With so many caps and tassels in the air, it must be graduation season! Graduates around the country are not only celebrating their academic careers—they’re also reflecting on their many Girl Scout memories. From their first days as a Daisy to epic summer camp adventures and earning highest awards, Girl Scouts and their families are looking back on life-changing experiences while looking forward to the next chapter. Whether you’re celebrating graduation or getting ready for senior year, remember that your Girl Scout journey doesn’t have to end. If you spent any amount of time involved as a Daisy, Brownie, Junior or higher, you are officially a Girl Scout alum! Here’s how you can stay connected and explore the Girl Scout experience beyond high school: Keep leading the way as a Campus Girl Scout. Join the Girl Scout Network for exciting alum opportunities like invitations to special national events and a monthly digital newsletter filled with alum stories and ways to get involved. Connect professionally with other amazing alums in the Girl Scout Network on LinkedIn—you never know what doors Girl Scouts can open! Start your Girl Scout legacy as a lifetime member—perks include a special pin, invitations to memorable events, discounts, and more! Recent Girl Scout graduates are eligible to become lifetime members at a discounted rate of $200. One of our favorite things about this time of year is seeing the creative ways Girl Scouts incorporate their vests, sashes, and other Girl Scout flair into their senior photos. Class of 2022, we’re so impressed by you! Haley, Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast With the sun setting on her high school days, Haley is looking back on her Girl Scout career with fond memories of volunteering, camps, and more. Catelyn, Girl Scouts of Central Texas Including Camp Howdy in her senior pictures was a must for Gold Award Girl Scout Catelyn—not only to honor her days as a camper but as an aide as well! Kloe, Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington Laying out her future plans among her patch-covered vests, Kloe is ready to see the world! She is embarking on a Girl Scouts Destinations trip to Europe this summer as she travels with friends from her day-one Daisy troop. Kyla, Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas ‘Water’ you doing after graduation, Kyla? This Gold Award Girl Scout and lifetime member will study food science at her university. Clara, Girl Scouts of Kansas Heartland Branching out in style, Gold Award Girl Scout Clara’s senior photo display reflects her growing education in the field of horticulture. Latisha, Girl Scouts Western Pennsylvania After bridging from Ambassador to alum (see what we did there?), Latisha will be studying at the University of Pittsburgh this fall. Avery, Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas Lifetime member Avery, pictured hanging out in this flower-filled field, is ready to make the world a better place. Inspired by the hospital work she completed for her Bronze, Silver and Gold Award projects, she will be studying pre-nursing while pursuing her dream of opening her own clinic. Congratulations to all Girl Scout graduates and their families as they celebrate this exciting time and look toward the future. We can’t wait to see how you will make the world a better place. Stay connected and begin your next chapter as a Girl Scout alum here.
Are you looking for a Journey in a Day for the Girl Scout Senior Mission Sisterhood Journey? Here is what I did with my troop to achieve this goal.
