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Posts tagged ‘Cooperative Learning’

Apr 27

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5 Reasons To Send Your Kid to Girl Scout Camp!

As any advocate for summer camp will tell you, the benefits of camp are legion. From fostering independence to building self-esteem, there so many skills a child develops in a camp environment that we could go on for days about its benefits (with the research to back it up). Don’t believe us? Check out this study on the Psychological Benefits of Camp from the American Camp Association. Still not sure if your daughter needs camp this year? Here are just a few of our favorite reasons why parents send their child to our camps.

1. She needs a nature reboot. 

Many children today spend minimal time outdoors resulting in what a popular book, Last Child In the Woods by Richard Louv, calls a “nature deficit”. Camp can reconnect girls with the natural world as they discover the wonder of a chorus of bullfrogs on a starry night or spotting a woodpecker while hiking through the woods on a sunny day.

2. She’s in desperate need of a mirror (and boy) detox!

Girl Scout camp allows girls to relax and try new things in an environment free from the social pressures and anxieties surrounding them at school. It’s amazing how much their self-confidence can grow when girls get to spend time not worrying if Billy likes their new hairdo or what the queen bee at school thinks of their shoes.

 3. She needs a non-electronic hobby. 

Our camps are built around themes that interest girls and provide them with the right instruction, equipment and facilities to enhance their sports abilities, artistic talents, and their adventure skills without the distraction of constantly updating their status to facebook, instagram, or twitter. The sheer variety of activities offered at camp makes it easy for kids to discover and develop what they like to do outside the cyber world.

 4. She needs to be challenged!

According to our own research Girl Scouts helps girls learn not to avoid things that are hard for them, and this makes them better students. Girls who are not challenge seekers—who tend to “avoid doing things that are hard for me”—are less likely to feel scholastically competent and academically engaged. Cooperative learning and girl-led experiences in Girl Scouts help girls become stronger challenge seekers.

5. She needs to know how strong she really is. 

Learning how to paddle a canoe, honing archery skills, or simply being in a new place and having to make new friends helps a girl realize how capable she is to learn and grow. Camp is the perfect place for girls to practice making decisions for themselves.

Convinced? We certainly hope so. Check out our summer camp options  and send your child off on an adventure this summer with Girl Scouts! Financial assistance is available, please contact the outdoor program department at your regional Girl Scout office for more information on specific camp sessions.

Nov 14

7 things every Girl Scout Leader should know

  1. There is more than one way to do things.
    Being an individual is part of what makes you a great leader and an amazing role model for girls. Let’s encourage our girls to be strong, pursue their interests and challenge obstacles that come their way. As leaders, you should be confident enough to do the same!
  2. Use resources wisely.
    C’mon—It’s in the Girl Scout Law! Don’t reinvent the wheel. Connect with other troop leaders, reference Volunteer Essentials, and talk to your council community engagement team or service unit chair. Don’t be afraid to ask if something already exists before taking the time to create it from scratch.
  3. Girl Scouts should be girl-led.
    Help them to become as self-sufficient as possible. Don’t do something for them that they could do themselves. Part of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience includes the girl-led process, and giving girls the chance to make and shape their own experiences. Try not to automatically jump in and fix everything right away, help the girls be independent. Of course, every grade level is different, but always strive to accommodate this important part of Girl Scouting.
  4. Being a leader is not a competitive sport.
    It’s easy to compare yourself to other troop leaders, but don’t! Don’t beat yourself up for not selling the most cookies, forgetting to make that awesome project on Pinterest, or not knowing how set up a tent. Try to remind yourself why you became a leader— for the girls! What matters is that your girls are having fun, you’re both trying new things, and growing at the same time.
  5. Work together.
    Cooperative learning isn’t just for the girls. You should also take advantage of partnerships with other troops in your area. Consider sharing ideas, planning a trip, or earning a badge with other troop leaders. By bringing more girls together, you increase their chances of developing social skills, making new friends, and building confidence. The same can be said for leaders, working together is a great way to meet new people!
  6. Take on the training!
    Don’t skip out on the training opportunities that are offered to you. It may be difficult to commit to another night out or weekend at camp, but you’ll get some great ideas and meet some really awesome people. By continuing to learn and grow, you can help the girls in your troop do the same.
  7. HAVE FUN!
    Being a Girl Scout leader is one of the greatest things you’ll ever do for yourself and all of the girls in your troop! You have the opportunity to become the role model she’ll always remember, while having the time of your lives!

 

What kind of Girl Scout Leader are you? Find out in our fun NEW quiz: http://bzfd.it/1yXgp8q

 

 

 

 

Sep 22

Preparing to serve the Girl Scout Way!

Now that you’ve identified your community problem and its root cause through Community Mapping and investigation it’s time to brainstorm ways to help with that problem, find community members to collaborate, and put together a plan of action. This is step 2 of service learning and its the step where the girls’ innovation, creativity, and community contacts come into play.

Discuss with the girls possible ideas for making an impact on your chosen community need. Remind them that making an impact doesn’t necessarily mean they have to completely fix the problem, but that through their efforts the need has been lessened and their project will have a sustainable impact. Not sure what that means? Check out our post Service or Take Action for a more detailed explanation.

Your project could make a global impact:

Or it could be a simple public education piece to increase community awareness:

No problem is too big if the girls are passionate about it and committed to finding people to help them make a difference. Adults should help the girls choose the idea that is most feasible given their budget (for money-earning tips and guidelines check out Girl Scouts of Central and Western Massachusetts’ Money-Earning 101), time frame, and the girls’ abilities but be sure not to limit them. It’s amazing what girls can do when they’re determined! This is where all of the interviews, research on how other communities have tackled this problem, and their list of community resources from stage 1 will come in very handy. This step may also include developing a common vision, timelines for success, a project budget , or whatever method makes the most sense to your troop for keeping them on track to complete the project in the time available. Once the planning is done, you’ve hit step 3:Take Action! Stay tuned for our September of service blog arc wrap up next week for tips on steps 4 and 5: reflection and demonstration.

