GIRL SCOUTS OF KENTUCKY’S WILDERNESS ROAD LAUNCH ‘CHALLENGE A GIRL TO CHANGE OUR WORLD’ CAMPAIGN TO CREATE NORTHERN KENTUCKY LEADERSHIP CAMPUS
Eleven-Acre Erlanger Site Will Be Developed in Three Phases & Focus on Entrepreneurship, Life Skills and STEM for Girls
ERLANGER, Ky. – October 25, 2021 – Girl Scouts of Kentucky’s Wilderness Road (GSKWR) announced its vision to create the Northern Kentucky Leadership Campus on an 11-acre Erlanger property, through its $ 6 million ‘Challenge a Girl to Change Our World’ campaign earlier today at an event on the site, with CEO Susan Douglas and the Mayors of Erlanger and Fort Mitchell. Phase One of the campaign seeks to build a Leadership Center that will include a Command Center, Retail Center and Entrepreneurship Center; nearly $ 800,000 has been raised toward the $ 2 million necessary to complete Phase One, with leadership gifts from R.C. Durr Foundation and St. Elizabeth Healthcare.
“We create a safe space where girls can learn in a positive and inspiring mentorship environment, listen to their own inner-leader and define who they want to be “, said Susan Douglas, CEO of Girl Scouts of Kentucky’s Wilderness Road. “The Erlanger Leadership Campus will transform the Girl Scout experience in our 67-county service region and create the next generation of girls that will lead with courage, confidence and character”. With population growth projected to increase more in Northern Kentucky than any other area of the state, the ‘Challenge A Girl to Change Our World’ campaign will create a state-of-the-art Leadership Campus, developed over three phases, that will provide the premier leadership experience for generations of girls. “I’ve been very fortunate to always have people around me who challenged me – and I want that for every Kentucky girl. Now more than ever, we need women in STEM careers and to fill the Northern Kentucky jobs pipeline “, said Jessica Fette, Mayor of Erlanger, Kentucky.
The ‘Challenge A Girl to Change Our World’ campaign will:
- Increase the number of Northern Kentucky girl members by 52%
- Create volunteer mentorship opportunities for positive engagement with girl members, and increase the number of volunteers by nearly 60% by 2024
- Provide modern, accessible space for over 2,400 staff and volunteers to conduct training and planning sessions that are critical to supporting GSKWR programming and operations
- Allow for additional Erlanger community engagement by providing access to space for events, team-building and corporate events once the Leadership Campus is complete
- Through the Entrepreneurship Center, facilitate access to innovative experiences in leadership, STEM, and health and wellness for girls, as well as allow for cookie entrepreneurs to work as teams to accomplish goals and problem-solve
- Through the Retail Center, incentivize and motivate girls through the badge program to overcome obstacles and reach their goals
For more details about the ‘Challenge A Girl to Change Our World’ campaign, or to contribute, please visit https://www.gskentucky.org/changeourworld. For more information on how to volunteer or join the effort, go to https://www.gskentucky.org/en/for-volunteers/why-volunteer.html
About Girl Scouts of Kentucky’s Wilderness Road
Recognized as the premier leadership opportunity for female ambition in Kentucky, Girl Scouts of Kentucky’s Wilderness Road (GSKWR) serves over 8,000 girls and young women of all backgrounds and abilities in 66 Kentucky counties and 1 Ohio county. With opportunities in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and around the world, Kentucky Girl Scouts can unapologetically be themselves as they discover their strengths and rise to meet new challenges through a focus on life skills, STEM, entrepreneurship, and outdoor experiences, creating a critical career pipeline of intelligent women leaders. Backed by trusted Kentucky volunteers, mentors and Girl Scout alumni, Girl Scouts of Kentucky’s Wilderness Road is creating experiential and leadership opportunities for growth. To learn more, to volunteer, reconnect or donate, please visit www.gskentucky.org.
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For media: access this link to download one-page PDF on the Challenge A Girl to Change Our World campaign, the campaign branding and images from the launch event: