Junior

Girl Scout Bronze Award TOOLKIT Welcome to the Girl Scout Bronze Award, your leadership adventure where you earn the highest honor a Girl Scout Junior can achieve! As you and your Girl Scout Troop or team plan and complete your Bronze Award Take Action Project, you will develop more confidence, meet new people, and have the kind of fun that happens when you work with other Girl Scouts to make a difference in the world. The Girl Scout Bronze Award Take Action Project takes a look at the root of a problem and tries to find long-term solutions. Take the Take Action Quiz to find out how much you really know about Take Action projects, and start thinking of ways you can make the world a better place.

Take Action for the Bronze Award Seminars for Leaders/Adults NOT mandatory, but highly recommended. Bronze is girl led, but Leader guided. Training dates can be found on the GSNC Event Calendar.

Girl Scout Bronze Award Pre-Requisites You may begin working on the prerequisites as soon as you bridge to or register as a Girl Scout Junior. • Be a registered Girl Scout Junior (4th or 5th grade) • Complete one Junior Journey-this means completing all 3 awards within the journey, concluding with a Journey Take Action project

or

or

When the Pre-Requisites are completed, what do you do next? Please use the Girl Scout Bronze Award Guidelines for Girl Scout Juniors to ensure all key components of a Bronze Award Take Action Project are met. Each girl needs to work in the Guideline booklet to help come up with the project idea and plan.  

Girl Scout Bronze Award Steps

1.  Build your Girl Scout Junior team • Bronze is worked on as a Troop/Team • Each girl needs to be responsible for one specific piece of the project, so she can gain Leadership skills • Independent Girl Scouts need to build a team to work with her Girl Scouts of Nassau County, Inc. � 110 Ring Road West � Garden City, NY 11530 T 516.741.2550 � F 516.741.2207 � www.gsnc.org

Girl Scout Bronze Award TOOL KIT Girl Scout Bronze Award Steps (continued) 2. 20 hour project • Each girl needs to log 20 hours, some hours will be a group effort, but each girl needs a Leadership component of the project to own and run 3. Explore your community • Bronze can help the community-what communities do you belong to? How can you improve something to make the world a better place within your community? • Or stay within Girl Scouts-make the Girl Scout experience better in your Association • Become detectives to discover what issues/problems are in your community that you can address to make better 4.  Choose your Girl Scout Bronze Award Take Action Project • Define your issue • Ask “why” this issue is happening? This question makes you look at the root causes of your issue • Sometimes there are many root causes, pick one to develop into your Take Action project • Research topic and see what other solutions are out there to help jump start your thinking 5.  Make a plan • What is your solution? • Who is your audience? • Who can you partner with in the community to help with the project? • Where will it take place? • When? (create a timeline) • Can we think of ways to make this project carry on? (How could you make the project sustainable?) Sustainable - At the Junior level, to achieve the sustainability component, the girls should understand what sustainable means and what would need to happen to make the project continue. As they advance to Silver & Gold they actually plan for their projects to carry on-Girl Scout progression! 6.  Put your plan in motion • Create a list of tasks and deadlines • Figure out who will be doing what (girls can volunteer for each task) • Each girl keeps a detailed “Hour Log” 7.  Spread the word • Make sure you thank everyone who has helped with the project • Put your story together so you can share it • How to spread the word is detailed in the Guideline Booklet

Completion Procedures Congratulations on completing your Bronze Award Project… Way to go girls!

2

Girl Scout Bronze Award TOOL KIT Completion Process: Bronze Award Projects are not Council approved. They are Leader approved. The Troop Leader using the Girl Scout Bronze Award Approval Checklist for Leaders approves the Bronze Award Take Action Project. It is important for Leaders to understand what a Take Action project is, in order to approve Bronze Award projects. They are NOT collection and donation community service projects, or an accumulation of volunteer hours. If a Troop Leader has questions about whether a project is appropriate or should be approved, she/he may contact the Association Awards Coach or Patte Conway, Awards Program Specialist at [email protected] The girls must complete the GSNC Bronze Award Final Report, as a Troop/Team. This is a time to reflect on the project with the girls as a Troop/Team, and do the final report out. Return completed GSNC Bronze Award Final Report to the Girl Scouts of Nassau County Shop to purchase the Girl Scout Bronze Award pin. Please note: If no report is handed in, the Bronze Award will not go on the girl’s Girl Scout record.

Multi-level Troops: Leaders can use their discretion on whether the girls will work on the Bronze Award as a Troop.

Deadlines: The Bronze Award must be completed by the September 30th after the girls graduate from 5th grade. Check with your Association to see if they hold an Association Bronze Award Ceremony and if there are any Association awards deadlines.

