Girl Scouts Dakota Horizons has announced a decision to sell its Minot Service Center and make additional advancements in the way it serves its girl members and support volunteers.

The Board of Directors of Girl Scouts Dakota Horizons recently approved a transition to one physical location serving western North Dakota, located in Bismarck, as part of its long-range property planning process. The board decided to sell the Minot Service Center after evaluating usage trends, mobile options, online virtual resources and in-person programming available to members.

At a Dec. 13 meeting with local volunteers, the council team shared that the Minot Service Center is available for member use through at least mid- to late 2022.

New in-person and online experiences for Girl Scouts have been added to programming in response to shifting demographics and needs of young girls. In the 2021 membership year, the council served over 2,300 Girl Scouts through live virtual programming – a service method that became necessary during COVID. Due to high continued demand for online programs, the council has continued to develop and deliver live virtual programming that is accessible to all Girl Scouts regardless of their location within the council.

“Our council provides top-quality leadership development opportunities and program experiences through a variety of means to all Girl Scouts, including those in northwest North Dakota,” said North Dakota board member Laura Lueder. “It is exciting to see the evolution of options and growing utilization of new platforms that provide valuable, substantive programming to our members.”

“In addition to incredible troop experiences to reach girls, we now deliver programming to girls who are masters of virtual and online technology and meet them where they are,” added Marla Meyer, CEO of Girl Scouts Dakota Horizons. “The response to our virtual programming and adventure boxes have made Dakota Horizons a model for how to deliver more programming with great engagement. We are excited to continue making programming available to more girls both in person and virtually, and are grateful for the dedication of our troop leaders and other volunteers.”

To enhance the troop experiences for Girl Scouts, in past years the council has expanded its signature in-person events, including Amplify Your Adventure, Cookie University and B.I.G. Event, which took place in October in Minot and Bismarck and included multiple community partners and experiences for Girl Scouts and their families.

In May 2021, the organization’s Mobile STEM Center, which brings state-of-the-art technology and badge programming to girls in their communities, hosted its first event. The center currently offers three programs with two to three new programs being developed annually.

In the 2021 membership year, nearly 4,000 Girl Scouts participated in “on their own time” opportunities: Patch Programs, Adventure Boxes, service opportunities and additional activities. To expand on these offerings, the council is in the process of building customized programming kits for every Girl Scout age level, with ease of delivery for volunteers.