The kayaking is no more important than the service projects (making care packages for the Arizona Humane Society, maybe, or planting a pollinator garden) or the camping, and all of it, really, is about building community. Having the support of local adult volunteers and a group of peers with whom they can learn, challenge themselves, help others, and laugh like crazy is for so many girls the start of confidence they carry into adulthood—and of friendships that last a lifetime.

For Girl Scouts Arizona Cactus-Pine, giving girls a space to be themselves leads to adventure, community impact, lifelong friendships, and a whole lot of joy.

The name “Girl Scouts” easily brings to mind a cookie-filled swirl of images for most people—badges, camping trips, Thin Mints, and so on. That’s the fruit of longevity: Girl Scouts arose way back in 1912 in Savannah, Ga., when Juliette Gordon Low brought together a group of girls to explore the world around them. Girl Scouts officially arrived in Arizona in 1918, and today more than 12,000 K-12 girls take part in Girl Scouts—Arizona Cactus-Pine Council (GSACPC) programs. The organization serves more than 90 communities, including tribal nations and military installations in central and northern Arizona.

The mission of this—and any Girl Scout council—is building “girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.” More than 7,500 local volunteers help GSACPC achieve that mission as leaders, trainers, consultants, and board members. Together, they enable extensive programming designed to “help girls shine.”

Lucille Ball was a Girl Scout. So were Michelle Obama and Laura Bush. Taylor Swift, Venus Williams, Martha Stewart, and a lot of other women with memorable accomplishments found early community and accomplishment within Girl Scouts.

Spending time in nature brings an array of benefits, from skills-building to confidence-building, with a whole lot of healthy, collaborative activity. GSACPC maintains four camp properties and offers a schedule of camping opportunities for girls and their families, including daylong or weekend experiences or longer summer and leadership camps.

As much as Girl Scouts has always been associated with outdoor experiences, that’s still only one part of what the organization offers in service of giving girls a safe environment for “learning to take risks, trust their gut, and team up with others for good.”

On its own and in partnership with other local organizations, GSACPC provides an astonishing number of classes, workshops, and events for members. For even the youngest members, badges reward girls for being a “good neighbor”; achievement in “art and design,” “roller coaster design,” or “democracy”; showing they can “think like an engineer”; and dozens more pursuits, all designed to give girls the opportunity to explore who they are.

For Sarah Bendok, GSACPC provided the opportunity to reduce carbon emissions, save trees, and improve farmers’ health and livelihood through agrivoltaics. Samantha Shockness worked through GSACPC to bring mindfulness practices like meditation, yoga, journaling, and breathing exercises to girls through workshops she designed and led. GSACPC alum Rayne Thompson addressed the needs of neurodivergent students across Phoenix by securing a grant and donations she needed to fill kits with books and sensory tools to provide essential resources.

Small wonder, given that such empathetic and innovative accomplishments proliferate among Girl Scouts, that journalist Lisa Ling said, “The Girl Scouts is where I became acquainted with the idea that a woman can do anything.”

GSACPC has a decades-long history of accomplishment through most of Arizona, and it relies on a lot of help to create the positive impact it’s known for. If you’d like to support GSACPC’s mission to build girls of courage, confidence, and character, here’s how to help:

And spread the word! Girl Scouts are more likely than their peers to achieve academically, earn higher wages, act as leaders in their community, and feel great about their lives. It all starts by signing up.