The Girl Scout Cadette Breathe Journey is one that the girls can learn a lot from. Here is a list of resources for them and for you, their leader, to use. *This post contains affiliate links. Updated February 2022 When I was growing up, there were public service announcements from Woodsy Owl that told us to Give a Hoot, Don't Pollute! In the 1970s, this was a crunchy granola way of thinking, as we were not as enlightened to the perils of air pollution like we are today. The quality of the air can have a direct effect on how we are feeling. As the mother of a son with asthma, air quality is very important to me. Image Created on Canva It isn't just pollution that affects the air we breathe. As a writer, I truly need absolute silence to get my mind in the zone and do my best work. When my kids are home, all hope of doing any research and writing original content just flies out the window. Fighting, having the television on, or having their friends over to play are much too distracting for me.People who have had careers where noise levels are too high risk having permanent damage to their ability to hear. Rock stars such as Phil Collins, Pete Townshend and Eric Clapton have all admitted to having hearing loss after playing their loud music on stage for years.In the Cadette Breathe Journey, girls will learn how the air around them impacts the Earth and their lives. Breathe Journey Guide for Leaders Photo from Pixabay Having internet resources is a good thing-I wish we had them back when I was a full time elementary school teacher back in the day! However, because I am also old school, I like to hold a book and have a hands on resource that I can pull of the shelf without having to turn on the computer.This adult leader guide for Breathe can be paid for with troop funds, since the girls are benefiting from it. Do not feel guilty asking for the money-after all, you volunteer many hours of your time for free! Girls Book from Amazon Adult Guide also available Other Kinds of Pollution In addition to noise pollution, your senses can also be assaulted by smell. If you have ever had to change a dirty diaper, you know what I mean! There are scents which are pleasing to the nose, while others are quite offensive.In fact, people with severe allergies can have significant breathing problems when they are near a person or a group of people who are heavily perfumed. My synagogue politely requests that during the High Holy Day services of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur that we refrain from wearing perfume because of this problem. There is a sign in my son’s allergist’s office to please not come into the office wearing perfume. Relax-It's Good for You! To make the Journeys Program more interesting and fun for the girls, each one includes activities to help the girls learn the objective of the meeting and the overall goals of the Journey. For one meeting, the troop can make something that they can take home to help them relax and find time in their busy day to have a few minutes of downtime. These kits come in handy for this project. Available on Amazon Girls Need to Breathe! Finding time to decompress from the stress When life becomes overwhelming with work, family, chores, and everything else, some people find it hard to breathe. The stress gives them anxiety, and they begin to breathe in a shallow manner. They cannot relax and this exacerbates the problem even further. Stress begets more stress! Bath Bomb Kit from Amazon Another aspect of the Breathe Girl Scout Journey is to teach the girls how to breathe-take a moment and relax. The middle school years present all kinds of challenges-more homework and projects, sports, and other activities become more competitive and time consuming, and relationships with peers and are also changing. On meeting can focus on having the girls find a time and place to just relax. Put on some relaxing music and do some breathing exercises or practice some simple yoga poses. Fun Craft Girls can find meaning and inspiration from these beads. They can make necklaces, keychains, or put them on a piece of cardboard that has been covered with felt and glue them on. Inspiration Beads Available on S&S Worldwide Cadette Breathe Resources for Leaders The following links will be beneficial to leaders as they plan the Journey. Girl Scout Troop 340 This group of Cadettes shares what they did to accomplish the goals of Breathe. Troop 1445 Breathe Journey in a Weekend Girl Scouts of the Nation's Capital Online Guide Earn the Breathe Journey on a Camping Trip Girl Scouts of River Valleys has resources for leaders. Image created by the author on Canva Take Action Projects for the Breathe Journey Girls have taken to the internet to share with their sister scouts what they have done to Take Action for the Breathe Journey. Let these girls help guide your ideas or help spark some new ones. There are dozens more of these videos. Here is just a sample.

The first Girl Scout Cadette meeting of the year is an important one. This group of girls has decided to continue with Girl Scouts, and they need to be involved with the planning.