Bronze Award Documents and Links Adults: • Girl Scout Bronze Award Adult Volunteer Guide • Highest Awards - At a Glance • Girl Scout Bronze Award Approval Checklist for Leaders Girls: • Girl Scout Bronze Award Guidelines for Girl Scout Juniors • Bronze Award Final Report

Other Information: • FAQ Funding your Bronze Award • Difference Between a Take Action Project and a Community Service Project • What Not to Do for the Bronze Award  

Questions:

For more information on the Girl Scout Bronze Award, please contact Patte Conway at [email protected]

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   



BRONZE AWARD APPROVAL CHECKLIST FOR LEADERS Girl Scout’s Name: _______________________________________________________________________________ Troop #: _____________________ Completed the following: Yes

No

q

q Completed one Journey Journey- including earning all three awards ____ Agent of Change ____ Get Moving ____ aMuse

q

q Completed The Girl Scout Bronze Award Guidelines for Girl Scout Juniors

q

q Built Team-including community partners you worked with

q

q Minimum of 20 hours per girl

q

q Time Log attached

q

q Bronze Award Take Action Project: Issue is defined

q

q Project is Take Action-Not a collection/donation only project

q

q Audience: ____ within GS

q

q Did the project meet its goal?

q

q Did the project make an impact on the community?

q

q Did the Troop discuss how to make this project sustainable: last beyond the girls’ involvement?

q

q Bronze Award Project accomplishment is shared with the community

q

q Budget

q

q GS made a copy of Final Report form for her records

q

q Made a copy of Final Report form for Leader’s records

q

q Completed work and submitted paperwork before September 30 after 5th grade graduation

____ with community

____ combination of both

Date Submitted to Leader: ______________________________________________________________________ Date Original Final Report is Received by Council:_________________________________________________

Junior

Girl Scout Bronze Award Final Report Form Congratulations on earning your Bronze Award! Please fill out this Final Report Form with your Leader(s). Remember to make a copy of this report for your records. The deadline to complete a Bronze Award project and submit the final report is: September 30th after completion of fifth grade. Troop #: Step 1: Pre-requisites-Go on a Girl Scout Junior Journey

Please check the Journey your Team completed: q Agent of Change q Get Moving!

Date Completed

q amuse

Troop/Group Volunteer’s Signature

Describe your Junior Journey Take Action Project. If a group project, please also describe your specific task(s).

Girl Scouts of Nassau County, Inc. � 110 Ring Road West � Garden City, NY 11530 T 516.741.2550 � F 516.741.2207 � www.gsnc.org

Step 2: Build Your Girl Scout Junior Team. List all members of your Team, including any organizations with whom you worked: Name:

Role:

Step 3: Explore Your Community. Did you become a detective and make an observation list of community needs? q Yes q No Step 4: Choose Your Girl Scout Bronze Award Project. Title: What community issue did you/your group decide to address with your Take Action Project?

Why did you choose this issue?

Bronze Award Report Page 2

Step 5 & 6: Make a Plan & Put it in Motion. Describe your Girl Scout Bronze Take Action Project: What impact did you make in your community?

Step 7: Spread the Word. Who did you inspire to make a difference?

How did you share your project with others?

What did you discover about yourselves while earning your Bronze Award?

l When the project is complete, the Troop Leader may purchase the Bronze Award pins at the GSNC Shop.

The Troop must complete a Final Report Form and Leader submit it to the Shop cashier upon purchasing pins. If no Final Report Form is submitted the Bronze Award will NOT appear on the girls’ GS record. Please make a copy of this report for your records. The deadline to complete a Bronze Award project and submit the final report is: September 30th after completion of fifth grade.

Bronze Award Report Page 3

Troop #:



Association:

Leader Names



Phone

Names and current grade of girls completing all requirements and project: Name

Grade

Total Hours

Leader Signature: Date: Leader Signature: Date: Leader Signature: Date: Leader Signature: Date: Bronze Award Report Page 4

Adult
Volunteer
Guide
 Girl Scouts of Nassau County 


Adult Guide

The Girl Scout Bronze Award

As a Girl Scout troop/group volunteer, you will work with and inspire a team of Girl Scout Juniors to make a difference in the Girl Scout or local community and help each girl achieve the highest honor a Girl Scout Junior can earn—the Girl Scout Bronze Award. You and the girls will have fun along the way as you help them to bring their own unique creativity to all they do and achieve. This guide is designed as a companion for the girl guidelines for the Girl Scout Bronze Award, which is posted on the Girl Scouts of the USA Web site at http://www.girlscouts.org. Girls earn the Girl Scout Bronze Award by completing a journey, and then creating a Take Action project based on their observations of a local issue. As the girls pursue their project, they put the Girl Scout Promise and Law into action. They also develop an understanding of sustainability and gain an understanding of the wider world by discussing how others may experience the same problem that their project helped resolve. Earning the Girl Scout Bronze Award involves the time it takes to complete a Girl Scout Junior journey and a suggested minimum of 20 hours for each girl to build their team, explore their community, choose and plan their project, put their plan in motion, and spread the word to educate and inspire others. Here are the steps that Girl Scout Juniors will complete to earn a Girl Scout Bronze Award: 1. Go on a Girl Scout Junior journey. 2. Build your Girl Scout Junior team. 3. Explore your community. 4. Choose your Girl Scout Bronze Award project. 5. Make a plan. 6. Put your plan in motion. 7. Spread the word. RESOURCES: •

