Volunteer Resources

Welcome, Girl Scout volunteers!

You belong to a network of nearly one million adults who share an important commitment: preparing girls to lead successful lives.

Now you can prepare yourself to be a more successful volunteer!

Check out these online resources and training courses that you can access whenever it’s convenient for you.

Girl Scouting 101
Class is in session—whenever you’re ready! This self-paced, 45-minute course is your online orientation to Girl Scouting, and is required for all volunteers before starting a volunteer position. Just sign in to get started.

Volunteer Essentials
Get just about everything you need as a Girl Scout volunteer, including basic facts and forms, as well as tips on planning outdoor activities, managing troop finances, promoting safety, arranging trips, selling cookies, and more.

Safety Activity Checkpoints
Every adult in Girl Scouting is responsible for the physical and emotional safety of girls, and we follow these guidelines at all times. From archery to hiking, outdoor cooking to ziplining, get checklists to help everyone stay safe—and have fun!

Volunteer Toolkit*
The Volunteer Toolkit is a new digital planning tool that gives you resources and program content to get your year started—and keep it going smoothly! Fully customizable, the toolkit is digitally responsive so you can plan and prepare practically anywhere.

Girls have more fun when they can shape their own experience, do hands-on activities, and work together as teams. With the new toolkit, girls and leaders can explore meeting topics and program activities together, and follow the fun as they plan their Girl Scout year.

*Member authentication is required.

Zoom for Troops

Stay Connected

Staying connected to your troop members and their families — and each other! — is easier than ever with Zoom for Girl Scouts!

gsZoom licenses are now available for purchase through GSJS for troops that want to meet virtually. Troop leaders with an active membership and current background check are eligible for this offer. With gsZoom, your girls and their families can stay connected, continue building their skills, and have a blast no matter where they are.

Troop Leaders can choose from two different types of Zoom accounts.

Basic Zoom account

Cost: FREE!
Attendees: Up to 100
Time limit: 40 minutes for 3 or more participants
Self-created, directly from Zoom

Licensed gsZoom account

Cost: $36 for the year, plus processing fee
(Prorated to July 31, 2023)
Attendees: Up to 500
Time limit: None!

Get Started

By signing (or acknowledging the agreement) below, you attest that you have read the GSUSA Zoom License User Agreement and Zoom Terms of Use.

Step One: Complete the gsZoom acknowledgment
Step Two: Receive email with link to purchase zoom license

Volunteer Webinars

Our Girl Scout Volunteer Webinars and Symposiums build upon the success of previous years through a multi-tiered approach. Each group of activities serve as a convention for New Jersey’s Girl Scout volunteers, with deep dives into the webinars, presentations by field experts, workshops, and panel discussions.

These activities are hosted by the Girl Scout Councils of New Jersey thanks to a generous grant from The Provident Bank Foundation. We are pleased to share these webinars with you.

2020 Statewide Girl Scout Leadership Webinar Series

Thank you to Provident Bank for the grant given to the four New Jersey Girl Scout councils to create this four-part series.

Excellence in Communication

Designed for all volunteers, the focus of this session is to provide skills and tools that will allow for effective communication and understanding amongst peers, troop leaders, girls, parents/guardians, and the community at large, resulting in the optimal Girl Scouting experience.

Dialogue, Not Debate

In a world of increasing polarization, it’s easy to stop listening to “the other side”. This webinar acknowledges a highly-charged election year as well as the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage. Topics tie in with GSUSA Citizen badges and Journeys, and include: ethical decision making, civil discourse, and dialogue versus debate. Facilitator: Ariel Sykes, Assistant Director of the Ethics Institute at Kent Place School in Summit, NJ.

Teamwork and Teamplay

Explore teambuilding exercises on communication, innovation, creativity, leadership styles, time management, priority management, and goal setting in this webinar. Learn about each other - how each person thinks, works, solves problems, and has fun. This program is being run in conjunction with the 4 New Jersey Councils and sponsored by the Provident Bank Foundation.

Handouts

Sensitivity Training for Girl Scout Volunteers

Sensitive topic training specific to Girl Scout volunteers. Looking at current concerns and trends that may exist in our troops; what to look for, and what to do. Learn how to support your girls and their families. Potential topics: vaping, cutting, sexual orientation, etc. Registration deadline is Saturday, June 13. Webinar link will be emailed on Sunday, June 14.

2019 Statewide Girl Scout Leadership Webinar Series

Thank you to Provident Bank for the grant given to the four New Jersey Girl Scout councils to create this three-part series.

Celebrating Inclusivity: Presented and created by Amy Hassa, MSW, Young Advocate/MHFA & VMHFA Instructor. Part of our NJ Statewide Girl Scout Leadership webinar series. This webinar focuses on the inclusivity needed in every part of Girl Scouting from the Service Unit to the troop.
Addressing Children with Special Needs at Girl Scouts: Part of our NJ Statewide Girl Scout Leadership webinar series. This webinar hosted by Girl Scouts of Northern NJ, Brooke A. Donald, PsyD, Coordinator for Behavioral Medicine Services at Morristown Medical Center, Atlantic Health System, discusses the challenges Girl Scout Leaders face when addressing children with special needs at Girl Scouts.
Conflict Management: Part of our NJ Statewide Girl Scout Leadership webinar series. This webinar focuses on the skills needed to handle conflicts in every part of Girl Scouting from the service Unit to the troop.

2018 Statewide Girl Scout Leadership Symposium