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Community Troops

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Through GSHS’s Community Troop program, girls who may not have easy access to Girl Scouts otherwise, are given opportunities to grow within the Girl Scout Leadership Experience.  Community Troops are led by trained Girl Scout staff members or supported volunteers, called Community Troop Specialists who guide girls through activities in various schools, churches and community centers, as well as virtually.  Girls take part in engaging, challenging, and fun activities like earning badges, selling cookies, exploring science, getting outdoors, and doing community service projects -  all part of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience.

The program serves girls in K-12 grades. Approximately 1,200 girls participate annually! All girls in the program come from under-served areas in our Council.

Benefits

We believe that all girls deserve the opportunity to develop into tomorrow’s leaders. When girls participate in Girl Scouts they benefit in 5 important ways:

  1. They develop a strong sense of self.
  2. They display positive values.
  3. They seek challenges and learn from setbacks.
  4. They form and maintain healthy relationships.
  5. They learn to identify and solve problems in their community.

Girls participating will receive:

  • Troop Leadership from the Community Troop Specialist/Volunteer
  • 1-2 meetings per month during the school year
  • Troop will be meeting 6-8 months per year
  • Membership with Girl Scouts of the USA
  • 1-4 Girl Scout Experiences per year (possible options include: Fresh
    Air Day at local camp, Girl Scout University Day, National Civil Rights Museum, Stax Museum, Girl Scout Program Center, etc.) 
  • Program supplies
  • Snacks
  • Each girl earns up to 5 skill-building badges, patches or pins
  • Parent and guardian communication through email, handouts, parent meetings and publications 
  • Troop participation in Product Programs
  • Girl Scout Cookie Program (Dec-March) 

Access to all programs offered by Girl Scouts Heart of the South; program information is covered in the Heartstrings newsletter and Camp Guide.

How to Get Involved

Contact us at info@girlscoutshs.org to find out how your organization or school can get involved by hosting a community troop or supporting one through sponsorship.

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Community Troop Spotlight

Dunbar Girl Scouts

Dunbar Elementary School

“Let me start by saying that being a Troop Leader was and is a complete full circle moment as a former Girl Scout. Leading Troop 11161 so far has been an absolute joy and I thank you and the council for trusting me to do so. Since starting our troop here at Dunbar, I have watched our girls become more independent, self-reliant, and better communicators. My younger girls have become more social by making new friends and advocating for themselves to their teachers; while my older girls have gained conflict resolution skills, and become advocates for their community. Being their Troop Leader has shown me that Girl Scouts is still having the same impact it had on me when I was a member. Our favorite thing this year was starting our Community Service initiative of getting the Orange Mound Community Garden restarted. The girls enjoyed brainstorming what kinds of fruits and vegetables they would like to see being grown right in their community. We talked about why it's important to have access to those things and what the impact us doing this would have on their neighborhood. I am proud to call myself a Troop Leader, but even more proud to say that Dunbar Elementary, Troop 11161 is my troop. “ – Morgan Kessler, 2nd Grade Teacher at Dunbar Elementary & Girl Scout Community Troop Leader

The Girl Scout Community Troops program is made possible with the support of our partners and funders. 

Funders

AmeriCorps

City of Memphis

FedEx

Rotary Club of Tupelo

Rotary International District 6800

United Way of the Mid-South

United Way of Northeast Mississippi

West Tennessee Healthcare Foundation

Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis

School Partners
Arkansas

Bragg Elementary

Richland Elementary

Weaver Elementary

Mississippi

Baldwyn Elementary 

Church Hill Elementary

Cook Elementary

East Side Elementary

Franklin Academy

Nettleton Elementary

Nettleton Primary

North Pontotoc Elementary

Sale Elementary

Shannon Elementary

Shannon Primary

Stokes Beard Elementary

West Lowndes Elementary

 

Tennessee

Alcy Elementary

Big Sandy Elementary

Dunbar Elementary

Dundee Elementary

Freedom Prep Elementary

Hollow Rock Bruceton Elementary

Ida B Wells Academy

Kroc Center Memphis

LaRose Elementary

Levi Elementary

Maury City Elementary

McKenzie Elementary

Memphis School Of Excellence - Mendenhall

Parkway Village Elementary

Parsons Elementary

Peabody Elementary

Robert R Church Elementary