Community gathering to spotlight urgent needs and pressures facing Florida girls

The Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida and the League of Women Voters of Broward County will co-host a community workshop to share findings from the State of the Florida Girl, a groundbreaking analysis of the unprecedented challenges facing girls across the state on Saturday, August 23, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the North Regional Library in building 62 at 1100 Coconut Creek Blvd. in Coconut Creek.

The workshop will feature a keynote presentation by Elle Harrigan, Chief Advancement Officer for Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida, followed by a panel discussion moderated by Sergio Bustos, Vice President of News at WLRN. Panelists include Broward School Board Member Sarah Leonardi and Emilia Vilaire-Monchery, Senior Director of Community Impact Education Initiatives at United Way of Broward County.

Highlighting critical issues across key pillars – mental wellness, social wellness, physical health, and academic performance – the report underscores the urgent need to provide girls with the resources and support they require to thrive.

The State of the Florida Girl Report spotlights several key areas:

Emotional Wellness:

• 52% of high school girls report feeling sad or hopeless for two or more weeks in a row, reflecting a 40% increase in depression over the past decade. Additionally, 1 in 4 girls seriously considered attempting suicide, showing a troubling rise of more than 60% in the last 10 years.

Academic Performance:

• 1 in 8 girls miss school due to feeling unsafe, with girls being 1.5 times more likely than boys to stay home after experiencing bullying. Further, twice as many girls as boys are victims of cyberbullying, illustrating the significant online safety challenges girls face.

Physical Health:

• 36% of girls believe they are overweight, despite only 32% meeting the medical definition of being overweight or obese, indicating a widespread issue with body image. Additionally, poor body image is most pronounced among Asian American or Pacific Islander (AAPI) girls, among whom 32% describe themselves as overweight, even though only 14% meet medical criteria for this term.

The report also addresses other critical challenges facing Florida’s girls, including the impact of violence, access to health insurance, and rising homelessness among youth.

“These are staggering findings that we cannot ignore,” said Elle Harrigan, Chief Advancement Officer of Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida. “This report offers the opportunity to act now, to invest in girls’ mental health, academic equity, and physical safety with urgency and intention.”

The workshop is free and open to the public. To learn more and register, visit https://bit.ly/3U1E0GB.

About Girl Scouts

We are the preeminent leadership development organization for girls who believe that every girl can be a go-getter, innovator, risk-taker, and leader with the power to change the world. More than any other organization in our community, Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida empowers girls ages 5 to 17 with vision and voice—girls who command their future, engage their communities, and inspire others. We offer every girl a chance to practice a lifetime of leadership, adventure, and success. Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida serves more than 6,900 girls in Broward, Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River, and Okeechobee Counties. To explore opportunities to volunteer or partner with Girl Scouts, call 561-427-0177 or visit www.gssef.org.

League of Women Voters: We are a nonpartisan organization that encourages informed and active participation in government and works to increase understanding of major public policy issues. For more information visit www.lwvbroward.org.

The post Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida and League of Women Voters Host State of the Florida Girl Workshop appeared first on citybiz.

This contant was orignally distributed by citybiz. Blockchain Registration, Verification & Enhancement provided by NewsRamp™. The source URL for this press release is Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida and League of Women Voters Host State of the Florida Girl Workshop.