A: The Girl Scout Leadership Experience engages girls in discovering themselves, connecting with others, and taking action to make the world a better place.

A: In Girl Scouting, it’s not just “what girls do” (activities), but “how” (processes) they do them (activities). When used together, these processes—Girl Led, Cooperative Learning, and Learning by Doing—ensure the quality and promote the fun and friendship so integral to Girl Scouting. Here’s how Girl Scouts defines these processes:

·        Girl Led: Girl led is just what it sounds like—girls play an active part in figuring out the what, where, when, how, and why of their activities. They lead the planning and decision-making as much as possible. This ensures that girls are engaged in their learning and experience leadership opportunities as they prepare to become active participants in their local and global communities.

·        Learning by Doing: A hands-on learning process that engages girls in continuous cycles of action and reflection that result in deeper understanding of concepts and mastery of practical skills. As they participate in meaningful activities and then reflect on them, girls get to explore their own questions, discover answers, gain new skills, and share ideas and observations with others. Throughout the process, it’s important for girls to be able to connect their experiences to their lives and apply what they have learned to their future experiences.

A: All girl and adult books in the It’s Your World—Change It! series are slated to be off the press in summer 2008.

A: There will be about three journeys for every grade level by 2010. A second journey series will roll out in 2009, and the third in 2010. Girls at each level will be able to choose the journey that most interests them or do them all.

A: Yes. Work will begin while the English language books are at the printer this spring and will require several months to ensure accurate and relevant translation of the journeys. The Daisy, Brownie, and Junior journeys (girl and adult books) will be translated first, and are slated for release by the end of October 2008. The materials for the upper grade levels will follow.

Girl Scouts of the USA is aware of the importance of being cost-conscious and has worked to provide excellent value. The cost will be finalized very shortly. It is important that every girl has her own book to fully experience the journey.

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. 

A: 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.

A: Over the next several years, Girl Scouts of the USA will be updating some badges to ensure the learning experiences tie to the national leadership outcomes intended for girls. As new or refreshed badges become available and “old” badges are phased out, girls will have time to transition. They will not “lose out” on activities they have begun or planned.

A: Locally created badge activities remain an important way to respond to the interests and needs of girls. By using the Leadership Experience as the “engine” for all programming, Girl Scout councils will be able to begin adjusting local offerings, purposefully planning them based on the leadership outcomes intended for girls.

A: Girl Scouts of the USA is working to update the requirements for earning the Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards and new guidelines will be available online in spring 2009. During the transition years (2008^..2010), girls may continue earning the Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards based on existing standards.

A: Girl Scout communities eager to begin planning for the updated approach to the Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards prior to spring 2009 may note the following:

Grade Levels for Earning the Awards

Bronze Award:             Earned by Juniors                                           (4^th..5^th grade)

Silver Award:               Earned by Cadettes                                        (6^th..8^th grade)

Gold Award:                Earned by Seniors or Ambassadors             (9^th..12^th grade)

Anticipated Pre-Requisite Steps

The It’s Your World-Change It! journeys have been intentionally designed to engage girls in a critical thinking process related to identifying and researching issues they care about, developing community networks, and creating and implementing plans to take action. Upon completion of the journeys, girls will be prepared to carry out substantial award projects. Based on this, Girl Scouts of the USA

anticipates that when girls complete the journeys in this series, they will have completed the prerequisites, at the relevant grade levels, for Bronze, Silver, and Gold Award projects and ultimately earn the awards.

Options for the 2008-2009 Membership Year:

·         Girls may earn the Girl Scout Bronze, Silver, or Gold Awards following existing guidelines. OR

·         Girls may complete a journey and, upon release of the new guidelines in spring 2009, begin work toward the Girl Scout Bronze, Silver, or Gold Award.

The National Board of Directors approved a new uniform policy, to begin in fall 2008. Based on this policy, girls at each level will have one official uniform item (e.g., tunic, vest, sash) so they can display the pins and badges they earn. Girl Scout Juniors and older program age groups will wear their vests and sashes with white shirts and khaki pants, making it easier for more girls than ever before to show their pride as Girl Scouts. Daisies and Brownies may also wear “khaki and white” or choose to wear full uniform ensembles for their age level. The Daisy tunic remains available. There will also be a variety of casual uniform components available for those times when official dress uniform is not required.

