The Girl Scout Silver Award - Senior Troop 54301bptroop54301.weebly.com/.../6/8306170/silver-award... · The Girl Scout Silver Award is the highest award in Girl Scouting that girl’s

The Girl ScoutSilver AwardA Packet for Girl Scout Cadettes and Their Families

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http://www.girlscouts.org/program/highest_awards/pdf/silver-girls_01.pdf

http://www.girlscouts.org/program/highest_awards/pdf/silver-adults_01.pdf

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Ways Parent/Guardians Can Support Girls Working on their Girl Scout Silver Award

The Girl Scout Silver Award is the highest award in Girl Scouting that girl’s grades 6-8 can earn. It represents a girl’s commitment to herself and to her community, as she focuses on leadership, personal challenges and completing a project that will benefit her community through engaging community members. It takes many hours of preparation, planning and work to accomplish the goals a girl has set for herself.

Parent/guardians play a significant role in supporting a girl’s path to the Girl Scout Silver Award. As a parent you may be called upon to be coach, mentor, cheerleader, sounding board and chauffeur.

As a parent, you are not expected to be a taskmaster—this is the girl’s project. However, you can assist a girl by:

Reading through the materials provided to girls regarding these awards so that you feel comfortable offering support.

Encouraging and supporting her, but not pressuring her. “Going for the Silver” is something that a girl has to want to do herself.

Helping her choose a topic that will become the basis for her project if she asks for ideas. Remember, however, that the topic is based on her passion, not yours.

Aiding her in accessing a network of adults who can lend insight, provide contacts, and point to resources or council guidelines. You may work with someone who has just the skill set your daughter needs in a Project Advisor, or someone who belongs to a service club that your daughter and her advisor can approach for financial assistance.

Supporting a girl in following any Girl Scout council guidelines concerning safety or money earning or donations during her path to the Silver Award. This is important to assure the safety of your daughter and the integrity of the Girl Scout program.

Allowing your daughter to stumble and learn the lessons that come with the Girl Scout Silver Award project. She will have a Project Advisor, she chooses. (Someone who specializes in the issue or need she is trying to address-not parent/family, leader, co-leader, SU manager etc.,)

Realizing that your daughter is capable, (anyone no matter what special needs they require, can earn this award) competent and worthy of respect as she assumes more responsibilities within her community. Provide her with positive and constructive support on this journey.

Attending the event if it is appropriate, and joining in the celebration as your daughter is honored for her accomplishments.

From Good to Great: Successful Girl Scout Silver Award Projects

One of the roles of the troop/group advisor and Girl Scout Silver award Project Advisor is to help a girl or group of girls move a project that may be a good idea to a great idea. It is important to differentiate between a community service project and a Leadership project as expected for the Girl Scout Silver Award. The leadership project involved planning and individual opportunities for leadership and decision making when working on a group project, each girl needs to play an individual role. Here are several activities that start as a good service projects, but with some careful coaching, have moved into the caliber of a Girl Scout Silver Award project.

Good Service Project? GREAT Girl Scout Silver Award Project!

Volunteering many hours at a park site picking up litter.

Working with the park to establish an ongoing “Junior Ranger” program for neighborhood children during the summer and weekends.

Working at the local library doing children’s story hours.

Creating an after school reading program for a homeless shelter after meeting with the children and establishing needs-building bookshelves and selecting books from donations then designing a program and implementing it.

Sewing pillow for very ill children in a hospital

Assessing needs for the children’s hospital with administration and children. Teaching younger girls to sew “keeper pillows” and special head covers for ill children in several hospitals.

Planting flowers with a group in a park during a community service day.

Organizing a community clean-up, beautification day and BBQ that becomes an annual event involving businesses and families. Planting window boxes, painting porches and cleaning up vacant lots are some of the completed tasks.

GIRL SCOUTS WESTERN PENNSYVANIA SILVER AWARD FINAL REPORT FORM

JOURNEYS

Please complete then, Make copies of the final for yourself, your Leader then submit the ORIGINAL to: GSWPA, 5681 Route 6N, Edinboro, PA 16412 Attn: Silver. 8th graders final deadline September 30 of the year you bridge to Senior.

Personal Data: Name:

Address: City:

County: State: Home Phone:

Cell Phone: Email:

DOB: Age: Grade:

Exact Name for Certificate:

Troop/Individual Information:

Troop number (five digits): Service Unit:

Troop Leader/Volunteer:

Email: Phone:

STEP ONE: GET READY Advisor Information (Unrelated Adult/ Not Leader Project Focused)

Project Advisor:

Organization:

Email: Phone: ATTACH A COPY OF TIMELINE DEVELOPED BY YOU AND YOUR PROJECT ADVISOSR

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STEP TWO: CADETTE JOURNEY

Activities

Date Completed

Advisor Signature

1. Which Cadette Journey did you complete?

2. Briefly describe the Take Action Project you did to complete the Journey:

STEP THREE: GIRL SCOUT SILVER AWARD PROJECT

Building your Team Confirm your list of names of individuals and organizations that you worked with on your Take Action Project (Please attach a separate sheet if necessary)

Team Members Affiliation Role

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Silver Award Project with Take Action component:

Project Title:

Project Start Date: / / Project Completion Date: / /

Describe the Issue your project addresses, what impact you hoped to make and detail who benefitted:

What was the root cause of the issue? How did you address it?