Adult Guides for Junior journeys

1

Adult Guide

The Girl Scout Bronze Award

•

Volunteer Packet

•

Safety-Wise

•

Girl Scout Leadership Experience overview (online at www.girlscouts.org/gsle/)

•

Corporation for National Service www.nationalservice.gov

•

Leadership outcomes/Possible Indicators chart (page 14 of this guide)

Step 1: Go on a Girl Scout Junior Journey Girls choose and complete a Girl Scout Junior journey. Help them reflect on what they have learned. Here are a few coaching tips. Questions for Girls

Coaching Tips

How
did
you
use
the
values
of
the
Girl
 Scout
Law
during
your
Girl
Scout
Junior
 journey?



•

2.

What
did
you
discover
about
yourself?



•

3.

Who
did
you
connect
with?



•

1.

•

•

4.

How
did
you
take
action
and
what
did
you
 learn?



•

Discuss
what
the
girls
did
during
the
journey
that
upheld
 the
Girl
Scout
Promise
and
Law.
 Discuss
how
girls
used
resources
wisely
and
how
they
 took
responsibility
for
what
they
said
and
did.
 Encourage
the
girls
to
think
about
how
they
developed
 their
sense
of
self
and
their
abilities.
 Emphasize
the
value
of
working
together
to
create
 healthy
relationships.
 Help
the
girls
recognize
how
cooperation
contributes
to
a
 project’s
success.
 Discuss
how
the
girls
went
from
identifying
community
 needs,
creating
timelines,
and
finding
resources
to
 implementing
a
creative
action
plan
for
their
journey
Take
 Action
project.


During the journey, did girls observe other ideas for making a difference for the people or places they care about? Or, did a new opportunity stemming from their work on the journey inspire them to pursue a topic that they hadn’t thought about before, but realize is important to them?

Step 2: Build your Girl Scout Junior Team Going for the Girl Scout Bronze Award is a team experience for a troop or group of Girl Scout Juniors. If there are no Girl Scouts in a girl’s neighborhood, she can connect with other girls her age, including non–Girl Scouts who may want to join Girl Scouts.

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Adult Guide

The Girl Scout Bronze Award

Team building skills are essential to leadership and for earning the Bronze award. Playing games and doing activities as a team encourages cooperative learning, which shows girls how to work through challenges and resolve conflicts as a group. Even though the girls may know each other, encourage and help them identify their individual and team strengths. Human Knots and Linda Lemon are great Girl Scout team-building games. Find out about these and others at: www.girlscouts.org/program/gs_central/activity_ideas/icebreakers.asp. Feel free to substitute other team game challenges. After each game, have the girls discuss what they learned. Support the girls in creating their list of team agreements, a reference for them as they pursue the Girl Scout Bronze Award. Also help the girls keep track of their individual hours from the start—each step counts. In order for the girls to choose an issue area that they care about, they need to identify and share their interests. Explore the girls’ interests with them and discuss how those might help when the team chooses a project. Guide them as they answer the questions in their guidelines and as they come up with suggestions for what they could do to be a great team.

Step 3: Explore your Community Girls’ communities may be their block, their neighborhood, or their school. By exploring, the girls make observations about what they see and hear. Through investigation, they are able to think about possible project ideas that will make a difference. As girls explore their community, they may find that these ideas will help improve life for people in their neighborhood or local community. Encouraging girls to observe what can be improved is a very important role you play. When girls explore their block, neighborhood, or school, ask them to write down what they see and discuss it as a group. This will encourage girls to think critically about what they see and come up with ideas for how they can create positive change in their community. Guide girls as they complete their Observation List in the girl guidelines.

