side menu icon

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Racial Justice

21 Day Challenge cropped 530x

GSNNJ is partnering with the YWCA of Northern New Jersey on the 21 Day Racial Equity and Social Justice Challenge, which began Sept. 9, 2020. The challenge is designed to create dedicated time and space to build more effective social justice habits, particularly those dealing with issues of race, power, privilege, and leadership.

Participants are presented with challenges such as reading an article, listening to a podcast, reflecting on personal experience, and more. Participation in an activity like this helps us to discover how racial injustice and social injustice impact our community, how to connect with one another, and how to identify ways to dismantle racism and other forms of discrimination.

We encourage our members to sign up to participate. You will receive an email each business day with links to activities.

Take the 21 Day Challenge:

YWCA of Northern New Jersey on the 21 Day Racial Equity and Social Justice Challenge
 

BLM Trefoil 530x

We also ask all girls, volunteers, alums, supporters, families, staff, and our suppliers and service providers to pledge to take action to make the world a more equitable place.

Take the pledge:

Girl Scouts Stands Against Racism and Pledges to Work for a Just Society for All

Racism goes against the values of Girl Scouts, and although we have acted to counter racism throughout our history, we know we have enormous work ahead of us to build a truly anti-racist organization. We are prioritizing these efforts, both on an individual level and within every aspect of Girl Scouting. Girl Scouts of the USA and all 111 Girl Scout councils will engage in challenging discussions, center voices we haven’t listened to in the past, act with integrity, and learn from any missteps. We pledge to never stop working to create the just and equitable world that every girl, and all of us, deserve. We must challenge, stereotypes, assumptions, and structures that are racist.

Girl Scouts stand for inclusion and as our founder, Juliette Gordon Low said in 1912, “I have something for ALL the girls of America.”

Girl Scouts is not a political organization, but we are a human one. We are an increasingly diverse organization that stands for respect, equality, inclusion, and justice. We stand for empowering ALL girls—in every community across our nation, from every background and every ability and in every economic circumstance—to create the change they want to see in the world.

Throughout our organization’s history, Girl Scouts has encouraged girls to participate in actions and activities they are passionate about, whatever any affiliated social causes may be. As the preeminent leadership development organization for girls, we feel it is our duty to encourage girls to participate in rather than shy away from issues they care about. We support the girl who supports the cause, which means we support girls’ agency in making choices that speak to them.

Below are some of the Girl Scout program activities that will help girls become civically engaged.
 

Programming that focuses on taking civic action to fight racism.

Girl Scouts offers the following badges that promote civic engagement: Public Policy, Inside Government, Netiquette, Finding Common Ground, and Girl Scout Way. 

In addition, we offer many resources through our nonpartisan G.I.R.L. Agenda initiative that encourage girls to drive positive social change in their communities and world.

Resources for sharing with members of my council.