How will your project be sustainable beyond your involvement?

Describe any obstacles you encountered and what you did to overcome them:

Describe what steps you took to inspire others through sharing your project (website, blog, presentations, posters, videos and articles etc.)

Describe what you learned from this project including leadership skills you developed. What did you learn about yourself as a result of this project?

STEP FOUR: REFLECTION What was the most successful aspect of your project?

What aspects of your project would you change or do differently if could start over?

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IMPACT ON YOU (Attach separate sheet) Impact On… Goals Examples of

Immediate Impact

Possible Future Impact

Community

What community issue was addressed?

What are concrete examples that you made a difference?

What examples of the project impact might you see in the future?

Target Audience

What skills, knowledge or attitudes did your target audience gain?

What examples demonstrate that the target audience gained skills or knowledge?

What would be examples of a long-term impact on your community target audience?

GOALS Which of the 15 Girl Scout Outcomes*listed do you think you were able to develop through this project? Discover: I developed a stronger sense of self. I developed positive values. I gained practical life skills. I sought challenges in the world. I developed critical thinking.

Connect: I developed healthy relationships. I promoted cooperation and team building. I resolved conflicts. I advanced diversity in a multicultural world. I felt more connected to my community, locally and

globally. Take Action: I will identify community issues. I will be a resourceful problem solver. I will advocate for myself and other, locally and globally. I will educate and inspire others to act. I will feel empowered to make a difference in the world.

*want more information on the Girl Scout Leadership Outcomes? Visit www.girlscout.org/research/publications/outcomes/transforming_leadership.asp

EXAMPLES OF IMMEDIATE IMPACT

Within each leadership key (Discover, Connect and Take Action) list one or two examples of your growth as a leader.

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SAMPLE PRESS RELEASE (Troop or Indie Girl)

Date:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Members of Troop________ Received their Girl Scout Silver

Award(s)

Girl Scouts Western Pennsylvania is honored to present…… with the Girl Scout

Silver Award, the highest recognition for achievement in Girl Scouting at the

Cadette level (girls age 11-14).The Silver Award is the highest award a Cadette can

earn. ……..……, is the daughter of…….… from the …….. area. As a Girl Scout

member for….. years she was supported in her Silver Award efforts by……….

<If the award is earned through a Troop project, please use the following>

The Troop's …… -hour Silver Award project began in……….and was completed

in……….

Through a leadership project, the girls wanted to address the issue of

………………. When they discovered that there was a need for……………..the

girls worked to change the ………..issue by addressing the root cause and enacting

a sustainable change in the community.

The members of Troop …….used their strengths, talents, and skills and put their

plan into action to earn the Silver Award while each taking a leadership role.

<If the award is earned through an individual project, please use the following>

……'s …… -hour Silver Award project began in……….and was completed

in……….

Through a leadership project, the she wanted to address the issue of ……………….

When she discovered that there was a need for…………….. she worked to change

the ………..issue by addressing the root cause and enacting a sustainable change in

the community.

…….used her strength, talent, and skills and put her plan into action to earn the

Silver Award while taking a leadership role.

About Girl Scouts

Founded in 1912, Girl Scouts of the USA is the preeminent leadership experience for girls

and is the leading authority on girls' healthy development. Girl Scouts builds girls of

courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. The 3-million-

member organization serves girls from every corner of the United States and its territories.

Girl Scouts of the USA also serves American girls and their classmates attending American

or international schools overseas in 90 countries. For more information on how to join,

volunteer, reconnect or donate to Girl Scouts Western Pennsylvania, call 1-800-248-3355 or

visit gswpa.org.

http://www.gswpa.org/

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�� Girl Scouts Western Pennsylvania

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Girl Guidelines The Girl Scout Silver Award

Have you ever looked around your neighborhood or school and wondered how you

could make a change for the better? Going for the Girl Scout Silver Award—the highest

award a Girl Scout Cadette can earn—gives you the chance to show that you are a

leader who is organized, determined, and dedicated to improving your community.

Earning the award puts you among an exceptional group of girls who have used their

knowledge and leadership skills to make a difference in the world.

