BREWER – Girl Scouts across the United States celebrated the organization’s 91st birthday last month.

Abnaki Girl Scout Council faces the future with a new executive director, Heidi Kruger, and a new program that Kruger says shows that scouting has learned how to adjust its offerings to meet the changing needs of girls.

This year, the Girls Scouts are starting a program called Studio 2B, aimed at attracting girls ages 11-17 and helping them with issues they face on a daily basis.

The program is “for middle school and high school students and deals with lifestyle issues all girls confront,” said Kruger, who succeeds Jo Stevens, executive director for the past 16 years. “It’s kind of a self-study program.”

Studio 2B is not a traditional Girl Scout program with participants meeting weekly in a troop leader’s home. Rather, it’s a chance for any young girl to become involved in Girl Scouts as an individual – and to work at her own pace and with her own interests.

“There are girls who don’t want to participate” in the traditional Girl Scout program, Kruger said. “We would like girls to participate in a regional troop, but we realize there are girls who are not into that – and we’re starting to think outside the box.

“Studio 2B focuses on leadership, friendship and current affairs – teen savvy issues,” she said. “The girls have choices. It’s hot and it’s exciting.”

This year, the organization is focusing on girls in the critical preteen and teenage years, said Kruger, adding that studies demonstrate that risky behavior such as smoking, drinking, unsafe sexual behavior, eating disorders and suicide are often associated with low self-esteem. Studies also show why Girl Scouting is so important, Kruger said.

“Girl Scouting is so much more than Girl Scout cookies and camping,” she said. “Girl Scouts aren’t someone you meet and pass on – they’re someone you meet and keep as friends for a lifetime.”

These friendships offer a nurturing environment for young girls and give them confidence, said Kruger, of Bangor, who worked for eight years at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Sparta and Janesville, Wis., before accepting the job in Maine.

Originally from Milton, Wis., outside of Milwaukee, Kruger started as a Scout, then as a camp kitchen aide, and she also worked as a waterfront director. She went on to be a camp councilor and camp director. The lessons she learned as a Girl Scout have stuck with her throughout the years.

“I really developed a lot of leadership skills as a Girl Scout,” she said.

Studio 2B is still in its infancy and will not kick into full gear until summer.

“This is brand new. It’s hot off the presses,” said Kruger. “Abnaki is excited to be one of the forerunners with this program. All the information about the program is available in the Girl Scout Shop [in Brewer]. The girls can do it on their own or with their troop.”

Instead of earning merit patches, participants in the Studio 2B program will receive charms for a charm bracelet. Each of the seven charms has a self-improvement theme.

“There are 12 activities that girls can participate in for each charm,” said Kruger. “In order for them to get a charm they have to participate in two of the 12 programs.”

The goal of Studio 2B is to give girls a way to examine who they are and what they can become. Each girl works with an adult adviser, who is a volunteer 18 years of age or older.

The result is “a lot of self discovery,” said Kruger. “The program asks questions like ‘Who am I?’ ‘What makes me tick?’ It addresses values, talents and strengths – and what makes girls feel most important.”

The Girl Scouts began on March 9, 1912, when Juliette Gordon Low envisioned an organization that would bring girls together to serve in their communities – and in turn form lifelong bonds. Three days later, Low organized the first U.S. Girl Guide troop in Savannah, Ga., with 18 girls in two patrols, Carnation and White Rose.

From these humble beginnings, Girls Scouts of the USA, which now has more than 3.8 million girls and adults participating around the globe, grew into the organization it is today. Since 1912, Girl Scouting has continued to evolve, while remaining true to core goals of cultivating values and social conscience in girls and teaching them real-life skills to succeed, Kruger said.

Activities related to the seven charms comprise the new Studio 2B program. Kruger broke each of the charms down into basic themes.

“Looking In, Reaching Out is a guided journal to record the activities of your life and your dreams and goals,” said Kruger of the small journal charm.

“The On The Go charm is for travelers, journeys and adventures,” she said. “The programs show girls how to do things like apply for a passport or order dinner in Spanish.” The charm depicts a suitcase with a heart, the Eiffel Tower and a bus.

“The On Track program stimulates girls to develop a running program or exercise program to promote physical fitness to keep girls active and healthy,” Kruger said of the sneaker charm.

The Take Charge charm of a heart-shaped lock with a key is because “[t]he world is a crazy place sometimes,” said Kruger. “This charm helps girls learn to protect themselves and keep themselves and friends safe.”

Two charms encompass the Uniquely Me theme – the Inside and Out charm that helps girls learn about themselves, inside and out, and the Real Deal charm which encourages a positive mental attitude.

“The girls study how to deal with peer pressure and stress with these two charms,” Kruger said. The final charm is Write Now.

“This helps girls to become an author or to write college applications,” the director said. “They learn how to use laptops and to make professional writing a snap.”

Another goal for Abnaki’s starting the Studio 2B program is increasing the number of girls participating and the number of volunteers.

The council held the Silver Trefoil Alumni Banquet on April 5 in conjunction with the annual meeting, inviting all former Girl Scouts to attend. Those invited included a couple of original members of Troop 1.

For information on Abnaki Girl Scout Council, call 989-7474.