Dallas Fort Worth Nonprofit Business Journal

Tag: Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas

  • Texas Woman’s University, Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas partner to expand higher education opportunities

    Texas Woman’s University, Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas partner to expand higher education opportunities

    New collaboration creates admissions, scholarship and college readiness pathways for Gold Award Girl Scouts

    Texas Woman’s University (TWU) and Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas launched a strategic partnership that creates expanded admissions, scholarship and college readiness opportunities for Gold Award Girl Scouts.

    TWU and Girl Scouts leaders celebrated the partnership during a recent signing ceremony at Texas Woman’s University’s Brackenridge Hall Auditorium. The agreement establishes a framework for ongoing collaboration between the two organizations while strengthening the pipeline of future women leaders through education, leadership and service.

    “As Texas Woman’s University celebrates its 125th anniversary, this partnership reflects our longstanding commitment to recognizing leadership and expanding educational opportunity for women,” said Dr. Carine Feyten, chancellor and president of Texas Woman’s University. “Gold Award Girl Scouts have already demonstrated the perseverance, initiative and service that define exceptional leaders. We are proud to recognize those accomplishments and help these young women continue their leadership journey at Texas Woman’s.”

    Through the partnership, eligible Gold Award Girl Scouts will receive admission consideration after completing their junior year of high school, subject to university admission requirements. Additional benefits include merit scholarship opportunities for qualifying students, admission application fee waivers, dedicated admissions counseling, financial aid guidance and college readiness programming. Eligible students also may qualify for TWU’s Zero Tuition Guarantee.

    Beyond student benefits, the partnership creates new opportunities for collaborative educational outreach, student engagement and leadership development initiatives while increasing awareness of Texas Woman’s University among Girl Scouts throughout Northeast Texas.

    “Leadership begins long before a young woman arrives on a college campus,” said Jennifer K. Bartkowski, chief executive officer of Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas. “Through Girl Scouts, girls develop the courage, confidence and character to lead, and Texas Woman’s University will help them build on that foundation through higher education. Together, we’re building the leadership pipeline for Texas.”

    The Girl Scout Gold Award is the highest achievement in Girl Scouting and recognizes girls who demonstrate extraordinary leadership through sustainable projects that create lasting community impact. Under the partnership, Gold Award recipients will have expanded access to admissions support and educational resources designed to help them successfully transition to college.

    As Texas Woman’s University celebrates its 125th anniversary, the new agreement reflects the university’s continued commitment to expanding educational opportunities and preparing future generations of women leaders through education, leadership and service.

    Two individuals shake hands at a table during a signing event, with supporters applauding behind them against branded backdrops.

    Source: Press Release

  • The Leadership Academy brings Girl Scout volunteers together in partnership with Junior League of Dallas

    The Leadership Academy brings Girl Scout volunteers together in partnership with Junior League of Dallas

    On Saturday, April 11, 2026, Junior League of Dallas members and Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas leaders and caregivers gathered together at the Dallas County Girl Scout DreamLab powered by Eddie Bernice Johnson in South Dallas for the Leadership Academy, an exclusive, hands-on leadership development workshop designed for Girl Scout volunteers. This national pilot program is led by the Association of Junior Leagues International and Girl Scouts of the USA and has been implemented in just three leagues across the country so far. It is designed to strengthen the leadership skills of Girl Scout volunteers, helping them build confidence, improve communication, and develop values-based leadership while modeling those behaviors for the girls they lead. Facilitated by Junior League of Dallas members, the workshop fostered meaningful collaboration between local Girl Scout councils and the Junior League of Dallas, reinforcing a shared commitment to leadership training, community impact and volunteer development.
    “We are honored to lead this pilot program on behalf of Junior Leagues everywhere in partnership with the Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas,” said Dr. Lindsay Davis, president of the Junior League of Dallas. “Our mission has always been to cultivate women leaders who address critical community needs through trained volunteer service, strategic funding and principled leadership. As the mom of a current Girl Scout who has already benefitted greatly from the organization’s incredible curriculum and inspiring troop leaders, this collaboration feels especially meaningful. We cannot imagine a better partner than Girl Scouts to help equip and inspire the next generation of women leaders.”

    ABOUT JUNIOR LEAGUE OF DALLAS
    The Junior League of Dallas cultivates women leaders who collectively address the critical needs of the community. Founded in 1922, JLD is one of the largest Junior Leagues in the world, as well as the largest and oldest training organization for women in Dallas. Active members range in age from 22 to 49 with approximately 85% percent of women employed outside of the home. The JLD provides leadership opportunities to nearly 4,000 women each year through more than 17,000 cumulative hours of experiential and formal training. Uniquely member-run, JLD provides approximately 100,000 hours in volunteer service and more than $1 million in funding to area nonprofits each year. For more information, please visit www.jldallas.org or Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

    Source: Press release

  • The Junior League of Dallas and the Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas to launch Leadership Academy Pilot Program

    The Junior League of Dallas and the Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas to launch Leadership Academy Pilot Program

    The Junior League of Dallas (JLD) and the Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas (GSNETX) announced the launch of Leadership Academy: A Volunteer Leadership Experience, a new pilot program designed to strengthen leadership skills among Girl Scout adults’ (leaders and caregivers) personal leadership skills and model positive behaviors for the girls they lead.