Here are the steps you’ll take to earn your Girl Scout Silver Award:

1. Go on a Cadette journey.

2. Identify issues you care about.

3. Build your Girl Scout Silver Award team or decide to go solo.

4. Explore your community.

5. Pick your Take Action project.

6. Develop your project.

7. Make a plan and put it into motion.

8. Reflect, share your story, and celebrate.

Once you complete your journey, the suggested minimum time for earning your Girl

Scout Silver Award is 50 hours. These suggested hours are a guide. You can start by

planning the time in chunks, dividing it up by the steps.

As a Girl Scout, you are committed to doing your very best with each step, but how

much time per step is different for every Girl Scout, so the hours aren't a rule.

Remember, too, that the hours include the fun and challenges you’ll share with your

Silver Award team. Each step you take toward making a difference in the world around

you gives you a great chance to learn and grow, and that will make your award project

an amazing one!

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Step 1: Go on a Cadette Journey

The first requirement for earning your Girl Scout Silver Award is completing one

Cadette journey. Choose either It’s Your World—Change It! or It’s Your Planet—Love

It! This important step helps you build the skills you need to take on your award

project and understand how to show leadership through the discover, connect, and

take action keys.

Once you’ve finished your journey, celebrate your accomplishment and get ready to

move forward toward your goal: earning a Girl Scout Silver Award! (Tip: Keep your

journey(s) handy as you work toward your award—you might find yourself going back

to it for ideas.)

Step 2: Identify Issues You Care About

To solve any problem, you must first identify it. Start by asking yourself what matters

most to you.

• Do you find yourself reading articles about endangered species?

• Do you worry about where homeless children sleep at night?

• Do you wish that younger students had a cheerful place to stay after school

while waiting for their parents to pick them up?

If so, what connections can you make between the issues that you care about and the

issues in your own community?

Start by jotting down some issues that concern you in the following Issues Chart.

You’re not choosing your project yet, just tuning in to the topics you care about.

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Issues Chart

Issue that Concern

You

Why Is it Important to

You?

How Does this Issue

Affect Your

Community?

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Step 3: Build your Girl Scout Silver Award Team

There are two ways to earn your Girl Scout Silver Award: You can work with a small

team of three to four girls, or you can create and implement your own project.

• Small team model: The girls you work with can be Girl Scouts, non-Girl

Scouts, or a combination of both. If the other Girl Scout Cadettes on your team

also wish to earn the Girl Scout Silver Award, each girl must play an active role

in choosing, planning, and developing the team’s Take Action project. Keeping

your team small ensures that everyone can participate fully. You and your team

will also partner with others in the community to complete your project.

• Solo model: You can create and implement a project on your own. However, if

you choose the solo option, you will still want to partner with others in your

community (friends, neighbors, and business owners) in order to earn your

award. After all, leaders like you know how to team up with others, even when

they’re in charge.

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If you’ve decided to work independently, you can skip to step 4. If you’re working with

other Girl Scout Cadettes who also wish to earn the Girl Scout Silver Award, use the

following tips to create a great team.

Build a team whose members all commit to:

• Respecting different points of view and ways of work

• Contributing to the project—everyone needs to help out!

• Accepting constructive suggestions

• Working together to create and develop a plan

• Resolving conflicts

Team members don’t always agree, but leaders know how to help others get along.

When disagreements arise, remember:

• To be considerate and respectful of your fellow teammates

• To be a sister to every Girl Scout on your team

• That cooperation is very important when working with others

After you’ve built your team, hold your first meeting! If you don’t know each other

well—or even if you do! —play a team game to get better acquainted. Spend some

time discussing what makes a great team and how you’d like your team to work

together. Write everyone’s suggestions on a large piece of paper and post that paper

on the wall every time you have team meetings. Before the end of your first meeting,

discuss how often you want to get together and where you’ll meet.

Step 4: Explore Your Community

Now that you have begun to think about issues that concern you, it’s time to do some

exploring to find out what your community needs are and where your areas of interest

and the community needs may overlap.

Communities are groups of people who have something in common. You belong to

many communities: Your school is a community, for example. So is your math class or

your debate team. Even kids who ride the same bus every day are a community. Other

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communities include your neighborhood, your place of worship, your town, and so on.

Think about what communities you belong to.

After you’ve listed your communities, think of ways to “map” them. A community map

is a drawing that shows the community’s needs and resources, including contacts who

might help you when you start working on your Take Action project.

The key to making a community map is observation. Because a community is made up

of people, you’ll be looking for what people need—that is, what will improve their lives,

help them out, or make them happier. To get started, try walking through your school,

biking around your neighborhood, or taking a bus ride through your town. During the

course of your travels, you’ll naturally see different aspects of your community as you

shop at stores, gather at your Girl Scout meeting place, go to school, and so on.