3

Adult Guide

The Girl Scout Bronze Award

The following are two examples of how an observation led to a Take Action project: Example #1 Lucia and her Junior team were going after their Girl Scout Bronze Award, so they all agreed to be extra observant of everything going on around them. Here’s what Lucia observed and how it turned into their Take Action project: 1. First, Lucia noticed that cars whizzed down the street near their school. This happened a few days in a row—it seemed to be a real problem. 2. Then, she heard on the news that in the last year there had actually been several accidents in that same area. 3. The Junior team asked their troop/group volunteer to help them find out how people in their community decided where stop signs were needed. 4. After a visit to both the police station and a local government office, here’s what the Juniors did: They wrote a petition, asking for a new stop sign on the road near their school, got local residents to sign it, and then presented it to their local government officials. Result: A new stop sign, slower traffic, fewer accidents, and safer kids! Plus, a stop sign is a permanent solution! Example #2 Tanya and her Junior team also decided to be extra observant for a week or two. When they got together to share what they observed, Tanya asked her friends, “Have you ever noticed how hard it is for older people or people with disabilities to get around the grocery store?” The team agreed that this was a problem that no one seemed to be addressing. It seemed like a good challenge for their team! Here’s what they did: 1. First, they decided to visit the store together and just watch as people shopped. This convinced them that some people could use a little extra help. 2. Then they met as a team and brainstormed how they could help and how they could explain their project idea to the store manager. 3. Next, they met with the store manager. Here’s what happened next: The girls got permission to team up during the peak holiday season and offer their assistance to shoppers. Sometimes they would take a person’s grocery list and go up and down the aisles to get products. Other times, they would walk around the store with people and help them fill their baskets. In both cases, they helped

4

Adult Guide

The Girl Scout Bronze Award

people get through the checkout line and out to their cars. To keep this project going, they wrote a tip sheet about how other youth and volunteer groups can do the same thing.

Step 4: Choose your Girl Scout Bronze Award Project After the girls are finished exploring, discuss the Observation List they created. Guide girls as they select the group’s top observations and ideas. It’s a great way for girls to see how a simple observation can lead to a Take Action project. Brainstorm with the girls where to get additional information for their top ideas. Encourage girls to talk to people as well as search newspapers and magazines for information. Plan a trip to a community meeting or other community event where girls can connect with people who might be able to help. Girls may choose to do their research online, if that is the case, discuss the Girl Scout Internet Safety Pledge (www.girlscouts.org/internet_safety_pledge.asp) and encourage them to commit to the pledge. Hold practice interviews with the girls if they are nervous about talking to grownups or other people they do not know. These interviews may make girls feel more confident as they speak with others about their project. Promote a discussion about what the girls learn from their Project Idea Chart in the girl guidelines. It includes girls’ observations, who they talked to, what they learned, and possible projects they could do. Before the girls choose the issue they would like to address, help them answer these all-important questions: •

Why does this idea matter?

•

Who will this idea help?

•

What can we do to make a difference? Is that realistic.

Help girls finalize their choice. Girl Scouts are part of a worldwide community of girls who are using their talents to positively impact their communities. Invite girls to take some time to discuss how people in other parts of the world might address the problem they have chosen. Later, when girls finish their project, they can share their experience with people outside of

5

Adult Guide

The Girl Scout Bronze Award

their community—maybe even long-distance neighbors, so that they too can learn about the project.

Step 5: Make a Plan Guide girls to continue taking the lead as they progress to planning out the specifics of their project. As the girls discuss the project, use the following tips to walk them through what they need to accomplish.

Questions for Girls

Coaching Tips

1.

What
is
our
goal
for
the
project?


•

2.

What
steps
do
we
need
to
take
to
reach
our
 goal?
 What
special
talents
can
each
girl
use
to
help
 make
the
project
a
success?



•

What
did
we
learn
when
we
did
our
Girl
Scout
 Junior
journey
that
will
help
make
this
project
 run
more
smoothly?


•

5.

Who
can
we
ask
for
help?


•

6.

How
can
we
get
other
people
involved?


•

7.

What
supplies
will
we
need?


•

8.

Do
we
need
to
earn
money
for
our
project
or
 can
we
get
donations
from
people?
(Can
we
 use
the
money
from
our
cookie
sales
to
fund
 our
project?)
 How
much
time
do
we
need
to
finish
our
 project?
Is
that
realistic?


•




3.

4.

9.

•

•

•

•

•

6

Discuss
the
results
the
girls
hope
to
achieve
with
 the
project.
Ask
specifically
what
they
hope
to
 achieve/accomplish?

 Discuss
how
each
girl
can
pitch
in
to
help
the
team
 reach
its
goal.

 Encourage
the
girls
to
think
about
the
special
skills
 that
they
possess
and
can
contribute
to
the
team’s
 project.
 Ask
the
girls
to
think
about
how
they
approached
 the
plan
for
their
journey
project?

 Discuss
what
worked
and
what
didn’t,
and
how
 they
might
approach
things
differently
for
this
 project.
 Ask
the
girls
to
make
a
list
of
people
who
they
think
 would
help
with
their
project.

 Suggest
that
girls
contact
people
they
met
during
 their
community
exploration.
Each
girl
can
contact
 one
person.
 Suggest
starting
with
a
list
of
supplies
the
team
 already
has.
 Explore
ways
to
find
and
use
resources
that
do
not
 require
earning
money.
 Adhere
to
the
guidelines
in
your
Volunteer
Packet
 and
Safety‐Wise.
 Recommend
that
the
girls
create
a
timeline
and
a
 task
list
to
figure
out
how
long
everything
will
take
 to
complete.

