Andrea
Bastiani Archibald never seems to stop. She juggles meetings at GSUSA, presentations
on new research, and phone calls with parents and councils. As a developmental
psychologist, she’s an active participant in every step of GSUSA’s creative
process, ensuring that the programs and leadership experiences Girl Scouts
receive help them achieve their goals.
Andrea
works in what she calls a “research-to-action” cycle, overseeing each Girl
Scout initiative from beginning to end in order to guarantee that girls get the
best possible experience. A typical
cycle for Andrea begins when she collaborates with the Girl Scout Research
Institute (GSRI) to initiate research and learn what kinds of leadership
experiences girls are looking for. Then she meets with GSUSA digital and print
editorial teams to create program content that’s relevant and fun. Once the
programs are rolled out, she teams up with GSRI again to learn what girls
believe can be done to further their experiences. Recently, Andrea has been
focusing on the new BFF (Be a Friend First) initiative, based on the aMAZE! leadership Journey. She hopes this Girl Scout anti-bullying initiative,
now in the pilot phase with councils, will attract national and regional
partners as well as more girls to Girl Scouting.
Andrea
majored in psychology at Skidmore College and earned her PhD in Developmental
Psychology at Columbia University. She spent most of her academic career
researching and publishing studies about girls’ health and development. After working
with girls in clinical settings, Andrea realized she was more interested in developing
preventative programs to keep girls happy and strong.
One
of the greatest challenges Andrea faces in her work is integrating the ideas of
a wide variety of contributors in order to create effective Girl Scout program
with measurable outcomes. She finds joy in many aspects of her work, from
learning how a program directly impacts girls to talking with parents and
councils about their roles in girls’ development and well being. Applying what
she learned in academia to further the organization’s mission gives her great
satisfaction. Above all, Andrea is glad to be part of an organization that
supports girls changing the world in ways that only they can.
This interview was conducted by Elizabeth Venere, who is not only our social media content scout, but also a Girl Scout Gold Award recipient entering her senior year of college this fall. She provides GSUSA with awesome social media content.