The Girls Guide to Girl Scouting

As you may have heard, beginning this fall, 2011, leaders will have two well-developed programs to use to deliver the Girl Scout program:

1. Journeys, of which there are currently three in the series, are the core of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience. They provide the opportunity to earn badges, awards, and keepsake jewelry around central themes such as our planet and world.
    
2. The Girl’s Guide to Girl Scouting (GGGS), a streamlined and updated new Girl Scout badge/handbook, will be available this fall (2011). The Girl’s Guide will combine the prior handbook, badge book, and award requirements into one organized keepsake binder. There will be seven legacy badges, two financial literacy badges, two cookie business badges, a make your own badge, and the new My Promise, My Faith, and Journey Summit pins, just to name a few of the many programmatic opportunities. The PA (Program Aide), CIT (Counselor-in-Training), VIT (Volunteer-in-Training), Safety, and Bronze, Silver, and Gold Award requirements will also be included in the appropriate age level books.

What is the reason behind the changes?

Before the journeys were developed, Girl Scouts had dozens of different programs, representing a wide array of choices for girls and volunteers. Although the variety seemed appealing, the reality was the number of varying programs confused volunteers and made it difficult for them to decide what to use. Since each council used different programs, girls across the country had vastly different Girl Scout experiences resulting in an inconsistent Girl Scout program. Now with a combination of the Girl Scout journeys and the Girl’s Guide to Girl Scouting, girls will get a consistent experience of leadership and skill building activities.

Can you tell me more about the journeys?

Currently there are three journeys—It’s Your World-Change It!, It’s Your Planet-Love It!, and It’s Your Story—Tell It!. Journeys are a key part of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience. Each age level has an age-appropriate curriculum within these three topics. These guides offer a “learning by doing” approach so that volunteers can take what they learn and apply it to all Girl Scout activities. The journeys may be undertaken in any order, and beginning this fall, five additional badges for each journey at each age level will be introduced.
 

Is anything else changing?

Daisies will still have the Daisy Flower Petal curriculum which will now be in their GGGS. Sixteen new troop crests will be introduced for Brownies through Ambassadors. Ambassadors will now have their own GGGS.

What do we do now?

During the transition period, you may use the current program books and journeys. However, all current program materials, books, and badges are being retired so at this time we recommend you purchase your badges prior to completing the requirements to insure their availability. Beginning August 1, 2011, these items will no longer be returnable, exchangeable, or refundable.