Are you the leader of a Cadette Girl Scout troop? Here are some resources for you to use as you guide your middle school girls through this level of scouting. Updated February 2022 *This post contains affiliate links. Cadette Leaders Need Practical Resources for Their Middle School Troop How many of you know a girl who was a Girl Scout past the fifth grade? If you are like most people, not many. When girls begin their adventures in Girl Scouting, they are as young as five years old and in kindergarten. Everything is exciting to them, and they are very happy with crafts, field trips and an occasional guest speaker. As the girls become Brownie and Junior Girl Scouts, it becomes more challenging keeping them engaged. They want more outdoor adventures like camping and fun overnights at museums and party places. As their leader, you do your best to comply with what they want while attempting to keep your own sanity. Photo from Pixabay By the time the girls finish the Junior level at the end of fifth grade, there is a dramatic drop in their ranks. As puberty hits full throttle and what other people think becomes more important, the coolness factor of scouting plummets and many girls no longer want to be associated with the movement. For my troop, this has not been our experience. I was the leader for six years, and this upcoming year I am stepping down from that role and moving to a co-leadership position. A friend of mine will be the leader, and ten of our eleven girls will become Cadette Girl Scouts. We are also very fortunate that the principal of our school is a former Girl Scout who earned her Gold Award years ago. She is a positive role model for our girls. The Challenges of Being a Cadette Leader Middle School Girls Are Not the Easiest to Be With! As a mother who has been through the middle school years once before, I can honestly say that I am not looking forward to replaying the drama of these early teen years. Relational aggression (female bullying), cliques, first heartbreaks, and monitoring social media use was challenging. Cadette leaders have to deal with all of this with girls who are not their daughters. Many times, a troop will inherit new girls at this stage because the girls' former troops have disbanded and are no longer viable. The girls wish to remain in scouting, but need someone to take them in. Leaders must be very aware of integrating new girls into their established troop and making sure that they are welcomed and accepted by the others. We are all sisters in scouting, and this is a great opportunity for new friends to be made. Cliques and leaving other girls out is not an acceptable behavior and needs to be thwarted. A Smart Girl's Guide: Middle School (Revised): Everything You Need to Know About Juggling More Homework, More Teachers, and More Friends! (Smart Girl's Guides) from Amazon This book, as well as the original version, has been a source of comfort and an invaluable resource for both of my daughters. The Biggest Challenge Facing Cadette Leaders There is competition for your time! Photo from Pixabay As girls get older, their lives get busier. Once upon a time,dance and athletics were a fun activity. Many girls, including those in my troop, participate on travel teams for sports or competition teams for dance. This means hours of travel and practice that will interfere with Girl Scout activities. In middle school, girls are introduced to after school clubs. These may bring new friends and new interests that will also occupy their time and lessen their involvement with Girl Scouting. Photo from Stoonn via freedigitalphotos.net Then there is homework. Modern society dictates that more homework is good, so teachers pile it on. For high achieving students, this extra workload can be a challenge, but for those who struggle in school, this creates more problems. Homework has to come first, even at the expense of a Girl Scout activity or meeting. Peer pressure is also a challenge. No matter how you slice it, Girl Scouts is not considered a cool activity. Adult leaders need to combat that with activities that the girls vote on and plan. When other middle schoolers find out that the scouts in their grade slept over in a museum, went on a long weekend to a water park resort or saved all their cookie money for a trip to Disney, then the cool factor is upped significantly. A Smart Girl's Guide: Friendship Troubles (Revised): Dealing with fights, being left out & the whole popularity thing (Smart Girl's Guides) from Amazon Online Resources for Cadette Leaders Starting at a new level is always a challenge. As the girls get older, meetings are supposed to be more "girl led", but with cliques, absences and forgetfulness, things might not get accomplished as they would with a responsible adult in charge. Of course, this is a life lesson that needs to be learned. As the leader, you are transferring the role of leadership to the girls. Here are some great resources on how to do that, as well as how to run your meetings, select badges and community service projects, plus how to do a Journey. Girl Scout Leader Blog All the posts from my main blog relating to Cadette Scouts Old Cadette/Senior Ambassador IP's and Badge Thanks to the Wayback Machine, you can get all the requirements for the old program at this link. Cadette Uniform This shows where badges, patches and pins go on a Cadette vest or sash. 6th Grade Cadettes Moving up from Juniors is a big deal. Here is some wonderful and relevant advice from leaders who have already made the transition. Camping With Cadette Girl Scouts One leader shares her camping trip with readers. Cadette First Aid Badge Learn how your troop can fulfill the requirements for this badge. Silver Award These are the directions on how to earn the Silver Award.

The Animal Helpers badge is part of the “It's Your Story- Tell It!” badge set introduced in 2011. When a Girl Scout Cadette has earned this badge, she will know how animals help humans, and how to help them keep it up. The lives of humans and other animals have been linked for thousands of years – and the connection keeps getting stronger! CHOICES – DO ONE: Find out how views of animals have changed over the centuries. People used to think animals had no feelings, and they didn’t always let cat

