Research & Evaluations | Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan

GSSEM Impact & Growth Evaluation Overview

To launch the 2023–24 Membership Year (MY), GSSEM conducted an evaluation, led by the Deputy Chief of Research and Evaluation (DCRE).

This evaluation was conducted to:

Learn about current Girl Scout member's experiences.
Learn about the interests and needs of youth in the GSSEM service area who are not currently members.

The evaluation, conducted from October 2023 through February 2024, included a mixed-method design that incorporated interviews and focus groups.

Participant groups included:

Current Girl Scouts, their parents, and guardians
Youth eligible for Girl Scouts who are not currently members.
Parents of non-member Girl Scout-eligible youth
Current GSSEM youth members, parents, guardians, and volunteers

Highlights From Key Findings of the Evaluation

Becoming a Girl Scout toggle arrow

Most families join Girl Scouts to continue the legacy of a parent, grandparent, or other family member who was also a Girl Scout.

Other reasons for joining and participating include:

Building community
Gaining social skills
Joining friends and family who are Girl Scouts
Having new experiences and learning new skills

The GSSEM Experience toggle arrow

Girl Scouts and family favorite experiences include:

Camp and outdoor activities
Social and community events and activities
Overnight trips and travel
Community and civic service opportunities

Girl Scout Challenges & Recommendations toggle arrow

The most frequently discussed challenges and recommendations from Girl Scouts and their parents and guardians include:

Challenges relating to a specific activity or program
Social challenges (generally within troops)
Timing and scheduling
GSSEM processes and systems

Non-member Youth & Families' Insights toggle arrow

For non-member groups, Girl Scouts is generally associated with cookies, social involvement, camping and outdoors, community service, and skills and values building.

The most frequent barriers to participation in non-member groups include:

Scheduling or timing
Accessibility for children with physical and developmental disabilities
Child's disinterest
Family's lack of knowledge about how to join or what Girl Scouts involves

Non-Girl Scout families reported that the most important considerations for after-school activity choices include location, cost, scheduling, promotion of positive values and skills, and new and exciting opportunities.

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GSSEM White Papers

March 2024: From Girlhood to Leadership
December 2024: Empowering Youth in STEM
March 2025: The Power of Global Citizenship
September 2025: Investing in Youth is Essential for Community Resilience