What’s the Difference? Take Action vs. Service Project
Giving back is always in season at Girl Scouts. Encourage your girls to harness that spirit of goodwill and bring their charitable intentions to life! As they look for meaningful ways to contribute to their community, you can help sharpen their problem-solving skills and expand their definition of philanthropy by discussing community service and Take Action projects. Take Action projects are required to complete the Bronze, Silver, and Gold Award. Need help knowing the difference? Here’s a few things to remember! Service (or Community Service) Projects make the world a better place right now. Whether your girls engage in a short-term community service project, like collecting toys for kids who live in shelters or a long-term project, like weekly volunteer shifts at a soup kitchen, their work fills an immediate need in the community. Take Action Projects take community service to the next level. Though the girls still identify areas in which they’d like to help their communities, a Take Action project addresses the root of an issue and creates a lasting effect. For Take Action Projects girls educate, publicize, and involve people in the community to come out and support it. Girls can even get community leaders involved. Unlike community service projects, Take Action projects go a step further than collecting, making, and donating needed items. Community service projects stop when girls stop, but Take Action projects are continual and sustainable. Whether you and your troop complete a community service project or Take Action project— Girl Scouts can help their community in so many ways!
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volunteer 411 • spring/summer 2022
