From now until early October, Girl Scouts of Rhode Island, Inc. (GSRI) will host registration events in communities across Rhode Island, southeastern Massachusetts and Pawcatuck, Conn. Parents or guardians and girls entering grades K through 12 are invited to attend. There will be a sampling of Girl Scouts activities, staff and volunteers will be on hand to give you more information about the many ways to get involved, and you can register on-site.

GSRI offers girls in kindergarten through 12th grade the opportunity to build character and skills for success in the real world in an accepting and nurturing all-girl environment. Joining a troop is a great way for your daughter to form friendships, participate in group activities and learn teamwork, leadership and decision-making skills. New this year is the opportunity to be among the first to utilize the Girl Scout Leadership Center, a 10,000-square-foot space at GSRI’s new headquarters in Warwick. The center will incorporate high quality programming in the areas of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math), making a difference, life skills, travel and adventure, camping and outdoor skills and global citizenship.

Volunteers are also encouraged to sign up. As a volunteer, you’ll help introduce girls to new and exciting experiences. No matter how busy your schedule is, there is an opportunity to be a role model for girls, ranging from sharing a skill once, to leading a troop short-term or joining in on the fun year-round. For more information about volunteer opportunities, contact Jill Olson-Crowley at 331-4500 x1415 or email jilloc@gsri.org.

There are several other ways for girls to customize their Girl Scouts experience, including registering individually to participate in a program, attending an after-school program in one of the urban communities we serve, and attending summer camp. While participating in the many programs GSRI offers, girls discover who they are and what they value, increase their skills and responsibility, connect with others, build courage, confidence and character and take action to make the world a better place.

The registration fee to join is $25; $15 goes to Girl Scouts of the USA for national membership dues and a $10 council service fee stays right here in Rhode Island. Financial assistance is available. To save you time, you can also visit www.gsri.org and register online.