You can also visit places (such as the library, town hall, or community center, or your

church, synagogue, or mosque) where there are people and resources who can help

you identify community needs. You might even attend one or more town meetings to

find out what concerns people in your area.

Continue to draw your map by writing down the things you see that could be improved

or places where your special talents and skills could be used. (Tip: Go back to your

journey(s) for more ideas about spotting community needs.) When you meet people

who might be able to help you with your project, jot down their names and contact

information in the following Community Contact List.

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Community Contact List

Community

Contact Organization

Contact

information How They Can Help

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Now it’s time to talk to people to get in-depth information about community issues. As

you conduct interviews, you’ll improve your communication skills, begin to see how

your time and talents can make an impact, and build a network of contacts you may

need when you do your Take Action project.

Start by talking to people you know, such as neighbors or teachers, and then asking

them to introduce you to other people in your community, such as business owners,

neighbors, teachers or school officials, religious leaders, council members, police

officers, and staff members at community centers.

Note: Always be safe when you talk to new people! Discuss safety tips with your

troop/group volunteer and family, and always go with a friend or team member. Also,

before going online, remember to take the Girl Scout Internet Safety Pledge at

www.girlscouts.org/internet_safety_pledge.asp. And of course never give out your

address, or any other personal information when you’re on the Internet.

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Prepare your questions ahead of time so you can use your interview time wisely. Here

are some questions to get you started:

• I’m interested in doing a project that will help the community. What are some of

the issues affecting our community? Do you know about how people have tried

to work on these issues in the past? What worked? What didn’t work?

• Can you suggest a project I could do to address one of these issues?

Step 5: Pick Your Take Action Project

You’ve come a long way to get to this point! Now that you’ve thought about the issues

you care about and explored your community, it’s time to choose a project based on

what you’ve learned.

Before you pick your project:

• Review your Issues Chart, community map, and interview notes. If you are

working with a team, do this together, of course! If you are on your own, pull a

few people together (such as your troop/group volunteer, friends, sisters or

brothers, a teacher, and so on) to help you sort through all you have gathered.

• Choose a project based on what matters most to you or where you think you

can create some positive change. If you have a hard time deciding, write a

pro/con list for each choice. If you are working on this part solo, ask your

troop/group volunteer for help.

• Many issues are big and complicated—and hard to fix! It might be a good idea to

narrow your focus. Pick just one aspect of your issue, and then develop a

solution to that specific problem. (Imagine focusing a camera lens in order to

get a clear picture. The process of focusing an idea so that it’s simple and clear

is just like that.)

• Remember, you can always go back to your journeys for project ideas and

examples.

After you’ve chosen your project, make sure everyone is clear about what you want to

do and why. As a team, answer these questions:

• What is our project?

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• Why does it matter?

• Who will it help?

Think about the following:

• Which of your leadership skills do you think you’ll use as you work on your Take

Action project?

• How will these skills help you better understand who you are and what you can

do?

• How will you live the Girl Scout Promise and Law while earning your Girl Scout

Silver Award?

Step 6: Develop Your Project

Now that you’ve chosen a project, it’s time to make a plan.

Before You Start

The following questions will help you think through your project before you get started:

• What steps do we need to take to reach our goal?

• What special talents can each girl use to help make the project a success?

• What did we learn when we earned our Girl Scout Cadette journey awards that

will help us make sure this project runs smoothly?

• Do we know enough to get started or do we need more background information?

Where can we get that information?

• Which groups or organizations can we work with? Who can we ask for help?

• How can we get other people involved?

• What supplies will we need?

• How will we earn money for our project, if necessary? Your troop/group

volunteer can help you come up with money-earning ideas that follow Girl Scout

policies. You can also ask for donations—for example, if you want to create a

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mural, the owner of the local hardware store may give you paint. And

remember, your time and talents are often more important than money. For

example, one girl was worried about food waste at her school. She could have

raised money to buy compost bins. Instead, she used her advocacy skills to

persuade school and town officials to set up a composting system. So be

creative! You may realize you don’t need that much money after all.

• How much time do we need to finish our project? Is that timeline realistic?

Make It Last

You’ll be investing a lot of yourself in your project, so of course you’ll want to develop

it in such a way that it keeps going even after you’re done. After all, this is a chance

for you to make your mark in your community!

For example, if you think the kids at your local elementary school need more

interesting stuff to do at recess, you might plan a week of special activities. But then

what? Well, how about planning team games that the fourth-graders can do with the

second graders all the time! Your Take Action project keeps going and going and

going. . . .

Remember to keep it simple! A clear, focused, and well-thought-out plan can often be

more sustainable than taking on a huge project. Here are some examples of Take

Action projects that will last:

Take Action Project #1

Problem: Kids can’t walk to school safely because there aren’t any sidewalks.

Root cause: Lack of planning when the roads were built.

