GSSJC President and Chair of the Board Cora Ann Blytas and CEO Mary Vitek visited Capitol Hill in March to share the success stories of Girl Scouting in the Council with the following members of the U.S. House of Representatives: Chris Bell, Kevin Brady, John Culberson, Gene Green, Nick Lampson, Shelia Jackson Lee, and Jim Turner.

“The congressional visits were a great way to educate each member of the House of Representatives about what Girl Scouts are doing in their districts. We found support for Girl Scouting to be unilateral,” said Mary Vitek. Each congressman received the latest report from the Girl Scout Research Institute, “Feeling Safe: What Girls Say” and was engaged in a discussion about how Girl Scouting speaks to the concerns raised by girls interviewed in the report.
Representatives are supporting Girl Scouts in many ways.

• Congressman Chris Bell accepted an invitation to pin a Girl Scout at a Gold Award ceremony.
• Congressman Kevin Brady asked to be placed on the Council’s mailing list and wants to be invited to Gold Award ceremonies in our Council.

• Congressman John Culberson volunteered to help our Council raise money from the private sector.
• Congressman Gene Green expressed a strong interest in including Girl Scouts in community events in the growing Hispanic community, which is 65% of his constituency.
• Congressman Nick Lampson shared that he is chairing the Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children and would like to visit the Girl Scouting Beyond Bars Program.
• Congresswoman Shelia Jackson Lee shared that she leads the Congressional Children’ Caucus and will attend any local Girl Scout forums she is invited to.
• Congressman Jim Turner’s staff shared that his primary concern is families in rural areas, and that these families make up most of his jurisdiction.

The Office of Brand Management and Fund Development will be assist with efforts to keep the congressional team engaged with Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council. Girl Scouts who are planning an upcoming event and would like to invite one of these officials should contact Tami De La Fuente at 713-292-0277 or e-mail tdelafue@sjgs.org.

Houston teens and tweens participated in a series of workshops to examine their personal style, discover the importance of nutrition to their performance, and build their self-esteem on March 6 at Hambrick Middle School in Aldine Independent School District.

Just under 30 girls, ages 11-14, attended this Uniquely ME! event sponsored by Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council and consumer products company Unilever.

Girls discovered the origins of body art, learned how to select fashions that express themselves, determined how to make smart choices, and made nutritious meals, all in interactive sessions designed to enhance self-esteem.

Research conducted by the Girl Scout Research Institute shows that low self-esteem among girls often leads to other serious problems such as eating disorders, depression, risky sexual behavior, and substance abuse.

Uniquely ME!, the Girl Scout/Unilever Self-Esteem program, was established in

2001 to address the problem of low self-esteem among the nation’s teen population. A variety of age-appropriate activities are featured in the program’s booklets: Uniquely ME! The Way To Be for 8- to 10-year-olds, Uniquely ME! Inside Out and Uniquely ME! The Real Deal for 11- to 14-year-olds. These booklets, available in English and Spanish, are available in the Girl Scout Shop.

“Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council is thrilled to present the Uniquely ME! program to girls,” said CEO Mary Vitek. “To support children in their endeavors to achieve their highest ideals, we must show them how to recognize and appreciate their own ‘unique’ talents and strengths.”

For more information about the program contact Joanna Harris at 713-292-0337 or visit www.girlscouts.org.

Teens participated in a series of workshops to examine their personal style, discover the importance of nutrition, and build their self-esteem.