    Junior Leagues across the world have a mission to develop women to do a world of good. As part of that mission, Junior Leagues train their members to lead and become even better volunteers. Girl Scouts believe every girl has the power to change the world. Our two organizations naturally align to train girls and women to better our communities. 

    This initiative is part of a national pilot through the Association of Junior Leagues International (AJLI), taking place in just three Leagues across the country, and the Junior League of Dallas is proud to lead the way. As part of this shared mission to develop women and girls as changemakers, JLD and GSNETX are collaborating to deliver a unique workshop series that equips adult volunteers with the tools, confidence, and inspiration to model positive leadership behaviors for the next generation and to foster collaboration between local Girl Scout Councils and Junior Leagues.

    Volunteers will develop their personal leadership style and confidence through self-awareness, collaboration, relationship-building, and effective communication, all grounded in a commitment to a shared purpose. Participants will also have the opportunity to network with other passionate Girl Scout volunteers and JLD leaders, while contributing to a national pilot program that will shape future volunteer development.

    “We are honored to lead this pilot program on behalf of Junior Leagues everywhere in partnership with the Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas,” said Dr. Lindsay Davis, president of the Junior League of Dallas. “Our mission has always been to cultivate women leaders who address critical community needs through trained volunteer service, strategic funding and principled leadership. As the mom of a current Girl Scout who has already benefitted greatly from the organization’s incredible curriculum and inspiring troop leaders, this collaboration feels especially meaningful. We cannot imagine a better partner than Girl Scouts to help equip and inspire the next generation of women leaders.”

    The Leadership Academy will be facilitated by Junior League of Dallas members, who will plan the programs, schedule dates, book meeting facilities and speakers, create advertising and messaging to recruit participants, and handle all other training needs. GSNETX will manage registrations through their events portal and share program details with its members.

    Source: press release

  • $3.8M donation surprises Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas

    Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas (GSNETX) has received an unexpected $3.8 million gift.

    The contribution was made by philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, as the donor continues her pledge to give away at least half of her wealth. It is part of an $84.5M donation to Girl Scouts of the USA and 29 councils across the country, and will help significantly advance the organization’s mission to provide life-changing experiences, mentorship, and programming. 

    “Post-pandemic, GSNETX is in a state of reimagining itself, determining who we need to be to best serve the girls of the future, particularly in communities and with families who we have not engaged in the past,” said Jennifer Bartkowski, Chief Executive Officer for GSNETX. “This gift fuels that work, preparing us to access the resources, human capital, and strategy that will create a place of belonging and a leadership experience for every girl in our community. Without question, this gift is transformational. An investment in girls is an investment in the future of our community and we are incredibly grateful for this opportunity to change the lives of even more girls in North Texas.”

    GSNETX mobilizes a network of more than 8,000 volunteers across a 32-county region to champion girls. Recently, the organization enlisted the partnership of the Monitor Institute with Deloitte to help the organization re-imagine what it needs to be for girls now and into the future. This work included confronting the realities that come with being a 110-year-old institution.

    With a focus on community-centered design and engagement, volunteer and girl diversity, equity, and access and organizational readiness, GSNETX says this gift will allow the organization to make the changes that will ensure it is the girl-serving organization of choice for all families

    “We want Girl Scouts to be a place where every girl sees herself and appreciates herself just as she is, where she finds a place of belonging, and connects with caring adult mentors who can foster her curiosity, and cheer her on as she takes risks, explores opportunities, and develops into the best version of herself,” said Donna Epps, board chair for GSNETX. “This gift will enable us to double down on our work to reach girls in communities where they may not have access and where volunteers have not historically seen themselves represented in our organization.”

    Recent research from Girl Scouts of the USA cites that some of the biggest issues affecting girls today stem from the COVID-19 pandemic, gender and racial inequalities, mental wellbeing, and 21st century skills and the future of work.  Each new investment enables Girl Scouts to become a unifier at the broadest level, harnessing the leadership skills of generations to come and ensuring a future that is inclusive, empathetic, united, and equitable

    “We are so appreciative of MacKenzie Scott’s gift to Girl Scouts,” said Sofia Chang, CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA. “This is a great accelerator for our ongoing efforts to help girls cultivate the skills and connections to lead in their own communities and globally. The support from all our donors, including this generous support from MacKenzie Scott is critical in delivering on our work of reimagination and transformation. We are excited to prove how this investment in girls will change the world – because when one girl succeeds, we all succeed.”

  • Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas inspires STEM careers

    Visitors to the Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas (GSNETX) STEM Center for Excellence can now learn more about the careers of American Association for the Advancement of Sciences IF/THEN® Ambassadors through a special installation.

