League of Women Voters and Girl Scouts of the USA Partner to Empower Next Generation of Civic Leaders

WASHINGTON -On August 22, The League of Women Voters Education Fund (LWVEF) and Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) announced a new, two-year partnership that will support Girl Scouts' Promote the Vote program and civic engagement opportunities for Girl Scouts across the country. Building on GSUSA and LWVEF's long histories of civic engagement, the partnership will connect local Leagues and Girl Scout councils to support Girl Scout troops participating in Promote the Vote, as well as in completing civics badges, earning the Gold Award and more.

Promote the Vote is a national program meant to engage Girl Scouts in civics by providing them with resources and information to get out the vote and help individuals in their communities make a voting plan. Through Promote the Vote, Girl Scout troops and League of Women Voters (LWV) volunteers can write letters, send texts and conduct outreach encouraging potential voters to go to the ballot box, which gives Girl Scouts the opportunity to get involved in the democratic process, even if they're not of voting age.

In collaboration with the League of Women Voters Education Fund, GSUSA recently released a new version of Promote the Vote for 2024, including easy-to-use resources and a customized version of the League of Women's Voters nonpartisan election information resource, VOTE411.org, for Girl Scouts (www.VOTE411.org/GirlScouts). VOTE411 is LWV's one-stop -shop for all election-related information, including both general and state-specific information in English and Spanish.

Building off a long history of local collaboration between Girl Scout councils and Leagues, the partnership also includes a collaboration guide to help local Girl Scouts councils and Leagues work together to achieve Civics badges, co-host nonpartisan civic events and plan other community initiatives. All Promote the Vote resources can be found here.

"We are thrilled to partner with Girl Scouts of the USA to inspire and empower girls to understand the importance of voting and civic engagement," said Kelly McFarland, chief of staff at League of Women Voters Education Fund. "As a mother of two Girl Scouts, I am excited to help foster a new generation of civic-minded leaders ready to make their voices heard, engage their communities, and contribute to the democratic process."

In 2020, in honor of the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, GSUSA launched a national Promote the Vote initiative to engage Girl Scout troops in the democratic process. The campaign equipped Girl Scouts with tools to successfully complete service projects related to voting, such as providing citizens with transportation to polling stations or details on voter registration.

"We are thrilled to partner with The League of Women Voters Education Fund, an organization that aligns with our mission" said Sarah Keating, vice president of girl experience at GSUSA. "The League's passion to empower people to advocate for themselves and others by participating in our democratic process mirrors what's important to Girl Scouts today."

The League of Women Voters has played a significant role in educating the public on political leaders, public policy and civic participation for over 100 years. With the upcoming election, the two nonprofits look forward to assisting both Girl Scouts and the overall public in learning about voter empowerment. As a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, LWVEF works to register and provide voters with election information via their online database, VOTE411.org. With over 750 local and state Leagues across the country the League of Women Voters is dedicated to empowering everyone to fully participate in our democracy hat encourage citizens to exercise their right to vote.

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