The Girl Scout Leadership Experience
engages girls in discovering themselves, connecting with others, and taking
action to make the world a better place. This new
leadership model
provides the design for what girls do in Girl Scouting. It illustrates how
adult support strengthens girls’ experiences and drives and displays all the
elements that must be in place to create a positive impact on girls’ lives.
These three keys to leadership:
Discover, Connect, and Take Action are defined as:
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Discover: Girls
understand themselves and their values and use their knowledge and skills
to explore the world.
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Connect: Girl
care about, inspire, and team with others locally and globally.
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Take Action:
Girls act to make the world a better place.
In Girl Scouting, Discover+Connect+Take
Action=Leadership. All Girl Scout experiences are intentionally designed to
tie to one or more of the
15 national leadership
outcomes, or benefits, categorized under the three keys to leadership.
The three keys to leadership replace Girl Scouting’s “four program goals”.
In Girl Scouting, it’s not just “what
girls do” (activities), but “how” (processes) they do them (activities).
When used together, these processes—Girl Led, Cooperative Learning, and
Learning by Doing—ensure the quality and promote the fun and friendship so
integral to Girl Scouting. Here’s how Girl Scouts defines these processes:
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Girl Led: Girl
led is just what it sounds like—girls play an active part in figuring out
the what, where, when, how, and why of their activities. They lead the
planning and decision-making as much as possible. This ensures that girls
are engaged in their learning and experience leadership opportunities as
they prepare to become active participants in their local and global
communities.
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Learning by Doing:
A hands-on learning process that engages girls in continuous cycles of
action and reflection that result in deeper understanding of concepts and
mastery of practical skills. As they participate in meaningful activities
and then reflect on them, girls get to explore their own questions,
discover answers, gain new skills, and share ideas and observations with
others. Throughout the process, it’s important for girls to be able to
connect their experiences to their lives and apply what they have learned
to their future experiences.
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Cooperative Learning:
Through cooperative learning, girls work together toward shared goals
in an atmosphere of respect and collaboration that encourages the sharing
of skills, knowledge, and learning. Working together in all-girl
environments also encourages girls to feel powerful and emotionally and
physically safe, and it allows them to experience a sense of belonging
even in the most diverse groups.
What are some of the new support pieces
that have been developed for this model?
Girl Scout Pathways:
A pathway is the way girls and volunteers join Girl Scouting.
They can choose from several pathways, including an ongoing troop,
destinations, a short-term opportunity, a day or resident camp, a special
interest topic or event, or a virtual connection.
New Membership Grade Levels:
Girls say it is important to be with other girls their age and, currently,
they get bored by too much repetition. Research has found that girls
identify with social groups based on grades. They have also found that girls
learn best and have the most fun when they are with the right
developmental/social groupings. The following new grade levels have been
developed to address those needs:
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Girl Scout Daisies (Grades K-1)
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Girl Scout Brownies (Grades 2-3)
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Girl Scout Juniors (Grades 4-5)
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Girl Scout Cadettes (Grades 6-8)
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Girl Scout Seniors (Grades 9-10)
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Girl Scout Ambassadors (Grades 11-12)
Remember these are flexible until
2010 so you and your girls can decide what works best for you. If you have
other questions about this please contact the council service center for
help.
Leadership Journeys:
Journeys represent
the experiences Girl Scouts engage in to achieve leadership outcomes. The
first books for the girls are all part of the It’s Your World –Change It!
series of leadership journeys. This series features one new book for girls
at each grade level in Girl Scouting.
At every grade level, these books place great emphasis
on inviting girls to “Take Action” on an issue they care about. The books
also contain stories, inspirational material, Girl Scout history, traditions
and values, facts and games, and open spaces for girls to fill in their own
ideas and memories.
“How to” books have been created for adults
corresponding to each of the girl books. These guides for adult volunteers
offer plenty of support, including sample sessions to tailor with girls, to
carry out the Girl Scout Leadership Experience.
Again remember that all this will be phased in until
2010 so feel free to utilize all the current books and resource materials.
Don’t forget to register for our summer conferences!
Register now
For more information on The Girl Scout Leadership
Experience or its new resources click on the links below:
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5 Tips For A Great Trip
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FAQ&A Sheet
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Transforming
Leadership is a new Girl Scout Research Institute
publication that is helpful in orienting everyone to the exciting model
underlying the Girl Scout Leadership Experience. This publication clearly
defines the specific outcomes (benefits) of the Girl Scout Leadership
Experience for girls. It also describes the outcomes for each of the six
(6) grade levels within Girl Scouting.
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GSUSA Core Business Strategy
- The latest research from the Girl Scout Research
Institute,
Change It Up! What Girls Say About Redefining Leadership, was
released publicly at an audio news conference on March 27. The study,
which involved over 4,000 youth, examined girls' and boys' conceptions of
and aspirations toward leadership.
GSUSA Articles
National Media
Don’t forget to register for our summer conferences!
Register now
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