By: Janey Kurtz
With the fall weather approaching, now is a great time to start talking to the girls in your troop about community service and Take Action Projects. Giving back is work of the heart; it brings smiles to our faces and is a core component of the Girl Scout experience. Giving girls an opportunity to choose how they would like to give back shows them that their voice matters and focuses on issues they are passionate about. It helps girls eliminate the word "can't" from their vocabulary, learn leadership skills, and deal with failure through critical thinking and accepting responsibility.
Here are a few ideas you can share with your troop when discussing how they'd like to give back and make an impact:
Spruce up a neighborhood park – Work with your town/city and see if a local park could use some TLC. Working with your girls, show them how cleaning up a neighborhood park can bring joy to the community.
Bring treats to First Responders – Have your girls earn their cooking badges by making snacks or a meal for First Responders. Or think of another way to show gratitude for everything they do for our community. Seeing how much they are appreciated will brighten their day.
Random act of kindness – Have the girls do a brainstorming session and then use the app Goosechase to create a "Random Act of Kindness Scavenger Hunt race!" Tape popcorn to a Redbox, drop off quarters at a laundromat, pay for someone's ice cream, or help shoppers carry groceries to their car. The sky is the limit!
Participate in Make a Difference Day – Girl Scouts are always making a difference in the world. Explore different activities that will help your troop make an impact on Make a Difference Day on Oct. 23.
Re-stock a free library – Have girls ask their friends and families to donate their gently used books and locate little free libraries around the community to re-stock. (Make sure to get permission from the library owner).
There are so many great ideas for the girls to choose from! Whatever you do, tell our Council Staff and the world – don't forget to submit all of your photos and reflections using our stories form!
