| |||||||||||
  |
Hampton Roads Girl Scouts Focus on Latina MembershipIn his book "Translation Nation, Defining a New Identity in the Spanish-Speaking United States," Guatemalan-American journalist Héctor Tobar encounters a group of Girl Scouts in California organizing "Taste of Salsa: featuring salsa making, tasting and dancing." Tobar wonders if Girl Scouts across the country will soon be adding Salsa pins to the assorted activity badges on their age-old uniforms as organizations across the United States incorporate the burgeoning Hispanic population. The Girl Scout Council of the Colonial Coast (GSCCC), serving 16,000 girls in 1,500 troops in Southeastern Virginia and Northeastern North Carolina, has also embraced Spanish language and Latin culture. Girl Scouts is a leadership development program for girls aged 5 to 17. Stayce Sedgwick, a member of GSCCC's urban membership team, hopes to involve more Latina girls in the "girl centric and girl driven" program. Sedgwick describes Girl Scouts as "a safe and encouraging environment where diversity is welcomed and respected. " Primarily run by volunteers, Girl Scouts provides financial assistance for those who cannot afford the membership fee and conducts free training in Spanish. Books, handouts and materials for other activities are also available in Spanish. GSCCC Member specialist Angelina Lopez, originally from Mexico, says Girl Scouts is an important way for girls of all backgrounds to build self esteem. Girl Scout activities also expose Latina girls to North American customs, according to Lopez, and provide an opportunity to make new friends. Lopez, who lives in Virginia Beach, admits that it hasn't been entirely easy to sell the Girl Scout program to the Hispanic community. Stayce Sedgwick now focuses Girl Scout recruitment efforts on Hispanic populations in Newport News and the Toana area of Williamsburg. Sedgwick has distributed flyers in Spanish and placed them in local ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) classes. Girl Scouts also publishes information in El Pueblito, A Spanish newsletter created by students at the College of William and Mary. To further bolster Hispanic involvement, GSCCC seeks bilingual leaders to work with specific local Girl Scout troops. For more information see http://www.girlscouts.org/espanol/ Or contact Stayce Sedwick at StayceS@gsccc.org |
| |||||||||
| |||||||||||