Solution with long-term impact: Create a petition asking that a sidewalk be built,

get local residents to sign it, and present it to the city council.

Making the solution sustainable:

• Once the sidewalk is built, it will be in place for years, offering a safe route for

future generations.

• You may need to encourage kids to change their habits and walk—that can be a

fun group activity.

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Problem: Children in homeless shelters often struggle in school.

Root cause: Lack of stability and family resources, both financial and emotional.

Solution with long-term impact: Work with a local homeless shelter and school to

establish an ongoing tutoring program that matches student volunteers with children in

the shelter.


• Work with the school and shelter to find adult staff members who will continue

to coordinate the program.

• Establish a transition tradition, such as an end-of-school-year party, where

potential new student volunteers can meet current volunteers and people in the

homeless shelter.

Find a Project Advisor

Your project advisor is an expert who can answer specific questions about your issue.

Look at your list of the people you met while researching issues. Is there someone who

can serve as a project advisor? If you have not yet met anyone who is familiar with

your issue, talk to your troop/group volunteer. She or he might be able to help you

identify experts in your community.

Make a Global Connection

Think about others who may have worked on the same problem in the past, or check

the Internet to see how others around the globe deal with your issue. What can you

learn from their approach? Consider how you may be able to extend the reach of your

project into other communities besides your own. Are there ways to share your plan

with other communities who are facing the same issue? Can you create a plan that

other people could use to replicate your project in their own communities?

Take One Last Look

By this point, you’re probably anxious to get started. But before you get going, take a

step back and look at your project one more time. You may need to narrow your focus

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a bit more or shift your approach slightly in order to make the project work. That’s

okay! Taking some time to fine-tune your project now will make it easier to actually

get it done.

Ask other people for feedback, especially your troop/group volunteer. She or he will

make sure your project idea is complete and meets all the requirements for a Girl

Scout Silver Award Take Action project.

Even though you’ve done a lot of work already, remember to be open to new ideas and

suggestions. You may need to rethink certain parts of your project idea, but this will

help you refine your project and make it better. Once your project idea meets the

requirements, you’ll be ready to get started!

Step 7: Make a Plan and Put It Into Motion

It’s time to get started! Your project needs to involve action by you and your Silver

Award Team (if you have one), from the planning stages all the way to earning the Girl

Scout Silver Award.

Build a list of what you need to do and how it can be done, and then figure out who

will be doing what. Remember that you’re a team, so one or more girls can volunteer

for each task. Also decide when each task needs to be finished. Then write all the

information in a Make a Plan chart like the one the follows.

Make a Plan

What Is the Task? Who Will

Do It?

How

Will the Task

Be Done?

When

Will It Be

Done?

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When your steps are identified and your plan is set . . . do it! Keep a record as you go

by taking photos, shooting video, or making a scrapbook. Not only will it make it easier

to share you story when you’re finished, but it’s lots of fun!

Step 8: Reflect, Share Your Story, and Celebrate

Congratulations, you have completed a project that makes a difference! Take some

time to reflect on what you have accomplished. These questions may get you started:

• What did you discover about yourself?

• How did you connect with your local and global communities? Who do you know

now that you didn’t know before?

• What did you learn from others who worked to solve the same problem?

• How did that help you make your project better?

• What skills did you gain (such as public speaking, team building, advocacy,

blogging, and so on) that help you as a person and a leader?

• What impact did your Take Action project have on your community? How will it

go on past your involvement?

• How did you live the Girl Scout Promise and Law?

Demonstrating to an audience what you have learned sets the stage for even broader

impact, and is sometimes the best way for you to recognize what you have

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accomplished and see how much you have grown. It will also help you get others

inspired to act!

Here are some ideas for how you can share your story:

• Create a Web site or blog about what you have learned and how your project

will help your community.

• Log on to some Web sites where you can share your story:

o World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts:

www.wagggs.org/en/projects

o Taking it Global: www.tigweb.org

o Global Youth Service Day: www.globalyouthserviceday.org

• At a workshop for community members, present what you have learned and

what your project will do for the community. Or do a presentation for a group of

younger Girl Scouts—you will definitely inspire them!

• Make a video about your project and post it online. Invite friends, community

leaders, and people from organizations that are tackling a similar issue to watch

and share your video with others.

• Write an essay or an article for your local or school newspaper.

As you wind down your project, remember to thank all the people who helped you

along the way, from the people you interviewed to those who drove you around town!

Not only is this good manners, but also an inspiration to people when they hear what

you’ve done—and they’ll be proud to know they helped make it happen.

Now celebrate your accomplishment! You took the challenge and made a difference in

your world!

AdultVolunteerGuide

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Adult Guide The Girl Scout Silver Award

As a Girl Scout troop/group volunteer, you are choosing to use your experience and

time to help girls learn about themselves and the world around them, gain new skills,

overcome challenges, and make a difference in their community. In so doing, you are

preparing them for a lifetime of caring about others in their community and the world.

