Faith Partner Guide to Girl Scouting

FAITH PARTNERS GUIDE TO GIRL SCOUTING “The work of

today is the history of tomorrow, and we are its makers.”

Juliette Gordon Low, Founder of Girl Scouts

Welcome To

GIRL SCOUTS Girl Scouts are big thinkers, ground breakers and role models.

Girl Scouts is the preeminent leadership development organization for girls. We offer every girl a chance to practice a lifetime of leadership, adventure, and success! With more than 100 years of experience in girl leadership development, we have a proven track record of building girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place.

Girl Scouting Builds Future Leaders: Our girls are on a powerful mission to make positive contributions in their communities and world.

Girl Scouts is proven to help girls thrive in five key ways as they: Develop a strong sense of self.

Our Girl Scouts alums include:

Display positive values.

•

52% of Female Business Leaders

•

69% of Female U.S. Senators

•

80% of Female Tech Leaders

•

90% of Female Astronauts

•

100% of Female U.S. Secretaries of State

Seek challenges and learn from setbacks.

Form and maintain healthy relationships.

Identify and solve problems in the community.

Everything a Girl Scout does centers around the outdoors, STEM, money management and developing healthy life skills.

HOW GIRLS PARTICIPATE A lifelong leadership journey There are many ways for girls to participate in Girl Scouts and benefit from the Girl Scout Leadership Experience (GSLE).

Girl Scout Tracks

Ways to Engage in Girl Scouting

•

• • • • • • • • • •

• •

Troops: Groups of girl members who experience the Girl Scout journey together Juliettes: Individually registered girls who do not belong to a specific troop Volunteers: Registered and background-checked adults who facilitate any Girl Scout activity/trip

Troop Meetings Girl Scout Cookie Program Camping Completing a Journey Earning Badges Attending Girl Scout Events Earning Highest Award Providing Community Service Earning Faith Awards Attending Faith-based Events

Girl Scout Grade Levels Daisies K-1st grades

Brownies 2nd-3rd grades

Juniors 4th-5th grades

Cadettes 6th-8th grades

Seniors 9th-10th grades

Ambassadors 11th-12th grades

Learn they can care for animals and themselves and to protect the earth’s treasures.

Go on a quest to find the three keys to leadership. They explore their place in the wide world of girls.

Learn that leaders need power—their own, their team’s and their community’s.

Juniors are encouraged to achieve their Bronze Award.

Develop relationship skills needed to be leaders in their life and their world. Cadettes are encouraged to achieve their Silver Award.

Have a vision and lead the world closer to it. Girls better the world by achieving their Gold Award, the highest community service award earned by a Girl Scout.

Raise their voices to advocate for an issue they care about. Girls are encouraged to achieve their Gold Award, the highest community service award earned by a Girl Scout.

GIRL SCOUT Fundamentals The Girl Scout Leadership Experience is a collection of engaging, challenging and fun activities like earning badges, going on awesome trips, selling cookies, exploring science, getting outdoors and conducting community service projects.

The idea is to learn by doing, and at Girl Scouts, girls do lots of it.

“Girl Scouts taught me how to be more selfless.

I’ve recognized my own personal privilege and how best to help others.

I’m also a more confident individual because of Girl Scouts.”

Gabrielle

18-year-old Gold Award Girl Scout

“I love Girl Scouts because I get to hang out with my friends and fellow Girl Scout sisters. We get to do many things we wouldn’t normally be able to do.”

Maylene

11-year-old Girl Scout

“Being involved in Girl Scouts, especially as a leader and role model, has given me an additional layer of accountability.

I am even more conscious of how my own personal life journey will have an affect on, not only the girls I work with, but also their families for generations to come.

Volunteering as a leader is my way of hopefully having a positive ripple affect in our society.”

Steph

Adult Volunteer

PROGRAM Pillars Girls are encouraged to discover their talents and passions in a safe and supportive all-girl setting. Girls join with other Girl Scouts and people in their community—and together, they take action to change the world. Along the way, girls gain important skills in four areas that form the foundation of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience: •

Science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) With a focus on high-quality multi-year programs in engineering, computer science and outdoor STEM, girls are encouraged at an early age to explore STEM subjects

•

Outdoor Through progressive outdoor programs for girls of all ages, girls experience nature, build skills and take action in their communities as environmental stewards.

