From left, Taylor Henry, Dinejia Edwards, Sen. Audrey Gibson, Makenzie Samuels, Talia Kee, Aaryonis Cogdell, Karkayla Floyd and Jalyce Degelman

A delegation of 25 girls representing Girl Scouts of Gateway Council (GSGC) recently joined nearly 120 girls from councils across Florida for Legislative Days in Tallahassee.

Girl Scouts of Gateway Council visited the House Chamber where they learned how a bill gets passed into law

The three-day event emphasized the importance of civic engagement and provided opportunities to learn about public policy, how bills are passed into law and how to advocate for positive change. Highlights included visiting the Florida State Capitol, participating in workshops and meeting their state legislators.

Girls Scouts of Gateway Council facilitated a mock debate workshop where girls were able to present their own bills, answer questions and debate their fellow Girl Scouts before voting

During the event, Gateway Council facilitated the mock debate and attended workshops on public speaking and self-esteem. The delegation visited Florida A&M University, the Florida History Museum and toured the Capitol building, attending sessions in the House and Senate Chambers and meeting local lawmakers on Monday. Gateway Council met with Sen. Aaron Bean, Sen Audrey Gibson, Rep. Tracie Davis, Rep. Clovis Watson, legal assistant Michelle Sherfield, and legislative analyst Milan Thompson.

“Legislative Days is just one of the ways that Girl Scouts inspires and prepares girls to stand up for what they believe in and lead positive change through civic engagement,” said Girl Scouts of Gateway Council CEO Mary Anne Jacobs. “For more than a century, Girl Scouts has supported girls by offering tools and programs that prepare them to lead, lift their voices, champion their views and be advocates for the issues and ideas that are important to them.”

For more information about Girl Scouts of Gateway Council, visit www.girlscouts-gateway.org.