Girl Scouts Encourages Young Latinas To Stay Connected.

About 500 Girl Scouts, family members and volunteers have joined forces to address the specific needs of young Latinas at Girl Scouts of the USA’s fifth National Latina Conference, which took place July 14 through July 17 in Uniondale, N.Y. in partnership with Girl Scouts of Nassau County. The 2005 National Latina Conference is sponsored by Bank of America and has the theme “Connect to Friends, Family and Envision the Future.”

Some 300 Latina Girl Scouts ages 11-17 have traveled from across the U.S. and Latin America to participate in workshops that cover education, financial literacy, self-esteem, entrepreneurship and other issues. These Girl Scouts also will meet notable young Latinas, such as pop star JD Natasha, who serves as keynote speaker, and performer Kathleen Herles, the voice of TV character Dora the Explorer. And participants will celebrate the Latino spirit with fun activities ranging from Latin cooking to salsa dancing. The conference is open to any Girl Scout interested in experiencing and learning about Hispanic culture and the issues Latinas face.

Girl Scouts has seen a 21 percent increase in Latina membership over the past three years and now counts Latinas among its fastest-growing membership segments. “Our National Latina Conference provides an opportunity to share issues and concerns common to all girls but in an environment that more fully addresses the specific needs of Latinas,” said Kathy Cloninger, CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA. “Inclusiveness and diversity are founding principles of Girl Scouts, and the National Latina Conference is one of many ways we’re working to help girls of all backgrounds grow into strong and productive adults.”

Donna Ceravolo, Executive Director of the Girl Scouts of Nassau County, Inc., added, “Whether a girl can attend the entire Conference or just a day, she will take with her a memorable, life-changing experience.”

A 2003 study by the Girl Scout Research Institute shows that Latina girls worry more than Caucasian, African-American and Asian girls about finding people their own age they can talk to and trust and about finding adults they can talk to and trust.

Latinas also often face specific challenges in areas such as navigating the education system, financial security, and career development. For example, despite a cultural emphasis on education, just 12 percent of Hispanics in the U.S. receive a college degree, according to Sallie Mae, a company that provides federally guaranteed student loans. While they value home ownership, Hispanics have a home ownership rate of less than 50 percent, compared to a rate of 68 percent for all populations, according to the Census Bureau. And while Hispanic women-owned businesses grew 63.9 percent between 1997 and 2004, many Latina entrepreneurs struggle with financing and cultural barriers.

For more information at http://www.girlscouts.org/espanol