•

Healthy Life Skills By partaking in life skills programming, girls enhance the academic skills they learn in school through topics such as civic engagement, healthy living, communication skills, financial literacy and global citizenship.

•

Money Management Starting with the iconic Girl Scout Cookie Program, this pillar explores ways in which girls can change the world by learning business skills and provides them with a variety of entrepreneurship opportunities.

Whether a girl is building a robotic arm, coding her first app, building a shelter in the backcountry or packing for her first hike, a Girl Scout has an exciting array of choices to suit her interests at every age. Our program is designed to meet a girl where she is now and grow along with her—from kindergarten to 12th grade.

Because community service is an important tenet of Girl Scouting—girls team up or work individually to identify a problem and do something about it by finding a creative solution; creating a team plan to make that solution a reality is vital.

That’s the Girl Scout journey, which we offer at every grade level.

BECOMING A Faith PARTNER

We know how much you want to see your community thrive and grow. Your investment in Girl Scouts encourages girls to develop connections to their own spiritual and religious beliefs. Here are just a few ways we can partner. As our partnerships grow and develop, so will our possibilities.

Girl Scouts Celebrate Faith Girl Scouts is committed to strengthening its relationship with faith communities and girls are encouraged to participate in service at their church or house of worship. Girl Scout Week, held each year around March 12, the Girl Scout birthday, is a great opportunity for girls to celebrate faith and participate in services.

Ways to Partner Girl Scout Week Invite girls to teach a Girl Scout song to members Share a supplied bulletin insert Encourage girls to wear their uniforms Post a sign welcoming Girl Scouts

Within Your Service

Troop or Group

Host an opportunity after Meeting space worship (ex: light reception/ refreshments) Help prepare worship space Girl Scout programming during VBS Have reserved seating each week for Girl Scouts and their families Within your worship service provide Girl Scouts leadership opportunities

Allow girls to lead a flag ceremony

Hand out bulletins/ programs, read scripture

Share with the faith community the service Girl Scout(s) provide to the community

Seat/usher members

Establish a faith-based troop Coordinated service learning day with the Girl Scout troops in your community Host a short-term troop

Activity/Volunteer Recruit adult volunteers

Provide volunteers as a resource to those earning awards Expand your youth programming to include Girl Scout religious awards Implement P.R.A.Y. awards for girls to earn

Host a one day My Promise, My Faith Family Day Workshop Host a one-time event awarding girls for their interfaith awards and/or My Promise, My Faith

How Having a Girl Scout Troop Can Benefit Your Congregation • • • • • • • •

A Girl Scout troop will bring potential members to your church.

Churches grow when there is a focus on children.

A Girl Scout troop is a free marketing source and expands your minitry’s reach.

Girl Scout alum display positive life outcomes to a greater degree than women who were not Girl Scouts.

Girl Scouts are more likely to consider themselves leaders compared to other girls and boys.

Participating in the Girl Scout Cookie Program helps girls build leadership skills.

Girl Scouts are more likely to think of women leaders in a positive way-creative, collaborative and inspirational.

Girl Scouts contributes to girls’ academic success by helping them develop important leadership skills.

CELEBRATING Spirituality AND FAITH Everything in Girl Scouting is based on the Girl Scout Promise and Law, which includes many of the principles and values common across religions. So while we are a secular organization, Girl Scouts has always encouraged girls to take spiritual journeys via their faiths’ religious recognitions.

My Promise My Faith Girls of all grade levels can now earn the My Promise, My Faith pin, which complements existing religious recognitions and allows girls to further strengthen the connection between their faith and Girl Scouts. Once each year, a girl can earn the My Promise, My Faith pin by carefully examining the Girl Scout Law and tying it directly to tenets of her faith. Requirements for this pin are included in The Girl’s Guide to Girl Scouting for all levels.

Bible Basics RP3 “Bible Basics RP3” is a patch series from P.R.A.Y. It is designed to help families, Sunday school classes and youth groups get into the Bible.

The Bible is basic to the Christian life, which is why the Bible is the emphasis of this new patch series from P.R.A.Y. Girls are encouraged to not only Read the Bible, but also to take the time to Picture the passage, Ponder its meaning, and Put it into action.