With so many caps and tassels in the air, it must be graduation season! Graduates around the country are not only celebrating their academic careers—they’re also reflecting on their many Girl Scout memories. From their first days as a Daisy to epic summer camp adventures and earning highest awards, Girl Scouts and their families are looking back on life-changing experiences while looking forward to the next chapter. Whether you’re celebrating graduation or getting ready for senior year, remember that your Girl Scout journey doesn’t have to end. If you spent any amount of time involved as a Daisy, Brownie, Junior or higher, you are officially a Girl Scout alum! Here’s how you can stay connected and explore the Girl Scout experience beyond high school: Keep leading the way as a Campus Girl Scout. Join the Girl Scout Network for exciting alum opportunities like invitations to special national events and a monthly digital newsletter filled with alum stories and ways to get involved. Connect professionally with other amazing alums in the Girl Scout Network on LinkedIn—you never know what doors Girl Scouts can open! Start your Girl Scout legacy as a lifetime member—perks include a special pin, invitations to memorable events, discounts, and more! Recent Girl Scout graduates are eligible to become lifetime members at a discounted rate of $200. One of our favorite things about this time of year is seeing the creative ways Girl Scouts incorporate their vests, sashes, and other Girl Scout flair into their senior photos. Class of 2022, we’re so impressed by you! Haley, Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast With the sun setting on her high school days, Haley is looking back on her Girl Scout career with fond memories of volunteering, camps, and more. Catelyn, Girl Scouts of Central Texas Including Camp Howdy in her senior pictures was a must for Gold Award Girl Scout Catelyn—not only to honor her days as a camper but as an aide as well! Kloe, Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington Laying out her future plans among her patch-covered vests, Kloe is ready to see the world! She is embarking on a Girl Scouts Destinations trip to Europe this summer as she travels with friends from her day-one Daisy troop. Kyla, Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas ‘Water’ you doing after graduation, Kyla? This Gold Award Girl Scout and lifetime member will study food science at her university. Clara, Girl Scouts of Kansas Heartland Branching out in style, Gold Award Girl Scout Clara’s senior photo display reflects her growing education in the field of horticulture. Latisha, Girl Scouts Western Pennsylvania After bridging from Ambassador to alum (see what we did there?), Latisha will be studying at the University of Pittsburgh this fall. Avery, Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas Lifetime member Avery, pictured hanging out in this flower-filled field, is ready to make the world a better place. Inspired by the hospital work she completed for her Bronze, Silver and Gold Award projects, she will be studying pre-nursing while pursuing her dream of opening her own clinic. Congratulations to all Girl Scout graduates and their families as they celebrate this exciting time and look toward the future. We can’t wait to see how you will make the world a better place. Stay connected and begin your next chapter as a Girl Scout alum here.
Here is how my troop did the Girl Scout Senior Girltopia Journey in a weekend.
Girl Scout Seniors and Ambassadors join us for a Journey in a Day: Sow What? Learn about food: how and where it’s grown, harvested, processed, distributed, and consumed, and why it matters.
The Room Makeover badge is part of the “It's Your Story - Tell It!” badge set introduced in 2011. Purpose: When I’ve earned this badge, I’ll know how to do a fast, fun, and thrifty room makeover. Assess your space and get ideas for your makeover. Do you want to give the room a theme, like “the rain forest?” If not, how will your projects coordinate? Spend two hours on one of the following, and remember, these are opportunities to build your network of coaches to guide you through the steps in
Plans are laid out to complete the Mission: Sisterhood!, Sow What? and GIRLtopia JOURNEYS*.…
Is your troop in need of a Journey to do in a short amount of time? Here are the Girl Scout Senior Girltopia Journey resources for leaders that I used to do this in three days with my troop.
Many leaders look for a “Gold Key” ceremony for girls bridging into Senior Girl Scouts. Here is one ceremony script you can use. Adapt for the size of the troop. LEADER: Tonight we gath…
Looking to earn the Senior Science of Style Badge? Look no further! In this blog post, we'll explore five fun activities . From exploring fashion history to creating unique outfits, this post has got you covered.
The Business Etiquette badge is part of the “It's Your Story - Tell It!” badge set introduced in 2011. It replaces the retired XXX badge. Purpose: When I’ve earned this badge, I’ll know the kind of savvy I’ll need to be successful in the business world. Like any useful skill, good communication takes practice! CHOICES – DO ONE: Pitch a business idea. Do you have an invention, like a new smartphone application, or a business idea, like a useful website? Have you dreamed up a strategy for how a
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.
Here is what my Girl Scout Senior troop of ninth graders has planned for this scouting year.
We should celebrate those girls who stick out Girl Scouts through the rocky middle school years. Here’s one ceremony that looks to the future.