You’ll guide girls and make going for their Girl Scout Silver Award a fun and fulfilling

experience. Plus, girls earn the highest award for a Girl Scout Cadette.

Your primary role as a troop/group volunteer is to support Girl Scout Cadettes as they

complete a Cadette journey and create a Take Action project that improves their

neighborhood or local community. After girls complete the Cadette journey, the

suggested minimum time for earning their Girl Scout Silver Award is 50 hours for an

individual girl or each girl on the small team. Girls earn the award by focusing on an

issue they care about; building a team; exploring their community; picking, planning,

and putting their Take Action project into action; demonstrating an understanding of

sustainability and the wider world; and sharing what they have learned with others.

Tips for the Troop/Group Volunteer

The following are the steps Girl Scout Cadettes will complete to earn the Girl Scout

Silver Award, along with tips for how you can help. Use these tips along with the girl

guidelines for the Girl Scout Silver Award, which is posted on the Girl Scouts of the

USA Web site at www.girlscouts.org.

Step 1: Go on a Girl Scout Cadette Journey

What girls do:

• Get a full experience, using the three keys to leadership: Discover, Connect, and

Take Action.

• Gain skills from the Girl Scout Cadette journey that will help them create, plan,

and develop their award project.

Why they do it:

• Girls gain the skills they’ll need to create a Take Action project that is based on

an issue they care about in their neighborhood or local community.

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• Girls apply the Girl Scout Promise and Law, which ensures that they are honest

and fair, friendly and helpful, considerate and caring, courageous and strong;

that they respect themselves, others, and authority; and that they use

resources wisely and take responsibility for what they say and do.

Coaching tips:

• Encourage girls to talk about what they learned by completing a journey. Use

the tips in the journey adult guides.

• Suggest they reflect and share where and how they applied the Girl Scout

Promise and Law as they completed the journey.

Step 2: Identify Issues You Care About

What girls do:

• Explore their interests and how those relate to issues that concern them.

Why they do it:

• This step lays the foundation for girls to imagine new solutions for the issues

that interest them.

Coaching tips:

• Help girls explore their interests using the Issues Chart in the girl guidelines.

• Create an open, comfortable environment where girls (whether one girl or a

group) can share their thoughts and ideas.

• Encourage girls to take time to think about what really matters to them. When

something matters, it becomes a fun challenge to think of different solutions.

• Guide girls as they fill out their Issues Chart.

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Step 3: Build Your Girl Scout Cadette Team or Decide to Go Solo

What girls do:

• Form a team of Girl Scouts (approximately two to four Cadettes), non–Girl

Scouts or a combination of both. If other Girl Scout Cadettes are on the team

they can also earn the Girl Scout Silver Award. Each Girl Scout Cadette going for

the Girl Scout Silver Award must play an active role in choosing, planning and

developing the team’s Take Action project.

• If working solo, independently connect with people in the community.

• Learn and develop team-building skills.

Why they do it:

• Cooperative learning encourages team-building, trust-building, and problem-

solving.

Coaching tips:

• Encourage girls to demonstrate being a friend to every Girl Scout as they build

their team.

• Work with girls to locate people in the community who might be able to help

with their project.

• Use games and activities to promote team-building.

• Use the following tips to help girls create and maintain a strong team at each

step:

Traits of a Good Team Coaching Tips

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Have fun! Keep things light-hearted. Take a team picture, encourage girls to come up

with a fun name for their team, and so on.

Step 4: Explore Your Community

What girls do:

• By exploring their community, girls find out what their community needs and

where their areas of interest and community needs overlap. Girls move from

thinking about issues they care about in general to finding specific

problems/opportunities/solutions they want to address.

Why they do it:

• Getting to know their community is a learning experience, in which girls take the

time to see the world around them from different perspectives and to get ideas

about what is needed and what is possible.

Coaching tips:

Observation and Exploration

• Encourage girls to take time to explore their neighborhood and local community

in a new way. Doing so will help them develop an awareness and a new

understanding of local issues, how issues are tackled, and how improvements

are made.

• Encourage girls to have fun while they’re out and about, talking with people and

exploring their community.

5


• If working with a small group of girls, encourage the group to share their

individual observations from their community exploration and brainstorm ways

that they can make a difference in their community.

Community Map

• Guide girls as they draw a community map. Creating a community map allows

girls to observe different aspects of their community and look for what people

need—that is, what will improve their lives. By exploring and observing their

community, girls connect with people who may help them with their Take Action

project.

Connecting with the Community

• Guide girls as they interview people in the community. By interviewing people

they meet, girls improve their communication skills and begin to see how their

time and talents can make an impact.

