In October 2021 Girl Scouts of Kentucky’s Wilderness Road (GSKWR) announced its vision to create the Northern Kentucky Leadership Campus on an 11-acre Erlanger property, through its $6 million ‘Challenge a Girl to Change Our World’ campaign.
Phase One of the campaign will create a Leadership Center that will include a Command Center, Retail Center and Entrepreneurship Center; since then, nearly $1,000,000 has been raised toward the $2 million necessary to complete Phase One. In October, leadership gifts from The R.C. Durr Foundation and St. Elizabeth Healthcare were announced.
Additional gifts have been received from Furlong Building, Jergens, Seligman Foundation, an Anonymous donor, The Austin E. Knowlton Foundation, additional community gifts and 100% giving from Girl Scouts of Kentucky’s Wilderness Road’s Board of Directors – a strong signal that demonstrates leadership on the organization’s behalf.
GSKWR kicked off a Volunteer Campaign effort on October 25, 2022, at the future site of the Northern Kentucky Leadership Campus in Erlanger, announcing its campaign co-chairs, Meghan Sandfoss, a resident of Covington, and Crescent Springs resident Rhonda Ritzi. Sandfoss and Ritzi will champion efforts to help fund the project, through volunteer recruitment and involvement, awareness generation and a call to action for support by community members and businesses to strengthen the Northern Kentucky community.
“The future of Northern Kentucky depends on having strong, competent women as a critical part of our leadership, “said Jean Mize, The R.C. Durr Foundation.
The R.C. Durr Foundation, founded by businessman and philanthropist R.C. Durr, focuses its giving on the twelve northernmost counties of Kentucky including Boone, Kenton, Campbell, Grant and eight rural counties.
“This critical project fits perfectly under a key area of our funding – community-building, with significant potential for long-term impact in our region,” Mize said.
The focus of the ‘Challenge A Girl to Change Our World’ campaign includes:
• Providing modern, accessible space for over 2,400 staff and volunteers to conduct training and planning sessions that are critical to supporting GSKWR programming and operations
• Increasing the number of Northern Kentucky girl members by 52%
• Creating volunteer mentorship opportunities for positive engagement with girl members, and increase the number of volunteers by nearly 60% by 2024
• Providing Erlanger community engagement opportunities through access to space for events, team-building and corporate events once the Leadership Campus is complete
• Through the Entrepreneurship Center, facilitating access to innovative experiences in leadership, STEM, and health and wellness for girls, as well as allow for cookie entrepreneurs to work as teams to accomplish goals and problem-solve
• Through the Retail Center, incentivizing and motivating girls through the badge program to overcome obstacles and reach their goals
“This is a truly transformative project for Northern Kentucky and we need the community’s help to make it happen,” said Susan Douglas, CEO, Girl Scouts of Kentucky’s Wilderness Road. “Transformational leadership begins in girlhood; we are seeking financial support from businesses, foundations and individuals who have a vested interest in the success of our region.”
For more details about the ‘Challenge A Girl to Change Our World’ campaign, or to contribute, please visit www.gskentucky.org.
Girl Scouts of Kentucky’s Wilderness Road