That’s what “RP3” is all about. Families and groups taking part in the program will get to enjoy reading the Bible together, and become familiar with the RP3 outline and be equipped with a simple tool for Bible reading and study at the same time.

INTERFAITH Awards Created by national religious organizations to encourage the spiritual growth of youth members, religious recognition programs reinforce many of the values integral to Girl Scouting and help girls grow stronger in and learn more about their chosen faith.

Girl Scouts of the USA partners with P.R.A.Y. (Programs of Religious Activities with Youth) as a resource for faith-based programs.

Each religious organization develops and administers its own program. The brochure “To Serve God” (PDF) lists the religious recognitions created by various faith groups.

You can find this brochure, a video explaining religious recognition programs and other resources for collaborating with faith communities at P.R.A.Y. Publishing.

RELIGIOUS Recognitions FOR CATHOLIC YOUTH IN GIRL SCOUTS The Catholic religious recognition programs administered by the National Catholic Committee for Girl Scouts and Camp Fire (NCCGSCF), under the auspices of the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry (NFCYM), encourage young people to explore and become more involved in their Catholic faith. All programs are designed to support and complement the catechetical efforts of Catholic parishes and schools.

God is Love The God is Love program is designed for use with students in kindergarten or first grade. The program helps students discover an appreciation for God’s creation. A parent’s/leader’s guide is included in the program book. The companion prayer card invites children to embrace God’s love for them and the world and to share that love with others.

Family of God The Family of God program is designed for students in grades 2-3. The program helps children discover the presence of God in their daily lives as members of their family and parish. A parent’s/ leader’s guide is included in the program book. The companion prayer card encourages young people and their families to offer thanks for the blessing of family and church and ask for continued strength and grace to grow and serve God.

I Live My Faith The I Live My Faith program is designed for students in grades 4-5. The program is designed around the themes of belief, sacraments, Catholic Christian living and prayer. As the students work through the program, they will reflect on what they believe, how they celebrate those beliefs through sacraments and how prayer fits into their lives. A parent’s/leader’s guide is included in the program book.

The companion prayer card encourages young people and their families to seek God’s guidance and help, while asking for greater understanding, grace and wisdom.

Mary, the First Disciple Mary, the First Disciple, is designed for students in grades 6-8. The program teaches them more about Mary and about themselves. They will meet Mary in Scripture as a young teenager, follow her journey and watch her grow into the woman known as the Mother of God. A step-by-step guide for adults contains detailed instructions for guiding students through the program. The companion prayer card encourages young people and their families to ask for Mary’s intercession for openness to all the possibilities God has in store for them. The Book of Mary-Prayers in Honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a resource for the Marian medal program and is sold separately.

Spirit Alive The Spirit Alive program is designed for students in the 9-10 grades. The program assists them in discovering how the Holy Spirit moves in their lives, calling them to greater participation in the church’s ministry. A Spirit Alive Mentor Handbook is a step-by-step guide for adults that contains detailed instructions for guiding students through this program. The companion prayer card encourages young people and families to turn to the Holy Spirit for guidance, wisdom and commitment to the Gospel message.

Missio Missio is designed for students in grades 11-12. The program invites young people to explore missionary discipleship and their own religious identity. Missio was jointly created by the Pontifical Mission Societies in the U.S. and the NFCYM. The guide for adults contains detailed instructions for assisting students through the program. A companion prayer card is also available. The Missio bilingual book and prayer card include text in Spanish, as well as English.

Highest AWARDS As girls progress in Girl Scouts, they can earn our high awards: Bronze Award as a Junior, Silver Award as a Cadette and the Gold Award as a Senior or Ambassador.

All three awards give girls the chance to do big things while working on an issue they care about. Whether they want to plant a community garden at a local school and encourage others to eat healthy for their Bronze, advocate for animal rights for their Silver or build a career network that encourages girls to become scientists for their Gold, girls will inspire others and themselves.

Girl Scout Bronze Award

Girl Scout Silver Award

The Girl Scout Bronze Award is earned by girls in fourth and fifth grade. They commit at least 20 hours to making a difference in their community.