• Encourage girls to build a network of contacts that they can get in touch with

later, as they work on their Take Action project.

• As girls meet and talk with new people, remind them to be safe and to make

sure adults know who they are meeting with, when they’ll return home, and

which adults or other girls are accompanying them.

Note: Girls are likely to research information online for their project, so discuss the

Girl Scout Internet Safety Pledge (www.girlscouts.org/internet_safety_pledge.asp) and

encourage girls to commit to the pledge.

Step 5: Pick Your Take Action Project

What girls do:

• Decide (as an individual or a small team) which issue that they would like to

address and identify the root cause or underlying reason for the issue that their

project will address.

Why they do it:

• By addressing the root cause of the problem, girls will have a better chance of

ensuring that the solution they come up with works and is lasting.

6


• the girls care about the issues they have chosen, they will be engaged and enjoy

working on the Take Action project.

Coaching tips:

• Guide girls as they review their Issues Chart, community map, and interview

notes.

• Help them understand what a Take Action project for the Girl Scout Silver Award

is (a project that addresses the root cause of a problem in the local

neighborhood or community and brings about lasting change). Use the examples

in the girl guidelines.

• Encourage girls to choose a project that is either based on what matters most to

them or based on where they think they can create the most positive change.

Making a pro/con list is helpful.

• Discuss with girls the leadership skills they can apply to the project.

• Although there are many projects that do not require fundraising or money-

earning, some do. The girls may need to come up with ideas for how they can

cover expenses. Follow the guidelines in the Volunteer Packet and Safety-Wise.

• Remind girls to be realistic about their project choice. Encourage them to think

about the greatest good they can bring about, based on their available time and

resources.

• Girls may need the help of an expert, a project advisor. This is optional and

depends on the project.

• After girls choose their project, guide them as they answer the following

questions. This will ensure that everyone is clear about what they want to do

and why.

o What is our project?

o Why does it matter?

o Who will it help?

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• Encourage girls to think about the leadership skills they will use during the

course of their Take Action project and how these skills can help them

understand themselves and what they are capable of.

Step 6: Develop Your Project

What girls do:

• Develop a plan for creating measurable and sustainable impact in the

neighborhood or local community.

Why they do it:

• Girls learn through taking the initiative on their own and engaging in hands-on

activities that help them gain new skills.

Coaching tips:

• Before girls start developing their project, encourage them to answer the

questions in their guidelines.

• Discuss what the girls hope to accomplish with this project and why it matters to

them.

• Partner with girls to create a timeline, set up a budget, and locate resources for

their project.

• Pose the following questions to help girls think about sustainability:

o Does the issue that was chosen address a need in the neighborhood or

local community?

o Has the root cause of the problem been identified?

o How have other people addressed this issue in a different place or a

different situation?

o Can the solution last even after you have earned your award?

o Do you have an idea of a person or group of people who might be able to

continue your project in the future?

8


o Can the project be expanded later?

o How would you go about sharing your project so that other people can be

inspired to get involved even after you earn your award?

• Help girls ensure sustainability in their project by encouraging them to:

o Focus on ways that others can keep the project going.

o Partner with people in the community (community groups, civic

associations, non-profit agencies, local government, and religious

organizations make great partners) who can carry the project into the

future.

The following are two examples of Take Action projects that are sustainable. These are

also included in the girl guidelines.


Problem: Kids can’t walk to school safely because there aren’t any sidewalks.

Root cause: Lack of planning when the roads were built.

Solution with long-term impact: Create a petition asking that a sidewalk be built,

get local residents to sign it, and present it to the city council.


• Once the sidewalk is built, it will be in place for years, offering a safe route for

future generations.

• You may need to encourage kids to change their habits and walk—that can be a

fun group activity.


Problem: Children in homeless shelters often struggle in school.

Root cause: Lack of stability and family resources, both financial and emotional.

Solution with long-term impact: Work with a local homeless shelter and school to

establish an ongoing tutoring program that matches student volunteers with children in

the shelter.


9


• Work with the school and shelter to find adult staff members who will continue

to coordinate the program.

• Establish a transition tradition, such as an end-of-school-year party, where

potential new student volunteers can meet current volunteers and people in the

homeless shelter.

Finding a Project Advisor

Although this is not required as part of the Girl Scout Silver Award, some girls might

want to enlist the help of an expert who can answer specific questions about their

issue. This person can be the team or individual girl’s project advisor.

If girls choose to work with a project advisor, guide them as they make their decision.

Discuss who might work best; this could be someone they met while researching

issues or someone they have not yet met, but who is familiar with their issue. Offer

suggestions: a local business owner, an official at City Hall, a teacher?