Looking for an invitation template that works for all Girl Scout levels? Look no further than this universal bridging ceremony invitation template! With its elegant design and editable Canva format, you can easily customize the text to reflect any level of Girl Scouts, from Daisy to Brownie to Junior and beyond. This makes it the perfect choice for troop leaders or individual families looking to celebrate their scout's progress and accomplishments. Get started today and create a memorable event that will be cherished for years to come! ▶️ WHAT YOU GET You will get 1 PDF file with links to your invitation templates designed as a half page for printing 2 invitations per 1 8.5x11" paper. Also included is a 5x7 invitation. +Bridging Invitation (edit your information with Canva) + 5.5x8.5 half-page invitation (print 2 per page) + 5x7 invitation PLEASE NOTE: THIS TEMPLATE IS *ALSO INCLUDED* IN THE BRIDGING BUNDLE LISTING! ⭐ BRIDGING BUNDLE:https://hellorainbowprints.etsy.com/listing/1546957183 Find more matching products that you'll love here: ⭐ Silver Key Award Certificate: https://hellorainbowprints.etsy.com/listing/1547548379 ⭐ Ambassador to Adult Certificate: https://hellorainbowprints.etsy.com/listing/1475707491 ⭐ Leader Appreciation Certificate: https://hellorainbowprints.etsy.com/listing/1475716271 ⭐ Volunteer Appreciation Certificate: https://hellorainbowprints.etsy.com/listing/1475719075 ⭐ Certificate of Recognition: https://hellorainbowprints.etsy.com/listing/1461527348 ⭐ Bridging Invitations: https://hellorainbowprints.etsy.com/listing/1466889474 ⭐ Bridging Cake Topper: https://hellorainbowprints.etsy.com/listing/1498838413 ⭐ Memory Booklet: https://hellorainbowprints.etsy.com/listing/1484160215 ▶️HOW DOES IT WORK? 1. PURCHASE the listing on TPT 2. Download the PDF(s) 3. Click the link in the PDF to access your editable template. 4. Edit your template on Canva (you will need a free canva account to edit - don't worry this is quick and easy!) 5. Save your File 6.. PRINT: Print at home, copy center, or online printer. ▶️ HOW TO PRINT: There are many easy options when it comes to printing your files: + Print at home. I recommend using moderately heavy matte paper, such as white cardstock. + Send your files off to an online digital printing service. Remember! Computer monitors can vary slightly in color, and different printers can change color saturation – so printed files may look slightly different than what you see online. I am not liable for color discrepancies in digital downloads. ▶️ INSTANT DELIVERY No need to wait for your product to arrive; your download will be ready as soon as your payment is approved! Note: This is a DIGITAL product. No physical items will be shipped. ▶️ REFUNDS Due to the nature of the digital download, I am not able to refund after purchase – but please contact me if you have any issues or need assistance with anything. I am here to help make sure you are fully satisfied with your purchase! ❤️ NEED SOMETHING MORE? Hello Rainbow Prints offers a variety of high-quality printables Shop here: hellorainbowprints.etsy.com For personal use only. No commercial use. ©HelloRainbowPrints All rights reserved.
GSUSA created a new Paddling badge in 2015. You may have one paddling sport in mind, but for this rst step, keep your options open and explore all three. Find out as much as you can about each sport to help you choose one to focus on and build your skills. Here’s what you’ll want to nd out about the three paddle sports: • The background of each. For example, SUP got its start in Hawaii in the 1960s but didn’t take off as a sport until the early 2000s. Canoeing and kayaking have been around for c
My Senior Girl Scouts choose to work on the Mission: Sisterhood Senior Journey at our last overnight camp out. There are many sections to this journey, today I will share with you what we did with our girls in the following areas: Starting Our Sisterhood Know Thyself With Friends Like These Sisterhood Knows No Boundaries …
Senior Girl Scout Mission Sisterhood Journey in a Day Plans for busy leaders who want to accomplish one of the needed Journeys.
You will find as you grow up some information is completely one sided or even wrong. If you have 9th and 10th grade girls check out some of these ideas to become experts at knowing the difference while earning the Senior Truth Seeker Badge!
The Textile Artist badge is part of the “It's Your Story - Tell It!” badge set introduced in 2011. Purpose: When I’ve earned this badge, I’ll have learned the basics of a textile art – and I’ll have two fantastic projects to show for it. For the badges released in 2011, scouts must complete all of the activities listed to earn the badge.
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…
The Senior Journey Girltopia is all about girls imagining a perfect world of girls and being a visionary and a leader. Today I want to share with you what one of my Girl Scout Senior’s did to earn the Girltopia Journey and share some great activities to do with a group of girls if you have more than one …
The Girl Scout Adulting 101 Patch Program for Cadettes, Seniors and Ambassadors is a series of tasks and activities to help girls learn the things they need to know to be a successful adult.
