It’s back to school time…which means back to Girl Scouts time! Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida is inviting girls to join the fun and register for the upcoming membership year.

Girls Scouting is a valuable, fun and unique experience for girls because they “learn by doing” in a girl-led environment. For more than 100 years, Girl Scouts has provided girls with exceptional opportunities to try new things, gain confidence and develop character, and build essential leadership skills.

Come see what Girl Scouts is all about at a Troop Building event in your community. Troop building nights provide an opportunity for parents and girls to learn about all the exciting things Girl Scouts has to offer.

Upcoming dates and locations include:

Bokeelia

– Sept. 21, Pine Island Elementary Cafeteria, 6 p.m.

Cape Coral

– Sept. 1, Trafalgar Elementary Cafeteria, 6 p.m.

– Sept. 10, Cape Elementary Cafeteria, 6 p.m.

– Sept. 16, Diplomat Elementary Cafeteria, 6 p.m.

– Sept. 17, Caloosa Elementary Cafeteria, 6 p.m.

– Sept. 18, Pelican Elementary Cafeteria, 6 p.m.

– Sept. 23, Hector A. Cafferata Junior Elementary Cafeteria, 6 p.m.

– Sept. 23, Skyline Elementary Cafeteria, 6 p.m.

North Fort Myers

– Sept. 1, Bayshore Elementary Cafeteria, 6 p.m.

– Sept. 2, Tropic Isles Elementary Cafeteria, 6 p.m.

– Sept. 22, Hancock Creek Elementary Cafeteria, 6 p.m.

– Sept. 29, J. Colin English Elementary Cafeteria, 6 p.m.

– Sept. 30, Dr. Carrie D. Robinson Littleton Elementary Cafeteria, 6 p.m.

– Oct. 1, North Fort Myers Academy of the Arts Media Center, 6 p.m.

National studies from the Girl Scout Research Institute show it’s not just what girls do, but how they do it that makes Girl Scouts so beneficial. Girl Scouts is unique because girls get to learn by doing, and they do so in a girl-led environment. This means that, in addition to girls learning in a hands-on and active way, they are encouraged to choose their activities, decide which topics they want to explore, and determine how they want to go about exploring them.

GSRI reports that at least 75 percent of girls who experience the fun of “learning by doing” and are part of a girl-led program become better at conflict resolution, problem solving, team building and cooperation, and developing self-confidence.

In addition, nearly three in four girls who experience learning by doing and who are part of a girl-led program say that, because of Girl Scouts, they’ve become a leader in more activities with their friends and classmates, as well as in their community.

For additional information about Girl Scouts in Lee County, contact Connie Martin at 800-232-4475, extension 403, or conniem@gsgcf.org or visit www.girl-scouts.org/join.

For a list of recruitment events outside of Lee County, visit www.gsgcf.org/girls/join/troop-building-nights.

Membership and program scholarships are available based on financial need.