    Founded in 2019, IF/THEN® is an initiative of Lyda Hill Philanthropies that seeks to further advance women in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) by empowering current innovators and inspiring the next generation of pioneers.

    GSNETX serves girls and adult volunteers across 32 counties. To change the workforce pipeline in STEM and meet the urgent need for female voices, engagement, and leadership in the fastest growing sector of the U.S. economy, Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas opened the STEM Center of Excellence in 2018. The STEM Center is a 92-acre state-of-the-art camp just outside of Dallas where girls can experience programs in astronomy, robotics, coding, computer science and more.

    The purpose of the new interactive table at the STEM Center for Excellence is to inspire young women and demonstrate that women in STEM are enabling groundbreaking scientific advances to society. It accomplishes a shared goal of GSNETX and IF/THEN®, to showcase women and cultivate a culture shift among young girls to imagine themselves in STEM careers.

    The installation was created by The Virtual Wild, and is located in the Rees-Jones Foundation Welcome Center at the STEM Center. It inspires learning and future career opportunities through play.

    “We could not be more thrilled to be able to provide our girls and visitors of the STEM Center the opportunity to use the IF/THEN® Ambassador STEM Experience,” said Jennifer Bartkowski, CEO of GSNETX. “The installation perfectly aligns with our mission to introduce our girls to educational and professional opportunities available in the science, technology, engineering and math fields.”

    STEM fields and specialties represented in the IF/THEN® Collection range from Wildlife Ecology and Galactic Exploration, to Video Game Production, Sports Statistics Science and beyond. The featured Ambassadors include:

    • Heather Chandler: Game Development Consultant – Heather Makes Games
    • Anamita Guha: Product Manager, Artificial Intelligence – META/Facebook
    • Tiffany Kelly: Sports Data Scientist, CEO and Founder – Curastory
    • Beata Mierzwa: Molecular Biologist/Artist – Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, UC San Diego
    • Burçin Mutlu-Pakdil: Astrophysicist, Postdoctoral Researcher – Steward Observatory
    • Debbie Sterling: Mechanical Engineer and Founder/CEO – Goldieblox
    • Jennifer Stimpson: Scientist & Chemist – Hockaday School (also hosts the interactive experience)
    • Kim Swennen: Senior Software Engineer – Google Arts and Culture, Actress
    • Kirsten Tulchin-Francis: Biochemist and Bioengineer – Nationwide Children’s Hospital
    • Rae Wynn-Grant: Large Carnivore Ecologist, National Geographic Society Fellow

    GSNETX previously partnered with The Virtual Wild on Geo Quest AR app for The STEM Center’s geology trail. The digital archeology experience allows girls to first look for fossils on the app and then dig up 3D printed fossils at the end of the trail. The IF/THEN® Ambassador Experience, funded through a grant from IF/THEN® to Girl Scouts of the USA, is the second project in a five-year strategic partnership between Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas and The Virtual Wild to expand digital immersive experiences that enhance learning while complementing outdoor adventures.

    “We are passionate about creating emerging media experiences that increase representation for girls and inspire them to see themselves as the next generation of leaders in STEM.” said Jay Rutherford, Founder of The Virtual Wild. “We are so excited to see young girl scouts embracing cutting edge technologies to see themselves reflected in the incredible achievements of the If/Then ambassadors.”

    IF/THEN® previously joined forces with Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) to invest in and raise the profiles of women in STEM and inspire the next generation of girls to consider STEM Careers. Through this partnership, GSUSA developed STEM Career Exploration badges for girls in grades 2nd – 8th. The badges provide girls the opportunity to explore their career interests and connect to STEM Fields–particularly computer science, nature/environmental science, engineering, design, health, and agriculture–that can help them address the pressing issues of our time and change our world. Girls who engage in the IF/THEN® Ambassador Experience can leverage this technology towards earning the IF/THEN® STEM Career Exploration badge.

    In addition to offering world-class STEM programming locally, GSNETX’s STEM Center of Excellence has become a model across the country of how to offer relevant, exciting, hands-on STEM programming in a natural environment. GSNETX continues to offer new programs specifically designed to help girls experience college and careers as they prepare to make choices about their future. In the Dallas-Fort Worth area, women hold only 23% of all STEM jobs, which is higher than the country average. As Dallas becomes a hub for STEM-related jobs, Girl Scouts is ensuring that women are part of the pipeline. 

    Recently, the Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas Board of Directors was recognized with Dallas Business Journal’s Outstanding Directors Award and received the Luminary Award from SMU’s Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Human Development.

  • Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas receives investment from T-Mobile

    Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas recently received an investment of $25,000 for its Girl Scouting in a Day Program.

    The contribution from T-Mobile supports leadership development programs for middle school girls in Tyler ISD and Longview ISD. It will also fund field trips to the STEM Center of Excellence in Dallas.

    The Girl Scouts organization prepares girl to practice leadership by providing access to girl-led experiences, skill-building opportunities and connections. Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas covers 32 counties. It encompasses 23,000 square miles beginning just North of Waco, extending to the Oklahoma state line, and from Irving to the Louisiana border.