Across the country, 1 in every 12 children under the age of 18 experiences parental incarceration during their life, according to the advocacy group The Sentencing Project. Girls with incarcerated parents face particular obstacles, but Girl Scouts believe that lack of access to leadership development programs shouldn't be among them.
GSBB In-facility Visits
The Girl Scouts Beyond Bars (GSBB) program was established in Arizona in 1994 and, along with several other councils, has grown to serve thousands of girls across the country. GSBB was developed to equip girls in grades K-12 whose mothers are incarcerated with the tools they'll need to succeed, while also strengthening the mother/daughter bond through regular visits. In partnership with Arizona State Prison Complex (ASPC) – Perryville, our Council has been able to expand the scope of our GSBB program to serve girls with incarcerated mothers, grandmothers, and aunts. We also partner with our sister Council, Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona, to ensure that we can serve girls across the entirety of Arizona.
Both girl and adult participants take an active leadership role in the planning and implementation of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience, a process that fosters life skills development and personal growth. After release, girls and their mother/grandmother/aunt can continue to participate in troop meetings in their communities, making Girl Scouting a consistent and supportive presence in their lives.
GSBB Community Troops
SBB community troops are staff-supported troops that are open to all girls impacted by familial incarceration. Our GS Impact staff work in partnership with guardians and volunteers to create a safe space where all girls affected by familial incarceration are welcome and can find a sense of belonging. Girls have the opportunity to be the authors of their Girl Scout journey and work in partnership with the GS Impact staff to plan and design their monthly meetings and/or field trip opportunities (e.g., earning badges and patches, taking field trips, going camping, or participating in other Council-sponsored events and programs).
Community troops are currently broken down by the following grade levels:
- K-5 (meets 1st Tuesday of each month)
- 6-8 (meets 1st Wednesday of each month)
- 9-12 (meets 1st Thursday of each month)
- The 3rd Saturday of each month, all three troops will have the opportunity to participate in a joint field trip.
If you are interested in participating in a GSBB community troop, please use this link so our Program Coordinator can reach out with more information about getting started.
For questions or more information about participating in GSBB, please contact socialimpact@girlscoutsaz.org or 480-734-4546.
What to Expect:
Create new and lifelong friendships.
Your own Girl Scout uniform! Each girl will receive a Girl Scout vest or sash and receive earned Badges.
1 troop meeting per month. Girls will learn new skills and earn badges relevant to their interests.
1 monthly field trip. Girls will explore their communities and visit places like museums, college campuses, hiking trails, etc.