Academic Edge, an after-school and in-school program that introduces Girl Scouts to girls who might face barriers to traditional troop meetings, experienced a busy and exciting school year. Girls in Academic Edge troops throughout Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania participated in badge work, took field trips, and learned more about what it means to be a Girl Scout.

Girls in Troop 11323 in Cumberland County enjoyed an opportunity to talk about body confidence and self-esteem when Miss PA Plus visited. The girls understood that true beauty comes from within, answering the question “What does a pageant queen look like?” with words including “kind,” “caring,” “responsible,” and “respectful.

At North Side Elementary School in Dauphin County, girls worked together to build paper bridges, learning what it meant to collaborate and share ideas. As the meeting ended, one of the girls turned to Katie Anderson, the Academic Edge instructor, and shared the impact the project had on her. “Miss Katie, when I get home, I’m going to show my baby brother how to build a paper bridge,” she said. “Then we can use it when we play together.”

Girl Scouts at John F. Kennedy and McNichols Plaza Elementary schools in Scranton used creativity and problem-solving skills while working in teams to create catapults. They also collaborated on putting mixed-up puzzles together and learned how to set S.M.A.R.T. goals that are specific, measurable, have an action plan, are realistic, and include a timeframe. Girls shared their goals of learning to do a cartwheel, being nice to their sister, learning to draw a unicorn, getting better at football, and going to the beach.

In another session, girls discussed how we communicate not only with words but also with body language. The girls used the movie “Inside Out” to talk about emotions, how to navigate complex feelings, and why sometimes crying is the best option for processing your feelings. “The Girl Scouts agreed that crying can be a good way to relieve over-the-top emotions, and that we can try very hard to understand the message someone else is trying to tell us while we communicate with each other, even with strong emotions,” said instructor Suzanne Fisher.

Academic Edge programs are currently available during the school year in Harrisburg School District, School District of Lancaster, Central Dauphin School District, Scranton School District, and Williamsport Area School District. To learn more about Academic Edge, click here.

Written by Cathy Molitoris, Marketing Coordinator for Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania.