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Service Unit: Sunny Peaks
Troop 529 (Seniors – Ambassadors)
Years as a troop leader: 9
What kind of activities do you do with your troop? What is their favorite thing to do?
Our troop loves to socialize so we either have our regular meetings or meet at a local pizza shop. Some of our favorite activities include crafting and camping! Together, we’ve gone kayaking on the Verde River, and also enjoy going trick-or-treating in Uptown Sedona on Halloween.
Tell us about a volunteer moment that stands out to you.
It’s hard to choose just one, but recently, while we were on a camping trip I watched the girls work together to set up their bunks, gather wood for the fire, and help with cooking and cleaning duties. It was satisfying and inspiring!
What would you like others to know about volunteer opportunities with the Girl Scouts?
I want others to know that volunteering as a Girl Scout leader is a real gift. The girls are inspirational and I’ve learned a lot from them about myself and about my relationship with my daughter. It’s a wonderful feeling to watch a group of girls evolve into wonderful young women. It’s truly special knowing that other volunteers and I played a small part in their growth.
What is the most inspiring moment you have experienced as a troop leader?
There have been so many inspiring moments – small and large. What I find most inspiring is watching the girls go from little kids to pre-teens to young adults, knowing they have learned a lot of valuable things in Girl Scouts and seeing them put those things into action. Their kindness to one another, the way they maintain respect despite their differences and then celebrate their achievements together is always inspiring and empowering.
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Coyote Plains Service Unit
Troop 6455 (Daisies, Brownies, and Juniors)
Years as a Troop Leader: 4
What inspired you to become a Troop Leader?
My Troop Leader story started with a love of Girl Scout Cookies! My husband is a huge fan, and during cookie season, he would sometimes struggle to find a booth. Those cookie hunts sparked an interest in Girl Scouts as a whole.
What kind of activities do you do with your troop? What is their favorite thing to do?
My troop loves spending time together and being their genuine selves. However, our community service events and summer camp are the two areas that really excite us!
What kind of service projects have you done with your troop?
Some of the projects my troop has completed include:
- Trash pick-ups
- Animal supply drive
- Community food drive
- Crafted holiday cards for a local nursing home
- Collected and donated books
- Made water conservation bookmarks for a library
- Donated computers to schools
- Packing food for Feed My Starving Children
Tell us about a volunteer moment that stands out to you.
I attended the end-of-the-year meeting and was able to see how successful our Council is; it was inspiring. The commitment displayed by each employee, volunteer, partner, and board member has allowed GSACPC to expand the opportunities available to girls with each passing year. Our Council’s success really makes the difference, and in my opinion, we are doing a great job in securing a future for many generations of Girl Scouts to come.
What advice would you give other Troop Leaders?
Communication is the key to everything, especially in Girl Scouts. Don’t be afraid to connect with other leaders in your Service Unit to get advice, suggestions for fun activities, and most of all – perspective. Ask yourself, “what do the girls want?” Their voices and opinions matter.
What do you wish someone had told you as a new Troop Leader?
I wish someone had told me that every troop is different, and the dynamic can change over time. There is no template for what a troop should look or act like; the girls will ultimately decide how the troop will be run and how they interact. Every possibility is the right possibility.
What would you like others to know about volunteer opportunities with the Girl Scouts?
Volunteering with Girl Scouts is an excellent opportunity for someone to grow their professional skills. Pull any job posting, and you’ll see how being a part of Girl Scouts aligns! Team building, creating a growth strategy, networking, financial bookkeeping, and so much more. Whatever area in which a person is looking to grow, a volunteer opportunity within Girl Scouts can fit their personal and professional goals.
Does your troop sell cookies? If yes, please tell us why it is important to participate in the GS Cookie Program?
My troop always participates in any fundraising opportunities, especially cookies. With each year that the girls get older, they gain more independence in handling the details of the cookie program. The program is a highly engaging experience for all troop members as they experience the value of running a business in real-time. They can see how vital product, timing, location, and commitment are to making their goals. Fall Product Program is a great entrepreneurial tool for preparing the girls for cookie season. I highly recommend not passing up either of these opportunities with your troop.