Think Like a Citizen Scientist is one of the newer STEM Journies GSUSA put out in the last few years. This post is an attempt to summarize the lengthy VTK plans into an easy-to-read quick resource. Once you have decided to lead the Journey at a particular level, I highly recommend reviewing the VTK plans and their talking points. I also recommend going to the GSUSA store and downloading the (at this writing) free packet for this Journey. It does the best job of explaining the TAP process of anything I've seen GSUSA publish The way these Journeys are designed, it is clear that the TAP is an integral part. The purpose of the Journey is learn scientific skills and then to apply those skills to conceiving, planning and carrying out a TAP. If you as a leader are trying to come up with TAP ideas before the Journey ever starts, you are doing it wrong. As the girls are brainstorming for their TAP the girls are reminded that the same process is used in developing projects for the Silver and Gold Awards and that they can use projects the group decides not to do, or they can expand on a group idea or design other projects to solve the same problems. I know people hate the long VTK scripts but while I have not worked with older girls, it seems to me that the questions and talking points give the girls direction in picking the TAP. Unless they've revised the plans since I reviewed them, one complaint I had about the younger girls' plans for the "Think Like A..." Journeys is that they gave detailed scripts for content part of the Journey but almost no direction for the TAP and how to pull one out of the girls. Simply put, I think you are doing yourself and your girls a disfavor if you do not at least review the VTK plans before starting this Journey. If you don't want to dig your way through VTK, Girl Scouts Farthest North has them publically available on their website. Just scroll to the bottom of this page. Requirements According the the Badge Explorer, in this Journey, Cadettes will: Find out how citizen scientists make observations, collect data, and help scientists conduct scientific research. Do 3 citizen science activities: make observations about your environment, create a community field guide, and a SciStarter project. Plan a Take Action project that helps others. The Senior requirements are: Find out how citizen scientists make observations, collect data, and help scientists conduct scientific research. Do 3 citizen science activities: make observations about your environment, design a way to test a hypothesis, and a SciStarter project. Plan a Take Action project that helps others. Ambassadors Find out how citizen scientists make observations, collect data, and help scientists conduct scientific research. Do 3 observation sessions of a citizen science project from SciStarter. Collect data from your community and plan a Take Action project that helps others. As it does for all the Journies now, VTK gives meeting plans that call for earning this Journey over six meetings. While VTK includes multi-level plans for other Journeys for older girls, there is no C/S/A plan for older girls for this Journey. However, the multi-level plans for the other Journeys are basically the Senior plan so I'll be you can figure out how to handle it. If you are interested in the younger girl versions of this Journey, they are summarized here. Meeting 1: Cadettes begin this Journey by reviewing some observations made by famous scientists and brainstorming what they might mean. Cards with the observations on one side and the story on the other are provided in VTK. One is that the scientist noted that mold grew on his petri dish, but the bacteria he was studying all died near the mold. Seniors' opening activity has cards with scientific discoveries on one side, and the story on the other. For example, one card talks about natural selection, and the story on the other side is about Darwin. Girls are to brainstorm what type of experiment might have led to the discovery. Ambassadors begin with cards with quotes from famous scientists. They review them and then create a tip sheet for those doing observations. After the opening ceremony and any necessary business is concluded, the leader shows the videos from the SciStarter website which describe various Citizen Science projects. Citizen Science projects are not random science experiments; rather they are projects in which ordinary citizens observe things in their area and contribute the data to projects run by real scientists. If the leader is not able to download or stream the videos, she can describe the projects verbally. The leader explains that during this Journey girls will learn to use the scientific method to answer questions about the world and to help others. They will participate in a Citizen Science project and do a Take Action Project. The TAP can include another Citizen Science project, but you have to connect the project to your community or use what you did on the project to educate and inspire others. Cadettes practice observation and data recordation by observing their surroundings for twenty minutes and taking notes. It is recommended that troops go outside for this activity, but it can be done indoors and include observations of people. After making observations, Cadettes find the three most interesting facts and develop scientific questions about them, and then create hypotheses to answer those questions. Girls share these with each other. Seniors do pretty much the same thing, but instead of putting their observations on plain paper, they use a form from