Chris talks leadership with Delaware Girl Scouts

In honor of Girl Scouts of the United States of America’s 100th Anniversary, Senator Chris Coons joined with Senator Tom Carper and Congressman John Carney to host a meet-and-greet with 27 Delaware Girl Scouts who traveled to Washington, D.C. on Wednesday. The Girl Scouts have named 2012 as “The Year of the Girl,” where they will focus on leadership for girls and young women.

During the meeting, Chris talked with the girls about how his wife, Annie, was a Girl Scout when she was younger and his daughter, Maggie, is currently enjoying her time as a member of the Chesapeake Bay Chapter, which includes nearly 15,500 girls and 5,500 adults.

Chris encouraged the girls to pursue a career in the sciences, where women have been making inroads in a traditionally male dominated field.  He went on to discuss the importance of women taking leadership positions, stating that some of the most influential and educational bosses he’s had throughout his career were women who pushed him to reach his full potential.

A recent Girl Scout study highlighted a leadership gap, finding that close to three in five girls think that a woman can rise up in a company but will only rarely be put in a senior leadership role.  It also found more than one-third of girls say they would not feel comfortable trying to be a leader and almost 40 percent are not sure if they are cut out to be a leader. To address this issue, the new “ToGetHerThere” campaign, which is part of the centennial “Year of the Girl” theme,  includes a $1 billion philanthropic effort to support services and programs for girls across the nation and in 94 countries globally to help fill critical talent gaps in finance, science, technology, environmental, and global leadership arenas.

Click here to learn more about Chris’ work on education reform.

Click here to learn more about Girl Scouts of the United States of America.