Apr 30

How Girl Scouting Works

Check out this video which really explains how to make the Girl Scout Leadership Experience come to life with girls.  For more information on planning with girls, check out this past post.

Apr 28

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Act Now for Next Year!

Now is the time to being planning for an experience of a lifetime for the girls in your group.  The reason for planning now is to inspire girls to re-register next year, start planning and budgeting in advance for big trips or projects and give plenty of time to execute the plan and achieve the girls’ goals.  

Girls will love to brainstorm ideas for their future troop experiences.  Here’s an easy process to use with girls to get you going:

Materials Needed:

  1. Debrief the past year: Talk about some of the fun things that you did this past year in Girl Scouting.  Was there anything they wanted to do that they didn’t get to?
  2. Brainstorm: Hang large sheets of paper with the below titles around the room then take them through each topic letting them brainstorm ideas.
  • Awards and badges: Talk about the different Girl Scout Journeys available to girls and use the Badge Explorer to help girls find topics that interest them.
  • Take Action and service:  How would the girls like to connect with their community?  They don’t have to choose a project now, they just need to save some time in their schedule to investigate, plan and implement a project.
  • Trips and outings:  Where do they want to go this year?  Are there places they need to go to help them earn a badge or learn a new skill?  Is there a trip that would compliment their chosen Journey?  Are there other Girl Scout events in the community, service unit or council that they would like to attend with their sister Girl Scouts?  What about summer camp?
  • Traditions and holidays:  What are some of their favorite Girl Scout traditions?  Are there traditions that they would like to learn more about like Girl Scout Thinking Day?  Are there other special holidays they would like to observe like Women’s History Month?
  • Logistics:  Where should they meet?  Is this location still working for the needs of the troop?  How will the troop share responsibilities like food, snack and supplies?
  • Money Earning and financial literacy:  How will the troop earn money to support their projects?  How will the Girl Scout Cookie Program work into their plans?

3. Decision Making:  After gathering all of the ideas on large paper, allow the girls to vote on their top choices. Now you will have agreed upon activities from each element of a troop experience.  Everyone will have an investment in helping these choices come to fruition since they provided input. Using the calendar, have the girls place their choices on the calendar.  With younger girls, the adult may have to do the calendar scheduling, but don’t underestimate the girls input even at a young grade level. 

Apr 21

Engaging Girls Through Gardening

The weather is getting nicer and many people are heading outside after a very long (and cold!) winter. Gardening can be a great way to get girls outside and learn about plants, how to care for living things and where their food comes from. There are many ways to engage girls and work towards Girl Scout badges and Journey awards through gardening. gardening

Ideas to use with girls:

  • Visit a garden and pick homegrown fruits, vegetables and other foods. Then take what you gathered and create a tasty recipe to try. Homemade salsa, pizza, salad and vegetable soup are great choices!
  • Plant a garden at your home, meeting place, school, local park or any other place in your community (be sure to ask permission first). Ask the girls what kinds of seeds they would like to plant, how big the garden should be and who will take care of it. Talk to the girls about what plants need in order to grow healthy and strong.
  • Visit a local farm. Talk to the farmers to find out what it’s like to be in that line of work and how they impact their community. Ask if the girls are able to help plant or harvest their crop.
  • Invite a florist to come to a meeting and teach the girls about different flowers. Then spend some time creating “seed bombs” to give to people in your community.
  • Learn about the financial aspect of growing your own food. What is the cost of planting, harvesting and eating your own food versus the cost of getting it from the store where preservatives, packaging and store costs are included? This is an especially enlightening activity for older girls!

There are a lot of ways that gardening activities can be linked to Girl Scout badges and the It’s Your Planet-Love It! Journey.

Mar 11

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Girls Go For the Gold!

IMG_4103Congratulations to our 2014 Girl Scout Gold Award recipients!  What better way to start Girl Scout Week than with the annual Gold Award Ceremony on Girl Scout Sunday!  On Sunday, March 9, 2014, Girl Scouts of Western Ohio hosted our first councilwide Gold Award Ceremony bringing all four regions together to honor the 44 girls who earned the highest award in Girl Scouting.  The University of Dayton, Kennedy Union Ballroom set the scene for the honorees who were able to attend this mementos event with their families, leaders and friends.

Keynote speaker, Col. Cassie Barlow, 88th Air Base Wing and Installation Commander at Wright Patterson AFB motivated the audience and recognized the hard work of the Gold Award recipients.  The room was full of family and friends of the recipients along with Girl Scout alumni, volunteers and honorable dignitaries.

Girl Scout Week is a great time to talk to your girls about what they want to achieve in Girl Scouting.  The Girl Scout Gold Award gives girls an opportunity to give back to their community in a big way while also building their resume.  Even if you have Girl Scout Daisies or Brownies, you can start leading the girls through a Take Action project.  Each Girl Scout Journey leads the girls and the leader through the discover, connect and take action process.

For Girl Scout Juniors, girls can begin working on their Girl Scout Bronze award which follows a similar process as the Gold Award.  The same goes for Girl Scout Cadettes and the Silver Award.  These two awards are great practice for the independent, large scale Take Action project that is the result of a girl earning her Gold Award.  There are Girl Scout Silver and Gold Award workshops offered at each regional Girl Scout Center.  Start today and build the leaders of our community and future Gold Award recipients.

Oct 28

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How to Have Fun with Purpose

Check out this awesome video that does a great job of explaining the role of volunteers in implementing the three program processes: girl-led, experiential learning, and cooperative learning.