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WAGGGS provides a high quality non-formal educational programme that provides dynamic, flexible and values-based training in life skills, leadership and decision making. It also offers projects and programmes at an international level that enable Girl Guides and Girl Scouts to be responsible world citizens through action and activity in the community.
The mission of WAGGGS is to enable girls and young women to develop their fullest potential as responsible citizens of the world. This is achieved through its member organizations. The World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts is an organization run by women for girls and young women. Girl Guides and Girl Scouts are trained in leadership and decision-making, and are encouraged to participate in the governance and leadership of WAGGGS. Indeed, each individual unit is democratically run with Girl Guides and Girl Scouts actively involved in leadership and in decision making.
The World Board is made up of volunteers from around the world and governs the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. The World Board is made up of 17 active members from around the world who are democratically elected by all Member Organizations at the World Conference and which includes the Chairs from each of the five WAGGGS? regions. Member Organizations of WAGGGS are independent of any political organization or any political party.
Girl Guiding/Girl Scouting is open to all girls and young women without distinction of creed, race, nationality, or any other circumstance. The World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts believes that the education of girls, as well as the education of boys, includes ?education for equal partnership?. Young men and young women are taught to recognize their differences and their similarities, and to respect each other as individuals.
Each WAGGGS Member Organization chooses how it believes it can best promote this, taking into account its culture and the needs of its young people. Some choose to work with girls alone in a single sex environment in order to break down stereotypes and to give girls and young women the confidence to take their place in society. Other Member Organizations prefer to work with mixed groups to enable young women and young men equal partnership within their units. Some Organizations choose to mix co-educational and single sex approaches according the age and the preferences of the young people.
Girl Guiding/Girl Scouting is a voluntary organization that relies on over 100,000 volunteers around the world to implement programmes for Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, and to give girls and young women support and leadership. There are over 10 million Girl Guides and Girl Scouts in 144 countries. Girl Guides and Girl Scouts from around the world can meet each other at international events at one of the four World Centres. There are many opportunities to attend international events run by the United Nations or other Non-Governmental Organizations on behalf of the Association.
Girl Guiding/Girl Scouting is based on a core set of values that are found in the Girl Guide/Girl Scout Promise and Law. Each Girl Guide and Girl Scout promises to do her best to her faith and to others, and in so doing she realizes her fullest potential as a responsible citizen.
Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting uses non-formal educational methods. Non-formal education is organized educational activity outside schools and colleges. The key components of non-formal education are that:
Each Girl Guide/Girl Scout defines her own progress and development according to her needs and aspirations within the framework programme provided. This contrasts with many formal education systems where young people must fit themselves into a rigid structure with little recognition of individual needs and differences. The Girl Guide/Girl Scout method is the specific way that the leadership works with girls and young women to achieve the mission of WAGGGS. It is an integrated approach with certain key elements: The Girl Guiding/Girl Scouting method can be used equally effectively with girls of all ages, abilities and backgrounds. In his book Girl Guiding by Lord Baden-Powell ( 1918) wrote:
Many Girl Guides and Girl Scouts end up becoming leading politicians, writers, businesswomen, and leaders. Senator Hillary Clinton (United States Senate), the Rt. Hon Dr. Marjorie MowlamThe Right Honourable Marjorie "Mo" Mowlam (born September 18 1949) is a British politician and served as a Labour MP. She was born in Watford but grew up in Coventry, attending the Coundon Court Comprehensive school, and then studied at the Universities o MP (leading politician in the United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a state in Western Europe, usually known simply as the United Kingdom the UK Britain or less accurately as Great Britain . The UK was formed by a series of Acts of Union which united the formerly), Roberta BondarRoberta Bondar is a Canadian astronaut, the first Canadian woman in space. She was born on December 4, 1945, in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. She holds a BS in zoology and agriculture from the University of Guelph (1968), an MS in experimental pathology from Ph.D., MD (first Canadian woman astronaut), and Mrs Betty Okwir (leading politician in Uganda) are just a few former and current Girl Guides and Girl Scouts.