Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Girl Scouts of Maine (GSME) is an organization rooted in activism and advocacy. We hold our members accountable to think, speak, and act in ways that ensure all people feel they belong and can meaningfully participate in every aspect of Girl Scouting, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, ability, gender, marital status, familial status, veteran status, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identification, genetic information, socioeconomic status, or any other characteristics. All who identify as Girl Scouts push for equitable treatment and justice, both locally and globally.

Across Maine’s 16 counties, Girl Scouts in Maine represent diverse communities and identities. Girl Scouts of Maine is committed to breaking down barriers and partnering with families and communities to support the well-being and development of all youth who identify with the girl experience. We encourage every member to be their authentic self and know that their voice matters. All GSME staff, volunteers, and members are expected to think, speak, and act in ways that ensure all people feel they belong and can meaningfully participate in all aspects of Girl Scouting.

GSME is committed to inclusion and will make reasonable efforts to provide accessibility to Girl Scouts of all levels of ability.

Financial Assistance

From summer camps to STEM programs to journey work, GSME is dedicated to offering a variety of consistent and quality programs to all our members. We strive to remove as many barriers as possible for families so their child may experience all that Girl Scouts has to offer. We understand that the cost of programs can sometimes present a challenge for members to participate in events, whether due to unexpected emergencies or the current economic conditions. To help ensure this is not the case for our members, GSME offers assistance to lower, and in some cases, remove this barrier altogether. Please see below our list of grant offerings and current scholarship co-funded programs available to all of our members.

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Membership: At the time of registration, assistance for annual membership dues may be requested by either the registering member or the caregiver. We cover the full cost of membership for girls and provide assistance for adults who actively take on leadership roles within the troop.

Overnight Camp: We award camperships based on family need on a first come, first served basis, until all the available assistance has been awarded. Most awards are partial camperships, and families are expected to pay at least 6% of the tuition, or more depending on family income.

If you are a Girl Scout, once you register for camp, you will get access to all camp forms, including the REQUIRED, confidential campership application.

See campership guidelines here.

First Aid and/or CPR Training: Girl Scouts of Maine provides financial assistance to help defray up to one-half the cost of attending first-aid and/or CPR training (up to $40) for one troop adult. To request a reimbursement, simply complete this form, and mail your request along with a course receipt to the South Portland service center. While many volunteers are both willing and financially able to personally pay the remaining half of the cost of training, others are not. If you would like to be reimbursed for the remaining half of the cost, you may deduct it from your troop account after completing the course.

Joanne Crepeau Future Leaders Scholarship: If you are a registered Maine Girl Scout who is graduating high school this year and have applied to an institution of higher learning, Girl Scouts of Maine will invite you to apply for the Joanne Crepeau Future Leaders Scholarship.

A Place for Girls: Girl Scouts of Maine offers grant-funded, site-based program providing an opportunity for girls to earn badges, grow their leadership skills, and engage with their community! These outreach programs are funded by the generous support of The United Way and the John T. Gorman Foundation and other community partners.

Questions? Email Customer Care or call 888-922-4763.

Accessibility and Disabilities

The Girl Scout Leadership Experience brings out the best in all girls and adults. Every girl has something amazing to offer! Girl Scouts of Maine embraces girls and adults whose learning or physical disabilities and differing abilities, recognizing that while these may affect their activities, their hopes and accomplishments remain boundless.

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A Stanford University Disability Language Resource Guide
- Words matter! It is important to use respectful and inclusive language when communicating with or talking about people with disabilities. This is a starter guide (non-exhaustive, non-definitive) for learning about disability language equity.
Neurodivergent & Neurodiversity: Meanings & Examples
- Exceptional Individual’s website provides comprehensive resources, descriptions, and definitions for learning about the different types of neurodivergence including Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, and more. Dive deeper into learning the challenges and strengths someone with neurodivergences holds
Book recommendations
- Just Ask!: Be Brave, Be Different, Be You by Sonia Sotomayor–Using her own experience as a child who was diagnosed with diabetes, Justice Sotomayor writes about children with all sorts of challenges—and looks at the special powers those kids have as well.
- Demystifying Disability: What to know, what to say, how to be an ally by Emily Ladau–An approachable guide to being a thoughtful, informed ally to disabled people, with actionable steps for what to say and do (and what not to do) and how you can help make the world a more inclusive place.
- We Move Together by Kelly Fritsch, Anne Mcguire, Eduardo Trejos–A perfect tool for families, schools, and libraries to facilitate conversations about disability, accessibility, social justice and community building. Includes a kid-friendly glossary (for ages 6 - 9)
Volunteers, sign in to your MyGS account to access and review these Girl Scout specific trainings.
- GSUSA gsLearn training–Delivering Inclusive Programs
Girl Scouts for All: A guide to welcoming girls with disabilities into your troop, with suggestions and strategies for preparing and including girls in troop meetings, activities, etc. Includes activities and guides for teaching your Girl Scout about diversity and inclusion.