 If
the
girls
get
stuck,
coach
them
by
asking
guiding
 questions.
(For
example,
which
part
of
the
project
 do
you
think
will
take
the
most/least
time?)


Adult Guide

The Girl Scout Bronze Award

Once girls have an idea of their plan, encourage them to think about what they can add that would help make a difference even after the project ends. Discuss how others might be able to continue the project. Encourage the girls to go over the plan one last time to make sure that it is realistic. Make suggestions on where girls can make adjustments to the plan. Before the team moves to the next step, go over the plan. Use the following checklist to make certain the team’s plan covers all the bases. The answer to all of these questions should be “yes” in order for you to approve the project. If you find any “no” answers, encourage the girls to go back and re-think the plan a little more.  Do girls care about the issue? Are they excited about plan?  Has the team set their goals for the project? Can girls say what they want to do and why it

matters to them?

 Have the girls thought about how they will get the supplies/resources and any money earning to complete your project? (Refer to the Girl Scout Safety-Wise manual and your council for information about money-earning).  Have the girls created a timeline for the project?  Does the project address a need in the Girl Scout or local community?  Does the project challenge the girls’ abilities and interests? If girls are clear on what needs to be done, they’ll be ready to get started. If not, help the girls talk about their project by using these open ended sentences: We will make a difference by ____________________________________________. We hope our project will help ____________________________________________. When we’re done, we’ll know we made a difference because ____________________ ____________________________________________________________________.

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Adult Guide

The Girl Scout Bronze Award

Step 6: Put your Plan in Motion Encourage the girls to take pride in their plan, and get to it—having fun as they go! As the plan unfolds, you might coach the girls to live the Girl Scout Promise and Law by listening to others’ ideas, rotating tasks, developing shared goals, working cooperatively to resolve conflicts, reaching their goals, and finding out what roles they each can play in their communities. Guide girls as they use their Planning Chart to map out their action plan. The Planning Chart (located in the girl guidelines) includes the tasks the girls need to complete for their project, when and how the tasks will be done, and which team member will complete each task. Encourage the team to take pictures, shoot video, or draw pictures along the way. This will help when they share their story later. Tips: Things didn’t go as planned? That’s okay. What did we learn? How can we adjust our plan a little? Putting the plan into motion can be the most exciting part of earning the award, although sometimes roadblocks can make girls feel discouraged. Encourage the girls to work as a team and help them see how persistence and follow-through can produce positive results.

Step 7: Spread the Word When the girls talk about their project, they are able to educate others and inspire them to take on the challenge to make the world a better place. Answering the reflection questions in their award guidelines will help the girls gain insight into why their project matters, what they learned, and what impact it has made on them, their team, and the community. The girls can share their experience in the form of a photo collage, a scrap book, a short film, a play, or any other medium that works for the team. Encourage them to be as creative as possible. During this step, girls say thanks to all the people who helped them along the way. You can coach girls as they write handwritten thank you notes. Each girl can choose one person to thank. Here are some tips to help girls reflect on their experience, what they learned, and use their new insights to go on and inspire others by sharing their project.

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Adult Guide

The Girl Scout Bronze Award

Questions for Girls 1.

Coaching Tips

How
did
you
decide
what
was
needed
in
your
 community?


• •




Encourage
girls
to
think
about
the
community
 exploration
and
planning
stages
of
their
project.


 Review
how
they
built
their
team,
talked
to
others
 in
the
community
and
considered
how
their
issue
 might
occur
and
affect
people
in
other
places.



What
did
you
discover
about
yourself
from
this
 experience?


•

Discuss
their
goals
and
how
they
went
about
 reaching
them.
If
they
did
not
reach
their
goals,
 discuss
how
they
might
have
done
something
 differently
in
order
to
do
so.


How
did
your
team
work
together?


•

Ask
girls
about
the
activities
that
brought
the
team
 together.


4.

What
problems
came
up?
How
did
you
solve
them?


•

5.

What
leadership
skills
did
you
use?


•

Discuss
whether
the
observation
chart
and
planning
 chart
helped
avoid
or
solve
problems.
 Discuss
how
girls
think
they
have
changed
from
the
 start
of
the
project
to
the
end.



What
did
you
do
to
inspire
others
to
act?


•

Encourage
girls
to
talk
about
their
experience
and
 what
it
meant
to
them.





How
do
you
feel
you
and
your
team
have
made
the
 world
a
better
place?


•

Discuss
the
impact
of
the
project.
How
many
people
 were
helped?
 Discuss
what
would
make
the
project
impact
 lasting.
Can
the
project
be
replicated
somewhere
 else?






2.


 3. 



 6. 
 7.

•


 8.