Making a Global Connection

Encourage girls to check the Internet to see how others around the globe deal with

their issue. Encourage girls to consider how they might be able to extend the reach of

their project into other communities besides their own. Are there ways to share their

plan with other communities who are facing the same issue? Can the girls create a

plan that other people could use to replicate their project in other communities?

Through connecting with new friends outside of their immediate community, girls learn

how others have solved similar issues and determine if the ideas of others can help

with their plan.

Step 7: Make a Plan and Put it Into Motion

What girls do:

• Write a list of what they need to accomplish, who will be doing which tasks and

when the tasks need to be completed using their Make a Plan chart.

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Why they do it:

• Girls build critical-thinking skills and become creative problem-solvers as they

address challenges, work cooperatively with their team, and stay open to new

ways of work.

• Girls use their leadership skills to create a project in their community that has

measurable and sustainable impact.

Coaching tips:

• Let girls take the lead to plan and implement their project.

• Guide girls as they fill out their Make a Plan chart.

• Encourage girls to keep a to-do list for what they would like to accomplish with

their project.

This can be the most fun and rewarding step in earning the award; seeing the project

happen can be very exciting! Nevertheless, things sometimes don’t go exactly as

planned. Help girls be persistent and persevere through challenging times.

Step 8: Reflect, Share Your Story, and Celebrate

What girls do:

• Reflect on what they have achieved.

• Share their experiences to educate and inspire others to act.

• Discuss the impact the project made on themselves and their community.

• Celebrate their accomplishment.

Why they do it:

• Reflection promotes critical thinking and helps broaden girls’ perspectives about

the world and how they can help.

• Through reflection, girls understand the impact of their project on the

community and how it might relate to others in other community.

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• Demonstrating to an audience what girls have learned sets the stage for even

broader impact.

• Spreading the word encourages girls to think about what they have learned and

helps them inspire others to make things better.

• As girls share and demonstrate their project achievements, helping them see

how what they have learned sets the stage for even broader impact.

Coaching tips:

• Guide girls as they use the insight they gained from answering the reflection

questions in their award guidelines to spread the word and inspire others to act.

• Discuss the impact the experience had on girls, their team, and their

community.

• Help girls share their experience/effort with a wider audience. Girls can log on to

the following Web sites to share their stories. Remind girls about the Girl Scouts’

Internet safety pledge.

o WAGGGS world: www.wagggs.org/en/projects

o Taking it Global: www.tigweb.org

o Global Youth Service Day: www.globalyouthserviceday.org

• Make the sharing experience fun, and honor the achievement by encouraging

the girls to be creative in how they capture others’ imaginations (girls can make

a video, write an essay or article, or organize a fun event where they can

present what they have learned and what their project is about to the

community).

• Use the Leadership Outcomes/Possible Indicators chart to help girls reflect on

their experience.

Your hard work and dedication has helped an individual Girl Scout Cadette or a group

of Girl Scout Cadettes become leaders who used their talents to positively impact their

community. Congratulations! Celebrate the accomplishment!

12


The Girl Scout Leadership Experience

In Girl Scouting, Discover + Connect + Take Action = Leadership. The entire Girl Scout

program, regardless of the exact topic, is designed to lead to leadership outcomes (or

benefits) that stem from these three keys.

• Discover: Girls will 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.

It’s not only about the activities girls do, however, but the processes they use to do

them that builds leadership. The Girl Scout processes promote the fun and friendship

that have always been so integral to Girl Scouting.

• Girl-led: Girls play an active part in figuring out the what, where, when, how,

and why of their activities.

• Learning by doing: Girls use a hands-on learning process that engages them

in continuous cycles of action and reflection that result in deeper understanding

of concepts and mastery of practical skills.

• Cooperative learning: Through cooperative learning, girls work together

toward goals that can be accomplished only with the help of others, in an

atmosphere of respect and collaboration.

When Discover, Connect, and Take Action activities are girl-led and involve learning by

doing and cooperative learning, girls achieve the desired and expected short-term

outcomes. This ultimately results in Girl Scouting achieving its mission of building “girls

of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.”

Through the Girl Scout Leadership Experience, girls gain specific knowledge, skills,

attitudes, behaviors, and values in Girl Scouting. Help girls reflect on the experience,

the impact they have had and how the experience has helped to strengthen their

leadership skills. Use the fifteen outcomes on the next page as a springboard.

For more about The Girl Scout Leadership Experience including the leadership

outcomes on the next page, go to www.girlscouts.org/gsle.

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This chart helps you guide the girls as they reflect on what they have learned and how they used their

leadership skills to make a difference in the world. The leadership outcomes will show girls how they developed,

while the possible indicators will show you how those outcomes are exhibited.

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The Girl Scout Silver Award - Senior Troop 54301bptroop54301.weebly.com/.../6/8306170/silver-award... · The Girl Scout Silver Award is the highest award in Girl Scouting that girl’s