TAKE THE LEAD

AUGUST 2008

Discovering Leadership | Engaging Parents | Girl Scout Leadership Experience | Journeys |

Journeys Overview | Engaging Girls | Q & A | Community Service

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DISCOVERING LEADERSHIP

Taking action by giving back to our communities is one of the most crucial elements and values that Girl Scouts of Western Ohio seeks to instill in our girls. Over the past 96 years, Girl Scouts have embraced this principle countless times, and continue to do so today!

Recently, Troop #20180 from Van Wert, Ohio, had the opportunity to give back to their community and make a positive impact. This troop, composed of Girl Scout Brownies and Girl Scout Juniors, spent time making stuffed teddy bears that were given to the Angel Teddy Bear Foundation, an organization that provides teddy bears to parents of stillborn children, miscarriages, and neonatal loss through hospitals. These bears do not replace the loss of the child, but help provide some emotional comfort to those who need it most.

After learning of the foundation through one of the girls’ parents and realizing that the bears would help people in need of emotional comfort and support, the girls and troop leaders embraced the opportunity to make the bears as a service project. Over the course of several meetings, the girls and troop leaders spent time cutting out material, stuffing, and sewing the bears together. Each bear’s card also has the name of Troop #20180 attached to it.

One of the troop leaders mentioned at the start of the project that the girls liked the bears so much they were reluctant to part with them. As the girls learned more about the people who would receive the bears, they, in turn, became more excited and invested in giving the bears to the foundation to help the women in need. As the girls discovered and connected with a part of their community that needed assistance, they embraced taking action and doing their part to give something back to others.

ENGAGING PARENTS

As a Girl Scout troop leader, engaging parents in the life and activities of the troop is paramount to your success. The Girl Scout Leadership Experience provides you with the program process of Girl Scouting and five great key messages to share with adults about how girls change the world through their achievement of the Girl Scout Mission and Council Goals. As the Girl Scout year begins, don’t forget to engage parents. The work and effort made now will benefit you and the girls throughout the entire year. Let’s look at three strategies for involving parents in the troop, and understanding the Girl Scout Leadership Experience, and key program processes.

Share the Girl Scout Leadership Experience

When parents understand the Girl Scout program and the value that their daughter is receiving from her involvement, they will be more willing to support the troop activities. As you meet with parents at the beginning of this Girl Scout year, make sure you are talking about the Girl Scout Leadership Experience and the value that Girl Scouting has for each girl in the troop. A great resource to use for this discussion is A Parent’s Guide to Girl Scouting in Western Ohio. This publication is distributed through the service unit and has great information about the value of Girl Scouting, the Girl Scout Leadership Experience, and Council Goals.

Build a Bridge

Involving parents in understanding the Girl Scout Leadership Experience and the activities of the troop will lead to their daughters’ success in the troop. Recognize that parents need information about Girl Scouting, and their daughter’s growth and success. Build a bridge that links the troop, the Girl Scout Leadership Experience, and the parents by:
Sharing the five program processes from the Girl Scout Leadership Experience with parents as well as the Girl Scout Mission and Council Goals.

The five processes are:

• All–Girl Environment
• Girl–Led – By the Girls for the Girls
• Learning by Doing “Experiential Learning”
• Cooperative Learning
• Non–Formal Education

When sharing these with parents, talk about how they work within the troop, and how the girls build skills, and achieve the Council Goals through their activities, and the use of these processes.

• Have a plan to stay connected. One way to build a bridge to parents is to have a communication plan. Your parents’ meeting is just one way to begin the communication. Utilize e-mail, telephone, and written communication. There are exiting things happening with the Girl Scout Journeys; how are you sharing this with parents?
• Let the parents know the troop’s success is a team effort…girls, leaders, adult volunteers, and parents. It takes each of these groups for the troop be be successful.

Put out the Welcome Mat

Consider having a parent open house with your troop. Invite parents to attend a troop meeting and participate in the meeting activities as if they were girl members. Having parents experience the troop will help them understand the troop needs, the value of what the girls are experiencing, and the value that you, the leader, is adding to their daughter's life. They will be able to see the program processes in action.

Parents also have a wealth of resources. They can become a part of the girls’ journey experience by providing supplies and their expertise from their professional life and hobbies.

