By JULIE CARLE
BG Independent News
The Girl Scouts’ Black Swamp Area Council hosted a three-day camp in Bowling Green last week to tackle some of the challenges facing girls today.
An Ohio State of the Girl Report found that today’s girls are experiencing lower self-esteem and less social connection.
Commissioned by Girl Scout Councils of Ohio, the report included (2021) statistics such as:
- 56% of Ohio girls (grades 9-12) report feeling sad or hopeless
- 39% of Ohio middle school girls and 28% of high school girls were bullied online.
- 32% seriously considered attempting suicide and 15% reported a suicide attempt.
- 18% of Ohio girls in grades 9-12 reported experiencing sexual dating violence, increasing by 64% between 2019 and 2021.
- 27% of girls were chronically absent from school in 2022-23, and the percent of girls proficient in math, science, and English Language Arts decreased between 5th and 8th grades.
The camp, held at Bowling Green City Park, offered hands-on, outdoor activities to help the 24 campers, mostly from schools in Bowling Green, learn resilience and gain friendships, said Alissa Wauford, camp organizer and community development manager for Girl Scouts of Western Ohio.
Marathon provided a grant “to run a camp that was based on the ecosystem that talks about wildlife and how to help our planet,” Wauford said. “The camp aims to get the girls engaged with nature and environmental issues in a hands-on, fun way.”
The camp activities focused on stewardship of the planet and its resources. The Girl Scouts partnered with organizations including Partners for Clean Streams and Scrap4Art.
Clean Streams representatives talked to the girls about the watershed. The girls learned about runoff and the various factors that contribute to pollution in waterways and the soil.
“It was a really neat interactive activity that was a fun way for them to learn about working for clean, clear and safe water in northwest Ohio,” Wauford said.
“We learned that you can make art out of anything” with the folks from Scrap4Art, she said. They also used the power of the sun using photoreactive paper to make portraits using recyclables and items from nature.
Because the first-time camp had quite a few younger girls, the focus was on having fun and learning through the fun activities.
While some of the younger campers learned about teamwork and gravity by tossing balls into the air on a giant, rainbow-colored parachute, Desiree and Millie were fascinated with finding earthworms nestled in the dirt.
“I love looking for worms,” Desiree said, as she and Millie created a safe space for the worms under some tree bark pieces.
“They also were building fairy houses and doing a great job,“ Wauford said. “We try to let the girls lead. We start with a planned itinerary, but if it’s not fun, we do something else” as random as checking out a bug they found.
The campers swam at the City Pool, benefited from creativity and self-expression when they tie-dyed, talked about the difference between guerrilla gardening and gorillas, and got their hands dirty making “earth dumplings” out of clay and seeds.
“We talked about how we can bring beauty and wildlife anywhere we are,” Wauford said. “In Girl Scouts, it’s a lot about getting messy while we’re learning.”
Sparking an interest in nature with their peers is one way to boost girls’ esteem and help them connect with the Earth and friends.
“They’re not connecting as well with friends, and social media is adding to that,” she said about the state report statistics. “I think the more we can get them outside and connecting with friends, they benefit in so many ways,” she said.
Wauford stressed the importance of the Girl Scouts’ role in developing one-on-one relationships that contribute to building strong bonds and resilient individuals.
“You can belong to Girl Scouts and still do other things,” she said. “Kids have so many awesome opportunities, from sports and other organizations, and in Girl Scouts, there’s always room to make friends and have neat experiences.”
