Empowering girls to see the world: Abby’s EF journey

As a former Girl Scout, Abby found herself drawn to EF Tours for Girl Scouts—she firmly believed in the positive impact that travel could have on a troop. “I wanted the opportunity to help girls see their dreams come true,” she says. “Having a long-term goal to work toward not only creates stronger bonds and lasting troop memories for the girls and leaders, it also gives girls a chance to step up and take ownership of something.”

EF Tours for Girl Scouts, part of EF Education First, partners with Troop Leaders and councils to help Girl Scouts travel abroad. In her role as a Tour Consultant, Abby facilitates these life-changing travel experiences for girls. “The goal is to get young people to experience something that really opens their minds,” she explains. “It’s really relevant in this day and age. We all have a tendency to be cut off from the world, and moving toward this global mindedness, we have such an opportunity to influence young people. And for the Troop Leaders, we help them get over that fear of taking the plunge or planning the trip; we are the helping hand.”

Abby does everything from helping Troop Leaders select their itinerary, to crafting a detailed timeline for planning, to helping them prepare for the experience itself. She’s even created a resource to help leaders connect with one another over social media so they can share experiences, preparation tips, and strategies for what may be, for many, their first trip abroad. “I thought about all the things that were going through my mind the first time I traveled abroad, and what I didn’t know, and thought, ‘how can we make this a more inviting concept?’”

Abby also wanted to give Troop Leaders easy access to her (and other Troop Leaders) when they needed. “A phone call isn’t always possible in the day-to-day schedule of a Troop Leader,” Abby says, “and although email is typically quick, Facebook messenger is quickest. Additionally, I wanted to ensure that a leader who’s nervous about fundraising for a tour is put in contact with a leader who’s ‘been there’ and ‘done that.’”

Since putting more focus on social media, Abby has seen a stronger connection among the Troop Leaders she works with. “As a Consultant, helping a Troop Leader find the perfect tour is my main job, but being able to share helpful tips via social media has made it easier for my leaders to access information when they need it.”

Abby is committed to making sure as many girls as possible are able to get out and see the world. “When I was a Girl Scout, my troop didn’t know opportunities like this existed,” Abby says. “I’m in awe of the hard-work our troops put in over the course of years to achieve their goals. I’m here to be a resource for our Troop Leaders, and to better connect them with other determined leaders working toward the same goal.”