Land Acknowledgement

We acknowledge that we are on indigenous land. The place we now call Maine is home to the sovereign people of the Wabanaki Nations: Penobscot Nation, Passamaquoddy Tribe, Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians and Mi'kmaq Nation.

We encourage continued learning about Indigenous peoples’ histories, culture, and contributions through the resources provided below.

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Acknowledge whose land you are inhabiting and educate yourself on the nations listed above and across Maine.
- Use: Native Land to find out whose land you are on.
Support local Indigenous organizations such as Wabanaki REACH
Visit Wabanaki Public Health & Wellness
Listen to the Dawnland Signals broadcast regarding land acknowledgements from November 19, 2020.
Check out Native Hope to get a free guide titled “How to Address Native American Issues as a Non-Native”.
Earn our Native American Heritage patch offered by GSUSA.
Watch a film featuring Indigenous actors and characters.
Read literature by Indigenous authors.

Race and Privilege

Girl Scouts of Maine commits to taking action to support people of every race. We take action when we see a need and we live by our Girl Scout Law, which demands we seek racial equity for everyone.

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Systemic Racism Explained–This four-minute video that gives a closer look at what systemic racism is, and how we can solve it.

The Anti-Racism Project's Booklist (Anti Racism Project)

Talking About Race (Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture)

Black Like Me–Dr. Alex Gee’s podcast invites you to experience the world through the perspective of one Black man, one conversation, one story, or even one rant at a time.

The Evolution of Black Beauty–Say It Loud’s discuss how haircare, skincare, and makeup with in the African American beauty standards have evolved.

Growing Up Black in America: here’s my story of everyday racism–Article by Brian Jones associate director of education at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.

How to Talk About Racism with Your Children–kidshealth.org

Anti-Racism Educational Resources–University of Southern Maine

Racial Equity Resources–Maine Children’s Home

How to build an antiracist world–TED talk by Ibram X Kendi. In this vital conversation, he defines the transformative concept of antiracism to help us more clearly recognize, take responsibility for and reject the prejudices in our public policies, workplaces, and personal beliefs.

LGBTQ+

Girl Scouts of Maine is committed to providing girls and gender-expansive youth a place to belong and the opportunity to create change to make the world a better place.

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Girl Scout of Maine Supporting LGBTQ+ Youth in Girl Scouts

Guide to being an ally to transgender and nonbinary youth–The Trevor Project

Creating Safer Spaces in Schools for LGBTQ Youth–The Trevor Project

LGBTQ+ Youth Programs–OUT Maine

Be an Ally - Support Trans Equality–Human Rights Campaign

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Red, A Crayon’s Story by Michael Hall
This story follows Red, a crayon whose wrapper is bright red, but whose color is blue. Everyone tells Red what color to be, but deep down, Red has always painted blue!

And Tango Makes Three
This book is a loving story of two male penguins adopting Tango and their journey as a family.

Diverse. Equal. Inclusive.

Being an ally is a verb not a noun. We're united in this journey, and there's no one-size-fits-all solution to success. Along the path, we may stumble and face challenges. However, by coming together with sincerity and an open-minded approach, we will build girls of courage, confidence, and character to make the world a better place for all.

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Girl Scout Multicultural Celebration Patch Programs

Black History Month  | February 1–28
Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month | May 1–31
LGBTQ+ Pride Month | June 1–30
Hispanic Heritage Month | September 15–October 15
Native American Heritage Month | November 1–30

Girl Scout Badges, Journeys, and Live Events

Agent of Change Journey for Girl Scout Juniors

Girl Scout Highest Awards

Bronze. Silver. Gold. These represent the highest honors a Girl Scout can earn. All three awards give girls the chance to do big things while supporting an issue they care about. Learn more about how to earn your Highest Awards.

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Safety Activity Checkpoints: Sections cover emotional safety, mental health, and inclusivity in Girl Scout troops.
Volunteer Essentials: Sections include Creating a Safe Place for Girls, Communicating Effectively with Girls of Any Age, When Sensitive Topics Come Up, and Volunteer Policies and Procedures (includes our non-discrimination policy, whistleblower procedures, and more).
Raising Awesome Girls: Girl Scouts of the USA's parenting blog, including articles "Help Your Kids Take Action Against Racism", "Teach Her How to Fight Injustice", "Why Tolerance Isn't Working", and more.

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