Field
Our Council
400
300
58 Counties
Our Council Vision
We empower girls to be confident leaders and changemakers through programming and experiences designed to nurture the qualities of leadership, innovation, compassion, and ambition in an environment where Girl Scouts take the lead.
Visit Us
We’d love for you to visit us at one of our Girl Scout Centers, camps, or our Girl Scout Shop. Check out our website for more information: gsnwgl.org
Welcome to Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes!
We’re so glad you’re here. This guide explains the Girl Scout program and how you can partner to serve Girl Scouts across northern Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula through events. As a Program Partner, you can share your expertise, facilities, and the experiences you already offer—with Girl Scouts in your community. With you as a resource, Girl Scouts can explore hands-on activities in the areas of STEM, entrepreneurship, outdoor education, practical life skills, arts and culture, community service, and so much more.
As a partner, Girl Scout troops and families will contact you directly to schedule field trips, guest speakers, or any other opportunity you wish to offer.
We’re very passionate about what we do. We welcome all Girl Scouts, their families, our volunteers, and our partners who lead with their hearts. Together, we’re making an impact
How It Works
How It Works
1. Become a Program Partner by reading this guide, completing a Program Partnership Agreement, and submitting a certificate of insurance if Girl Scouts are visiting your facility.
2. We will promote your opportunity to our members on our website, social media, newsletters, and more.
3. You can promote your opportunity on your website, social media, in print, or anywhere else.
4. Girl Scout volunteers will contact you directly to schedule experiences for their group of about 8 to 12 Girl Scouts.
Ways to Partner
Member Perk Discounts: Girl Scouts receive a discount or special offer on admission or tickets for activities, attractions, and facilities that are open to the public, without additional Girl Scout-specific programming.
Field Trips & Travel Opportunities: Girl Scouts come to your facility and are led through a hands-on activity, tour, or other Girl Scout-specific programming.
Speakers, Experts, and Safety Consultants: Girl Scouts invite you to their location to share your expertise as a guest speaker, lead them through a hands-on activity, or serve as a safety consultant for activities requiring safety certifications, like lifeguarding for water activities.
Girl Scout Leadership Experience
A great field trip should offer the Girl Scout Leadership Experience through what we do, and how we do it.
What We Do
• Discover | Opportunities for Girl Scouts to understand themselves and their values and use their knowledge and skills to explore the world.
• Connect | Opportunities for Girl Scouts to care about, inspire, and collaborate with others locally and globally.
• Take Action | Opportunities for Girl Scouts to make the world a better place.
How We Do It
• Girl Scout-led | Kids taking an active and age-appropriate role in figuring out the what, where, when, why, and how of what they do.
• Learning by Doing | Kids exploring hands-on activities and engage in an ongoing cycle of action and reflection.
• Cooperative Learning | Kids sharing their knowledge, skills, and learning in an atmosphere of respect and cooperation.
What Girl Scouts Get
• Strong Sense of Self | Girl Scouts have confidence in themselves and their abilities and form positive identities.
• Positive Values | Girl Scouts act ethically, honestly, and responsibly, and show concern for others.
• Challenge Seeking | Girl Scouts take appropriate risks, try things even if they might fail, and learn from mistakes.
• Healthy Relationships | Girl Scouts develop and maintain healthy relationships by communicating their feelings directly and resolving conflicts constructively.
• Community Problem Solving | Girl Scouts desire to contribute to the world in purposeful and meaningful ways, learn how to identify problems in the community, and create action plans to solve them.
• Achieving Our Mission | Girl Scouts lead with courage, confidence, and character to make the world a better place.
Daisies Grades K–1
Everything they’ll do as a Daisy sparkles with that “first time ever” newness. Along the way, they’ll use their energy and spirit to help others and take pride in making the world a better place.
Brownies
Grades 2–3
Brownies are excitement personified. They can’t wait to explore their world and share their interests—from bugs to ballet—with friends. Trying new things broadens their horizons and teaches them skills they can share with others. Learning to lead has never been so fun.
Juniors
Grades 4–5
If there’s one thing Junior Girl Scouts have, it’s confidence. Whether they’re making posters for a canned food drive, designing a website for their cookie business, or just raising their hand in class, they’ve got something to say. They can put their skills to use improving your community—and earn the Girl Scout Bronze Award in the process.
Program Grade Levels Serving Kindergarten
through 12th grade
Cadettes Grades
6–8
Girl Scout Cadettes have got this. From road trips with their best friends to organizing and livestreaming an ecofriendly fashion show, they’re sure of their abilities and use their growing independence to realize their dreams. When they research a problem in their community and take action to solve it, they can earn the Girl Scout Silver Award.
Seniors Grades 9–10
About
Girl Scout Progression
Grow up in Girl Scouting! Our program moves through a valuable progression of skills, abilities, and activities that change with every grade level. For example, a Brownie Girl Scout can earn the Pets badge in 3rd grade and then earn the Animal Habitats badge as a 4th grade Junior Girl Scout.