What are your troop’s cookie-selling tips and tricks?
My tips for cookie season are as follows:
- Keep calm, it’s only cookies. Things can get stressful around this time of year, but it is essential to stay grounded and remember to have fun!
- Support is a plus – getting parents to sign on as volunteers are the key.
- Timing is essential when it comes to sales. Think about the dates and times when choosing your cookie booths.
- A good partnership with a local business for self-scheduled booths is priceless.
What is the most inspiring moment you have experienced as a Troop Leader?
Camping with my troop is the absolute best! Watching how independent they are is so inspiring as both a volunteer and a parent. The way they engage during camp activities and how their eyes light up as they take in nature’s beauty warms my heart.
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It takes an exceptional person to be a Girl Scout Volunteer. The saying goes, “our volunteers are the lifeblood of our organization.” Girl Scout Volunteers are essential to building girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place and have a tremendous impact on the girls we serve. Now more than ever, we are reminded of our volunteers’ unique qualities, and we want to express just how deeply your efforts are appreciated. Throughout the pandemic, you’ve provided spaces for girls to connect in so many ways, and continuing to do so keeps the Girl Scout Movement alive.
It is no secret that the pandemic created significant challenges for our volunteers and staff. Many troops and Service Units have had difficulties finding meeting spaces and have been navigating the presence of reentry anxiety. With the ever-changing environment, now is an excellent time to look at how you can grow your impact if you desire to do so.
Some Service Unit teams have experienced vacancies in critical positions. If you love leading your troop and would like to help make a difference on a larger scale, consider having a conversation with the Service Unit Team and your Member Support Executive to see where you can offer your skills and talents.
Another way you can grow your impact is to encourage the girls in your troop (Juniors and up) to plan and host an event for your Service Unit. You will be amazed at the ideas your girls come up with, and helping to bring their vision to life will give you a sense of pride and purpose. Reference Covid-19 protocols when planning.
Finally, consider finding out if your employer offers funds for volunteer hours or if they will donate to your charity of choice. To find out if your employer offers this opportunity, connect with your Human Resources Department. If your employer does have this possibility, consider having them donate to Girl Scouts! More on how to handle donations can be found in the Troop Money Management Guide.
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This post originally appeared at nba.com.
Phoenix Suns All-Star Devin Booker likes to surprise people, particularly when he’s handing out $2.5M in grant money from his Devin Booker Starting Five program.
On Wednesday, after the Suns preseason game with the Portland Trail Blazers, Booker may have struck a new enthusiasm level when Girl Scouts from the Arizona Cactus-Pine Council unexpectedly met their favorite player and then were gifted $100,000 by him.
The Girl Scouts were initially excited by the invitation to attend Game 2 of the WNBA Finals between the Phoenix Mercury and Chicago Sky at Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix. They had no idea what awaited them.
Girl Scouts–Arizona Cactus-Pine Council consist of more than 20,000 from more than 90 communities, including Indian Reservations and military installations across 75,000 miles in central and northern Arizona.
The $100,000 grant officially tips off the 2021-22 class of the Devin Booker Starting Five – a $2.5 million commitment made by Booker in 2019 to grant $100,000 each to five nonprofits each season over five years. The remaining nonprofits of this year’s class will be announced soon.
The transformative funds from the Devin Booker Starting Five will help the Girl Scouts, among other things, replace their mini-bus necessary to transport youth to and from educational and character-building activities and experiences. Due to vandalism and theft, the nonprofit is without a functioning vehicle to support Girl Scouts served across the state of Arizona.
For Christina Spicer, interim Co-CEO of Girl Scouts–Arizona Cactus-Pine Council, the funds could not have come at a better time as the nonprofit returns to in-person camps and day trips.
“The Devin Booker Starting Five grant will provide an incredible resource for our girls,” said Spicer. “Having our bus need fully funded will allow our girls more access to girl-scouting and will be a huge gift for us. The fact that Book is supporting our girls and standing for women and girls is an enormous gift.”
Booker has excelled on the court for the Suns over the past six seasons, becoming a two-time All-Star and led his team through an exciting run to the NBA Finals for the first time in his career. But his dedication off the court has been equally important to the city of Phoenix. For the past several years, Booker has treated youth from around The Valley to holiday shopping sprees, pledged more than $100,000 to Phoenix Suns Charities in 2020 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and is a Special Olympics Global Ambassador promoting inclusion through sport, especially opportunities involving basketball.
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The Authentic Leadership Community (ALC) is now visiting Service Units with a brand-new workshop series on Authentic Girl Scout Leadership!
What is Authentic Girl Scout Leadership and how does it impact you?
- Join us and discover Authentic Girl Scout Leadership principles and practices.
- Explore deeper into bridging perspectives and traditions with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
- Enhance your Girl Scout toolkit and take action to strengthen your leadership, communication, and relationships.
Complete this form to set up a visit with the ALC. All Service Units will receive a 30-minute demonstration of the workshop with instructions on how to successfully complete it at their monthly meetings. Service Units who complete the entire workshop will receive a special gift from ALC.
Check out the new Authentic Girl Scout Leadership Book!
Questions? Email volunteerlearning@girlscoutsaz.org.
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You know it when you feel it. The world seems to be resting on your shoulders, and you are stretched so thin that you seem as sturdy as the tattered pages of your jam-packed planner. Throughout the day, you’ll continue to give and give to those you care about, but it may feel less fulfilling. This is known as compassion fatigue.
Think about it; a cord plugged into an outlet can still light the lamp to which it’s connected, even if it’s a bit ragged with wires poking through the plastic covering. Would we consider this lamp cord to be efficient? What if the cord was not plugged into a lamp but instead into rows of hospital beds to provide power for heart monitors and life-saving equipment?
When serving others, there are profound effects that can present themselves as burnout over time. Burnout typically occurs from continuously being overwhelmed by responsibilities and the amount of them. Compassion fatigue can be seen as a type of burnout; it’s the feeling that you have no more empathy to give. When individuals witness trauma or learn of suffering, the emotions that follow can build over long periods. If left unattended, they can increase and ultimately separate individuals from their ability to care for themselves and others.
Compassion fatigue builds slowly and is influenced by what we observe, read, and the duties we perform. It can progress until an individual is exhausted of energy and needs a lifestyle or career change in extreme cases.
Feelings associated with compassion fatigue:
- Exhausted psychologically and physically
- Feeling helpless, hopeless, or powerless
- Irritable, sadness, or numbness
- Detachment or decreased pleasure in activities
- Connecting to the suffering of others and feeling anger towards events or people causing it
- Blame towards yourself and having thoughts of not having done enough to help people
- A decreased sense of personal and professional accomplishment
Taking time out of your day to practice self-care can make all this difference. This could be taking planned breaks from work, exercising regularly, being present in your emotions, taking a step back when feeling overwhelmed, or seeking professional help. Here are some additional ways to maintain wellness and improve self-care:
- Follow healthy routines, such as reserving time for sleep and rest, enjoying nutritious meals, being active, and connecting more with friends. Activities should replenish and rejuvenate you.
- Avoid “information overload.” Pay attention to how stressful or traumatic information affects you.
- Be in the present moment and practice gratitude towards positive things, relationships, and opportunities.
- Focus on what’s in your control and build awareness of unrealistic expectations about changing something beyond your control.
Becoming aware of the signs of symptoms associated with compassion fatigue, getting support, and taking action to inform others can improve the wellness of our communities. We are all working towards a common goal, but to move forward efficiently, we must prioritize self-preservation.
GSACPC’s Authentic Leadership Community (ALC) appreciates the compassion that resonates throughout our Girl Scout network and always provides support and resources. We invite you to learn more and be part of this group that can introduce you to self-care tactics for Girl Scouts and personally.
