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The Girl Scout Leadership Experience
 Foundation of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience
Girl Scouts has a long-standing tradition of helping girls build leadership skills. Since 1912, Girl Scouting has risen to the challenge of meeting the unique needs of girls. It is designed to meet the developmental, educational, emotional, social needs and interests of girls in grades K to 12 grades.
Girl Scout Daisy – Kindergarten and 1st Grade
Girl Scout Brownie – 2nd and 3rd Grades
Girl Scout Junior – 4th and 5th Grades
Girl Scout Cadette – 6th, 7th and 8th Grades
Girl Scout Senior – 9th and 10th Grades
Girl Scout Ambassador – 11th and 12th Grades
Girl Scout membership is extended to all girls who accept the Promise and Law. Therefore activities for each membership level are designed to encourage pluralism and to promote racial, ethnic and religious pride and respect. The motivating force in Girl Scouting remains spiritual; however Girl Scouts respect the spiritual values and beliefs of each member and leave interpretation of spirituality to each member and her family.
Girl Scout Leadership Experience Fundamentals
Based on the values of the Girl Scout Promise and Law, the Girl Scout Leadership Experience is WHAT girls do in Girl Scouting. It is the road map for determining what a girl will learn, take from Girl Scouting and how she will be impacted.
Keys of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience
Through the Girl Scout Leadership Experience, girls discover their personal best and prepare for a positive future, connect with others in an increasingly diverse world, and take action to solve problems and improve their communities. The keys represent cycles of activities that engage girls in practicing leadership skills, based on the values of the Girl Scout Promise and Law. These activities are directed to specific outcomes, such as: valuing cultural diversity and individual uniqueness; educating and inspiring others; and making a difference through community service and action. The outcomes indicated in the Girl Scout Leadership Experience allow adults who work with girls to measure the impact Girl Scouting has on girls’ lives.
- Membership to participate in the Girl Scout Leadership Experience is voluntary
- There is an appreciation for diversity
- It contains a system for progression and earned awards are designed to develop skills and symbolize accomplishments to match progression
- Girl/adult partnership and girl decision-making are integral to the Girl Scout Leadership Experience (GSLE), are incorporated into all activities and are described in the GSLE processes
Processes of the GSLE
The processes – or the “how” of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience, include activities that are girl led, “hands-on” learning in nature and cooperative learning based. These processes, intentionally combined, make Girl Scouting unique, determine the quality of the experience, and create fun and friendship for girls. Girls have the opportunity to create their own experiences, reflect on them and apply what they learn to new situations. In addition, girl decision-making and girl-adult partnerships are unique added aspects of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience. It is based on the interests and needs of girls and their developmental maturity and abilities. Throughout the GSLE, each girl is encouraged to proceed at her own pace. Girl Scout staples, like books, badges, and Web sites, exist to engage girls in leadership skill building in fun ways.
Taking Action Through Community Service
Community service is one way girls can take action in Girl Scouting. It is at the core of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience. Giving service without expectation of payment or reward encourages girls to develop qualities of responsible citizenship. A girl’s service to the community and her own religious group (from the Girl Scout Promise, “to serve God and my country), is used to lay a foundation for responsible action as a citizen. Find out more by viewing Slideshow.
Frequently Asked Questions:
GSUSA Transition Document
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