Who’s ready to spread their wings? Girl Scout Seniors. Whether they’re learning how to change a tire or discovering how to get their dream job someday they’re on their way. They’re also making their mark on the world. When they create a plan and put it into action to make sustainable improvements in their community, they can earn the Girl Scout Gold Award.
Ambassadors
Grades 11–12
Girl Scout Ambassadors don’t just follow in others’ footsteps—they carve their own paths. Their innovative thinking, optimism, and ability to bring people together inspires everyone around them. And when they combine their passions with a plan, they can be a real world-changer. Their vision, experience, and dedication are all they need to get on the path toward becoming a Gold Award Girl Scout.
Progression is present in badges, Journeys, Highest Awards, outdoor skills and experiences, travel, and entrepreneurship. Progression is even noticed in relationships with adult volunteers! For example, our youngest Girl Scouts rely on volunteers to create their Girl Scout experiences, but over time, older Girl Scouts learn to make their own plans and rely on volunteers to guide—not direct—them as they shape their own Girl Scout experiences.
Our Program Foundations
Our programming focuses on these four creative, skill-building areas.
STEM
Girl Scouts learn the importance and relevance of STEM to people and society and discover options for their own career paths.
Outdoors
Girl Scouts create outdoor adventures and develop a lifelong appreciation for nature and the out-of-doors.
Entrepreneurship
Girl Scouts learn to think like an entrepreneur: they set goals, make decisions, build interpersonal skills, and strengthen their work ethic.
Life Skills
Badge topics like civic engagement, healthy living, and communication help Girl Scouts grow in confidence to lead their best lives!
Program Developing Your Opportunity
Member Perk Discounts
Girl Scouts receive a discount or special offer on admission or tickets for activities, attractions, and facilities that are open to the public, without additional Girl Scout-specific programming.
Girl Scouts love visiting their local museums, attending sporting events, seeing a show at a theater, bouncing at the trampoline park, and so much more. Already offer group discounts or packages? Consider opening the promotion to Girl Scout groups, too!
Field Trips & Travel Opportunities
Girl Scouts come to your facility and are led through a hands-on activity, tour, or other Girl Scout-specific programming.
Learning is brought to life when Girl Scouts can experience it firsthand. From touring bowling allies, banks, manufacturers, and grocery stores behind the scenes, to rock climbing and coding robots, no experience is too big or too small.
Already offer tours or field trips? Consider opening those opportunities to Girl Scout groups.
Need help developing the offering? Use badge activities as a starting point. Check out our Badge Explorer to find a connection and get inspired: https://www.girlscouts.org/en/members/for-girl-scouts/badges-journeysawards/badge-explorer.html
Speakers, Experts, and Safety Consultants
Girl Scouts invite you to their location to share your expertise as a guest speaker, lead them through a hands-on activity, or serve as a safety consultant for activities requiring safety certifications, like lifeguarding for water activities.
Girl Scouts often need to hear from an expert to earn a badge. From environmental stewardship and Leave No Trace to automotive engineers, Girl Scouts can benefit from your career, education, or lived experience. You can bring and lead an activity or simply offer to guest speak and answer questions. Check out our Badge Explorer to find a connection and get inspired: https://www.girlscouts.org/en/members/for-girl-scouts/ badges-journeys-awards/badge-explorer.html
Girl Scouts love tackling challenging activities, but not every volunteer has the safety certifications needed to make it happen. By serving as a Safety Consultant, you can bring your safety knowledge and expertise to help Girl Scouts explore safely. As a safety consultant, you may lead the activity or ensure a safe environment while a volunteer leads, depending on the activity type. Safety Consultants must have documented experience and any required certifications.
Activity
Safety Certifications Accepted
Downhill skiing and snowboarding Professional Ski Instructors of America and/or American Association of Snowboard Instructors
Water activities
Boating/paddling activities
Archery
Low ropes
Fires and outdoor cooking
American Red Cross Basic Water Rescue
American Red Cross Lifeguarding with Waterfront Module, American Canoe Association (type and level dependent on activity and class), and/or small craft
National Field Archery Association, USA Archery, and/or Easton Foundation
GSNWGL Low Ropes Training
GSNWGL Outdoor Education Training
For more information and a full list of Girl Scout activities, certifications, and safety expectations, see our Safety Activity Checkpoints: https:// vc.gsnwgl.org/national-safety-activity-checkpoints/
Using Badges
Badges are about skill building. When a Girl Scout earns a badge, it shows that they have learned a new skill, such as how to make a healthy snack, build and test a toy race car, or take great digital photos. Badges may even spark an interest at school or plant the seed for a future career.
