Booz Allen’s One-of-a-Kind Girl Scouts Mentoring Program is a Hit with Teens

The firm not only supports the Scouts on a national level, but also spearheads a hugely successful initiative that meets the needs of local troops and their communities.

Think “Girl Scouts,” and cookies and camping come to mind. These days, however, Girl Scouts are also about rock climbing, wind surfing, recycling—and mentoring. 

At the Girl Scouts Council of the Nation’s Capital (GSCNC), hundreds of girls have participated in a unique corporate mentorship program called “Make the Connection,” conceived by Booz Allen Hamilton. And the success of the program continues to exceed expectations.

Make the Connection is the first initiative to introduce 7th- to 12th-grade girls to the corporate world and offer tips on achieving success. Since 2005, Booz Allen has facilitated the multi-event program, which has served 700 girls to date through the efforts of 200+ of the firm’s volunteer mentors.

Now in its 5th year, the program’s popularity continues to grow: 82% of the girls who participated in 2008 said they would participate again, and 88% would recommend it to friends.

Principal Joe Suarez says, “Make the Connection embodies Booz Allen’s philanthropic philosophy: It’s one way our offices meet the unique needs of their communities by leveraging the firm’s expertise and volunteer spirit. It’s a hands-on program, and another example of the application of Booz Allen’s single greatest asset—intellectual capital—to support a world-class organization.

“We designed Make the Connection to be a template on which other institutions can put their unique spin to support Girl Scouts,” he continues. “That’s where multiplier kicks in.” Girl Scout programs inspired by Make the Connection were recently launched at the Washington, D.C.-area offices of Marriott and Lockheed Martin.

Sharon Gleason is GSCNC’s director of development: “Booz Allen benefits GSCNC by the commitment they’ve shown to creating and supporting an array of innovative opportunities. Partnerships like ours help Girl Scouts develop their leadership potential through activities that enable them to discover their values, skills, and the world around them, connect with others in a multicultural environment, and take action to make a difference in the world.”

One of the largest and most diverse councils in the country, GSCNC’s membership includes over 57,700 girls from Washington, D.C., Virginia, and Maryland and 4,415 individual troops. The GSCNC also has one of the nation’s largest at-risk populations of girls.

“Make the Connection gives girls a chance to interact with young, mostly female professionals from Booz Allen who work on a variety of impressive projects and issues,” Gleason says. “Most girls don’t understand what a consultant does, or that their backgrounds range from fine arts to software engineering. The fact that such a range of interests is valued in consulting is very appealing to the girls, and most of them would not normally have access to such an array of talent in one room.”

Building Leadership Skills with Gyroscopes, Video, Mentoring… and Cookies

Make the Connection consists of four indoor and outdoor events starting in November and ending in June. The fall agenda addresses teens’ career and vocational interests and several of Booz Allen’s female vice presidents share their life experiences. In winter, mentors work with the girls to discuss ways to balance friends, family, and school. In spring, the girls and mentors participate in outdoor team-building games and in summer, a dinner celebration is presented with a guest speaker.

Up to 200 girls participate and 50 staff volunteer in Make the Connection each year. In its first year, program registration had to be shut down early when more than 180 girls signed up in the first three weeks, and 150 more were placed on a waiting list.

Principal Lee Ann Timreck oversees the program. “Girls Scouts needs programs for teens—that’s the greatest drop-off point for scouts’ participation,” she says. “It’s critical that girls get this kind of mentoring. Girl Scouts is about developing leaders, and Make the Connection not only gives girls confidence, it motivates them to make an impact through leadership in their local community.

Make the Connection has been especially well received during this critical time in Girl Scouts’ 97-year history. In an effort to become more relevant and reverse dwindling membership, Girl Scouts of the USA rebranded itself as part of a new image makeover to better appeal to modern girls, especially those from urban and minority populations. The makeover includes initiatives, books, videoconferences, and blogs with topical themes such as environmental awareness.

Traditional activities such as camping, building birdfeeders, and first-aid training will remain part of the scouting experience, and Booz Allen continues its support of the Scouts’ annual cookie drive. But, says Gleason, the firm’s support goes far beyond that.

“For 14 years, Booz Allen has sponsored the National Air and Space Museum’s Girl Scout Day, attended by hundreds of scouts and families. Booz Allen also shared their dedication to pioneering technology by donating a Segway, which we use to learn about balance and gyroscopes.”

Two thousand scouts earned a distinctive Enjoy the Arts patch by attending the Edward Hopper exhibit at the National Gallery of Art during an activity sponsored by Booz Allen. In addition, Suarez serves a key role on the GSCNC strategic resource development committee and vice president Natalie Givans serves on the GSCNC Women’s Advisory Board and has helped spearhead the Work/Life Workshop to prepare 60 girls for careers.

“Programs like these support girls as they become adults,” says Suarez. “Through Make the Connection, Booz Allen volunteers share knowledge that empowers young women, and helps them build the toolkit that they will carry with them throughout their lives.”

story posted March 26, 2009