We hope these tips help you become aware of compassion fatigue and help you rejuvenate yourself or anyone in your care. For professional support and help, reach out to your doctor.
Source: Thurrott, Stephanie. 2021. Watch for These Key Warning Signs of Compassion Fatigue. Banner Health Teach Me.
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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!
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Navajo Nation Service Unit
Troop 1430 (Daisies-Ambassadors)
Years as a Troop Leader: 9
What inspired you to become a Troop Leader?
I feel strongly about the role we, as trusted adults, play in girls’ lives, helping create a safe and fun place for them to support each other.
When my daughter entered kindergarten, her teacher started a Girl Scouts troop. I immediately got involved and volunteered as a cookie mom and led activities. When her teacher left the district, I decided to take over as their Troop Leader! I thought that if I was starting a troop for one grade, I might as well expand to all grades! We do not have many resources here in the Navajo Nation, so I knew I would need to take it on if I wanted Girl Scouts to continue in our community. I received a grant and partnered with the local school district to offer Girl Scouts to all elementary grades, and over the years, we went from six to over a hundred girls!
What kind of activities do you do with your troop? What is their favorite thing to do?
Our troop loves earning badges and planning group trips. Our goal is to have weekly meetings as part of the after-school program and participate in summer trips together. Recently, however, our school has been entirely virtual since March of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We decided to keep running our program weekly on Zoom for the 20-21 school year. And while it has been a challenge, we still could earn badges and connect with other Girl Scout troops across the country! We like using Google JamBoard and having fun online to stay connected. It’s challenged us to be creative in this new space – for example, we even had a Zoom sleepover where we watched a movie together and shared fun TikTok videos!
What kind of service projects have you done with your troop?
We’ve supported local community efforts with coat drives, community clean-ups and worked with our elders. During the pandemic, Troop 1430 collected and distributed pet food, PPE, and cleaning products. We gave a mini-PPE kit with gloves and masks to all 1,400 post office box holders in our community!
Tell us about a volunteer moment that stands out to you.
I love taking my Girl Scouts to the GSACPC Annual Meeting because it is a great place to experience the Movement from an overarching and more formal lens. It also allows me to take the 5th grade girls in our troop to see the fantastic girl-led activities – especially since they will be transitioning into middle school. This event is important because I want them to know the leadership skills that Girl Scouts can offer them.
Another moment that stands out to me was when we participated in the Parsons Leadership Center dedication. I felt so honored. Here, our girls had the opportunity to recite the Girl Scout Promise and Law in the Navajo Language!
What advice would you give other Troop Leaders?
There are so many resources available to Troop Leaders and so many ideas and paths that you can do with your troop. Every year I feel like we accomplished so much yet, there was much more that we could have done. It can be hard to do everything offered and provide all the experiences; it is overwhelming. Just focus on what your girls want to do and know that being there for them is what’s important.
What do you wish someone had told you as a new Troop Leader?
I wish someone had told me to get parents on board and involved early – be sure to connect and engage them! Also, don’t be afraid to accept help and delegate – I am still working on that one.
What would you like others to know about volunteer opportunities with the Girl Scouts?
Any help is appreciated! Leading a troop is a big commitment, but there are so many other jobs and positions where you can offer support. The opportunities are flexible with time and welcome many special skills and talents as well!
Why is it important to participate in the cookie program?
The Girl Scout Cookie Program is a great way to connect with your girls’ family members. Especially with our program offered after school, we send the girls home on the bus and do not connect with the parents as often. During the cookie season and Fall Product Program, I get to build relationships with the families. It is also a fun project where our troops can work together to host a cookie booth across all ages. I also feel that learning to communicate and work on people skills is a HUGE benefit for our girls, and that is something girls can learn in both product programs.
What are your troop’s cookie-selling tips and tricks?
The good and the bad part about being in a small community is that there are not too many other troops selling cookies. Everyone gets very excited about buying early, but then everyone gets “cookie’d out”! We try to schedule a trip to set up a booth in the Phoenix area along with a badge earning activity or camp to make the most of it and provide more boothing opportunities for our cookie entrepreneurs.
What is the most inspiring moment you have experienced as a Troop Leader?
I am so proud of all the youth I work with. I always tell girls the famous phrase, “Once a Girl Scout, always a Girl Scout!” Even if a girl takes time off and is not active, she still thinks of me as her Troop Leader, and I think of her as one of my girls. Even if I only have a hundred active Girl Scouts, there are many more girls I have worked with over the last ten years, and they are all special and forever part of our sisterhood.
Each moment spent helping them succeed, witnessing them achieve their goals, and growing their confidence is what inspires me.
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(PHOENIX – Sept. 14, 2021) – Girl Scouts–Arizona Cactus-Pine Council (GSACPC) is delighted to announce the receipt of a $2 million grant from Trustees of Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust. Announced on Monday, Sept. 13, the Now is the Moment Grants Commemoration awarded a total of $123 million to 71 nonprofit organizations across Maricopa County in one day. The grant, which will be used to support GSACPC’s programs and volunteer training and increase access to Girl Scouting for more girls in Arizona, is the Council’s second-largest single gift ever and the most significant one-time gift from Piper Trust, a long-time supporter.
Despite a tumultuous year due to the global health crisis caused by COVID-19 and economic uncertainty across all sectors, many individuals and institutions with large investments in the stock market experienced extraordinary growth in the value of their holdings. Piper Trust reported its endowment grew by $123 million in the 15 months following the start of the pandemic. With these two opposing forces at work, and as stewards of the Trust’s founder, Virginia Galvin Piper, Trustees felt compelled to share all of the earnings with the community.
“We are deeply grateful to the Trustees of Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust and their ongoing support of and belief in our efforts to introduce more girls to Girl Scouting,” said Tamara Woodbury, CEO of GSACPC. “Every girl deserves the opportunity to be a Girl Scout, which we know is proven to have a positive impact in girls’ lives and their surrounding communities.”
“Girl Scouts has been a consistent force for good in our community for many years and for our resilience through this pandemic. The program impacts our community in ways that matter today and tomorrow,” said Mary Jane Rynd, President and CEO of Piper Trust.
“Everything girls do in Girl Scouting is designed to help them grow into well-rounded adults prepared to meet the future successfully,” says Woodbury. “Girl Scouts helps girls navigate our changing world and build the futures they want to see. Through collaborative, experiential learning, access to caring adults and mentors, badge experiences and activities and service programs, girls build essential skills, explore and connect with their community, and become leaders who take action to make a positive difference in their communities.”
According to Woodbury, amid seismic shifts in technology and culture brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, Girl Scouts are constantly evolving and innovating their programs and offerings to address girls’ evolving needs and interests in ways that resonate with them.
“Girl Scouts has been a source of connection, support, and joy for girls throughout the pandemic and is addressing current issues girls, parents, and caregivers care about,” says Woodbury.
With some girls back to school, some girls still learning from home and others doing a hybrid of both, the Council is innovating ways to make Girl Scouting flexible and accessible at every level and turnkey for parents and caregivers to take part in, leading their girl through the experience in whatever way works best for them. This grant will directly support this mission.
“We love the work GSACPC does in our community and are proud to invest in the future of Arizona. Girl Scouts represent the next generation of social, civic, philanthropic, and economic leaders,” says Rynd.
To celebrate what is quickly becoming one of the most significant years in our Council’s history, GSACPC is actively recruiting new Troop Leaders and forming new troops to allow more girls to participate throughout the region. Joining the movement today is easier than ever. Girls can join a troop this new school year – right now! – and entire families can be part of the Girl Scout experience. Even dads/male caregivers! GSACPC is hosting fun, free events and programs for families new to Girl Scouts or who have not yet joined but want to learn more through the end of the year. Among the free virtual and in-person events are:
- Make New Friends, a four-part online series designed to boost your girl’s social skills and self-confidence while she learns to focus and thrive in a virtual group setting.
