Program Overview

Leadership experiences for girls are what makes Girl Scouting unique. We help every girl, everywhere discover who she can be, what she can do, however she chooses. Through leadership programs, girls are given the opportunity to try on different roles and grow into the ones that fit her best - making her the leader in her own life. We don't change the girl…we help the girl change the world.

Today's Girl Scouts are real girls doing real things, experiencing life. In Girl Scouting, you tell us what you like and what you don't. We listen to you!

You'll learn about life and your future through six program focus areas:

Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM)
Community Engagement
Healthy Living
The Arts
Financial Literacy
Environmental Awareness

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM)

Through GSNEO STEM programming girls build strong, hands-on foundations to meet the growing need for skilled science and technology professions. Girls push boundaries, test limits, and look at the world around them with inquisitive eyes. Whether they're discovering how a car's engine runs, becoming math whizzes, or learning about careers in STEM fields, girls are moving forward into the future.

Examples: Stargazing, Workshop with NASA Glenn, Astronomy Club, Robotics

Community Engagement

Through GSNEO Community Engagement programming girls improve their communities and develop an understanding of their important place in the world. By reaching out to those in need, girls bridge gaps, raise awareness, and create lasting connections. Girls have an opportunity to build extraordinary lives and join with those around them in making the world a better place.

Examples: Girl Scout Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards, Girl Scout Year of Service, It's Your Life-LEAD IT!

Healthy Living

Through GSNEO Healthy Living programming girls have the opportunity to attain their personal best in life. With a focus on physical, emotional, or community health, girls learn the skills they need to keep their bodies healthy, their minds engaged, and their spirits alive. Through GSNEO leadership and self-esteem programming, today's girls become tomorrow's leaders. By building self-confidence, setting goals, developing successful problem solving techniques, and practicing teamwork, girls achieve practical leadership abilities that will last them a lifetime.

Examples: Girl Scout Golf (with LPGA and First Tee), Fit and Fantastically Fun!, uniquely ME!, Zink the Zebra

The Arts

Through GSNEO Arts programming, girls will be encouraged to view the world through the eyes of discovery by helping them develop their creativity, follow their instincts, and hone their communication skills. From photography to playwriting and acting, activities in the visual, performing, and language arts enables girls to trust themselves and creatively express what they see.

Examples: Drama Queens, PlayHouse Square workshops, Trash to Treasure, Crazy Quilts

Environmental Awareness

Through Environmental Awareness programming, girls focus on care, conservation, and responsibility to ensure the safety of our planet for future generations. Girls discover the connection between their everyday actions and the potential long-term affects on the planet. Outdoor programming is included in this focus area. Outdoor programs are indicated with an "*" at the end of the program title in Faces & Places.

Examples: Camping, Snooze at the Zoo, Great Outdoor Skills, Flat Water Canoeing, Energized Bunnies, What a Waste!

Financial Literacy

Through GSNEO Financial Literacy programming, girls will have the opportunity to gain knowledge and skills necessary to enable them to become financially self-sufficient. By developing money management skills early in life, girls learn how to increase their income, become responsible consumers, create a budget, build and manage credit, and save and invest for their future goals.

Examples: Penny Project, Cent$Ability, Teen CEO, Girl Scout Cookie Sale

Girls Guide to Girl Scouting

Girl Scout Leadership Journey

A key part of the GirlScout Leadership Experience is the leadership journey, a coordinated series of activities grouped around a theme. Each journey is tied to some of Girl Scouts' 15 national outcomes for girls, as defined in the Girl Scout Leadership Model. These outcomes are integral to the three leadership keys, Discover, Connect, and Take Action (PDF).

The Girl Scout Leadership Experience features three leadership Journey books for each Girl Scout age level. These include:

It's Your World - CHANGE IT! (Advocacy)
It's Your Planet - LOVE IT! (Environmental Awareness and STEM Education)
It's Your Story - TELL IT! (Language Arts and Self-Esteem)

Now that we have Journeys, what about the badges?

Find the answer to this, an many other important questions by visiting the GSNEO Journey Frequently Asked Questions.

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