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A couple of years ago GSUSA released a new series of Journeys for Daisies, Brownies and Juniors, and last year, released two of them for Cadettes, Seniors and Ambassadors. Even though this is mostly a blog about my experiences with Daisies and Brownies, I had a request to summarize the older girls' Think Like an Engineer Journey and since I was doing it, I figured I ought to get a few cents from AdSense for doing so (and more if you click on the ads on this page). If you read my post about the Think Like an Engineer Journey for Daisies, Brownies and Juniors, you'll see that the basic outline of the Journey is the same at all levels, and that doesn't change for the older girls. Basically, at the first three meetings, girls review the design process and then put it to work in a design challenge. In the fourth meeting the girls apply the design process to planning a Take Action Project. In the fifth meeting, they do the Take Action Project, and at the sixth meeting they celebrate their accomplishments. While the Daisy, Brownie and Junior plans provide word-for-word scripts for leaders, the older girl plans provide discussion topics and questions to guide the girls but they aren't quite as scripted. While the summaries below try to give an overview of the talking points, this blog post is not meant to be a substitute for the VTK plans, but rather a summary of them, to give leaders a quick and easily accessible overview. Once you decide to do the Journey at a particular level, I highly recommend reading the entire VTK plan for that level so that you understand where the talking points are going. The purpose of the Journey is not to engineer the best ____ in response to the design challenge of the day; the purpose is to teach a way of thinking and then to use that way of thinking to conceive of, design and execute a Take Action Project--a sustainable solution to a problem identified by the girls. One thing that every design challenge requires is for the small groups who worked on the challenge to present their work to the group, and the group is encouraged to add input on improving the design. This gives the girls a chance to practice communication and presentation skills that could be helpful in their Take Action Project or for the projects they do for the Silver or Gold Awards. The part of Journeys that has always been the hardest for me to wrap my mind around has always been the Take Action Project. I think I know where GSUSA is going with the concept; I just couldn't figure out how to pull one out of the younger girls, which is my group. In fifteen years as a leader, the highest I ever got was Juniors. Going through these older girl plans gave me some ideas. Girl Scout leaders are always looking for ways to "adapt" official programming to better meet the needs of their girls. With a different set of design challenges at each level, girls could do this Journey six times during their Girl Scout years. However I think it unlikely they will do so. If your troop chooses to do this Journey, I think that letting them pick which three of the nine design challenges they want to do is a good way to personalize it for your troop. The Design Thinking Process The design thinking process used in Think Like an Engineer is: 1)Identify a problem that needs to be solved; 2) Investigate what has already been done; 3) Come up with multiple possible solutions 4) Pick one or more possible solutions and create a design; 5) Test the design and make improvements based on what you learned; and 5)Let other people know what they've learned Let's take a look at the meetings for the older girls: Meeting 1: Cadettes: The first thing the Cadettes do as they enter Meeting 1 is build a model of a Corgi. This model dog will be used later in the meeting. VTK has a template and a list of materials, and the girls create a 3-D model. In the opening discussion, the design process is reviewed and girls talk about ways engineers' designs help people. The leader also introduces the idea of a Take Action Project and how the design process is used in it. For Cadettes, the first design challenge is to create a life vest for a Corgi who cannot swim because of his short legs. First, the girls identify the problem and goal. They are given their goals (to keep the Corgi's head above water for ten minutes) and their constraints (materials to use, time available). Girls spent five minutes brainstorming about design and creating sketches before actually beginning to build with these materials: 2 sheets of foam (roughly 9 x 12 in. each) 2 plastic bags (strong sandwich bags) 3 large rubber bands Measuring tape Scissors Duct tape Extra blank paper (for planning) Pens or pencils The girls are given twenty minutes to engineer their designs before the group comes back together to test them with the model dog and a tub of water. Each group explains their prototype to the large group, says what they expect to happen, puts it on the model dog as quickly as possible and tests to see if it keeps the dog afloat for at least ten seconds. Discuss how the prototypes could be improved, and, if there is time, improve them. For the closing activity, girls discuss the design process and how they put it into use. Seniors and Multi-level: Seniors begin their Journey by looking a various items used daily and brainstorming how to improve them. After their opening ceremony and troop business, Seniors review the design process. Then it is on to their design challenge: To use the provided materials to create a substitute for the plastic rings that hold together six packs of soda. The materials are: 1 large piece of cardboard (1 x 2 ft or more) 8 paint stirrers Wax paper Paper (newspaper, white paper, etc.) 20 rubber bands Duct tape 1 meter (39 inches) string Scissors Paper (for planning) Pens or pencils Girls spend five minutes planning their design and 20 minutes trying to build a prototype, working in small groups. Then the groups gather, present their designs and test them. Improvements are suggested. To end the meeting, girls share problem they are interested in, like protecting wildlife. At this point the girls are only discussing problem/issues, not solutions or projects. Ambassadors: Ambassadors begin the first meeting by brainstorming ideas for devices that would help various professionals like doctors. After the opening and troop business portions of the meeting, the design process is reviewed. Next, the girls have 25 minutes to accomplish the design challenge. Then the group gets together and shares their designs --what worked and what didn't. The first design challenge for Ambassadors is to design something that enriches the life of an animal. The process starts with a discussion about the needs of animals and how enrichment devices make it easier for an animal, wild or domestic, to thrive in its environment. Each group of two or three girls is given a pile of supplies and has to select an animal and discuss its needs. Then each group needs to quickly sketch three ways to meet one or more of those needs. They then need to pick a design and build a prototype that can be presented to the group for feedback. The following materials are listed: 1 large piece of cardboard (2 x 3 ft or more) 2 poster boards Paper towel and toilet paper tubes (however many you can find!) 10 paint stirrers 5 ft. rope Scissors Duct tape Blank paper (for planning) Pens or pencil Optional: Anything else you have that might make good materials for the Design Challenge. For example, if you have tennis balls, girls could incorporate them to help meet the "fun" criteria of the challenge. Meeting 2: Cadettes: As Cadettes being meeting two, they make lists of all the communities they belong to. They also list words that describe or define a community. During the opening discussion, girls use these lists to pick a community to effect with their Take Action Project. Once the community has been chosen, girls brainstorm problems in that community. The design challenge for Meeting 2 is to create camp shelters for people that mimic natural shelters used by animals. Girls discuss different types of shelters used by animals and the things humans need in their shelters. Then, using the materials listed below, the groups first brainstorm for five minutes and then spend 20 minutes to create a shelter that is big enough for a quarter piece of construction paper to easily be put in and out of it. They have to be wind resistant and will be tested in front of a fan for 15 seconds, and will be sprayed with water 15 times to see if they are water resistant. The following materials are available: 1 piece of masking tape, 12 inches long 1 piece of packaging tape, 12 inches long 1 sheet of cardboard, 8"x 8" 2 plastic cups, 1-2 oz. 2 sheets of construction paper Measuring tape Scissors Extra paper (for planning) Pens or pencils The girls then gather and present their cabins to the group as if they were presenting them to the client who hired them. Next, each cabin is tested for water and wind resistance and then the girls discuss how the cabins could be improved. If time permits, let them try to improve their models. Discuss the problems and possible solutions. If time permits, discuss problems in the community chosen for the Take Action Project. Seniors and Multi-level: Before the meeting the leader prepares four or more posters, each of which lists a community to which the girls belong (school, town, state, USA etc). As girls come in they are encouraged to brainstorm problems faced by each community and to list them on the posters. After their opening ceremony, Seniors discuss