Girl Scout Leadership Experience
Frequently Asked Questions

The New Girl Scout Leadership Experience engages girls in discovering themselves, connecting with others, and taking action to make the world a better place.

The first books for 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:

• Welcome to the Daisy Flower Garden
• Brownie Quest
• Agent of Change (for Juniors)
• aMAZE (for Cadettes)
• GIRLtopia: Toward an Ideal World for Girls (for Seniors)
• Your Voice, Your World: The Power of Advocacy (for Ambassadors)

These books place emphasize 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 blank space for girls to fill in their own ideas and memories.

In addition, corresponding "how-to" books have been created for adults. These guides for adult volunteers offer plenty of support, including customizable sample sessions.

All girl and adult books in the It’s Your World-Change It! series are available now at both Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore Council Shops.

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

Girl Scouts at each of the six grade levels have a chance to earn official new awards as they complete steps along the journey. The awards are designed to be worn on the Girl Scout uniform. Daisies, Brownies, Juniors, and Cadettes have the chance to earn several badges along the journey. Seniors and Ambassadors can mark the completion of their journey with a pin or badge.

The steps for earning the awards are clearly explained in the "how-to" books for volunteers created for each journey. Girls have information about the awards in their books, too. The journey books for girls and adults also have suggested reflection and ceremony ideas related to earning the awards. The goal is to provide opportunities for girls to fully understand the achievement and growth the awards represent.

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 adults and girls 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.

Of course, no matter what activities girls do in Girl Scouting, the experience is always best when it incorporates the Girl Scout processes.

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:

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

GSJS is planning to introduce the updated approach to the Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards during Fall 2008 Bronze, Silver and Gold Workshops.

Grade Levels for Earning the Awards

The It's Your World-Change It! journeys have been intentionally designed to engage girls in a critical thinking process related to identifying and researching issues they care about, developing community networks, and creating and implementing plans to take action. Upon completion of the journeys, girls will be prepared to carry out substantial award projects. Based on this, Girl Scouts of the USA anticipates that when girls complete the journeys in this series, they will have completed the prerequisites, at the relevant grade levels, for Bronze, Silver, and Gold Award projects and ultimately earn the awards.

Options for the 2008-2009 Membership Year:

• Girls may earn the Girl Scout Bronze, Silver, or Gold Awards following existing guidelines.

OR


• Girls may complete a journey and, upon release of the new guidelines in spring 2009, begin work toward the Girl Scout Bronze, Silver, or Gold Award.
• Girls cannot mix and match the requirements.
• Juniors who have completed the Pre-Requisite steps under the current guidelines, may complete the Bronze Award Project as a 6th Grade Cadette.

In 2006, the National Board of Directors approved a new uniform policy, to take effect in fall 2008. Based on this policy, 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, making it easier for more girls than ever before to show their unity and pride as Girl Scouts. Daisies and Brownies may also wear "khaki and white" or choose to wear full uniform ensembles for their age level. The Daisy tunic remains available. There will also be a variety of casual uniform components available for those times when official dress uniform is not required.

Adult uniforms will consist of a scarf worn with the membership pins for women and a tie for men. The scarf/tie and membership pins will be worn with navy blue business attire.

The National Board of Directors approved these grade levels in 2006 to provide increased differentiation and advancement as girls experience Girl Scouting. The new levels are effective beginning in fall 2008. Between 2008 and 2010, councils will be transitioning to the new grade level structure according to their local plans. Some have begun using the new levels, adopting the 08/09 Early Bird schedule, and others will be implementing the levels over the next few years, all aiming for national consistency in 2010.

Girl Scouts of the USA trusts councils, in partnership with families, to assist every girl in having the Girl Scout experience that is best for her. As a general practice, girls say it is important to be with their "social peers"-groups that share the same developmental characteristics.

• Girl Scout Daisies
  (Grades K-1)
• Girl Scout Brownies
  (Grades 2-3)
• Girl Scout Juniors
  (Grades 4-5)
• Girl Scout Cadettes
  (Grades 6-8)
• Girl Scout Seniors
  (Grades 9-10)
• Girl Scout Ambassadors (Grades 11-12)

1. Discover
• Girls develop a strong sense of self
• Girls develop positive values
• Girls gain practical life skills
• Girls seek challenges in the world
• Girls develop critical thinking
2. Connect
• Girls develop healthy relationships
• Girls promote cooperation and team building
• Girls can resolve conflicts
• Girls advance diversity in a multicultural world
• Girls feel connected to their communities, locally and globally
3. Take Action
• Girls can identify community needs
• Girls are resourceful problem solvers
• Girls advocate for themselves and others, locally and globally
• Girls educate and inspire others to act
• Girls feel empowered to make a difference in the world

Adults guiding Daisies are encouraged to follow the many tips and suggestions in the "how-to" adult guide that accompanies the journey. They will quickly find that with a little imagination, this Daisy journey can extend far beyond the six sample sessions provided in the book. As new journeys continue to be developed, Girl Scout Daisies can continue using existing Daisy resources and earn Daisy Petals, if they choose.

Beginning in Fall 2008, in addition to the journeys, Daisies will have opportunities to participate in product sale program activities. Guidelines for adults and supplemental program activities for Daisies are available from the council.

The journey for Ambassadors, Your Voice, Your World: The Power of Advocacy, engages Ambassadors in an advocacy experience. When they have completed the steps to advocacy, they will earn the new Advocate Award created especially for girls at this level. Ambassadors are encouraged to "pass on" to younger girls some of what they learn on their journey.. A bridging award will be available for Ambassadors in spring 2009, and girls who begin the Ambassador level in fall 2008 may earn this award retroactively.

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