VTK. Also, they take things one step further--after developing the hypothesis, they develop an experiment to test the hypothesis. After picking their Citizen Science project, Ambassadors talk about the scientific method, identify the questions they are trying to answer by participating in that project, and to form a hypothesis about what they will observe. After a discussion on observation and data gathering skills, Ambassadors complete their Sci Starter project. At the end of the meeting, the leader asks if they observed anything harmful or disruptive to nature and then asks for the girls to brainstorm problems they believe the scientific method could solve. Girls are asked to use their observation skills between this meeting and the next to find problems they could solve. Meeting 2 Cadettes begin the second meeting by making lists of local, national and global problems they have observed. During the business portion of the meeting they discuss what communities they are part of or which are nearby and decide on a community to impact with their Take Action Project. They then brainstorm problems faced by that community and how the scientific method could be used to solve those problems. Girls do not pick a Take Action Project at this time. Cadettes then move on to viewing more SciStarter projects and then pick on or more to complete at the next meeting. Next they talk about data collection and tools that can help with data collection such as measuring tapes, magnifying classes and cameras. Then Cadettes do another session of observation, observing whatever they selected at the last meeting as being worthy of further study. They take field notes and talk about what should be included in field notes. They talk about what their data might mean and about combining their observations with the observations of others. They put their notes together to create a field guide to the object of their observations. The VTK talking points for the closing have the leader pulling together the observation and data collection process with the process for deciding on a TAP. Seniors start off by listing all the communities they are part of. After discussion, they pick a community to impact with their TAP. They talk about how science could be used to solve the problems they found, but do not pick a TAP at this time. After picking a community to serve, Seniors then watch more SciStarter videos and pick SciStarter project. Next, they talk about data collection tools as the Cadettes did, and then move on to performing the experiment they decided on in meeting 1, to test their hypothesis, and they record the data. They talk about the data they collected and whether it supported their hypothesis. The leader talking points at the end of the meeting relate the scientific method to solving problems via a Take Action Project. As Ambassadors arrive they look at the problems identified at the last meeting, as well as any they have observed since then and list the impacts of those problems on both a local and global level. Girls pick one community to affect with their TAP and then list members of that community and groups and organizations that are part of that community. Next, they look at the problems they they observed and how they affect the chosen community. They talk about how science can help solve those problems. From there, Ambassadors take a look at the data collected during the previous meeting and talk about whether it supported their hypothesis. Then the leader talks about multiple trials and iteration and the girls perform another set of observations related to their SciStarter project. They compare the results with their first observations and upload the data to the SciStarter website. Ambassadors then talk about their TAP. They look at problems they identified earlier and how those problems affect the community they have chosen for their TAP. They take out any problems that don't affect their chosen community and then pick on problem on which to focus for their TAP. Next they brainstorm about data they could collect to help them solve the problem. They could collect data through online research, interviewing people, or observation. They could also choose another Citizen Science project. They make a plan to gather data at their next meeting. Meeting 3 For Cadettes, the third meeting begins with a game. The problems identified at prior meetings are written on cards and put in a bowl. The girls sit in a circle. A girl draws a card, and then asks a question she has about the problem. If another girl can answer the question, she throws a ball to that girl. If no girl can answer, then the question is added to a list. The ball is then thrown to another girl, who asks another question about the same problem. The process repeats until all the girls have asked questions about the first problem. Then they go on to another. For example, if the problem is poverty, you might ask: Why are people poor? What does our community already do to combat poverty? Who does poverty impact the most in our community? During the meeting opening, the girls pick a problem to address with their TAP, looking at the same factors the Seniors consider (see below). This is the meeting at which Cadettes do their SciStarter project, and they follow pretty much the same procedure as the Seniors and the leader talking points for the closing are similar to the Seniors' (see below). Seniors begin their third meeting by reviewing the problems identified in the prior meetings and then coming up with a hypothesis about why the problem exists. They are trying