Urban Scouting—Pittsburgh Student Achievement Center

Program Description

The Urban Scouting Program is formulated to encourage girls to develop self-potential and values, relate to others and contribute to society. Offered in a safe, all-girl environment, Urban Scouting is delivered by a leadership facilitator, employed by GSWPA, once a week during the academic year with occasional after-school sessions. Urban Scouting is girl-led and incorporates learning-by-doing and cooperative learning. In addition, girls are exposed to professional presenters, conduct community and in-school take action projects, take part in financial literacy activities, form girl-to-girl mentoring relationships, tour colleges, and attend conferences, cultural outings and a program planning camping retreat. Urban Scouting’s focus on leadership shows girls that they are leaders right now in their everyday lives, and they will continue to be leaders as they get older. Participants do “take action” projects that better their schools and communities as part of the Urban Scouting program and make an immediate positive impact on Allegheny County. But, they also build the knowledge, skills, and behaviors to be leaders in the future; a positive result that could lead to countless benefits for Allegheny County for years to come including: • ensures at-risk youth stay in school and graduate with proficiency • ensures that at-risk youth engage in post-secondary training and/or employment that provides livable wages and leads to careers. • addresses addiction issues and healthy behaviors. • helps at-risk youth understand the impact of becoming a teen mother; thus, reducing the number of teen pregnancies. • At-risk youth avoid criminal activities and involvement in the criminal justice system. The Urban Scouting program provides the tools girls need to see past their current circumstances and reach for something more for their futures. By providing these experiences, Girl Scouting can not only positively impact the life of the participating girls but can ultimately impact the communities where they live.