Coming Fall 2011! Girl's Guide to Girl Scouting

It's Your Story - Tell It! ~ the 3rd Journey is here!

Books for It's Your Story - Tell It, the third installment of the Journey series, have arrived. Click here for a flyer with product details. Email orders to shop@gsneo.org.

Introducing a new program resource coming Fall 2011!

As we near the 100 anniversary of Girl Scouts in 2012, Girl Scouts of the USA is introducing a new resource to support The Girl Scout Leadership Experience.  The goal is to offer a streamlined and simplified national Girl Scout program through two product lines: Journeys and The Girl's Guide to Girl Scouting.

National Program Portfolio

This transition has only been done three other times in the history of the organization and will provide dynamic, organized and meaningful programming that inspires and encourages every girl as we begin the next century of Girl Scouting.

Girl Scouts of the USA is on track to deliver new program resources in 2010-2011 to support the Girl Scout Leadership Experience. The It's Your Story - Tell It Journey is available in the GSNEO Girl Scout Shop and the Unique Boutiques. In September 2011, GSUSA will be launching the Girl’s Guide to Girl Scouting. As part of the 2010-2011 National Program Portfolio rollout, GSUSA is revising, replacing and discontinuing some program resources, including some badges and books. Click here to see the current discontinued list.

The Girl’s Guide to Girl Scouting—to be developed for each grade level—will include a variety of badge offerings, handbook sections covering traditions and history, Cookie badges, an awards log, and much more. GSUSA is currently at work to produce the new badges for Brownies through Ambassadors. Daisies will continue to earn the Promise Center and Petals and will have additional content to enjoy. All of the existing badge books and the actual badges referenced in them will no longer be used. However, The Girl's Guide will feature new badges on many traditional and beloved topics from nature to art to cooking and first aid, as well as new topics based on girl interests. Some of the activities included in the badge offerings will be the same as some of the activities in previous badges and others will be different. The badges themselves will be new, too! By spring 2011, GSUSA will begin to share lists of badge topics and examples of activities for The Girl's Guide.

While The Girl’s Guide is rolling out, it is very important for everyone to keep focused on the Journeys! They provide “learning by doing" experience, which they can apply to all aspects of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience, including badge work. Click here to pre-order the It’s Your Story —Tell It! books. All members need to be using the updated national program portfolio (the Journeys+ The Girl's Guide) as of fall 2012. This gives almost two years to transition. GSNEO will let you know when we are updated about additional items to be revised, replaced or discontinued as well as the availability of replacement items. We will continue to fill orders until stock is depleted. Quantities are limited. We recommend placing orders quickly. Email, Fax: 330-467-1901; Phone: 330-983-0435.

STEP 1:  Journeys                           

The newest in the 3 available Journey series: It's Your Story - Tell It! was available for purchase as of December 2010.  This is in addition to It's Your Planet - Love It! and It's Your World - Change It! Journeys also available.  Girls can enjoy the leadership Journeys in any order they choose!

STEP 2:  The Girls Guide to Girl Scouting       

The Girl's Guide to Girl Scouting, developed to supplement the Journeys for each grade level, will include a variety of badge offerings, handbook sections covering traditions and history, Cookie badges, an awards log, and much more.  New and updated badges for Brownies through Ambassadors have been developed.  Daisies will continue to earn the Promise Center and Petals and will have additional content to enjoy.  All of the existing badge books and the actual badges referenced in them will be retired as the transition to integrate Journeys and The Girl's Guide to Girl Scouting occurs between now and 2012.

The new badge and handbook series, will be available beginning fall 2011.  All other Girl Scout books and resources will gradually be retired.

Although described as a book for girls, this book is considered to be a leader resource as well.The Girl's Guide to Girl Scouting will feature new badges on many traditions and beloved topics from nature to art and cooking and first aid, as well as new topics based on girl interests.  Some of the activities included in the badge offerings will be the same as some of the activities in previous badges and others will be different.  The badges themselves will be new, too!

Each girl will want her own copy since the “Girl’s Guide” will contain information such as:

* Girl Scout history
* Girl Scout traditions
* What’s special about being a Girl Scout
* List of emblems and awards
* Awards log
* Bridging award requirements for relevant program level
* Bronze, Silver, Gold Award requirements for relevant program levels
* Additional program information for each level such as faith-based activities, Program Aide or Counselor in Training info
* Journey map for relevant program level
* Map showing all the councils and special Girl Scout places (i.e., the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace, World Centers, etc.)

While the Girl's Guide to Girl Scouting is rolling out, it is very important for everyone to keep focused on the Journeys.

The Journeys provide "learning by doing" experiences and are the core to The Girl Scout Leadership Experience.  Awards associated with the Journeys are the only awards that specifically engage girls in the complete experience of discovering, connecting and taking action (keys to leadership).