how the Design Process is similar to the process for a Take Action Project. They review the problems on the posters and decide on a community to help with their Take Action Project. After picking a community, they brainstorm for more problems. The design challenge for this meeting is to design a kinetic sculpture--one that moves in the wind. As with the other projects, girls spend five minutes brainstorming and designing and 20 minutes building. The girls then gather and present their sculptures to the big group, describing them and testing to see if they hold together in the wind and have two moving parts. Girls can then try to improve the sculptures. At the end of the meeting the girls discuss the design process and how they used it to create their sculpture. Ambassadors: Ambassadors begin Meeting 2 by working together to create lists of communities to which they belong and issues and problems which are important to them. Following the opening ceremony and troop business, the group discusses those communities and chooses one to help with their Take Action Project. The girls are reminded that the design process is similar to the steps for a Take Action Project: Identify a problem, come up with a sustainable solution, develop a plan, put the plan into action, reflect on what they've learned, and share the project with others. They review the issues and problems listed at the beginning of the meeting to see which effect the chosen community and may come up with others. Girls are reminded that any of these issues/problems could be starting points for Gold Award projects. The design challenge for Meeting 2 is to design a zip line course that using the following materials: Chipboard (from a cereal box or back of a notepad), 6-8 small paper or plastic cups (i.e. 3 oz.), 9 plastic straws, 10 feet of smooth line (e.g. fishing line or unwaxed dental floss), 8 standard, flat steel washers (1 in. in diameter or larger), heavy books (or other material to stack), Tape (duct or masking.) Girls are given scissors and a hole punch as tools, but they cannot be part of the course. The zipline course must be at least five feet tall, must carry a ping-pong ball from the top string to the bottom platform in fifteen seconds or less and must have at least four platforms and three zip lines. The girls have 25 minutes to brainstorm solutions and design a course. They begin by brainstorming and sketching 3 possible solutions and then creating one. They are not allowed to test it with the ping pong ball until they share their project. They have five minutes to sketch and twenty minutes to build. Once time is up, the girls share their designs and test them, as if they were presenting the designs to a camp director who hired them to design a course. If the zip lines do not work as expected, the group brainstorms about why, and how to fix them. In the closing discussion, girls review how they used the design process, talk about what worked and did not, problems they encountered etc. Meeting 3 Cadettes In meeting 3, the leader prepares index cards with the problems identified in the prior meeting. As girls arrive, they pair up and discuss a problem trying to determine why that problem exists. They are doing a root-cause analysis. They should arrive at one or more causes for each problem, drilling downward. For example, the oceans are polluted. But why? Because there is trash in the oceans. But why? Because humans pollute. But why? Because there are not enough trash cans? But why? The local government doesn't have enough money to put out enough trash cans. Once the whole group is gathered, girls discuss the problems and pick one to address in their Take Action Project. The design challenge for this meeting is to design a prosthetic leg for an elephant. A link to a video is provided, which shows how one engineer solved this problem. The girls discuss what qualities the prosthetic should have, then get into groups of two or three and begin with brainstorming and sketching. From there, they move on to spending 20 minutes creating a prototype. The prototypes are then tested by a girl who bends her knee and places it into the prosthetic. Improvements are discussed. Seniors and Multi-level: Using posters with trees drawn on them, and sticky notes, Seniors look at the issues/problems identified in earlier meetings and try to identify the causes of the problems and the effects they have. In the opening part of the meeting, girls will discuss these and the leader will help them make sure that they have properly identified causes and effects. Then the group selects one issue or problem to address in their Take Action Project. The design challenge for Seniors in meeting 3 is to create an assistive device that would allow the elderly to pick something up that is on the floor or to grab something on a high shelf. These materials may be used: 4 pieces of cardboard (medium-large, assorted sizes) 4 paint stirrers 8 brass tacks 5 paper clips 2 small cups (paper) Paper (newspaper, white paper, etc.) 1 sheet of felt 10 rubber bands 5 wooden skewers Scissors String or wire Tape Blank paper (for planning) Pens or pencils As with the other design challenges, girls work in groups of two or three. They spend five minutes brainstorming/designing, 20 minutes building and 25 minutes sharing, testing, discussing and improving their design. Ambassadors: Meeting 3 begins with the girls breaking into groups as they arrive and taking one of the problems/issues identified last meeting and listing the causes of that problem and the effects of it. After the meeting opening, the girls share the lists they made and decide on one problem to address in their Take Action Project. The design challenge for meeting 3 is to create a mobility assistance device for an amputee, using the following equipment: 1 large piece of cardboard (2 x 3 ft. or more) 1 roll of string 2 sheets of felt or other medium-thick fabric 5 cardboard tubes (Alternatively, you could roll poster boards or stack sturdy cups.) 5 large rubber bands 4 brass fasteners 1 sheet of poster board Scissors Duct tape Blank or notebook paper (for planning) Pens or pencils Optional: Bring in anything else you have that might make good materials for the Design Challenge. For example, if you have containers that could be used as wheels, girls could incorporate them into a design for a walker. Again, the girls have five minutes to brainstorm and sketch, and twenty minutes to build, before gathering to present their designs and test them. The devices should help the amputee get from one side of the room to another and should o Must help the user to move from one side of the room to the other and 1) Be comfortable for the user.; 2) Be easy and convenient for people to use and 3) May either attach to (prosthetic) or be a product (mobility aid) for the user. The closing discussion for meeting 3 relates the design process to the chosen issue for the Take Action Project. Meeting 4: Cadettes: Cadettes begin planning their Take Action Project at Meeting 4. In preparation for the meeting, the leader creates one or more posters with six pointed starts on them. In the middle of the star is the problem the girls want to solve. On each point is a question word: who, what, when, where, how and why. As girls come in they write questions about their issue on the poster. As a group, Cadettes discuss the question and any answers they have and determine what information they might need. Then they brainstorm ways to solve their chosen problem and the given discussion questions lead to user-centered design. For example, girls imagine how the school principal might solve the problem vs how students would solve it. After discussing various solutions, the girls pick one and plan how to execute it, including arriving at a list of materials needed and a "to do" list for the next meeting. The Take Action Project should use engineering or technology. Seniors and Multi-level: To prepare for meeting 4, the leader makes four charts: What We Know, What We Need to Know, Why is This Important and What Else. As girls arrive, they fill in these lists with items related to the problem they have chosen to address. These items are discussed and then the girls are challenged to find a sustainable solution to the problem that incorporates what they've learned about engineering and technology. They follow the design process and pick and design a Take Action Project. The goal is to have a list of supplies and a to do list for the next meeting. Ambassadors: At Meeting 4, the girls being serious planning of the Take Action Project. As they enter the meeting, they are presented with posters or sheets of paper that say "people" "resources" "needs" and "what else". On each sheet they list information about the community they have chosen for their Take Action Project. These are discussed after the opening ceremony, along with the people and situations that are positive forces and negative forces on their project. Girls research via computer or smartphone any information they need for their project and then discuss sustainable solutions to the identified problem. They pick a solution and decide what they need in order to execute that solution. Meeting 5: At Meeting 5 the girls execute their Take Action Project, discuss it, and plan a celebration. The meeting plans specifically mention things like posters and videos as Take Action Projects. Also, the girls plan how to present their project to others, as an important part of being an engineer is presenting a project. Meeting 6: Girls present their TAP to invited guests, celebrate its completion and receive their awards.

