The organization is creating a safe space for girls in which they can gain the confidence to raise their hands in the classrooms and really learn how to make decisions, she said.
Boy Scouts of America on Wednesday announced that it will drop the word “boy” from its title and will be referred to as Scouts BSA. The change will take effect in February, the Associated Press reported.
Chief Scout Executive Mike Surbaugh said many possibilities were considered during lengthy and “incredibly fun” deliberations before the new name was chosen, according to the AP.
Boy scouts officials have been discussing the changes for years, and their aim is to extend outreach, said Jeff Schivonie, scout executive for the Miami Valley Council Boy Scouts of America.
“For us, this initiative has allowed us to serve both boys and girls in really, a one stop shop for character, leadership and service to be instilled in young people,” he said.
While BSA is trying to cater to both genders, Salley-Davis said the girl scouts will continue to focus on issues that girls a facing today, including wage gaps and advocating for girls in STEM careers, and making sure they are breaking barriers and developing leaders for tomorrow.
“So we are really the girl experts, and not all scouting is created equal, because our programs are designed for girls and by girls,” she said. “We’ve done a lot of research about girl issues and we developed our programs based on our findings.”
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