We know them because of their cookies but the Girl Scouts are much more than a yearly cookie sales organization.
"Girl Scouting is the natural pipeline of who is the next generation of women leaders in our community," said Ana Simpson, CEO of Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast.
The newly appointed leader of the local Girl Scouts organization was @TheTable Thursday night to talk about her new role.
Simpson has been on the job less than a month.
"Girl Scout programming focuses on STEM, on entrepreneurship, and on life and outdoor skills. And when I think about girl-led programs and the empowerment that our girls have and earn through those programs, that is the impact that they're going to make in our community and that we are making in the world," said Simpson.
There's a critical reason why the Girl Scouts believe in encouraging STEM programs, it's a huge job growth opportunity that is underrepresented by women.
"We've also added STEM into curriculum at our camps as well. So, making sure that it really is looking at all of our programming, and how do we incorporate those skill sets into what they're learning, said Simpson.
This year, the Girl Scouts are taking a new approach to mental health, starting with additional training for staff.
"Part of the first aide training is ensuring that our adult volunteers and staff are prepared to be able to deal with when a girl is in a mental health crisis or potentially a substance abuse crisis," said Simpson.
Watch the full conversation in the video at the top of this article.
Charles Benson and Shannon Sims interview key people in our community during TMJ4's @TheTable segment weeknights at 10 p.m.
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