What's New at GSCI

Celebrating True Leadership in Action!

Empowering women. Transforming lives. Building strong communities.

We are thrilled to celebrate Shelith Hansbro, named the 2026 Diamond Honoree at the annual Lead Like a Girl event held on October 21 at the Country Club of Decatur! 💎

With over 20 years of dedication across public administration, community engagement, and corrections, Shelith exemplifies leadership in action:

Executive Leadership: As Confidential Assistant to the Director of the Illinois Department of Corrections, she serves on the executive leadership team, helping shape policies and initiatives that strengthen the organization and foster an inclusive workplace.
Transformational Impact: As Warden of the Decatur Correctional Center, she championed programs tailored to the unique needs of incarcerated women—focusing on mothers, infants, rehabilitation, family reunification, and successful reentry.
Empowering Others: Across her career, Shelith has consistently brought people together, expanded access to resources, and developed new leaders.

Shelith’s unwavering commitment to inclusion and creating opportunities reflects the heart of the Girl Scout mission: building girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. 💚

Join us in congratulating Shelith on this well-deserved honor! 🎉👏

#LeadLikeAGirl #GirlScouts #DiamondHonoree #Leadership #Inclusion #DecaturIL #WomenWhoLead #CommunityImpact

GSUSA 2026 State of the Girl Report

New findings from Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA), published in the national State of the Girl report, offer a comprehensive look at what it means to be a girl in America today. Drawing on GSUSA research and national data, the report explores the realities girls face, from loneliness and body image concerns to pressures tied to technology and adolescence. The report also highlights their confidence, ambition, creativity, and resilience, underscoring both the challenges girls encounter and opportunities to better support their growth and success.

Beyond the Headlines: Girls Today Face Real Challenges

Much of the public conversation about girls centers on struggle, and there is real data behind those concerns:

64% of girls ages 5–7 report feeling lonely.
89% of girls ages 5–7 have skipped something they wanted to do, often due to fear or lack of confidence.
·52% of girls ages 8–10 are critical of their bodies, and 50% of girls ages 11–13 wish they could change something about their appearance.

But these challenges aren’t the whole story. Girls are thinking seriously about their futures from an early age, with 70% having already given serious thought to their careers by ninth grade, and 55% showing interest in STEM, up from 45% in 2017. They are developing strong senses of identity and actively seeking creativity, connection, and real-world experiences. Rather than spend more time on screens, the majority of girls ages 5–13 say they would prefer to be creative (65%), go outside and play (59%) or spend time with family (59%). They also hold a clear sense of how they want to be seen: when asked which words they most want others to use to describe them, girls chose smart (36%), funny (17%) and creative (17%).

Troop 1028 Represents GSCI in CNN 250 America Celebration!

That moment was an absolute core memory in the making! Seeing Troop 1028 from Bloomington up there on the screen representing the entire Girl Scouts of Central Illinois council for America's 250th milestone broadcast was nothing short of breathtaking.

Being chosen for the national "roll call" on a stage as massive as CNN's The Fourth in America is such a testament to the vibrant spirit of the girls, their leaders, and the entire Bloomington-Normal community. They didn't just participate; they showed the whole country exactly what courage, confidence, and character look like in action.

The energy, the pride, and the sheer honor of that moment is going to radiate through GSCI for a long time. Huge kudos to everyone who helped pull the clip together and support the girls—they earned every second of that spotlight!

A huge congratulations to the leaders, families, and of course, the brilliant Girl Scouts of Troop 1028 who worked hard on the clip. The Bloomington-Normal community and the entire Central Illinois council must be so incredibly proud.

Girl Scout Day at the Capitol 2026

More than 1500 Girl Scouts participated in the 2026 Girl Scout Day at the Capitol in Springfield, Illinois. We kicked off the event with a traditional Girl Scout Flag Ceremony. Followed by opening remarks from Misty Buscher, Mayor of Springfield. Then came our highly anticipated balloon drop! Everyone gathered for our historic march to the Capitol steps. We were honored to have the CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA, Bonnie Barcyzkowski join us. The day was dedicated to history in action as we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

Learn what's new at Girl Scouts of Central Illinois. Bookmark this page as your go-to to learn all about the new happenings at GSCI.

Daisy and Brownie Experience Boxes

Girl Scout Experience Boxes for new Daisy and Brownie troops are here to support you every step of the way!

New Daisy (K–1) or Brownie (2–3) leaders in participating councils can receive monthly Girl Scout Experience Boxes—delivered to their door! Each box includes simple scripts, easy instructions, and ready-to-use supplies for fun, stress-free meetings. Start with a Welcome Box, followed by up to seven themed boxes, depending on when the troop begins.

Form your troop by registering more adult volunteers and your Girl Scouts! 
Complete the council training required and your background check.
Redeem your Girl Scout Experience Boxes and explore all Girl Scouts has to offer!

Click here for more information.

Let Us Know All the Wonderful Things Your Troop is Doing!

Girl Scouts around our council are always active – camping, traveling, doing serviceprojects, and making the world a better place. Girl Scouts of tCentral Illinois invitesall Girl Scouts in our council to share photos of their adventures, achievements,projects, and more.

Share your story by completing a short form and uploading your pictures. Be sureto complete all the questions with details so we can highlight your troop and theiradventures. We'd love to feature it on our GSCI social media platforms and our website