Adult uniforms will consist of a scarf worn with the membership pins for women and a tie for men. The scarf/tie and membership pins will be worn with navy blue business attire.

A: The journey for Ambassadors, Your Voice, Your World: The Power of Advocacy, engages Ambassadors in an advocacy experience. When they have completed the steps to advocacy, they will earn the new Advocate Award created especially for girls at this level. Ambassadors are encouraged to “pass on” to younger girls some of what they learn on their journey.. A bridging award will be available for Ambassadors in spring 2009, and girls who begin the Ambassador level in fall 2008 may earn this award retroactively.

Currently, the dues summary registration form asks for “one grade level that represents the majority of the girls registering now” and displays the current grade levels. These categories have been changed to reflect the new levels for the 2008/2009 membership year.

A: Girl Scouts who are on their own—and the adults who guide them—are encouraged to network with other Girl Scouts in their communities. One of our three critical processes of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience is cooperative learning. Sharing some of the discussions and experiences with others will enrich the journey and provide girls with opportunities to increase team-building and networking skills.

A: Let’s use It’s Your World-Change It! series as an example. Girls at every level will be engaged in taking action. Taking action provides a unifying theme for multigrade level groups so girls at multiple grade levels can have their own grade-appropriate journey, yet they will be able to support each other in accomplishing goals. All the journeys encourage girls to share or “pass forward” some of what they are learning and experiencing with other girls. Multigrade groups offer a wonderful setting for this to happen.

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A: Transforming Leadership is a GSUSA publication that defines the specific outcomes (benefits) of the new Girl Scout Leadership Experience for girls. The book describes the outcomes for each of the six grade levels within Girl Scouting. The outcome is defined in developmentally appropriate ways for each grade level; examples of measurable signs that show whether girls are making progress are provided as well. Transforming Leadership will help orient volunteers, staff, and the general public to the model underlying the Girl Scout Leadership Experience. It is the next step in Girl Scouting’s effort to develop today’s generation of girl leaders.

This is a pivotal time in the history of Girl Scouting. This new publication will serve as an essential resource now and into the future.

A: One way to think of the outcomes reference tables (beginning on page 23) is to view them as the Girl Scout equivalent of dictionary entries – reference tools to use as needed. These tables orient the Girl Scout community toward the New Girl Scout Leadership Experience outcomes and can be useful in selecting and implementing program, writing funding proposals, helping volunteers and parents understand the objectives of the Girl Scout program, as well as recruiting girls and volunteers.

For your convenience, the tables have been organized in two easy-to-use formats: the first set of tables “unpacks” each outcome across the six Girl Scout grade levels and the second set of tables shows all the outcomes by each specific Girl Scout grade level. The first set of tables is useful for showing progression across grade levels. The second set of tables will be useful to anyone working with a specific grade level.

The outcomes in Transforming Leadership apply to the new journeys, which will be released later this summer, as well as to existing Girl Scout program materials. The development of the new journeys was tied closely to these outcomes.

A: Outcomes describe general benefits (behavior, skills, knowledge, attitudes, values, condition, status, or other attributes) for participants as a result of involvement in the Girl Scout program. Outcomes are the intended benefits girls should reap as a result of the program. Indicators/signs are specific observable characteristics or changes that represent achievement of a specific outcome at each grade level. Page 17 of Transforming Leadership displays a guide to reading the tables. If you look at one of the reference tables, you will note the differences between outcomes—general descriptions of the intended benefits—and indicator/signs—what a girl would be doing, saying, or feeling if she had achieved the intended outcome that came as a result of her involvement in the Girl Scout program. Please note that indicators/signs in these tables are examples –you will be able to imagine others.

The Girl Scout Research Institute (GSRI), in partnership with Girl Scout councils, is currently developing measurement tools using Transforming Leadership as a guide.

A: The indicators/signs included in Transforming Leadership offer a starting point. You will think of more indicators/signs that would capture the meaning of each outcome. The Girl Scout Research Institute is eager to hear from you, so please provide feedback and suggestions to gsresearch@girlscouts.org.