Two Santa Barbara programs for youth have bumped Girl Scouts membership on the Central Coast to more than 10,000 girls.

“More than 150 girls joined Girl Scouts as part of their participation in two landmark Santa Barbara programs,” said Sherry Sybesma, CEO for Girl Scouts of California’s Central Coast. “The council was proud to once again be part of both United Way of Santa Barbara County’s award winning Fun in the Sun program and the City of Santa Barbara Parks & Recreation Department’s Summer Fun Free Drop-In Recreation program.”

The additional membership helped the council surpass the 10,000 mark for girls registered, a 5 percent increase over the previous year. About 2,000 of those girls reside in Santa Barbara County, which also boasts nearly 1,000 adult volunteer members.

“Most Girl Scouts participate through troops that meet on a regular basis,” Sybesma said. “One reason Fun in the Sun and Summer Fun are so special is that they allow us to reach girls who might not otherwise have an opportunity to take part in Girl Scouting.”

A recent Alumnae Impact Study conducted by Girl Scouts of the USA, which charters the local council, indicates that women who were Girl Scouts as girls perceive that the experience supported their success in education, in their careers and in life in general. While Girl Scout alumnae of all races/ethnicities rate their participation in Girl Scouting highly, the highest satisfaction marks come from Hispanic and black women.

“It is both humbling and gratifying to know that a girl may have had a Girl Scout experience this summer that will help to shape her future, that will help her become a leader in her own life and the wider world,” said Kimberly Coley, the local council’s vice president for external affairs and a former Parks & Recreation employee involved in Summer Fun.

Girl Scouts of California’s Central Coast serves a growing membership of 10,000 girls and 5,500 adult volunteers in the counties of Santa Cruz, Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura. Girl Scouts of California’s Central Coast encompasses some of the most beautiful and environmentally significant areas of the country and provides myriad fun and enriching experiences for girls in arts and culture, financial literacy, leadership, environment and outdoor, Science, Math, Technology & Engineering (STEM), travel and healthy living.

For more information on membership or volunteerism, click here or call 800.822.2427.

— Tammy Gentry represents the Girl Scouts of California’s Central Coast.