Help your girls in the 6th - 8th grade learn about the world and earn badges doing it. Plan your troop meetings with ease with these ideas.

Boy, I'm on a roll! I've gotten the Cadette tracker done and the Daisy tracker will be done today too. I hope you find this useful! I'll be a Cadette leader next year and making this tracker got me excited about taking the girls to the next level of Girl Scouting. This tracker allows troop leaders to document badge requirements for each girl. Includes all of the new Legacy and Journey badges in the Girls Guide to Girl Scouting. Each page includes one badge. For my troop, I printed the sheets in color, double-sided, then laminated them. To hold them together I hole-punched them laminated sheets and used a binder ring to hold them together. I placed stickers on the requirements so I can keep track. The girls got so excited looking through all of the badge choices in one place. A note about formatting: The tracker is available in Word [.doc] or .pdf format. If you are savvy with Word formatting, you can personalize the .doc tracker to your liking. If you would rather hand write in the names of the girls and not worry about formatting, download the .pdf. You can download the tracker Word tracker here or the .pdf tracker here.

How to earn your Cadette Breathe journey in a camping setting

Updated September 2022 What is the Cadette Girl Scout Silver Award? There are three levels of Girl Scout Awards-the Bronze (earned when girls are in Junior troops), the Silver (earned when girls are Cadettes) and Gold (an individual project girls must complete before they graduate high school). While leaders do have a hand in helping the girls earn the highest award at this level, they are truly a guide at the side. Image Created on Canva First, the girl must complete at least one of the three Journeys at this level. Then the girls have to pick a project that they want to work on alone or with a group. There is a lot of planning that goes on with this, but as an older girl, she needs to stand on her own two feet to figure out what will work and what will not. These projects are meant to "make the world a better place", an integral part of the Girl Scout Promise. Once the plan is complete and put into action, then the girl has to fill out paperwork, give it to her leader, and then celebrate her accomplishment! Please note that every Council is different. What may be approved in one Council may not be in another. Each finished project has had the paperwork signed and completed, and what you are reading are the results of those efforts. Cadette Silver Award Ideas If your troop wants to earn this award, here are dozens of ideas for you to try. Clothing Giveaway This is what one troop did after their aMaze Journey to earn their Silver Award. 4 More Ideas from Girls Working on Their Own or in Pairs 50 Silver Award Ideas Give your girls this list and they should be able to find something that speaks to them. Girl Empowerment Camp Creating a Golf Program for Kids Creating a Family Space in a Hospice Center Outer Banks History Center Project for Cat or Dog Lovers Another Animal Lover Project Making a Cat Tree Image created by the author in Canva Project for a DIY'er Creating a Gaga Pit Food Allergy Awareness Building a Bird Garden Creating Good Night Blankets Girls Health Project Creating a Living Wall (Vertical Garden) Creating a Buddy Bench Anti-Bullying Project Improve Math Skills for Kids Domestic Abuse Shelter Library Project Bilingual Readers Resource Database One Girl Scout created a database of over 1,400 Spanish language books for her local library system Kitchen Renovation This trip of Cadettes helped renovate a church kitchen Literacy and Displaced Persons Silver Award Project How one girl created a library cart of school supplies and books for displaced people. Real Troop Ideas This is a listing of real Silver Award ideas that other Girl Scout troops have accomplished. 34 Silver Award Ideas from one YouTube video 10 Ideas from the Girl Scout of Western Washington 8 Silver Award Projects With a Twist This post is from the Girl Scouts of Western Washington shares the actual projects of eight different troops or girls.

Here is a complete list of resources for Junior Girl Scout leaders to use while planning their Junior to Cadette Girl Scout bridging ceremony.

this is a quick worksheet for helping your girls develop their own lesson plan for the furst step in the Cadette Business Plan Badge...

🌟 Elevate the bridging ceremony for your Girl Scout troop with our Girl Scout Bridging Certificate - Brownie to Junior! 🌟 👧🏼‍🎓 Transitioning from a Junior to a Cadette is a significant milestone in a Girl Scout's journey, and what better way to celebrate this achievement than with a beautifully designed certificate? 🎉 🌺 This special certificate is the perfect keepsake to commemorate the hard work and dedication your Girl Scouts have put into their scouting experience. 🌸 🎨 With a colorful and vibrant design, this certificate will surely bring a smile to their faces as they proudly display it in their rooms or scrapbooks. 🎊 💫 Make the bridging ceremony even more memorable and meaningful with our Girl Scout Bridging Certificate - Brownie to Junior. Order yours today and honor your Girl Scouts' accomplishments in style! 💖 #GirlScoutProud #BridgingCeremony #BrownieToJunior 🌈

Help your girls in the 6th - 8th grade learn about the world and earn badges doing it. Plan your troop meetings with ease with these ideas.

