Girl Scouts Receive $25,000 Grant from the Yawkey Foundation to Support FaB Factor Initiative

April 4, 2011 - PRLog -- (Boston) – Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts have been awarded a $25,000 grant by The Yawkey Foundations to support their innovative FaB Factor Initiatives. The FaB Factor encourages girls’ to discover their inner fabulousness; whether it’s her proficiency in math, her leadership skills, or the ability to speak confidently on issues which she finds important.

The FaB Factor program was developed with a belief that with a targeted curriculum, consistent access to caring adults, and implementation of the Girl Scout leadership model, an incredible difference can be made in the lives of these young girls. Girl Scouts partners with community agencies in targeted cities with the top highest Mass. teen pregnancy rates, where juvenile assaults by girls are more likely to take place , high school drop out rates are worse than the state average and the population of low-income students is higher than the state average.

The goals of the Girl Scouts’ FaB Factor are to; encourage and empower girls to graduate high school and pursue academic or professional careers; develop a strong sense of self and the ability to make better decisions and positive choices; and to empower the girls to become positive contributors to their community.  FaB Factor focuses on financial literacy, leadership development, health and wellness, as well as environment, science, technology, ecology, engineering, and math utilizing the teaching techniques of learning by doing, cooperative learning, and girl-leadership.  

Meeting these goals and bringing the leadership experience to girls is made possible with assistance from generous donors such as the Yawkey Foundation, a foundation with philanthropic commitments to the forgotten and underserved. Tom and Jean Yawkey took careful steps to ensure that their legacy would live on through the work of the Yawkey Foundation.

“Girl Scouts is committed to building girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place,” explained Ruth N. Bramson, CEO, Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts. “With the generous support of the Yawkey Foundation, we will be able to bring the high quality Girl Scout leadership experience to girls in communities where girls have not historically had the opportunity to experience Girl Scouts and help them to set their pathways to success.” said Bramson.

Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts serves more than 41,000 girls ages 5-17 and 17,000 adult volunteers in 178 communities across Eastern Massachusetts with the mission to build girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place. The Girl Scouts provide girls with the opportunity to DISCOVER their world, CONNECT with and build an understanding for others and TAKE ACTION to make the world a better place. Girls are guided by committed and caring adults who make learning fun. Girl Scouting helps each girl achieve her personal leadership pathway to the future.

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Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place. Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts serves more than 45,000 girls ages 5-17 and 17,000 adult volunteers in the 178 communities we serve.