- Animal Dance Parties, an interactive Zoom party for girls to have fun, meet new friends, and learn about Girl Scouts. After the physical dance party ends, the girls are encouraged to work on an independent activity. During this time, grown-ups are invited to join us for a quick overview of Girl Scouts.
- Robot Building Parties, an interactive Zoom party for girls to work together – albeit virtually – on “building their own robot at home” while learning about all of the other adventures, science experiments, and outdoor activities they can participate in as Girl Scouts.
- In-Person Events throughout the Valley and northern Arizona, families are invited to learn more about Girl Scouts at one of the local open-houses-style events closest to them. View the interactive map and calendar to find a location and time that works best for you.
For more information, visit www.girlscoutsaz.org/join.
We Are Girl Scouts
Girl Scouts bring their dreams to life and work together to build a better world. Through programs from coast to coast, Girl Scouts of all backgrounds and abilities can be unapologetically themselves as they discover their strengths and rise to meet new challenges—whether they want to climb to the top of a tree or the top of their class, lace up their boots for a hike or advocate for climate justice, or make their first best friends. Backed by trusted adult volunteers, mentors, and millions of alums, Girl Scouts lead the way as they find their voices and make changes that affect the issues most important to them. To join us, volunteer, reconnect, or donate, visit girlscouts.org.
About Girl Scouts–Arizona Cactus-Pine Council (GSACPC)
In partnership with 6,000 adult volunteers, GSACPC serves over 11,000 girls grades K-12 in more than 90 communities across central and northern Arizona. Since 1936, GSACPC has helped girls develop leadership skills and tools for success in a rapidly changing environment. We know that given the opportunity, every girl can become a leader, act confidently on her values, and connect with her community. For more information, visit www.girlscoutsaz.org, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Instagram.
About Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust
Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust supports organizations that enrich health, well-being, and opportunity for the people of Maricopa County, Arizona. Since it began awarding grants in 2000, Piper Trust has invested more than $644 million in local nonprofits and programs. Piper Trust grantmaking areas are healthcare and medical research, children, older adults, arts and culture, education, and religious organizations.. For more information about Piper Trust, visit pipertrust.org and/or its Piper Fellows program, visit pipertrust.org/piperfellows. @PiperTrust | Facebook.
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Over the last several years, GSACPC has been committed to the vital work of researching, evaluating, and implementing the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within the organization.
In that spirit, the Authentic Leadership Community (ALC) worked together to revise and update the Leadership from the Inside Out booklets, incorporating the principles of DEI. DEI refers to the practice of intentional inclusion regardless of one’s background or circumstances.
We’ll review how to add simple techniques that emphasize the concepts of communication, growth mindset, goal setting and more in your troop meetings to support inclusivity through a discover, connect, and take-action process.
Discover
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) defines a person with a disability as “a person who has a physical or mental impairment, or a history of one, that substantially limits one or more life activities; or a person who is perceived by others as having such an impairment.”
The Social Security Administration reports that more than 1 in 6 American children are living with disabilities. Most common among school-age was Attention-Deficit/Hyperactive Disorder, next Autism Spectrum Disorder, then learning disabilities, and mental health illness. This means that around 20% of girls ages 5-17 are living with a mental or physical disability.
However, not all disabilities are visible or physical. Cognitive disabilities and/or mental conditions, especially those with learning differences1 and neurodiversity2, may not be apparent just by looking at or talking to someone.
A part of making Girl Scouts a diverse, equitable, and inclusive organization is thinking about how the policy applies to this subset of our population. The umbrella term of “differently wired,”3 allows us to center on creating ways to make what we do inclusive for all girls. Often, when we make changes for inclusion, it benefits all.
Understanding the foundation of DEI is only the first step in achieving an inclusive troop environment. To ensure that all girls are given a safe space regardless of disability or background we must incorporate techniques which prioritize acceptance, joy, and celebration of self.
Fixed vs. Growth Mindset
Researcher Carol Dweck coined two terms when working around students’ attitudes about failure.
- Fixed mindset refers to one’s belief that intellect and ability are stagnant -“I can’t recite the GS Promise and Law!”