How
did
you
live
out
the
Girl
Scout
Promise
and
 Law?


•




9

Were
girls
honest
and
fair,
friendly
and
helpful,
 considerate
and
caring,
courageous
and
strong?
Did
 they
show
respect
to
themselves
and
others,
and
to
 authority?
Did
they
use
resources
wisely?
Did
they
 take
responsibility
for
what
they
said
and
did?


Adult Guide

The Girl Scout Bronze Award

What girls can include when they spread the word about their project: •

What their project accomplished

•

Their reasons for choosing their project and what it meant to them

•

What they learned

•

The talents, skills, and strengths they put into action

•

The tools and resources they used

•

The people who helped them achieve their project goals

You have helped girls to become leaders. Celebrate the accomplishment! Congratulations!

10

Adult Guide

The Girl Scout Bronze Award

The Girl Scout Leadership Experience In Girl Scouting, Discover + Connect + Take Action = Leadership. The entire Girl Scout program, regardless of the exact topic, is designed to lead to leadership outcomes (or benefits) that stem from these three keys. •

Discover: Girls will understand themselves and their values and use their knowledge and skills to explore the world

•

Connect: Girls care about, inspire, and team with others locally and globally.

•

Take Action: Girls act to make the world a better place.

It’s not only about the activities girls do, however, but the processes they use to do them that builds leadership. The Girl Scout processes promote the fun and friendship that have always been so integral to Girl Scouting. •

Girl-led: Girls play an active part in figuring out the what, where, when, how, and why of their activities.

•

Learning by doing: Girls use a hands-on learning process that engages them in continuous cycles of action and reflection that result in deeper understanding of concepts and mastery of practical skills.

•

Cooperative learning: Through cooperative learning, girls work together toward goals that can be accomplished only with the help of others, in an atmosphere of respect and collaboration.

When Discover, Connect, and Take Action activities are girl-led and involve learning by doing and cooperative learning, girls achieve the desired and expected short-term outcomes. This ultimately results in Girl Scouting achieving its mission of building “girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.” Through the Girl Scout Leadership Experience, girls gain specific knowledge, skills, attitudes, behaviors, and values in Girl Scouting. Help girls reflect on the experience, the impact they have had and how the experience has helped to strengthen their leadership skills. Use the fifteen outcomes on the next page as a springboard. For more about The Girl Scout Leadership Experience including the leadership outcomes on the next page, go to www.girlscouts.org/gsle.

11

Adult Guide

The Girl Scout Bronze Award

This chart helps you guide the girls as they reflect on what they have learned and how they used their leadership skills to make a difference in the world. The leadership outcomes will show girls how they developed, while the possible indicators will show you how those outcomes are exhibited.

Leadership Outcomes

Possible Indicators When
the
outcome
is
achieved…

Following
are
the
15
Girl
Scout
leadership
outcomes
 that
stem
from
the
three
leadership
keys




DISCOVER
Outcomes
 • • • • •

Girls
develop
a
strong
sense
of
self.
 Girls
develop
positive
values.
 
 Girls
gain
practical
life
skills—girls
practice
 healthy
living
 Girls
seek
challenges
in
the
world.
 Girls
develop
critical
thinking.
 
 


CONNECT
Outcomes
 • • • • •

Girls
develop
healthy
relationships.
 
 Girls
promote
cooperation
and
team
 building.
 Girls
can
resolve
conflicts.
 Girls
advance
diversity
in
a
multicultural
 world.
 Girls
feel
connected
to
their
communities,
 locally
and
globally.
 


TAKE
ACTION
Outcomes
 • • • • •

Girls
can
identify
community
needs.
 
 Girls
are
resourceful
problem
solvers.
 
 Girls
advocate
for
themselves
and
others,
 locally
and
globally.
 Girls
educate
and
inspire
others
to
act.
 Girls
feel
empowered
to
make
a
difference
in
 the
world.


DISCOVER
Outcome
Indicators
 • • • • •

Girls
make
use
of
strategies
to
resist
peer
pressure.
 Girls
report
greater
appreciation
for
the
diversity
of
values
based
on
 individual
and/or
cultural
differences.
 Girls
report
increase
interest
in
learning
more
about
how
exercise,
diet,
 relaxation,
and
other
activities
can
give
balance
to
their
lives.
 Girls
can
identify
and
distinguish
between
positive
and
negative
risk.
 Girls
are
able
to
debate
or
discuss
various
perspectives
on
an
issue
they
 are
concerned
about.
 


CONNECT
Outcome
Indicators
 • • • • •

Girls
are
able
to
give
examples
of
behaviors
they
use
to
promote
 mutual
respect,
trust,
and
understanding.
 Girls
are
better
able
to
describe
obstacles
to
group
work
and
suggest
 possible
solutions.
 Girls
can
describe
how
they
manage
their
emotions
to
diffuse
conflicts.
 Girls
identify
main
challenges
and
privileges
that
various
groups
 experience
in
today’s
world.
 Girls
describe
how
their
participation
in
larger
communities
supported
 their
personal
and
leadership
goals.
 


