QUINCY, Ill. — Girl Scouts of Central Illinois (GSCI) has received a generous $10,000 grant from Compeer Financial’s Fund for Rural America. Funds from this grant will be used to deliver mental health focused outreach programming to 350 girls in rural communities throughout Adams, Brown, Hancock and Pike Counties.
GSCI’s mental health outreach programming ensures that the most vulnerable youth in our communities gain access to mental health resources by intentionally addressing challenges posing a threat to girls’ mental health while building resiliency factors. The newly-established mental health curriculum focuses on confidence-building, self-care, positive communication practices, and encouragement. Spanning multiple sessions, girls age 5-17 participate in age-appropriate, thematic activities, such as creating and implementing anti-bullying campaigns, practicing healthy debate with those of different perspectives, building self-esteem and self-worth, developing creative ways to provide peer encouragement and support, and creating hygiene and self-care kits.
“With rural areas facing notable mental health challenges and girls across our country facing similar challenges – we know that these young women are most in need of early mental health supports,” said Jennifer Sedbrook, CEO of Girl Scouts of Central Illinois. “Girl Scouts has a century-long history of providing those resources and rising to meet the unique needs of girls in every community. With an intentionally-designed mental health curriculum – meeting girls directly in their community – we can collaborate with schools, other youth organizations, and Compeer Financial to ensure that rural communities, and the girls that call them home, have futures that flourish.”
Outreach programming is delivered on-site at area schools and community sites, eliminating the need for transportation. Through the generosity of donors such as Compeer Financial, programming is delivered free of cost to both the girls being served and collaborative partner sites.
About Girl Scouts of Central Illinois
Girl Scouts of Central Illinois (GSCI) serves over 10,000 girls and 2,000 adult members in 38 counties throughout central Illinois with the mission of building girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. Through GSCI’s programming, Girl Scouts of all backgrounds and abilities can be unapologetically themselves as they discover their strengths and rise to meet new challenges – whether they want to climb to the top of a tree or the top of their class, lace up their boots for a hike or advocate for climate justice, or make their first best friends. Backed by trusted adult volunteers, mentors, and thousands of alums, Girl Scouts lead the way as they find their voices and make changes that affect the issues most important to them. To join, volunteer, reconnect, or support Girl Scouts of Central Illinois, visit GetYourGirlPower.org or call 888-623-1237.
About the Fund for Rural America
The Compeer Financial Fund for Rural America is the corporate giving program of Compeer Financial, structured to support Compeer Financial’s mission to enrich agriculture and rural America. Compeer Financial’s Board of Directors has dedicated one percent of annual net earnings to support the Fund’s focus areas of agriculture education, youth engagement, rural development and community enrichment, agricultural advocacy and development, and cooperative initiatives. The Fund is managed by a Board of Trustees, made up of team members and members of the Compeer Financial Board of Directors. More information about opportunities available through the Fund can be found at Compeer.com/giving-back.