Helping girls to change the world is much easier when there is a team of people working together to achieve the Council Goals.

Click here to view .pdf of chart

WHAT IS A GIRL SCOUT JOURNEY?

A journey represents the experiences Girl Scouts engage in to achieve the leadership outcomes.  Journeys are one nationally “packaged” approach to engaging girls and volunteers.  For each grade level, GSUSA is creating a series of leadership journeys accompanied by new resources and new awards.  Each journey engages girls in exploring a theme through a series of linked experiences that together form a whole greater than any one journey activity.  Each journey is tied to national “Discover, Connect, and Take Action” leadership outcomes.

The first journeys planned for 2008 are referred to as Leadership Launch Journeys, because they kick-off the New Girl Scout Leadership Experience and serve as a “launch pad” for future experiences in Girl Scouting.  The launch journeys are made up of 5 – 8 sessions (total sessions vary by level) and are intended for local customization.  Journeys can be done in a variety of Girl Scout pathways, including stand-alone, short-term experiences.  Councils can begin using journeys in fall 2008.

Journeys will provide an important foundation for each grade level in Girl Scouting for girls and volunteers. Just by following a journey, members will be engaging in the new Girl Scout Leadership Experience (and practicing some Girl Scout traditions)!  When the journey ends, girls and their volunteers can apply what they have learned to everything else they do in Girl Scouting.

The journeys have been created to provide meaningful experiences centered on the three keys to leadership–for girls participating during a troop year and girls participating during shorter time periods.  The “sample sessions” in the adult guides are intended not as a “set number of meetings” but to provide momentum and a road map for a “whole adventure” that has more impact then any one activity in the journeys.

No matter how much time girls spend on a journey, the whole is always greater than any single part.  When a Girl Scout journey comes to a close, girls and their adult volunteers will truly feel a sense of accomplishment. The awards girls earn on journeys mark their achievements–so let’s encourage everyone to take their time with the “learning and earning”!  Plenty of tips in the girl and adult books provide suggestions for ceremonies and reflections to make earning the awards a more meaningful part of Girl Scouting.

5 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT GIRL SCOUT JOURNEYS:

1. COMMON THEME:  There is a common theme throughout all age levels. The launch journey's theme is It's Your World Change It!

2. COMMUNITY SERVICE: The Take Action component of leadership encourages girls to participate in an activity that is service oriented.

3. EARNED RECOGNITIONS: Each journey series has earned recognitions for each grade level.

4. GIRL & ADULT RESOURCES: Eac

    

   h journey has a girl book and an adult "Pick Up and Go" Facilitator Guide for working with girls through the journey and incorporating the methods and three keys to leadership.

5. CURRENT EARNED RECOGNITIONS: The current earned recognitions will continue to be in existence, however they will be updated to enhance the journey experience.

JOURNEY GRADE LEVEL OVERVIEW

Facilitator Guides

Every grade level has a journey designed to meet the developmental needs of the girls and take the girls through the Girl Scout leadership philosophy of “Discover, Connect, and Take Action”. Each journey has a facilitator guide to accompany the girl resource book. Some characteristics of the facilitator guide include:

• Tips for volunteers to learn how specific activities and experiences tie to the leadership outcomes.

• Specific suggestions for volunteers to apply the Girl Scout processes for girls: Girl-led, learning by doing, and cooperative learning.

• Tips to encourage volunteers to customize the journey with girls (i.e. adding trips, camping, and other traditional events).

Each Grade Level at a Glance

ENGAGING GIRLS IN AN EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE

As a troop leader, you have probably seen the Council Goals or the terms “Discover, Connect, and Take Action” in every publication that Girl Scouts of Western Ohio has produced over the last several months. These terms are the key elements necessary to girls achieving the new Girl Scout Leadership Experience. As August rolls around, you can start to put all of these keys into action when you and your girls work in partnership to plan your year. You may be wondering: How? Below you will see the “Discover, Connect, and Take Action” keys, and the Council Goals related to those keys. The outcomes listed below each goal describes what you might expect to see as girls grow toward the goals.

