News

Update: The League of Women Voters of Belmont hosts their first Voter Girl Project session at the Homer House.

Developed by the League of Women Voters of Kent, Ohio, and now available statewide in Massachusetts, this civic engagement program offers Girl Scouts a hands-on, age-appropriate curriculum to explore democracy, elections, and the power of their voice.

This initiative was kicked off with a meeting on Friday January 16th in collaboration with LWV Massachusetts organizers, with Jeannie Vinyard and Lora Goldenberg joining to guide and support the effort.

Following a thoughtful discussion, the program will be around individual, tailored troop interactions rather than a single combined troop day, allowing for a more customized and impactful experience for each participating troop.

This spring, two local GirTara Mahoozi, Maryann Scali and Diane Palmer met with local Girl Scout 4th and 9th-grade troops on Sunday afternoon, April 12, at the Winslow Homer House, thanks to the Belmont Woman's Club.

The program ran from 1:00 PM for a few hours and brought together 11 fourth-grade Girl Scouts, supported by 4 ninth-grade mentors who made the experience especially meaningful. In addition, we had 3 troop leaders, along with Maryann, Diane, and Tara as organizers.

The event began with introductions, followed by a fireside-style chat with Maryann. The girls asked thoughtful and creative questions—including “If you had a superpower, what would it be and why?”—to which Maryann shared her wish to bring people together through conversation.

For the main activity, the girls worked in small groups to identify a local issue in Belmont they would like to address. One mentor worked with each group to help guide them. Two groups chose traffic lights at the Leonard St./Concord Ave underpass, another, crosswalks at the library, and another, trash recycling. They created visual posters and presented their ideas in a simulated Town Select Board meeting, led by the Girl Scout leaders, where they also responded to questions. We were all impressed by their level of insight, creativity, and engagement.

This was a first time involvement for the League in such an event. Based on its apparent success, we are ready to do it again! For future sessions, we may consider incorporating a mock ballot to further enhance the experience.

Read the feature from the Belmont Voice!

The Project Overview:

The Voter Girl Project, a civic engagement program developed by the LWV of Kent, Ohio. Now available to all local Leagues in Massachusetts through a statewide license, this project offers a hands-on, age-appropriate curriculum that helps Girl Scouts understand democracy, elections, and the power of their voice.