Girl Scouts in sixth through eighth grade can earn the Girl Scout Silver Award. Girl Scouts spend at least 50 hours solving a community need.

As girls pursue their project, they put the Girl Scout Promise and Law into action. Girls develop confidence, meet new people and have fun along the way.

Going for the Silver Award gives girls the chance to show that they are a leader who is organized, determined and dedicated to improving their community.

Troop 13041 Nine Girl Scouts organized a Christmas toy drive for the Mooresville Christian Mission.

Troop 1959 Four Girl Scouts built shelving and collected books and games to improve the Ragsdale YMCA Youth Room.

Troop 12334 Seven Girl Scouts created blankets for The Family Room Foster Care Resource Center.

Troop 2171 Four Girl Scouts sewed and filled 112 tote bags for cancer patients at the Barry Joyce Cancer Foundation of Rockingham County.

Troop 40154 Eighteen Girl Scouts collected items to distribute to the homeless through Greensboro Urban Ministries and YWCA. Troop 30045 Twelve Girl Scouts made 100 Valentine boxes for local nurses.

Troop 13064 Nine Girl Scouts repaired the Girl Scout bridge at Friedberg Moravian Church and enhanced the courtyard with a bench.

Troop 2241 Five Girl Scouts planted flowers at

Girl Scout Gold Award The Girl Scout Gold Award is the most prestigious award in the world for girls— and the most difficult to earn—and it is only available to Girl Scouts in high school.

Girls spend at least 80 hours working on a sustainable project in their community.

After earning the Gold Award, girls join a robust network as they enter their post-high school lives, enabling them to distinguish themselves in the college admission process, earn college scholarships and enter the military one rank higher.

Grimsley High School Kylie J. created multi-sensory mobile carts to help residents at WhiteStone with Alzheimer’s and dementia. She also made one of the rooms at the facility more handicap accessible for patients in wheelchairs and put together fidget blankets for the patients.

Isabella R. implemented a school-based enterprise program run by the occupational course of study students at Grimsley High School.

She constructed a smoothie cart for the students to operate and deliver drinks to teachers. Her project enables the students to gain the work hours needed to graduate, as well as valuable life and career skills.

Margaret M. constructed an outdoor sustainability education area by planting two garden beds and updated the outdoor classroom at Kiser Middle School. She also produced two educational videos about compost and how to create a windowsill herb garden.

Asheville Christian Academy Kathryn W. built a sustainable and fully functioning bee apiary at Veterans Healing Farm (VHF). She worked with the veterans to educate them about beekeeping skills and how they can maintain the apiary, which produces five gallons of honey weekly.

Emmerette B. designed a self-confidence warm-up routine for a middle school drama class.

Freedom High School Gracie M. created a learning nook with books, games, puzzles, school and art supplies for children at The Meeting Place homeless shelter.

East Burke High School Erin C. started a recycling program at East Burke High School.

She placed recyling bins in all classrooms and office spaces and created posters, PowerPoints and videos to help educate the student body and staff about the importance of recycling.

Allison R. raised funds and awareness to give residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities at J. Iverson Riddle Developmental Center access to technology and educational learning materials.

Victory Christian Academy Angelica B. provided workshops to the children at the Salvation Army’s Boys and Girls Club that taught a variety of different art forms.

MEMBERSHIP

6,627

4,091

girl members

adult members and volunteers

Across 40 counties in central and western North Carolina.

Strong leader engagement makes the troop experience an impactful one.

SERVICE

HIGHEST AWARDS

268 P2P girls

Earned Girl Scouts’ highest community service awards: Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards. The awards acknowledge the power behind each recipient’s dedication to not only empowering and bettering herself, but also to making a permanent and positive mark on our world.

Girl Scouts are committed to making a difference in their communities.

34,081,599 hours of service

54,682

cookies donated to military and essential workers

OUR JURISDICTION Girl Scouts Carolinas Peaks to Piedmont is chartered by Girl Scouts of the USA, a national organization, to administer the Girl Scout program in 40 counties across central and western North Carolina.

With support from dedicated adult volunteers, parents and staff, we deliver the best Girl Scout experience to girls in grades K-12. Together, we can encourage girls and watch them build courage, confidence and character while making the world a better place.