Girl Scouts offers girls ages five to 17 the world’s premier personal growth and leadership development experience. Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles (GSGLA), a chartered council with Girl Scouts of the USA, supports nearly 45,000 girls in partnership with more than 22,000 volunteers through council-sponsored girl programs and activities, local resources and support, and adult learning opportunities.
Driven by the new realities of our ever-changing world, Girl Scouts is undergoing a historic transformation that will help us better serve the girls of today and tomorrow through a renewed focus on leadership development.
Girl Scouts is the nation’s leading organization dedicated to helping all girls everywhere fulfill their potential and gain valuable skills to ensure their future success. In a friendly, accepting, and nurturing environment, and in partnership with committed adult volunteers, girls develop strong values, leadership skills, social conscience, and conviction about their own potential and self-worth. Blending tradition with innovation, Girl Scouts provides a safe, nurturing environment that allows girls to grow through activities and opportunities that are both educational and fun.
Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. was founded on March 12, 1912 in Savannah, Georgia by Juliette Gordon Low, with a troop of 18 girls. Juliette’s revolutionary vision was to bring girls out of their sheltered home environments to serve in their communities and experience the outdoors.
Today, Girl Scouts of the USA is the world's largest organization dedicated solely to girls, with nearly four million members. It is part of a worldwide family of girls and adults in 136 countries through its membership in the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS).
About Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles
In the early years of Girl Scouting in the Los Angeles region, there were many local councils usually associated with a small city or town.
As Girl Scouting grew and professional staff expanded, councils recognized the need to maximize resources and began merging with neighboring councils to encompass a greater regional area. By the year 2000, there were six regional councils serving the Greater Los Angeles area.
On December 1, 2008, Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles (GSGLA) began operations, the culmination of an 18-month merger process unifying six Los Angeles area Girl Scout councils into a single council serving all of Los Angeles County and parts of San Bernardino County. Click for Map of GSGLA.
The new structure makes the most effective use of resources to better serve local communities and create more opportunities in Girl Scouting for even more girls. Angeles Girl Scout Council, Girl Scout Council of Greater Long Beach, Girl Scouts - Joshua Tree Council (southeastern portion), Girl Scouts - Mt. Wilson Vista Council, Girl Scouts - Spanish Trails Council, and Girl Scouts of the San Fernando Valley partnered to form Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles.
The merger that created GSGLA was part of a historic national transformation of the Girl Scout Movement to modernize the iconic organization and focus on leadership development for girls in the 21st Century. Girl Scout councils throughout the country realigned to revitalize the Girl Scout Movement to remain compelling, contemporary and relevant to today's girls.
With regional offices throughout Los Angeles County and a Headquarters Office in Downtown Los Angeles, GSGLA serves approximately 45,000 girls and supports more than 22,000 adult volunteers in the Greater Los Angeles area. GSGLA is the largest girl serving youth agency in Los Angeles County, is among the largest councils in the nation, and is chartered by Girl Scouts of the USA.
What We Stand For
Girl Scouts is the world’s preeminent organization dedicated solely to girls-all girls- where, in an accepting and nurturing environment, girls build character and success.
In partnership with committed adult volunteers, girls develop qualities that will serve them all their lives, such as leadership abilities, strong values, a social conscience, and conviction about their own potential and self-worth.
Mission Statement
Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place.
Girl Scout Purpose
The purpose of Girl Scouting is to inspire girls with the highest ideals of character, conduct, patriotism, and service that they may become happy and resourceful citizens.