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This Girl Sc
made possible by ...
Generous grant from the Richard King Mellon Foundation
sparks national movement
In 2018, GSWPA was honored to partner with the Richard King Mellon Foundation and
lead a national effort to help more girls experience the outdoors in new ways that
excite and challenge them. GSWPA spearheaded the endeavor to include seven other
Girl Scout councils across the country.
In a nationwide partnership with the Student Conservation Association (SCA), more than
10,000 girls and 1,200 volunteers participated in new, sustainable outdoor activities.
Locally, more than 2,300 Girl Scouts in western Pennsylvania benefitted from GSWPA’s
programs and resources made possible by this generous grant, including:
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the summer edition of the Get Outdoors Challenge
a “ZSI: Zoo Scene Investigation” event at Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium
SCUBA instruction at Camp Skymeadow
sailing experiences on Lake Erie tallships and Pymatuning Lake sailboats
a Legacy of Conservation badge which honors the work of biologist Rachel Carson
caving at Laurel Caverns
stand-up paddle boarding
plus, training for volunteers to support and inspire girls in their outdoor adventures
The grant also sent two GSWPA Girl Scouts on a trip of a lifetime. Lyndsey Butler and
Lizzie Foster took part in a two-week, all-Girl Scout SCA crew in the Olympic National
Forest in Washington State. Their participation and the crew were made possible by
this grant from the Richard King Mellon Foundation.
Lizzie Foster of Butler County spent two weeks
working on an all-Girl Scout SCA crew in 2018.
The crew completed environmental service projects and learned about ecology and
preserving habitats. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for these Girl Scouts to
expand leadership skills and practical knowledge of the environment.
Girl Scouts from across the United
States, including two from GSWPA,
spent two weeks in the Olympic National
Forest learning about conservation and
ecological systems and working on
impactful conservation projects.
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Girl Scouts Western Pennsylvania 2017-2018 Annual Report