TAKE
ACTION
Outcome
Indicators
 • • • •

•

Girls
report
using
a
variety
of
tools
to
identify
needs,
assets,
and
 potential
impact
of
their
planned
projects.
 Girls
demonstrate
independence
in
thinking
through
the
required
 components
of
their
action
plans.
 Girls
can
give
examples
of
how
youth
can
influence
and/or
participate
 in
community
decision‐making.
 Girls
report
knowing
how
to
tailor
their
messages
to
various
audiences.
 Girls
express
pride
that
their
Take
Action
project
improved
the
 functioning
of
some
aspect
of
their
communities.


12

Girl Scout Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards, at a Glance AWARDS

GIRL SCOUT BRONZE AWARD®

GIRL SCOUT SILVER AWARD®

GIRL SCOUT GOLD AWARD®

GRADE

Girls must be in 4th or 5th grade and a registered Girl Scout Junior

Girls must be in 6th, 7th, or 8th grade and a registered Girl Scout Cadette

OVERVIEW

Prerequisite  Complete a Junior Journey including the Awards within=Take Action project Bronze Award  Be part of a troop or group where girls take the lead  Use Bronze Award Guidelines to develop a 20 hour project  Take action on a community issue the troop or group cares about  Help and guidance provided by troop/group volunteer  *Council approval needed for any money earning  Project must be completed by September 30 after 5th grade graduation

Prerequisite  Complete a Cadette Journey including the Awards within=Take Action project Silver Award  Work as an individual or in a small group(2-4) where girls take the lead  Use Silver Award Guidelines to develop a 50 hour project  Take action on a community issue that the girls care about  Help and guidance provided by troop/group volunteer  *Council approval needed for any money earning  Project must be completed by September 30 after 8th grade graduation

Girls must be in 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th grade and a registered Girl Scout Senior or Ambassador Prerequisite  Complete two Journeys (Senior or Ambassador) OR Earn the Silver Award and complete one Journey including the Award within=Take Action project Gold Award  Individually girl led; girl selects and recruits Project Advisor  Use Gold Award Guidelines to develop a 80 hour project  Take action on a community issue the girl cares about  Help and guidance provided by Project Advisor  *Council approval needed for any money earning  Deadline for HS Seniors to submit a Gold Award proposal to council is October 1st  Project must be completed by September 30 after 12th grade graduation

*Adhere to guidelines in the Volunteer Essentials

Group Take Action Project focuses on something the girls care about that they would like to improve within their Girl Scout or local community.

Individual or group Take Action Project that makes the local neighborhood or community better.

Individual Take Action Project that makes a lasting difference in the local community, region, or beyond.

Puts the Promise and Law into action

Puts the Promise and Law into action

Puts the Promise and Law into action

SUSTAINABLE

After the project is complete, girls develop an understanding of sustainability by talking together about how solutions can be lasting.

Girls demonstrate an understanding of sustainability in the project plan and implementation.

Take Action Project includes provisions to ensure sustainability.

GLOBAL

After the project is complete, girls develop an understanding of the wider world by talking together about how others may experience the same problem that their project helped resolve. Troop/Group Volunteer

Girls connect with new friends outside their immediate community, learn how others have solved similar problems and determine if the ideas of others can help with their plan.

Girls identify national and/or global links to their selected issue. They learn from others and develop a plan to share the results of their project beyond the local community.

Troop/Group Volunteer

Council’s Gold Award Committee







TAKE ACTION PROJECT

PROJECT APPROVAL RESOURCES

 

Junior The Girl’s Guide to Girl Scouting Bronze Award Guidelines on www.gsnc.org Adult guide on www.gsnc.org

   

Cadette The Girl’s Guide to Girl Scouting Silver Award Guidelines on www.gsnc.org Adult guide on www.gsnc.org Final Report Form www.gsnc.org Council Take Action for the Silver Award Seminar

   

Senior and/or Ambassador The Girl’s Guide to Girl Scouting Gold Award Guidelines on www.gsnc.org Proposal Form www.gsnc.org Adult guide on www.gsnc.org Council Take Action for the Gold Award Seminar 9/20/2013

FAQ for Funding a Bronze Award Project Q. Does a Bronze Award Project need to cost a lot of money? A. Most Award Projects don’t cost a lot of money and sometimes nothing at all. Part of expanding girls’ leadership skills is finding creative ways to get supplies donated. Q. If money is needed how should we begin? A. The first way to fund Bronze Award Projects is to use Troop funds to cover expenses. Girls can vote to use Troop funds to cover the cost of award projects. Easy ways to build Troop funds: • •

Fall Product Program Cookie Program

Q. After you have taken part in Council product sales and you still don’t have enough funds what do you do? A. You can move on to money-earning activities. The money–earning activities are planned and carried out by girls and supported by adults to earn money for the Troop treasury. Examples: • • • • • • • • •

Gift-wrapping for the holidays Babysitting at Town meetings, school meetings, or other public places Spaghetti Supper Car wash Garage sale Raking leaves, shoveling walks, weeding gardens Birthday party service Craft sale Collect & redeem recyclable materials

Be creative! There are many more ways in which you can earn money! Troops must participate in the Council-sponsored Mags&Munchies AND Cookie product sales programs before any other additional Troop money earning projects can be approved.