to do a root cause analysis. Next, the Seniors look at the problems they have identified and cross reference them with the community chosen in the prior meeting. They look at which problem is most important to the chosen commuity, which affects the most people in the community, which one they are most interested in and which one are they in the best position to address, among other things. They pick one problem to address in their TAP. Seniors begin their SciStarter project, following the directions on the website. Before they begin their observations, Seniors are asked to identify the question they are trying to anwer in the project and to come up with their own hypotheses. After making their observations, Seniors compare the data with their hypothesis before sending the data to SciStarter. Finally, in the closing the leader talking points relate the scientific method to developing a TAP. At the third meeting, Ambassadors begin by reviewing the data they collected at the prior meetings, along ewith the hypotheses they made and during the opening part of the meeting they discuss whether or not the data supports their hypothesis. They are then given the opportunity to reformulate thier hypothesis. This is followed by a third observation session of their SciStarter project, followed by a discussion regarding similarities and differences in the data collected in each session. From there, Ambassadors move on to gathering data for their Take Action Project, using the data collection plan they created at the last meeting. This part of the "meeting" may be done individually, or involve a trip or meeting with someone outside of the troop's regular meeting. In the wrap-up the leader talking points again relate the scientific method to the process of developing a TAP. Meeting 4 Dreaming big is important and Cadettes start Meeting 4 by dreaming big about their TAP. They brainstorm how they would solve their chosen problem, given unlimited time and resources. During the opening, the leader explains that they will be designing their TAP at this meeting, and will be using the scientific method to help them. However, the project does not have to include science. They can address any issue they choose, but will use observation and data collection to help them. The leader talking points guide girls through analyzing the problem and developing a root cause sustainable solution. The leader may need to arrange computer time or bring in a speaker to provide information on the problem. After the girls have researched the issue, they propose solutions to the problem and the girls pick one as their TAP. The rest of the meeting is spent planning how to do the TAP. When Seniors start meeting 4 they are asked to brainstorm how they could learn more about their chosen problem, given unlimited time and resources. In the opening, the leader addresses the same issues as in the Cadette plan above. Seniors discuss what they know about the problem to be addressed, and what they need to know. Seniors decide how they will collect the needed data. After they have gathered data Seniors make a hypothesis about the impact of their TAP and then develop the steps for their TAP. They talk about how they will evaluate whether the TAP met its goals. They spend the meeting planning the TAP. The leader talking points guide the girls through the process and relate it to the scientific method. The meeting ends with the girls creating "to-do" lists denoting what each girl is responsible for doing and what will be done as a group. Ambassadors, at the start of their fourth meeting, organize their data. They look at the questions asked about their subject problem at prior meetings, and the answers they have been able to find vs information they still need. Data is placed on sticky notes and during the meeting is organized into categories: Causes, Impacts, Evidence of Problems, Community Resources, and Community Threats. They talk about how they will evaluate the success of their project, the goals of the project, and how they will measure the impact of the project. Next, the girls work in groups to propose solutions to the problem and to set out a method for accomplishing that solution. Then the troop comes together, hears the ideas and creates one high level solution to use as their TAP. The girls create to-do lists and break the project down into tasks to be accomplished and decide who is to do what. Meeting 5 For all three levels, girls spend Meeting 5 working on their Take Action Project and planning a celebration for Meeting 6. That celebration should include presenting the TAP to the invited guests. The VTK meeting notes specifically state that it may take more than one meeting to complete the TAP, and that it is ok if that happens. Meeting 6 In Meeting 6 the girls present their TAP to guests and then receive their awards. Girls are also asked to complete the STEM programming evaluation that goes with all the STEM programming released in the last few years. Image by TheUjulala from Pixabay
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Girltopia Fun My older girls were working toward their Gold Award and had to complete the Girltopia Journey as one of the steps to earn it. We had a campout just for them to help work on it, but we decided all work and no play makes our scouts very cranky. We added a duct tape adventure to the …
Senior Picture Ideas are at the core of everything we do to make your senior pictures special and tell your story in a unique way.
Here is how my troop did the Girl Scout Senior Girltopia Journey in a weekend.
