The first Girl Scout troop included 18 girls and was organized by Juliette Low in 1912. Today, there are nearly four million Girls Scouts in more than 90 countries enjoying the fun and friendship that girl scouting has to offer. In the past several years, the The Girl Scouts of America has undergone major changes in its structure and programs to better meet the needs of today’s girls.
Girl Scouting experiences help girls grow and develop in a variety of ways. These experiences promote skill building, teamwork, and leadership development, and are based on the interests of the participating girls. Activities can include experiences in community outreach, environmental awareness, STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math),the arts, financial literacy, and self-esteem, for example.
Girl Scout Organization
There are specific levels of Girl Scout involvement for various age groups. These levels allow individual troops to tailor their activities to meet the specific needs of their girls. The breakdown is as follows:
- Grades K-1, Girl Scout Daisy
- Grades 2-3, Girl Scout Brownie
- Grades 4-5, Girl Scout Junior
- Grades 6-8, Girl Scout Cadette
- Grades 9-10, Girl Scout Senior
- Grades 11-12, Girl Scout Ambassador
Girl Scout Leadership Experience
The Girl Scout Leadership Experience is driven by three core areas, or “keys to leadership.” They are as follows:
- “Discover: Girls understand themselves and their values and use their knowledge and skills to explore the world.
- Connect: Girls care about, inspire, and team with others locally and globally.
- Take Action: Girls act to make the world a better place.” (GSA website, 2009)
Each of the three keys contains five outcome goals which drive the experiences and activities Girls Scouts participate in. Activities vary according to the age, interests and needs of the particular groups of girls. Experiences such as camping, community service projects, environmental activities, robotics, and many others help shape the program and help girls work towards completion of these goals. Along the way, they can earn patches and other awards to honor and recognize their accomplishments.
Girl Scout Cookies
One of the most popular and well-known Girl Scouting activities is the cookie drive. For over 80 years, Girls Scouts have been able to participate in this annual program, which provides girls the opportunity to practice skills such as teamwork, customer service, problem-solving, and money management. All proceeds from cookie sales go directly to the troops' local Girl Scout council to help fund programs and provide support to troops.
Girl Scouts Website
The Girl Scouts website shop offers a range of materials to support its various programs. Girls and their parents can shop here for supplies, gear, uniforms, curricular materials, awards, and other materials. Facilitator's guides and participant's handbooks for the various age levels are also available here.
Teen girls can also visit Studio 2B, a website for Scouts 11-17. Interviews, profiles, interactive activities, links, quizzes, and other cool stuff are presented in a format teens are comfortable with. Here girls can learn about things such as online safety, improving self-esteem, and health and safety; submit their own original poetry and short stories; read inspiring stories and much more.
Girl Scouts of the USA offers girls many opportunities to strengthen their skills and explore their world. As girls learn how to discover, connect, and take action, they are preparing themselves to be the leaders of tomorrow.
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