GGC Girl Engagement Building Meaningful Adult and Girl
GGC Girl Engagement: Building Meaningful Adult and Girl Partnerships March 21 st, 2009 National Networks Conference Facilitated by: Sara Somerset Coordinator, Girl Engagement
Objectives • Define the girl engagement concepts • Discuss the different ways to engage girl Members • Describe the benefits of girl engagement • Develop solutions to girl engagement challenges
Girl Engagement Concepts • The process of involving girl Members as active participants • An outcome of meaningful girl and adult partnerships • A value, a way of work which can be reflected in all that we do at GGC.
Methods for Engagement • Programming • Consultation (focus groups, surveys etc. ) • Planners and organizers • Trainers • Conferences/Forums • Staff/Volunteers/Interns • Advisory/Action Councils • Funders • Governance Roles/Girls on Boards • Researchers
Methods for Engagement National Office
Go Girl Engagement!
What aspects of engagement are meaningful? • Process: i. e. girl initiated, learning and changing, attending weekly meetings, being involved in the decision -making process • Outcome: i. e. networking opportunities, job opportunities, recognition, making an impact
Benefits of Meaningful Engagement Girl Adult • Skill and confidence building • Improved girl-adult partnership • Greater sense of civic responsibility • Mentorship opportunities • Feel more connected within the organization, community and society • Better understanding of girl needs/desires • Stronger impact on organizational growth • Improved girl-adult partnership • More satisfaction from Membership
Benefits of Meaningful Engagement Organization Community • Enhance program delivery and accessibility • Community development • Strengthen global movement • Strengthens GGC’s ability to be experts on girl issues and relevant to girls • Improved girl Membership retention and recruitment • Greater civic engagement
Girl Engagement Challenges • Difficulty understanding or “buying into” the concepts of girl engagement – The organizational culture and structure • Difficulty initiating girl engagement initiatives – The current program structure – The commitment level – Lack of committed resources to providing girl engagement opportunities – The planning policies and guidelines • Difficulty recruiting girl Members to participate in the girl Engagement initiatives – The girl selection process for events, conferences, trips, advisory committees etc. – Lack of interesting and relevant girl engagement opportunities for both the girl and adult Members • Difficulty supporting girl engagement initiatives – Lack of resources committed to supporting girl engagement initiative – Lack of direct and effective access to both girl and adult Members
Girl Engagement Solutions • Difficulty understanding or “buying into” the concepts of girl engagement – Educate, educate • Difficulty initiating girl engagement initiatives – Invest, invest • Difficulty recruiting girl Members to participate in the girl Engagement initiatives – Diversify, diversify • Difficulty supporting girl engagement initiatives – Continue to educate, invest and diversify
Summary • Girl engagement is not a new concept to GGC – girl Members are already being engaged • There are many diverse ways we can engage girls • We all benefit from meaningful girl engagement – girls, women, the organization and our community/society • We need to educate, invest and diversify
Contact Information Sara Somerset Coordinator, Girl Engagement somerses@girlguides. ca 416 -487 -5281 X 307
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