To earn a badge, Girl Scouts complete five steps, and badge booklets offer three activity choices for each step. As a Program Partner, you can help Girl Scouts earn just one or two steps—or all five! The activities you use can come from the badge booklet suggestions, but they don’t have to. If you have a different idea based on your setting or expertise—go for it! And remember, your offerings don’t have to align perfectly with a badge to be a good fit. We’re all about new takes, different perspectives, and earning the spirit of the badge—not checking tasks off of a list.
Check out our Badge Explorer to find a connection and get inspired: https://www.girlscouts.org/en/members/for-girl-scouts/badges-journeysawards/badge-explorer.html
Other Directions
Offering an experience to earn a badge isn’t the only worthwhile experience you can offer. Other directions include:
• Providing experiences connected to our program areas: STEM, Outdoor, Entrepreneurship, and Life Skills
• Offering existing field trips, without any Girl Scout-specific spin.
• Providing volunteer opportunities for Girl Scouts to support your organization
• Suggesting service projects to benefit your organization, and then offering a tour or experience upon completion Have a different idea? Let’s try it out!
Pricing
You can charge a fee for your experiences, either per person or per group.
Safety
Adult Supervision
Girl Scouts must be supervised by adult Girl Scout volunteers at all times, and at no time should an Event Partner be alone with youth. Our adult Girl Scout volunteers are all registered members who have passed background checks. Allowing adult supervision and chaperone responsibilities to stay with them allows us to ensure Girl Scouts are safe and allows you to focus on your fantastic offerings!
Safety Activity Checkpoints, Including Girl Scouts with Disabilities, and more!
Nearly every potential activity is listed in our Safety Activity Checkpoints. Look yours up to find recommendations for appropriate age groups, instructor knowledge, safety gear, tips on how to include Girl Scouts with disabilities, and so much more.
https://vc.gsnwgl.org/national-safety-activity-checkpoints/
Insurance
If you plan to have Girl Scouts visit your facility, you must submit a certificate of insurance annually to verify your general liability coverage. For high-risk activities—including but not limited to horse stables, high ropes courses, or archery ranges—you must verify at least $1,000,000 in general liability coverage.
Waivers
You are welcome to ask Girl Scout caregivers to sign waivers for the Girl Scouts participating in your offerings. Remember to send them to the Girl Scout volunteer in advance, because Girl Scouts often carpool and caregivers may not be present at drop off.
Photography
Every Girl Scout has the option to opt out of being photographed. Before taking photos, ask permission from the adult chaperones and the individuals being photographed.
Equity and Inclusion
We have a strong commitment to equity and inclusion, and we welcome and embrace Girl Scouts of all abilities and backgrounds. As a Program Partner, we ask that you honor these values when working with Girl Scouts by:
• Welcoming every Girl Scout and focusing on building community
• Practicing empathy
• Emphasizing cooperation instead of competition
• Providing a safe and affirming environment
• Teaching respect for, understanding of, and dignity toward all Girl Scouts and their families
• Honoring the intrinsic value of each person’s life
Practical Tips
• When scheduling, planning, and carrying out activities, carefully consider the needs of all Girl Scouts involved, including school schedules, family needs, financial constraints, religious holidays, and the accessibility of appropriate transportation and meeting places.
• Provide diverse representation in the presenters, role models, and examples that you use during your offerings.
• Make cultural connections that honor diverse histories, cultures, and identities during your offerings.
• Avoid judgement of cultural practices.
• Use respectful language.
• Follow the lead of an individual in how they identify (respecting pronouns, names, and identity/group names).
• Acquire a base knowledge about various communities—enough so to avoid slurs, microaggressions, and unintended harm.
• Let us know if you can offer your experiences in languages other than English.
Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes is proud to be part of an organization that has a 100+ year history of being welcoming and inclusive. Our policies of inclusion align with those of our national organization, Girl Scouts of the USA. We value diversity and inclusivity and do not discriminate or recruit on the basis of race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, national origin, or physical or developmental disability. Through our programming, called the Girl Scout Leadership Experience, girls develop skills to advance diversity and promote tolerance in the twenty-first century.
Further Resources
• Inclusion: https://vc.gsnwgl.org/inclusion/
• Supporting LGBTQ+ Girl Scouts: https://vc.gsnwgl.org/lgbtqia/
• Ability-Based Inclusion: https://vc.gsnwgl.org/wp-content/ uploads/2023/01/FINAL-Ability-Based-Inclusion-Guide.pdf
• Cultural Connections Without Cultural Appropriation: https:// vc.gsnwgl.org/troop-management/working-with-girls/inclusion/ inclusive-actions/
Girl Scout Mission
Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.
Girl Scout Promise
On my honor, I will try: To serve God* and my country, To help people at all times, And to live by the Girl Scout Law.
*Members may substitute for the word God in accordance with their own spiritual beliefs.
Girl Scout Law
I will do my best to be honest and fair, friendly and helpful, considerate and caring, courageous and strong, and responsible for what I say and do, and to respect myself and others, respect authority, use resources wisely, make the world a better place, and be a sister to every Girl Scout.
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