Updated February 2022 Relational aggression-girls bullying girls-is an unfortunate part of growing up. The Amaze Cadette Journey was created to help girls get along with each other and help put a stop to this. *This post contains affiliate links. Addressing Relational Aggression in Girls With the Cadette Amaze Journey As a mother, one thing that has amazed me is how little some things have changed since my own childhood. I am not talking about the world of technology-that has taken on a life of its own since the invention of the personal computer and cell phones.I am talking about girls and relational aggression. Just about every woman I have spoken to about this issue can think back to her past and remember who the mean girl was who made every girls life around her miserable. She was a child whom others both feared and revered. Girls feared her because they did not want to be her next target, so they revered her to stay on her good side. Life without her was infinitely easier, and her presence could change the dynamic of a group. So here we are in 2022, and how girls act towards one another still has not changed. Even with anti-bullying laws and Zero Tolerance policies in schools, relational aggression among girls still exists, just as it had in my own childhood. Except that it is worse. Photo from Pixabay and altered by the author in Canva With technology, girls can easily be even more aggressive behind the screen of a computer or a cell phone. Apps can create non-existent conversations and pictures can be photoshopped to create online lies that spread faster than any virus. The Girl Scout Cadette Amaze Journey seeks to address the issue of relational aggression that is so prevalent with this age group. Amaze Leader Guide from Amazon What is Relational Aggression? When I was in the third grade in 1973, I had two best friends. “Michelle” lived on the second floor of my apartment building and “Karen” lived in the building next to ours. The three of us played together for our entire lives, but in the third grade, things changed. For the first time, we were all in the same class, and Karen started playing one against the other. As an adult, I can see that she was a selfish and unsure of herself, so she would choose her favorite friend of the moment and give the other the deep freeze. I can vividly remember standing in line in the gym, where all classes met before going to our classrooms. Karen draped her fashionable crocheted poncho over their two heads to tell secrets. They created their own little world and would not let me in. When the poncho flipped back and they emerged, they would look at me to see if I had noticed them. That is relational aggression. Photo by marin from freedigitalphoto.net Unlike the physical bullying that is the preferred form or aggression with boys, relational aggression is psychological in nature. Adults can see a child physically go after another, but the head games girls play with each other are far from obvious and oftentimes go unnoticed.The emotional scars of this “mean girl” syndrome run deep and never fully go away. Girls who are the victim may find their grades dropping due to their focus on the social issues they face each day at school. They may feel depressed and get “sick” more often so they can avoid the daily torture they face. Goals of the Amaze Journey This Journey has several goals: Adapting to the changes ahead in middle school Identifying and preventing bullying How to be a better friend Create healthy relationships Create lasting friendships Book Resources for the Amaze Journey One of the improvements over the years is that adults now take bullying much more seriously than they did years ago. We now know of the permanent scars and ramifications words can tattoo on a person's psyche.The following resources will help adult leaders see things and provide a springboard for discussion for the girls. Stand Up for Yourself and Your Friends: Dealing with Bullies and Bossiness and Finding a Better Way from Amazon This book is a rare one-an across the board five star rating from Amazon reviewers. This book helps girls spot bullying situations, how to respond to them, and when to report them with necessary. Sharing excerpts from this book, especially the quizzes, will help start the discussions that need to be had. Molly's Pilgrim Molly's Pilgrim from Amazon This classic tale of bullying was written by Barbara Cohen. It takes place in the early 1900's, when many immigrants came to America seeking a greater opportunity for their families, as well as religious freedom. Molly and her parents are from Russia, and when they move to a small town in upstate New York, the prejudice and bullying begin. This is a short book but ripe for a full blown discussion. The Hundred Dresses The Hundred Dresses, written Eleanor Estes and illustrated by Louis Slobodkin, is a Newberry Honor book. Written in 1944, it tells the story of Wanda Petronski, the motherless daughter of a Polish immigrant. Wanda is teased by the other girls because she tells them that she has “one hundred dresses all lined up in a row in her closet”, yet she wears the same faded blue dress to school each day. She is also teased for her “funny” last name, where she lives and how she speaks. Peggy and Maddie, the two girls who teased her the worst, go to her home to tell her that she won the class drawing contest see the hundred dresses. They are not real dresses, but spectacular drawings from this artistic child that no one really noticed unless it was to tease her. The Hundred Dresses from Amazon But Wanda is not there, she has moved. Her father, who was also the object of prejudice because he is Polish, decided to move his family back to the city where having a different last name is not a big deal. The girls write a letter to her as some form of apology, but it never really settles well with Maddie, for she knew she was wrong.This chapter book can be used as a springboard for discussing bullying. Excerpts from the book that show how Maddie feels that she must go along with Peggy, as she fears being the next target can be run off for each girl. They can then change the dialog in groups, having Maddie take a stand and not remain silent when Wanda is teased.Another option is give Wanda a voice of her own and have her tell the girls that what they are doing is wrong. Wanda often stands and listens, and perhaps it is because English is her second language that she does not understand that she is the object of ridicule. Create a Peacemaker Kit Even though they are older, girls enjoy crafting and are much better at it than when they were younger scouts. As part of this Journey, the girls are encouraged to make Peacemaker Kits. These are small tins that contain quotes, song lyrics, and other things that inspire them to be better people.Here are some things your girls could use to create their own peacemaker kits. 3" Small Square Paper Mache Boxes with Lids - Package of 12 Boxes from Amazon Add some heart and star stickers to it! Glitter Foam Stickers from Amazon Amazing Resources for the Amaze Journey! Girl Scouts of River Valley This council website has different activity plan in PDF form for you to download. Scroll towards the bottom of the page on the right hand side to find it. Girl Scouts of Gateway Council Online plans for your troop. Girl Scouts of Central Texas This online guide called BFF-Be a Friend First, is for girls is a companion to the adult guide. Girl Scouts of Northeastern New York Guide for Journey in a Day or Overnight Image created by the author on Canva Cadette Amaze Take Action Projects The final Take Action Project needs to be one that can be shared. Here are some wonderful YouTube videos to help inspire your girls as they take on this most important project.

Girl Scouts is all about being girl-lead! Survey your scouts, see what they're interested in, and let them take the lead in planning your troop's year. Everyone wins! This comprehensive 5-page survey is editable and includes interest in activities, travel, badges, journeys, fundraising, community service, Silver award, and additional awards. Survey can be filled out either electronically or on printed hard copies. Use along with my Girl Scout Cadette Survey Tabulator for quick survey results! Happy Scouting!

Leading a troop of middle schoolers is far different than leading younger girls. In order to keep their interest during the challenging tween and early teen

Help your girls in the 6th - 8th grade learn about the world and earn badges doing it. Plan your troop meetings with ease with these ideas.

Updated September 2022 What is the Cadette Girl Scout Silver Award? There are three levels of Girl Scout Awards-the Bronze (earned when girls are in Junior troops), the Silver (earned when girls are Cadettes) and Gold (an individual project girls must complete before they graduate high school). While leaders do have a hand in helping the girls earn the highest award at this level, they are truly a guide at the side. Image Created on Canva First, the girl must complete at least one of the three Journeys at this level. Then the girls have to pick a project that they want to work on alone or with a group. There is a lot of planning that goes on with this, but as an older girl, she needs to stand on her own two feet to figure out what will work and what will not. These projects are meant to "make the world a better place", an integral part of the Girl Scout Promise. Once the plan is complete and put into action, then the girl has to fill out paperwork, give it to her leader, and then celebrate her accomplishment! Please note that every Council is different. What may be approved in one Council may not be in another. Each finished project has had the paperwork signed and completed, and what you are reading are the results of those efforts. Cadette Silver Award Ideas If your troop wants to earn this award, here are dozens of ideas for you to try. Clothing Giveaway This is what one troop did after their aMaze Journey to earn their Silver Award. 4 More Ideas from Girls Working on Their Own or in Pairs 50 Silver Award Ideas Give your girls this list and they should be able to find something that speaks to them. Girl Empowerment Camp Creating a Golf Program for Kids Creating a Family Space in a Hospice Center Outer Banks History Center Project for Cat or Dog Lovers Another Animal Lover Project Making a Cat Tree Image created by the author in Canva Project for a DIY'er Creating a Gaga Pit Food Allergy Awareness Building a Bird Garden Creating Good Night Blankets Girls Health Project Creating a Living Wall (Vertical Garden) Creating a Buddy Bench Anti-Bullying Project Improve Math Skills for Kids Domestic Abuse Shelter Library Project Bilingual Readers Resource Database One Girl Scout created a database of over 1,400 Spanish language books for her local library system Kitchen Renovation This trip of Cadettes helped renovate a church kitchen Literacy and Displaced Persons Silver Award Project How one girl created a library cart of school supplies and books for displaced people. Real Troop Ideas This is a listing of real Silver Award ideas that other Girl Scout troops have accomplished. 34 Silver Award Ideas from one YouTube video 10 Ideas from the Girl Scout of Western Washington 8 Silver Award Projects With a Twist This post is from the Girl Scouts of Western Washington shares the actual projects of eight different troops or girls.

