Publications

As part of our effort to provide accurate information on the healthy development of girls, the Girl Scout Research Institute releases three types of girl-focused publications: Original research studies, research reviews and program evaluation and outcomes measurement studies and tools.

Original Research Studies

Our original research studies studies identify the different issues that girls face today and track the ways in which social trends affect their lives.

• Change It Up! What Girls Say About Redefining Leadership (2008)
• The New Normal? What Girls Say About Healthy Living (2006)
• Voices of Volunteers 18-29 (2003)
• Feeling Safe: What Girls Say (2003)
• The Ten Emerging Truths: New Directions for Girls 11-17 (2002)
• How America's Youth Are Faring Since September 11th (2002)
• The Net Effect: Girls and New Media (2002)
• Teens Before Their Time (2000)
• Defining Success: American Women, Achievement, and the Girl Scouts (1999)

Past Original Research Studies

• National Profile of Adults in Girl Scouting: Executive Summary (1998)
• Strength in Diversity: Toward a Broader Understanding of Racial and Ethnic Diversity in Girl Scouting: Final Report (1994)
• The Girl Scout Experience Among Young Girls Today: Towards a Marketing Strategy for Girl Scouting (1992)
• Girl Scouts: Its Role in the Lives of American Women of Distinction (1991)

Research Reviews

In our research reviews, we synthesize current, already published studies on topics of interest to those in the youth development field to provide much-needed glimpses into factors affecting girls today.

• Exploring Girls' Leadership (2007)
• Weighing In: Helping Girls Be Healthy Today, Healthy Tomorrow (2004)
• Paths to Positive Youth Development (2003)
• The Community Connection: Volunteer Trends in a Changing World (2002)
• Snapshots of Young Lives Today (2001)
• The Girl Difference: Short-Circuiting the Myth of the Technophobic Girl (2001)

Program Evaluation and Outcomes Measurement Studies
and Tools

Our outcomes measurement studies assess the impact of the Girl Scout program. The tool kits provide local Girl Scout councils with instruments for measuring the outcomes of the Girl Scout experience. They help answer the question, Is Girl Scouting really making a difference?

• Transforming Leadership: Focusing on Outcomes of the New Girl Scout Leadership Experience (2008)
• GirlSports Basics National Evaluation (2003)
• Junior Girl Scout Group Experience: Outcomes Measurement Guide (2002)
• Tool Kit data analysis supplement (2001)
• Tool Kit for Measuring Outcomes of Girl Scout Resident Camp (2000)
• Girls, Families, and Communities Grow Through Girl Scouting (1997)

To order print copies of these publications, e-mail the Girl Scout Research Institute or call (800) GSUSA 4 U. (Please keep in mind that some of our past publications may no longer be in print.)