Discover:
Goal #1: Girls will understand themselves and their values
Outcomes:

• Girls develop a strong sense of self by having confidence in themselves and their
  abilities; by feeling they are able to achieve their goals; and by forming positive gender, social, and cultural identities.

• Girls develop positive values by forming their beliefs and values based on the Girl Scout Promise and Law; by learning to consider ethical aspects of situations; and by committing to social justice and community service.

• Girls gain practical and healthy life skills. Girls gain skills that prepare them for a positive, healthy, and independent future.

Goal #2: Girls will use their knowledge and skills to explore the world
Outcomes:

• Girls seek challenges in the world by developing positive attitudes toward learning; by seeking opportunities for expanding their knowledge and skills; by setting challenging goals for themselves; and by taking appropriate risks.

• Girls develop critical thinking by learning to examine ideas from a variety of viewpoints and by using critical thinking skills to explore implications of issues in their lives and their leadership development.

Connect:
Goal #3: Girls will care about, inspire, and team with others locally and globally
Outcomes:

• Girls develop healthy relationships by learning to form and maintain meaningful and caring relationships; by communicating effectively; by protecting their rights in relationships; and by knowing when to seek help.

• Girls promote cooperation and team building by recognizing the value of working together and learning to make decisions that benefit the whole group while recognizing others’ accomplishments and contributions.

• Girls can resolve conflicts by learning to recognize and analyze different conflict situations, and developing skills for constructive conflict resolution, and prevention.

• Girls advance diversity in a multicultural world by learning to think and act in a way that promotes an inclusive environment; and by respecting and valuing diverse backgrounds, viewpoints, and life experiences.

• Girls feel connected to their communities, locally, and globally by feeling they are part of a larger community; and by recognizing the importance of building diverse, supportive, social networks for their personal and leadership development.

Take Action:
Goal #4: Girls will act to make the world a better place
Outcomes:

• Girls can identify community needs by learning to identify issues in their local and global communities and developing realistic possibilities for action.

• Girls are resourceful problem-solvers by setting up and implementing creative and effective action plans; by locating tools and resources they need, and knowing when, where, and how to enlist help from others.

• Girls advocate for themselves and others, locally, and globally by developing the ability to speak out of their own behalf; and by seeking opportunities to act and speak on behalf of others.

• Girls educate and inspire others to act by learning to effectively explain their ideas to others and motivate them to get involved in community service.

• Girls feel empowered to make a difference in the world by feeling empowered to use their leadership skills to effect change in their world and feeling their contributions are valued in the larger community.

Q & A: WHAT'S NEXT?

With any major transformation and change there are a lot of questions. The following are some frequently asked questions regarding the new Girl Scout Leadership Experience and the many changes that the program brings with it.

What is the timeline for this transformation?
The transition has been set up as a multiyear process so that councils can balance national action with local needs. The goal is to provide girls with a unified Girl Scout experience by fall 2010. Fall 2008 marks the beginning of the transition to the Girl Scout Leadership Experience.

What are 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. No matter how a girl joins Girl Scouting, she will have the opportunity to achieve the leadership outcomes.

How many other journeys will be developed?
There will be three journeys for every grade level by 2010. A second journey series will roll out in 2009, and a third in 2010. Girls at each level will be able to choose the journey that most interests them, or do them all!

What will happen with existing resources and awards?
Throughout the multiyear transition period, no girls will lose out on experiences, projects, or awards they have already started. Girls at every level can continue to use all the available existing materials as new resources are developed and phased in. Adults are invited to use their best judgment to assist girls in choosing projects that are appropriate for their grade level. Existing program resources will continue to serve as supplements to the new materials through 2010.

Can girls still earn badges, apart from journeys?
Girls are welcome to continue choosing and earning badges that represent their varied interests. Earning badges is an important tradition in Girl Scouting and it is here to stay! As girls and adults become more familiar with the elements of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience, they will even be able to see how the “Discover, Connect, and Take Action” leadership keys can be integrated into earning badges.

What is the future of badges?
Over the next several years, GSUSA will be updating some badges to ensure the learning experiences tie to the national leadership outcomes intended for girls. As new or refreshed badges become available and the “old” badges are phased out, girls will have time to transition. They will not “lose out” on activities they have begun or planned.

