You may have already stocked up on your favorite Girl Scout cookies this year, or seen local Girl Scouts confidently selling them around town. But as we celebrate Girl Scout Week, March 8–14, 2026, we’re highlighting something even more powerful than cookies: the lifelong impact Girl Scouts has on girls in our community.
The mission of Girl Scouts is to build girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place. Through girl-led programming focused on STEM, Outdoors, Life Skills, and Entrepreneurship, Girl Scouts creates safe spaces where girls can try new things, take healthy risks, develop leadership skills, and build lasting friendships. Research consistently shows that girls who participate in Girl Scouts demonstrate stronger academic performance, greater confidence, and higher aspirations for their futures.
Here in Greater Gallatin, that mission comes to life through partnership.
Through Greater Gallatin United Way Community Impact Grants and collaboration with our kidsLINK out-of-school programs, Girl Scouts of Montana and Wyoming is serving more than 300 girls across 12 afterschool sites, including Belgrade, Bozeman, and Three Forks. Girl Scouts visits each school twice per year, delivering hands-on sessions rooted in the four pillars of the Girl Scout Learning Experience.
Girls build kaleidoscopes while learning about symmetry. They practice navigation skills using maps and compasses. They explore Leave No Trace principles and environmental stewardship. They develop entrepreneurial confidence through experiences connected to the Girl Scout Cookie program and beyond.
By bringing this programming directly into schools, barriers are reduced for families who may not otherwise have access to affordable, convenient afterschool enrichment. These experiences strengthen academic outcomes, build confidence, and provide meaningful support for working families.
Participating girls also receive an annual Girl Scout membership, opening doors to troops, camps, additional programming, and continued leadership development long after the afterschool session ends.
Girl Scout Week is a time to celebrate the movement that has empowered generations of girls, and to recognize the impact happening right here at home. Through strong partnerships and shared commitment, we are helping more girls discover their strengths, find their voices, and step confidently into their futures.
That’s why Greater Gallatin United Way proudly partners with Girl Scouts of Montana and Wyoming. Because when girls build courage, confidence, and character, they truly do make our community a better place.
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