee to help create an organization that works for all girls. This means ensuring that all girls of color feel supported, welcomed, and treated with dignity and respect.
Cultural competence is vital to our mission. We define it as the ability to recognize and respect the different lived experiences of all people. We celebrate the multifaceted experiences our members bring to our council. Participation in Girl Scouts develops leaders who create equitable communities by identifying and eliminating barriers that prevent full participation by any group.
At the inception of Girl Scouts, Juliette Gordon Lowe hosted the “first gathering of a small troop of 18 girls. She broke the conventions of the time—reaching across class, cultural, and ethnic boundaries to ensure all girls had a place to develop their leadership skills, advocate for themselves and others, and turn their ambitions into reality.” Girl Scouts has always been forward thinking, leading the way to create safe spaces for Girl Scouts to learn, grow, take healthy risks, and form new friendships, all while being celebrated for who they are. That is the GIRL SCOUT PROMISE.
We understand there’s work to do. There’s always room to get educated and we’re committed as an organization to continue to do the work. As we know better, we are committed to doing better.
