What an exciting time in Girl Scouting! The nation's premier organization for girls is on its way to being even more relevant and beneficial to girls ages 5-17 than ever before. After years of research and hard work, the new Girl Scout Leadership Experience is ready to guide girls through their own leadership journeys! Through all of these improvements, the Girl Scout mission remains the same: Building girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Quick Links: THE BASICS NEW MEMBERSHIP GRADE-LEVELS JOURNEY BOOKS NEW AWARDS UNIFORMS VOLUNTEER TRAINING THE BASICS What is the Girl Scout Leadership Experience? The Girl Scout Leadership Experience engages girls in discovering themselves, connecting with others, and taking action to make the world a better place. What are the three keys to leadership and how do they relate to the Leadership model? Discover, Connect, and Take Action. These three keys are define as: DISCOVER - Girls understand themselves and their values and use their knowledge and skills to explore the world. CONNECT - Girls care about, inspire, and team with others locally and globally. TAKE ACTION - Girls act to make the world a better place. In Girl Scouting, Discover + Connect + Take Action = Leadership. All Girl Scout experiences are intentionally designed to tie to one or more of the 15 national leadership outcomes, or benefits, categorized under the three keys to leadership. The three keys to leadership replace Girl Scouting's "four program goals." What is a journey? The new grade-level appropriate journeys combines activities, discussions, team building skills, reflections, fun and challenges for girls in the specific grade grouping. Journeys incorporate both the keys to leadership (Discover, Connect, and Take Action) and Girl-Led, Learn By Doing, and Cooperative Learning. NEW MEMBERSHIP GRADE-LEVEL What are the new grade levels? The National Board of Directors approved these grade levels in 2006 to provide increased differentiation and advancement as girls experience Girl Scouting. The new levels are effective beginning in the fall 2008. Depending on local needs, Girl Scouts of the Sierra Nevada is allowing troops to make a choice in regarding the new grade levels up to 2010. If you would rather stay a Girl Scout Junior troop, you certainly may. If you are bridging from Grade 6 Girl Scout Juniors to Grade 7 Girl Scout Cadettes, you may do that also. This year is very flexible to meet the needs of all troops. GIRL SCOUT DAISIES (Grades K - 1) GIRL SCOUT BROWNIES (Grades 2 - 3) GIRL SCOUT JUNIORS (Grades 4 - 5) GIRL SCOUT CADETTES (Grades 6 - 8) GIRL SCOUT SENIORS (Grades 9 - 10) GIRL SCOUT AMBASSADORS (Grades 11 - 12) JOURNEY BOOKS What are the books for girls in the first series of leadership journeys?  | Welcome to the Daisy Garden Girl Scout Daisies (Grades K-1) |  | Brownie Quest Girl Scout Brownies (Grades 2-3) |  | Agent of Change Girl Scout Juniors (Grades 4-5) |  | aMAZE Girl Scout Cadettes (Grades 6-8) |  | GIRLtopia Girl Scout Seniors (Grades 9-10) |  | Your Voice, Your World: The Power of Advocacy Girl Scout Ambassadors (Grades 11-12) |
The first books for girls are all part of the It's Your World - Change It! series of leadership journeys. This series features one new book for girls at each grade level in Girl Scouting: At every grade level, these books place great emphasis, on inviting girls to "Take Action" on an issue they care about. The books also contain stories, inspirational material, Girl Scout history, traditions, and values, facts and games, and open spaces for girls to fill in their own ideas and memories. "How to" books have been created for adults corresponding to each of the girl books. These guides for adult volunteers offer plenty of support, including sample sessions to tailor with girls, to carry out the Girl Scout Leadership Experience. What will happen to existing badge books, handbooks, and STUDIO 2B books? These books remain available and viable Girl Scout resources. Girls may continue using them based on their interests. As Girl Scouting phases in the Girl Scout Leadership Experience, we will be determining which resources might still be needed to supplement the new approach between 2008 and 2010, or which resources might be needed beyond 2010. Information will be provided with advance notice as decisions are made throughout the transition period. Girls will always have a chance to complete existing plans and transition to new materials. NEW AWARDS What new awards can girls earn with the It's Your World - Change It! journeys? Girl Scouts at each of the six grade levels have a chance to earn new official awards as they complete steps along the journey. The awards are designed to be worn on the Girl scout uniform. Girl Scout awards are designed to be worn on the Girl Scout uniform. Girl Scout Daisies, Brownies, Juniors, and Cadettes have the chance to earn several badges along the journey. Seniors and Ambassadors can mark the completion of their journey with a pin and badge. The steps for earning the awards are clearly explained in the "how-to" books for volunteers created for each journey. Girls have information about the awards in their books, too. The journey books for girls and adults also have suggested reflection and ceremony ideas related to earning the awards. The goal is to provide opportunities for girls to fully understand the achievement and growth the awards represent. Can girls still earn badges, apart from journeys? Girls are welcome to continue choosing and earning badges that represent their varied interests. Earning badges is an important tradition in Girl Scouting and it is here to stay! As adults and girls become more familiar with the elements of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience, they will even be able to see how the Discover, Connect, and Take Action leadership keys can be integrated into earning badges. Of course, no matter what activities girls do in Girl Scouting, the experience is always best when it incorporates the Girl Scout processes: Girl Led, Learning By Doing, and Cooperative Learning. How do the Girl Scout Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards fit into the Girl Scout Leadership Experience? Girl Scouts of the USA is working to update the requirements for earning the Girl Scout Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards and new guidelines will be available in spring 2009. During the transition years (2008-2010), girls may continue earning the Girl Scout Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards based on existing standards. UNIFORMS What are the new Girl Scout uniform standards? Girl Scouts at each grade level will have one official uniform item (e.g. tunic, vest, sash) so that they can proudly display the pins and badges they earn. Girls will wear their vest and sashes with their own white shirts and khaki pants, making it easier for more girls than ever before to show their pride as Girl Scouts. VOLUNTEER TRAINING Will all volunteers have to take training again? No. Girl Scouts of the Sierra Nevada encourages all volunteers to continue to take appropriate grade level trainings when they transition but volunteers will not have to retake Leadership 101 or Principles of Girl Scouting courses. | 