This 2021 Girl Scout bridging guide for all levels will help leaders plan , with ease, this important scouting milestone.

High school can be a busy and stressful time, so here’s how to help your older girls get the most out of their Girl Scout experience!

Download or Print this free guide on how to flawlessly run a Silver Key Ceremony. This guide is perfect for scout leaders and can be used as a guide for running the perfect ceremony!

Discover how to draw like a professional comic artist. Using some of these activities they will learn from the pros, and then draw some of their very own comics to share with friends and families and also earn the Comic Artist Badge.

Where do I begin with the aMazing Journey for Cadettes? As a Cadette Leader working on the Journey books with your troop can be a challenge. You may have heard the girls complain “This is too much like school” or “I am bored, I want to play a game or make a craft.” I have …

Your girls are in one of three categories. If your girls fall into one of the first two categories then I would continue on in this post where I will share a few ideas to help you and your girls feel really comfortable public speaking. They are eager to get in front of people and say a speech or be keynote speaker at a conference. And want to do activities to make themselves better! They are afraid of being in front of people and talking and want to do activities to help them get over that fear. They have no desire to ever speak in front of people – if that is the case check out one of the other ideas for your girls available here Below are a few ideas to get you started. Public Speaker Activity Booklet Before jumping into a few ideas, do you want to skip all the planning? If so, use this Activity Booklet with activities, games, and worksheets to allow your girls to take over the meeting. Girls will learn how to perform alone by using topics to share a history. They will play a charade game with a twist, truths and lies game, and game using their drawing skills and body language to communicate. Girls will find their voice by finding the right tone and emotion for a popular toddler book and playing a game where the girls will use their voice and memory to complete the game tasks. They will create their very own improv act, and work on writing a speech for a special event. Lastly the girls will put everything they learned together and public speak in front of a crowd. With a step by step activities, you can’t ask for a easier way to run your meeting. Learn more and get yours today! Be sure to also checkout these other activities your girls will love: Healthy Mood, Mind, And Body: Eating For You Activities Learn How To Draw Like A Comic Artist Activities Living The Life You Want: Finance Your Dreams Activities Debate and Compromise: Finding Common Ground Activities The Mystery Behind The Smile: Science of Happiness Activities Other Fun Activities To Try Get More Comfortable In Front of People Have your girls pull out a action out of bowl. Then have them take turns going in front of group and acting it out without speaking, then have them do a action speaking without actually saying what the action was on card. Using words in a way to help the rest of group guess what they are. Here is also a great charade game with even more ideas: Charades Party Game – Family Charades-in-a-Box Compendium Board Game a bear riding a bike an octopus water-skiing a bunny dancing a monkey climbing a tree a squirrel burying a nut a raccoon digging through the garbage an ostrich burying his head in the sand a camel taking a nap a dog driving a car a kangaroo boxing a penguin going down a slide a dinosaur playing hopscotch a bird building a nest an alligator washing a car a flamingo drinking from a water fountain a cat giving himself a bath a fish going to school an elephant riding a roller coaster a pig playing hockey a giraffe playing basketball Charade list came from: http://www.momsandmunchkins.ca/2012/04/05/kids-charades-ideas/ If you don’t want to spend the time planning, our Activity Booklet has step-by-step instructions with activities that don’t require any planning other than gathering supplies and printing booklets. What do we do after your girls complete the activities? Well of course give them the badge to display proudly on their vest, they earned it! Additionally If you are like many leaders we want to award our girls when they complete something even beyond just the patch. One great way to show achievement is with a certificate. Don’t worry you don’t have to make them, I found a resource that has done all the work for you and all you have to do is print them and customize the certificates with each girl’s name, badge or award earned, date, and troop leader. Editable certificates perfect for awarding girls after earning a badge. More Resources For You Beyond This Site I get asked a lot what other resources are out there on the internet for Leaders. I have done some digging over the years and have used many of the resources myself. I compiled a list of some great companies that sell patches, programs and also other bloggers offering amazing resources that may fit your needs even better than my site did. Checkout what I found.

Discover three engaging and enjoyable activities that will help you earn your Cadette Finding Common Ground Badge. Foster understanding, teamwork, and empathy through community service projects and interactive games. Unleash your creativity and embark on an exciting journey towards finding common ground. Start earning your badge by engaging in these fun-filled experiences that enrich your skills and empower collaboration.

This is what a local Cadette Girl Scout troop does for our Service Unit to make meetings easier for the moms in attendance.

Checklists below include badges released as of July 2023! If you'd like checklists for the retired 2001 set of badges, please scroll...

Are your Junior Girl Scouts ready to tackle the Outdoor Junior Journey? From backyard to backcountry camping and everything in between, we've put together the plan to help your troop earn their Outdoor Journey as Junior Girl Scouts.