Are there new uniforms?
Girls at each level will have one official uniform item (e.g. tunic, vest, sash) so they can display the pins and badges they earn. Girl Scout Juniors and older program age groups will wear their vests and sashes with white shirts and khaki pants. Girl Scout Daisies and Girl Scout Brownies may also wear khaki and white or choose to wear full uniform ensembles for their age level.

Will the Girl Scout Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards still exist?
The Girl Scout Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards remain the culminating leadership awards and are an opportunity for girls to put the “Discover, Connect, and Take Action” leadership philosophy into motion.

What will the new age levels or membership grade levels look like?
Girls say it is important to be with other girls their age and, currently, they get bored by too much repetition. Research also found that girls learn best and have the most fun when they are with the right developmental/social grouping. The new grade levels, approved by the National Board, address the charge of intentionally creating differentiated Girl Scout experiences that mirror girls’ developmental needs:

Girl Scout Daisy, Grades K-1
Girl Scout Brownie, Grades 2-3
Girl Scout Junior, Grades 4-5
Girl Scout Cadette, Grades 6-8
Girl Scout Senior, Grades 9-10
Girl Scout Ambassador, Grades 11-12

The grade-level groups provide “leadership levels” for girls as they progressively “step forward” through the new Girl Scout Leadership Experience.

COUNCIL-WIDE COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECT

Girl Scouts of Western Ohio is excited to announce the theme and topics for the 2008-2009 council-wide Community Service Project. This month’s roundtable material also features a pamphlet on service learning to help leaders bridge the gap between service projects and service learning projects. Each month the last page of “Take the Lead” will be dedicated to providing support to troops participating in this project. During the next month there will be a section added to www.girlscoutsofwesternohio.org  dedicated to the council-wide community service project. Stay tuned for more information. Until then, work with your troop to select a topic.

The theme for the 2008-2009 project is: “It’s Your World - Change It!”
Topics:

• Learning Centers (supporting the needs of schools, libraries, after-school facilities, tutoring, etc.)

• Healthy Living (helping others develop healthy lifestyles, fitness, diet, etc.)

Find out which topic your troop is interested in learning more about. Then work with them to find out the issues facing their community around that topic. Next, plan a project to make a difference in the community. Can’t decide, or you don’t know where to start? Think about the following…

What are Learning Centers?
This term refers to any location that provides education to the community and its members, both young and old. School is the most obvious one, but many libraries, YMCA’s, churches, and community centers offer educational opportunities to their communities. These facilities often rely on volunteerism and the generosity of the community to offer services and educational opportunities. Work with your girls to brainstorm other learning centers and ways they can help youth learn in their community.

Try one of the following activities to get started:

Activity 1
Talk with your girls about what it would be like to go to a school where there are no art classes or where there isn’t enough funding to buy new library books. Maybe their own school is lacking one of these or some other needed resource. Brainstorm some possible solutions. Remind the girls that they don’t have to do all of the project themselves. A great way to make a big difference is getting other people involved or making them aware of the issue.

Activity 2
Talk with your girls about what a learning center may need to operate. Get them thinking about funding, staff, advertising, supplies, maintaining facilities, etc. This process will help get them thinking about ways that they can help.

What is Healthy Living?
This sounds like a silly question but many people struggle with leading healthy lifestyles. Health, according to the World Health Organization, is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being. Eating right, getting physically fit, emotional wellness, spiritual wellness, and prevention are all a part of creating a healthy lifestyle.

Did you know:

• the average child gets less than 15 minutes of vigorous activity a day?

• the average U.S. child spends 20% of her/his waking time watching TV?

• 30% of youth (ages 10-19) have negative or neutral attitudes towards physical activity?

Look up other statistics on health and wellness to share with your troop and try one of the following activities:

Activity 1
It may be hard for girls to start thinking about actions that they can take to improve the health of people in their community. To get them started, make the idea of community more tangible for them. Have the girls draw what “community” means to them. This will help get them thinking about people and organizations that they could partner with to complete a service learning project.

Activity 2
Brainstorm what healthy living means to the girls in your troop. Make a list of all of their answers on a large piece of paper. Keep in mind that safety can play a big part in healthy living. Now have them come up with two projects that they could do to improve healthy living in their community.