Even though your daily routine may have changed, Girl Scouts isn’t canceled! While we’ve been practicing social distancing and adjusting to change, we’ve managed to keep spirits high, stay busy, and continue to make the world a better place.

Supporting Girl Scout experiences at home can be empowering for both you and your girl. By helping her stay connected with friends and continue some of her favorite activities, Girl Scouting at home can bring a sense of normalcy during a time when the world feels uncertain. Taking the time to explore some of these activities is also an opportunity to get the whole family involved! With your support, girls can still choose activities that spark her interest and inspire her to try new things, stay focused on the awards she wants to earn, and grow leadership skills that will continue to benefit her throughout the years.

Here are a few ways that Girl Scouts has continued to thrive virtually and how you can join in on the fun!

Staying Connected Online

While we haven’t been able to meet in person, troops have taken to online video platforms to work on badges and patches, have themed holiday parties, and catch up with one another! Troop leaders have gone above and beyond (as usual!), delivering meeting materials and goodie bags to girl’s doorsteps.

Tips for Making Virtual Meetings Work for Your Troop:

• Look for features that allow you to call in to the meeting using a phone only, which is important because not all girls may not have access to the internet.
• Try to keep the same meeting time as your in-person meetings. During the day girls could have schoolwork or their caregivers may be working from home or helping their other children.
• Treat the first virtual meeting as you would with any first meeting; set up expectations and ground rules, such as not using the chat log for side conversations during the meeting.
• Try to adapt meeting traditions when possible, such as using a PowerPoint to help lead the meeting. Instead of a closing friendship circle, have the girls high-five whoever’s picture is next to theirs on the screen!
• Did you have a troop trip postponed? See if they offer a virtual tour instead!

Zoom Resource: Want to learn more about hosting your own virtual meeting? Check out our guide!

Giving Back to Those in Need

Girl Scouts have always been known for their willingness to try and for facing new, even sometimes overwhelming, challenges with optimism and creativity. Essentially, the world needs Girl Scouts right now more than ever – and these girls are ready to deliver!

Girl Scouts and their families have been actively participating in our Masks for Medical Heroes Patch Program, where they are responding to the critically low supply of surgical masks by sewing their own and donating to local hospitals. You can find our step-by-step tutorial to earn your patch here!

As a thank-you to medical professionals tirelessly working to protect us, troops have donated cookies to their local hospitals. Our Care to Share program, which allows consumers to purchase boxes of cookies to send to military overseas, has also allowed our council to make additional cookie donations.

Fun Fact: Did you know that Girl Scouts have a long history of responding to and supporting national emergencies? During WWII, Girl Scouts put cookies on hold to help sell war bonds, tend victory gardens, and collect massive amounts of scrap metal for reuse!

The Programs Keep Coming!

With school closures and stay-at-home orders, we know families are looking for ways to bring optimism, joy, and purpose to each day. Whether or not you’re familiar with Girl Scouts quite yet, we want to be there for you by providing a wide variety of programs and activities that girls can complete from home.

Our Bee Prepared, Not Scared Patch Program makes emergency preparedness fun and educational for both girls and their families. By taking away the fear of uncertainty and replacing it with empowered Girl Scouts, we encourage girls to build resilience at the home level!

In addition, all new At-Home Patch Programs videos and guides are being added regularly so that your girl can continue to participate in her favorite programs at home! Girl Scouts can choose from a variety of topics such as energy and water conservation, the justice system, ending hunger on a communal and national level, and so much more!

If you’re looking for more fun activities that the whole family can get involved in, check out our 31 GSCCC STEAM Activity Sheets, My 2020 COVID Time Capsule, GSCCC Rocks, and more! Don’t forget to renew your membership to continue all of these awesome programs!

Activity Resource: For endless Girl Scout inspiration and fun, head over to our blog to check out At-Home Activities to Keep Your Girl Engaged, Stress Relieving Activities for Girls, and more!

Ways to Start Girl Scouting At Home

If you’re new to the world of Girl Scouts and curious about how you can get started, here are some ways you can start Girl Scouting at home!

1. Join Now and Save! A deal for new members, you can now join Girl Scouts at the reduced rate of $35 and be set through 2021. Join today!
2. Get to Know the Girl Scout Leadership Experience and Program. We’ve highlighted just a few of the activities that our girls are up to, but do you know what drives those experiences? Learn more about what makes Girl Scouts engaging, empowering, and fun for girls here.
3. Change the World through Highest Awards. Have recent events sparked a fire within your girl to make a difference? Learn more about our Bronze, Silver, and Gold Award here.
4. Get the support you need. From helpful tips to navigate tricky conversations, to how to get the whole family involved in her Girl Scout experience, GSUSA has so many awesome resources available to you! Check out the Girl Scout Family Connection and Raising Awesome Girls resource to get started.
5. Reach out to us! If you have questions, we have the answers! Council staff is ready and eager to share program opportunities, answer questions about the Girl Scout program, and support you in any way we can. Call our main line at 800-822-2427, or email us at info@girlscoutsccc.org to get in touch.

 

We know that even outside of her normal troop setting, your girl can continue to shine with Girl Scouts! Together we can continue to learn something new, help those in need, and support our sister Girl Scouts now more than ever.