Make a song book and share it at your next event.…

Facebook Pinterest Twitter Email If your looking for ideas to make your meeting more fun while discovering the great outdoors and getting creative, you have come to the right place. Using some of these activities below to get outdoors and creating some amazing art masterpieces with your girls. These ideas will help you earn the Outdoor Art Apprentice badge. Below are a few ideas to get you started. Outdoor Art Apprentice Activity Booklet Before jumping into a few ideas, do you want to skip all the planning? If so, use this Activity Booklet which will give you a chance to bring your art and the outdoors together to create something that is helpful to the environment. You will make some of your greatest art with the inspiration of nature, and design all kinds of different art pieces. You will make a number of creative outdoor themed pieces expressing your self from photography and making your own nature music and the best part you will have lots of fun doing it. With a step by step activities, you can’t ask for a easier way to run your meeting. Learn more and get yours today! Team Poem Contest Write a rap or poem inspired by nature. Write about something in nature that moves you, like saving an endangered species, preserving a trail, or your experience on a whitewater rafting or a ski trip. Share your rap or poem with friends and family in an outdoor setting. For More FUN: Have a friend add music or beats to your rap or poem Nature Self Portrait Give each girl a posterboard, markers and have glue available. Take the girls on a hike where they can collect leaves and other nature items to use in their self portrait. Then using nature put together a portrait of themselves. Here is a example Scavenger Hunts on the Fly As you know there are lots of different type of scavenger hunts you can do with your girls. Here are just a few to get you started… Have girls create scavenger hunts for each other to find pictures Don’t do any planning and use the GoFindIt – Outdoor Scavenger Hunt Free scavenger hunt printable Learn About Barometers A barometer is an instrument that measures air pressure, allowing weather forecasters and scientists to better predict extreme weather events. Despite its incredible usefulness, inventing the barometer was no walk in the park. Watch this short video with your girls and learn more about how you can predict weather with this type of instrument. Learn a new skill each month If you want your girls to get outdoors, learn new survival skills, and enjoy the other joys that come along with being outdoors the Think Outdoors monthly subscription program will be perfect for your troop. It is a year long program with something new each month to get your girls outdoors exploring nature. I have the year subscription and am excited to share my experience with you each month while I do the program Learn more about the boxes If you don’t want to spend the time planning, our Activity Booklet has step-by-step instructions with activities that don’t require any planning other than gathering supplies and printing booklets. What do we do after your girls complete the activities? Well of course give them the badge to display proudly on their vest, they earned it! Additionally If you are like many leaders we want to award our girls when they complete something even beyond just the patch. One great way to show achievement is with a certificate. Don’t worry you don’t have to make them, I found a resource that has done all the work for you and all you have to do is print them and customize the certificates with each girl’s name, badge or award earned, date, and troop leader. Editable certificates perfect for awarding girls after earning a badge. Related Activities For Multi-level Troops If you have a multi-level troop you may want to use one of the variations to this program that is geared toward the age of your girls. See Product See Product See Product See Product Enjoy every minute being a leader and continue to inspire your girls!

Join us on our Junior journey as we explore the AMUSE Junior Journey for Girl Scouts. Our guide is packed full of tips and plans to complete this journey in a day or in multiple meetings for your girls.

There is a direct correlation between what we eat and how we feel. In this Girl Scout Cadette Eating for You Badge Easy Meeting Plan and Activities, your 6th, 7th and 8th graders will become familiar with this connection and how it affects their physical and mental health. In this Girl Scout Cadette Eating for You product, you will find: Taste testing to discover new foods and beverages Activities to visualize exactly how much sugar is in the food we eat No bake recipe for healthy energy balls What foods to avoid for better skin and better sleep Food craft activities Other products for Cadette Troop Leaders: Girl Scout Cadette Troop Leader Planner for Troop Organization Binders The Guide for Leading Girl Scout Cadettes, Seniors and Ambassadors Girl Scout Cadette New Cuisines Badge Pi Day Any Day Celebration Girl Scout Cadette Memory Book Scrapbook the Year Final Meeting Idea 3 Years Girl Scout Cadette Time Capsule Meeting for Future Ambassador Scout Please be sure to leave feedback so you can earn TpT credits on future purchases. Terms of Use Short Version-These for your troop use only and not to be shared with another leader, Service Unit, Council, website, blog, training, friends, or family. Failure to comply is a violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DCMA). Leadership Made Simple is not affiliated with Girl Scouts of the USA. This product is not connected in any way, nor is it sponsored, endorsed, or approved by Girl Scouts of the USA.

Updated September 2022 What is the Cadette Girl Scout Silver Award? There are three levels of Girl Scout Awards-the Bronze (earned when girls are in Junior troops), the Silver (earned when girls are Cadettes) and Gold (an individual project girls must complete before they graduate high school). While leaders do have a hand in helping the girls earn the highest award at this level, they are truly a guide at the side. Image Created on Canva First, the girl must complete at least one of the three Journeys at this level. Then the girls have to pick a project that they want to work on alone or with a group. There is a lot of planning that goes on with this, but as an older girl, she needs to stand on her own two feet to figure out what will work and what will not. These projects are meant to "make the world a better place", an integral part of the Girl Scout Promise. Once the plan is complete and put into action, then the girl has to fill out paperwork, give it to her leader, and then celebrate her accomplishment! Please note that every Council is different. What may be approved in one Council may not be in another. Each finished project has had the paperwork signed and completed, and what you are reading are the results of those efforts. Cadette Silver Award Ideas If your troop wants to earn this award, here are dozens of ideas for you to try. Clothing Giveaway This is what one troop did after their aMaze Journey to earn their Silver Award. 4 More Ideas from Girls Working on Their Own or in Pairs 50 Silver Award Ideas Give your girls this list and they should be able to find something that speaks to them. Girl Empowerment Camp Creating a Golf Program for Kids Creating a Family Space in a Hospice Center Outer Banks History Center Project for Cat or Dog Lovers Another Animal Lover Project Making a Cat Tree Image created by the author in Canva Project for a DIY'er Creating a Gaga Pit Food Allergy Awareness Building a Bird Garden Creating Good Night Blankets Girls Health Project Creating a Living Wall (Vertical Garden) Creating a Buddy Bench Anti-Bullying Project Improve Math Skills for Kids Domestic Abuse Shelter Library Project Bilingual Readers Resource Database One Girl Scout created a database of over 1,400 Spanish language books for her local library system Kitchen Renovation This trip of Cadettes helped renovate a church kitchen Literacy and Displaced Persons Silver Award Project How one girl created a library cart of school supplies and books for displaced people. Real Troop Ideas This is a listing of real Silver Award ideas that other Girl Scout troops have accomplished. 34 Silver Award Ideas from one YouTube video 10 Ideas from the Girl Scout of Western Washington 8 Silver Award Projects With a Twist This post is from the Girl Scouts of Western Washington shares the actual projects of eight different troops or girls.

New outdoor badges for Girl Scouts have finally arrived. I know leaders have anxiously awaited details of these new outdoor adventure badges since the Girls Choice winners were announced earlier th…

If you will be holding a Girl Scout Junior to Cadette Bridging ceremony, here are some scripts and ideas for your girls and you to use.