journeys

What is a Journey?

A key part of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience is the leadership journey, a coordinated series of activities grouped around a single theme and delivered over a set period of time.

Journeys unfold through a sequence of activities and discussions that add up to one great adventure. No matter how much time girls spend on a journey, the whole is always greater than any single part. When a Girl Scout journey comes to a close, girls and their adult guides truly feel a sense of accomplishment – and come to cherish the awards they’ve earned along the way.

Journeys invite girls to:

• Explore leadership the Girl Scout way (Discover + Connect + Take Action)
• Develop leadership skills they can use immediately and all their lives
• Reflect on their adventures and apply them to daily life

What’s in the Girl’s Book?

The girl’s book is a unique journey companion that is rich in Girl Scout history, traditions, and values. It offers opportunities to imagine and create through:

• Stories, quizzes, games, and amazing facts and discoveries
• Open spaces to collect ideas, memories and mementos
• Reflections and questions that get girls thinking about their own lives and the world around them
• Team-building experiences that foster that special sense of belonging

What’s in the Adult Books?

The companion “how-to” guide for adult volunteers offers key information about the journey, its awards and its leadership benefits, with step-by-step sample plans for how journey sessions can unfold as girls meet. Adults in partnership with girls can expand or condense these plans, as they like.

The adult guides also feature sections on Girl Scout history and traditions, as well as tips on safety and understanding girls at each particular grade level. And, they contain information on what to do if a girl misses a session or an award step.

Girl Scout Daisy, grades K-1

The First Step in a Lifetime Adventure
Girl Scout Daisies are in grades K-1 and meet in a nurturing, inclusive environment. They go on trips, learn about nature and science, and explore the arts and their communities. Girl Scout Daisies can also earn Learning Petals and receive participation patches.

Journeys for Girl Scout Daisies:

• Welcome to the Daisy Flower Garden (It’s Your World—Change It!)
• Between Earth and Sky (It’s Your Planet—Love It!)
  
• 5 Flowers, 4 Stories, 3 Cheers for Animals (It’s Your Story—Tell It!)

 

Girl Scout Brownie, grades 2-3

Going Places, Making New Friends
Girl Scouts Brownies work together, earn Girl Scout Brownie Awards, and explore their community. Friendship, fun, and age-appropriate activities begin at the Girl Scout Brownie meeting and move out to the community and wider world.

Journeys for Girl Scout Brownies:

• Brownie Quest (It’s Your World—Change It!)
• WOW! Wonders of Water (It’s Your Planet—Love It!)
• A World of Girls (It’s Your Story—Tell It!)

The graphic below explains how the journeys and badges work together. Journeys and badges are designed to be complementary, not to compete. Journeys are the core Girl Scout curriculum. They have been developed to help Girl Scouts develop the three keys to leadership: Discover, Connect and Take Action.

Badges complement the journeys by helping girls build skills on specific topics. To get a picture of how journeys and other Girl Scout activities work together to make one consistent Girl Scout experience, view the journeys map on the Girl Scout website. As you mouse over the journey map, you will see pop-ups that give further information about how to tie Girl Scout activities (such as camping, field trips, and cookie sales) into the journeys.

 

• What does it mean to “customize” a journey?

  Journeys only come to life when girls and volunteers sprinkle in their own interests, talents, creativity and imagination to shape the journey experience. You can also call upon a range of local experts who can enrich the girls’ experience. Check out tips and suggestions in the girls’ book, adult guide and in It’s Your Journey-Customize It!

 

• Will it be possible for badge requirements to count toward fulfillment of journey requirements?

  Journey awards are based on a girl’s participation in a whole series of interrelated activities and discussions that contribute to a girl’s overall experience and that help her develop the three keys to leadership. Badges focus on one specific skill (for example, creating a piece of art or learning first aid). For that reason, journey activities cannot be counted as completion of a badge activity requirement. Keep in mind that the journeys are very flexible and that requirements for earning awards are not meant to be rigid. What’s most important is that girls gain exposure to a variety of opportunities and enjoy activities based on the three keys (Discover, Connect, Take Action).