- Growth mindset refers to one’s belief in their ability to learn and develop skills – “It may take some time, but I’ll learn to recite the GS Promise and Law!”
As you can imagine adopting either of these mindsets can impact achievement throughout someone’s life.
Incorporating Growth Mindset
The power of “yet”
When girls say they “can’t” do something, simply add the word “yet” to their statement. This gives them the power to believe in themselves, which in turn activates the growth mindset.
Example: “I can’t tie my shoelaces…yet.”
KWL chart or similar visuals
One tool that can be used to incorporate the growth mindset is a KWL chart. Here is how you can utilize this during a troop activity:
- Create a chart with three columns: One labeled K for “Know,” W for “Want to know,” and L for “Learned.”
- At the start of an activity, ask girls what they already know about the topic and put it in the K column.
- Write any questions regarding the topic in the W column.
- After completing the activity, have the girls reflect and write what they learned in the L column.
This can be a great way to organize ideas while working on a take-action project.
Connect
One of the greatest gifts you can give girls is helping them attain self-knowledge – learning who they are, how their brain works, and what they need to do to create the life they want. You can empower them to understand this and feel good about who they are. All girls can use this knowledge to connect with others from different and varied histories, life stories, physical and/or developmental abilities.
Especially important to this discovery is the way you communicate with girls. Here are some suggestions of how to lead conversations, adapted from the novel Differently Wired:
Check your thoughts/beliefs. When faced with a challenge, identify the thoughts/beliefs that could influence the message you give your troop. Modeling authenticity, honesty, and transparency could be beneficial for your girls.
Make open and honest communication a core value and work towards it constantly. Commit to prioritizing this and create a safe place for sharing and discussing relevant topics; your girls get to choose what and how much to share. This is something that could be incorporated as a check-in at the beginning of meetings or events.
Make conversations about strengths AND challenges a part of the experience. Create a closing ritual to end meetings/events by asking, “What went well today and what was hard today?”
Don’t shy away from difficult conversations. Keep in mind how to talk with your girls in an age-appropriate manner but aim to have discussions that help them feel respected and seen. This will help them feel secure in coming to you when challenging topics/issues come up.
Within all of this, parents/guardians can be your best source of how to approach working with the challenges their child experiences; you don’t have to do it all alone.
Set girl-led troop goals. Connect what is learned (reference the KWL chart) to future goals. This can help the girls figure out what they would like to accomplish. A good example is product sales and what to do with the proceeds.
Use girls’ strengths to improve weaknesses. You can help your girls grow by using one of their strengths to support a weakness. Say a girl in your troop enjoys math but is unsure how to talk to others; they can collect money from a customer at a cookie booth to help strengthen their conversational skills. When your girl ventures outside of her comfort zone to grow, make a point to acknowledge it. They may not be aware of this accomplishment until you point it out!
Take Action
The above information and suggestions are non-specific. How you apply them will depend on the level of girls you’re working with, where they want to go, and what they want to accomplish.
This blog is written by Rebecca Oakes. Rebecca Oakes holds a master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling. She has been sharing her authentic self as a GSACPC volunteer for 14+ years, including various troop capacities, and seven years with our Authentic Leadership Community (ALC) group. Rebecca is also the mother of two neurodivergent children.
ALC is centered around Authentic Girl Scout Leadership principles, formerly known as Leadership from the Inside Out. “We are committed to helping you discover, unlock and develop your leadership superpowers so that you can guide and empower your girls as they grow into leaders themselves.”
Links to Explore
- Citizen Badges
- Template to create your own disability badge/patch – Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana Disability Awareness
- Mental Health Awareness Patch (International Bipolar Foundation)
- How to Build and Maintain an Inclusive Girl Scout Troop
Have any questions or comments? Email volunteerlearning@girlscoutsaz.org.
1 Such as three “D’s” – Dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia
2 Variations in brain development such as autism or ADHD
3 Used by Deborah Reber, author of the book Differently Wired.
girlscoutsaz.blog 