Posts Tagged "Victor Inzunza"
Girl Scouts Partnering with National Urban League on ‘I am Empowered’ Campaign
Girl Scouts of the USA is joining the National Urban League’s “I am Empowered” campaign, a yearlong public service initiative designed to rally millions of Americans around education, employment, housing and healthcare.
“The National Urban League and Girl Scouts have much in common,” said Kathy Cloninger, Chief Executive Office of Girl Scouts of the USA. “Both organizations are committed to empowering people—all people, young and old—to achieve their full potential and deeply value the power of community service in making the nation and the world a better place. Girl Scouts is proud to take the ‘I am Empowered’ pledge and partner with the Urban League in its centennial year.”
The “I am Empowered” campaign, launched on March 1, is part of the Urban League’s celebration of 100 years of advocating for economic empowerment in order to elevate the standard of people living in historically underserved urban communities.
The Urban League is partnering with organizations across the country and intends to have millions of Americans take the “I am Empowered” pledge. The four goals of the pledge seek to focus Americans on eliminating disparities in education, jobs, housing, and heath care by 2025.
The pledge can be signed online (http://iamempowered.com), and calls for the following:
- Every American child is ready for college, work and life.
- Every American has access to jobs with a living wage and good benefits.
- Every American is free from barriers to having safe, decent, affordable and energy-efficient housing, on fair terms.
- Every American has access to quality and affordable healthcare solutions.
The National Urban League is the nation’s oldest and largest community-based movement devoted to empowering African Americans to enter the economic and social mainstream. Girl Scouts has partnered with the National Urban League in the past, and has a long history of diversity and inclusion. The first Girl Scout troop for African American girls was formed in 1917, and by the 1950s, GSUSA had begun a national effort to desegregate all Girl Scout troops. In 1956, Martin Luther King Jr. described Girl Scouts as “a force for desegregation.”
CONTACT:
Girl Scouts of the USA
Victor Inzunza, 212-852-8529
vinzunza@girlscouts.org
Girl Scouts to Take Action on Energy Awareness and Conservation through Trane Grant Project
New York, N.Y.—Girl Scouts from six U.S. councils are exploring the importance of energy efficiency and conservation and discovering ways to make an impact on the environment through a grant project funded by Trane, a leading global provider of indoor comfort systems and services.
Trane employees will engage in activities with Girl Scouts to help them understand how proficiency in science, technology, engineering and mathematics can make a difference in their communities and the wider world around them.
“We know that girls care deeply about the environment, and this is a wonderful opportunity for them to not only learn about energy efficiency and conservation, but conduct an actual energy audit,” said Kathy Cloninger, Chief Executive Officer of Girl Scouts of the USA.
Trane volunteers, in partnership with council staff members, will work with girls to take action around energy efficiency as part of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience, the new leadership program. Girl Scout Juniors in grades four and five will team with Trane volunteers to conduct a building energy audit and other activities to learn about energy efficiency and conservation in buildings.
“Buildings consume more energy than any other sector in the United States,” said Jeff Watson, Vice President of Hussmann and Trane in North America. “Equipping girls with the skills needed to make buildings more efficient today will help ensure a better environment tomorrow.”
Most of the projects at councils in California, Indiana, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey and New York will take place in late March and April.
The newly implemented Girl Scout Leadership Experience program engages girls in discovering themselves, connecting with others and taking action to make the world a better place. The first series of books for Girl Scouts that incorporates the leadership model, known as Journey books, was introduced in 2008. The second series of Journey books, It’s Your Planet—Love It, had an environmental theme and was published in the summer of 2009.
In addition to the collaboration with Trane employee volunteers, the grant from Trane supported the development of the It’s Your Planet—Love It Journey book for Girl Scout Juniors that focuses on energy and helps girls perform a simple building energy audit, analyze the results and present their findings and possible solutions.
CONTACTS:
Girl Scouts of the USA
Victor Inzunza 212.852.8529
vinzunza@girlscouts.org