Q. What are the guidelines for accepting donations or money-earning limits? A. • • • •

Less than $250.00: may be accepted by an individual/Troop/group More than $250.00: must be submitted to GSNC and Council will disperse the funds Sponsorships: Troop/group receives total donation Matching Gifts: Prior to applying , contact GSNC- Deborah Goldsmith, [email protected]

Q. Do you need to apply for a Troop money-earning activity with Council? A. Yes, Troop Money Earning Application Q. Who gets this application? A. Completed applications are submitted to your Association Service Team for approval. They will in turn be forwarded to GSNC for further action. More info can be found on the application. Q. Can you run money-earning activities (ex. yard sale) during Council Product sales? A. No, there are blackout dates where no money-earning activities can take place: • The in-person order taking period for Mags&Munchies, which is usually late September through October. • The initial order taking period for Cookies, which is usually late December through January. Check the GSNC website or the GSNC OLC for the specific dates of these programs each year. Q. Does money-earning income ever become the property of an individual member, girl or adult? A. No, it is used for Awards Projects only. Q. Can a Girl Scout who is Non-Troop Affiliated (NTA) money-earn for her Bronze Award Project? A. Yes, she can, but she needs to use all the money raised toward her project. Any funds left over will go to the Juliette Gordon Low fund.

Q. Do the money-earning hours count toward the Awards Project hours? A. No, for example the hours spent organizing and running a car wash does not count toward Bronze Award project hours. Those hours are not specific to the project. Q. Can a girl “ask” for donations, either cash or goods for her Bronze Awards Project? A. No, she can present her project, dressed in uniform, but the adult with her must do the “ask.” Example: Seeking donation from the local Kiwanis or donations of items from a home improvement center. Q. Do the hours when a Girl Scout is presenting her project to get donations count? A. Yes, those hours are specific to the project. Q. What if a company or organization needs the request in writing on GSNC letterhead? A. GSNC can provide letterhead. Girls can write the first part of the letter explaining the project. The adult needs to write the last paragraph “asking” for the donation. Q. Can we charge an event fee for our Bronze Award Project? A. Yes, but only to cover materials, never to make money. Q. Can a girl or her family make personal contributions for their Bronze Awards Project? A. Yes, but it should not be a hardship for the family. Girls should be encouraged to work on a budget for their project and come up with ways to fund it first. Q. Can girls/Troop apply for a grant? A. Yes, but must contact GSNC Fund Development first. Email Luci Duckson-Bramble at [email protected] Q. Are there inappropriate money-earning activities that we should avoid? A. Yes: • Games of chance, raffles • Home demonstration parties: Avon, Mary Kay, Pampered Chef, etc. • Receiving a percentage of sales (where a portion of the sales goes back to the Troop) from a business during a specific time frame where those sales generate a profit for a specific company: Applebee’s, Macy’s, McDonald’s, etc., is not allowed. • Fundraisers for other organizations

What NOT To Do for the Girl Scout Bronze Award  Find a project online that someone else did and copy it You should be finding a problem in your neighborhood that needs improvements and develop your own project to fix it.  Put a few small projects together to make up the hours The Bronze Award is one complete project not a set of smaller projects combined.  Set up a project without a team, just working by yourself or just you and your parents Bronze Award projects are team projects. If you do not have a troop team available to you, develop a team with friends your own age in your neighborhood. They would have the option to join Girl Scouting and earn the award themselves.  Put together a project that is a fundraiser to donate money to an organization This is not allowed for the Girl Scout Bronze Award.  Plan a project that is less than 20 hours per girl minimum Bronze Award projects are targeted at 20 hours per g irl and you must plan for that amount. The 20 hours include all that you do in the Girl Scout Bronze Award Guideline to come up with your project idea.  Set up a project where you show no leadership Each girl needs to be responsible for one specific piece of the project to gain leadership skills.  Plan a project that is just collecting and donating items to an organization Collecting and donating is a great SERVICE project but it is not to be used for the Bronze Award Take Action Project. The Bronze Award is earned by completing a Take Action Project, where you discover an issue or need in your community that you work on to improve. Any questions contact Awards Program Specialist, Patte Conway [email protected]