THE 2026 STATE OF THE GEORGIA GIRL REPORT

Full of Potential. Poised to Rise.

Georgia girls are the most academically ambitious, most college-bound, most goal-focused generation on record. They are also the loneliest.

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Powered by the Girl Scout Councils serving the State of Georgia
A smiling Girl Scout with curly hair in an orange sweatshirt sits by a sunny window

THE CENTRAL FINDING

The girls of this generation reach for their potential against a set of circumstances no prior generation has faced. This report illuminates that reality: girls and boys have largely different experiences growing up in Georgia. Research proves it: girls need you.

PART 1 | THE STRAIN

The support infrastructure is thin.

  • 35% of teen girls report intense anxiety - nearly twice the rate of boys.
  • 1 in 5 middle- and high-school girls seriously considered self-harm.
  • 50% of parents report difficulty accessing mental health care for their daughter.

EMOTIONAL WELLNESS

Quiet distress.

Georgia girls report chronic stress and mental distress that the systems around them are not built to hold. More than half of teenage girls report depression symptoms in a given month. One in five has seriously considered self-harm in the past year. Twice as many girls as boys report always feeling stressed.

When she looks for help, she often cannot find it: half of parents can’t access the mental health care their daughter needs, and one in five say it’s very difficult or impossible.

SOCIAL WELLNESS

Support is stretched, too.

While 41% of teen girls say they are online “almost constantly,” 33% admit they’re also lonely. Nearly half do not feel close to people at school. At home, families are also stretched: 44% of Georgia families cannot afford basic needs, placing the state 43rd for financial hardship.

2 out of 3 girls lack a caring adult to talk with about their feelings. The support layer she needs is overextended or unavailable - and likely, she does not ask for help.

3 out of 5 middle and high school girls report experiencing signs of depression, leading to 1 in 10 seriously considering suicide.

Source: Georgia Department of Education, Georgia Student Health Survey – Middle and High School, 2023–2024.

SUPPORT IS AVAILABLE

If a girl you love is struggling, help is here right now.

Free, confidential support is available 24/7 for girls, parents, and caregivers.

In an emergency, call 911.

Mental health & crisis resources

Shared by the Girl Scout Councils serving the State of Georgia. Free, confidential, and available to every family.

24/7 crisis lifelines

Finding ongoing care

  • SAMHSA National Helpline

    Treatment referrals and information for families seeking mental health care.

    Call 1-800-662-4357samhsa.gov/find-help

  • National Alliance for Children's Grief

    Local support groups and professionals who work with grieving children and teens.

    childrengrieve.org

  • Mental Health America

    Screenings, family toolkits, and affiliates that help you find treatment nearby.

    mhanational.org

Talking with girls about hard things

  • When Violence on the News Shakes Her World

    How to talk with your girl when frightening news breaks.

    Girl Scouts of the USA

  • Coping After Mass Violence: For Teens

    Common reactions and self-care tips written directly for teens.

    NCTSN

  • Talking to Children About Mass Violence

    A tip sheet for adults on grief, fear, and taking care of your family.

    NCTSN

PART 2 | THE STRENGTH

Where Georgia girls are leading & connecting.

ACADEMIC WELLNESS

A decade of out-performance.

Beneath the strain is a generation that has spent a decade quietly outpacing every expectation set for it. Georgia girls graduate high school at nearly 90% - five points higher than boys and up almost seven points in a decade.

Girls outperform boys in English Language Arts at every grade level, close the math achievement gap by 8th grade, and outnumber boys in AP, Honors, and Dual Enrollment courses. 12% more girls enroll in college after graduation than their male peers.

DIGITAL WELLNESS

Her online community.

A full picture of digital wellness requires naming what girls gain from a digital life. While risks like cyberbullying threaten these spaces, girls use digital channels to deliver what proximity cannot.

71% of teen girls of color encounter identity-affirming content on social. 41% of girls find AI to be more helpful with homework than their parents. Digital tools deliver educational content, career exposure, and civic participation at a scale unavailable to any prior generation.

A Girl Scout in a teal vest looks into a microscope
63%of teen Girl Scouts who do a STEM event want to have a STEM career, compared to just 9% of non-Girl Scouts.

WATCH THE BRIEFING

2026 State of the Georgia Girl Report Briefing

Jenn Hollern, author of the 2026 State of the Georgia Girl Report, walks through what the data shows about Georgia girls across five dimensions of wellness.

Video · 7:50

PART 3 | THE CALL TO ACTION

What Georgia Girls Need Next

One clear truth: Georgia girls need adult champions.

In every corner of our state - in academia and policy making, in classrooms and community organizations, at home and next door - girls need adults to step up, speak up, and show up so that they can reach her full potential. This is what the data shows us about where we can start:

THE FULL REPORT

Get the 2026 State of the Georgia Girl Report.

This report utilizes data from primary sources such as the U.S. Census, Centers for Disease Control, and the Georgia Department of Education.

Download the report

Free to read, print, and share.

Full report (PDF)Executive summary (PDF)

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REVIEW PANEL

Our Esteemed Review Panel

The State of the Georgia Girl Report was deeply enriched by the dedicated time and attention of a diverse community of experts across the state. Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta and Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia extend sincere appreciation to this review panel for its thoughtful and thorough feedback, which elevated the level of discourse presented in this report.

REPORT AUTHOR

Jenn Hollern

Owner, FORGE 4082 Consulting

Jenn Hollern is the author of the 2026 State of the Georgia Girl Report and the owner of FORGE 4082 Consulting. She has worked professionally in Girl Scouting for more than a decade and is based in Orlando, Florida.

Watch her briefing

Georgia Girls Need You.