Get your retiring badges today!

GSNEO will continue to fill orders until stock is depleted on the existing badge books and badges referenced in them.  Quantities are limited.  If you have already begun work on badges in the books being retired, it is highly recommended that you place your orders for badges - quickly!  Click here for the complete list of retiring items.  Shop Now

In the meantime, if you're starting something new, try a Journey.  They are part of the updated National Program Portfolio (Journeys + The Girls' Guide to Girl Scouting).

Preorder The Girl's Guide to Girl Scouting

The Girl's Guide to Girl Scouting can be pre-ordered at gsneo.org - at a 25% savings NOW!
Pricing for the new resources compares to those of retiring books.  The Journey books are $7 and The Girl's Guide to Girl Scouting will retail at $22.50 (on sale for a limited time for $16.87). Shop Now or use this order form.

Questions & Answers

What comes in The Girl's Guide to Girl Scouting?

• Handbook
• Legacy Badge Requirements
• Financial Literacy Badge Requirements
• Cookie Business Badge Requirements
• My Girl Scouts, a section for keeping personal memories that will serve as a snapshot of the girl for years to come

What can you add in to The Girl's Guide to Girl Scouting?

The book is a binder and will be customized as each girl move through her leadership development experience by adding skill-building badge sets.  The first three badge sets are tied to Journeys.

Which awards are new?

My Promise, My Faith - awards earned by combining the Girl Scout Promise and faith-based activities

Journey Summit Awards - awards earned by completing all three Journeys in an age level

What has been updated?

• Safety Award
• CIT, VIT, P.A.
• Troop Crests
• (More info coming soon)

What about the badges? Are Girl Scout Try-Its, Junior badges, and Interest Projects being eliminated?

No! Earning awards is an integral part of Girl Scouting, as it has been for nearly a century.  Badge activities easily complement the Journeys but contribute ONLY to the first leadership key: Discover. GSUSA has worked to produce new badges for Brownies through Ambassadors. Daisies will continue to earn the Promise Center and Petals. New badges will be released in The Girl's Guide to Girls Scouting which will include badge offerings, handbook sections covering traditions and history, an awards log, and much more! Seven "Legacy badges" -- for Brownies through Ambassadors -- based on traditions and activities that have been in existence since Girl Scouts' beginning:  Artist, Athlete, Citizen, Cook, First Aid, Naturalist, and Girl Scout Way are included. Badge activities will be progressive, so girls can build on skills they've learned at each level.  For instance, when they earn the Cookie Badge as Brownies, they'll add to their experience when they earn the Cookie Badge as Juniors all the way up to Ambassador. More info...  What's Happening with Badges?

What is the difference between the Journey awards and badge activities in The Girl's Guide?

Journeys and badges are designed to be complementary, not to compete. The Girl Scout Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards remain the highest awards in Girl Scouting; second to these, the Journey awards are the most significant awards girls can earn.  Awards associated with the Journeys are the only awards that specifically engage girls in the complete experience of discovering, connecting and taking action (3 keys to leadership) and are therefore the core Girl Scout curriculum.  Badge activities do differ from Journeys, as they provide girls with topic-specific, skill-building activities and contribute primarily to the Discover outcome (girls develop a strong sense of 'self'). To get a picture of how journeys and other Girl Scout activities work together to make one consistent Girl Scout experience, visit the Girl Scout website, to view the "journey maps."  These maps provide an overview of the total Girl Scout experience for girls at every level. As you mouse over the map, you will see pop-ups that give further information about how to tie traditional Girl Scout activities (such as camping, field trips, and cookie sales) in the journeys. More info...What Resources Should We Be Using Now?

Should each Girl Scout have a Journey book and a Girl's Guide?

Every Girl Scout should have her own Journey book as an entry to belonging to and being part of a national experience.  They should begin by selecting a Journey and then supplement with badge activities in The Girl's Guide.  Each girl's journey to leadership is unique even if working a part of a troop or group.  Each book is designed to be a personal journal/workbook - a lasting legacy that will be a snapshot of who she was and who she hoped to become while taking the Journey.

Why is GSUSA retiring existing resources? Why not keep them all?

In Girl Scouting, it’s not just "what girls do" (activities), but "how" (processes) they do them (activities) that when used together, impact girls. Girl Led, Cooperative Learning, and Learning by Doing ensure the quality and promote the fun and friendship so integral to Girl Scouting. The current state of Girl Scout materials includes a wide variety of product lines. Research has shown that girls, parents, and volunteers have been confused about what constitutes national program materials.  Therefore, to provide a nationally consistent experience for every girl, GSUSA will offer each girl two national program resources:  The Journey of her choice and The Girl's Guide to Girl Scouting.