Key Messages

The mission of Girl Scouts of the USA is Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place. To honor this commitment to girls, Girl Scouting is moving forward with a strengthened leadership experience, referred to as the Girl Scout Leadership Development Program.

The Girl Scout leadership model is the new design for what girls do in Girl Scouting and how adult support can strengthen their experience. It is the road map for determining what a girl will learn and how she will be impacted. The model defines and displays all the elements that must be in place to positively impact girls’ lives. The Girl Scout Leadership Development Program, then, is the model in action.

Through the Girl Scout Leadership Development Program, girls will discover their personal best and prepare for a positive future, connect with others in an increasingly diverse world, and take action to solve problems and improve their communities. Girls have told us that these opportunities matter very much to girls—both in their daily lives and as they prepare for their futures. And, with our unique focus on a girl-led approach, and cooperative and experiential learning, girls will continue to have fun, friendship, and exciting adventures.

The Girl Scout approach to leadership is based on the three principles—Discover, Connect, and Take Action.

Discover

As a Girl Scout discovers her world, she:

• Develops a strong sense of self
• Gains practical and healthy life skills
• Strengthens her values

Connect

As a Girl Scout connects with others in a global community, she:

• Forms caring relationships
• Promotes cooperation and team building
• Embraces diversity

Take Action

As a Girl Scout takes action in the world, she:

• Feels empowered to make a difference
• Identifies and solves problems she cares about
• Advocates for herself and others

The Girl Scout Leadership Development principles represent cycles of activities that engage girls in practicing leadership skills, based on the values of the Girl Scout Promise and Law. These activities are directly tied to specific outcomes such as: valuing cultural diversity and individual uniqueness; educating and inspiring others; and making a
difference through community service and action. The outcomes indicated in the Girl Scout leadership development model will allow us to measure the impact Girl Scouting has on girls’ lives.

The Girl Scout leadership model consists of three processes, which include girl-led, experiential learning/learning by doing and cooperative learning. These processes, intentionally combined, make Girl Scouting unique, determine the quality of experience, and create fun and friendship for girls. Girls will have the opportunities to create their own experiences, reflect on them and apply what they learn to new situations.

Girl Scout staples, like books, badges, and websites, exist to engage girls in leadership skill building in fun ways. GSUSA will begin to phase in new and updated resources to support the Girl Scout Leadership Development Program in October 2008.

Decisions about the Girl Scout Leadership Development Program are based on input and ideas gathered from all members of the Girl Scout community including councils, volunteers, members, non-Girl Scouts, and experts in the youth development field. As the program continues to evolve, additional ideas and input will be elicited.

Girl Scouts has a long-standing tradition of change. Since 1912, Girl Scouting has risen to the challenge of meeting the unique needs of each generation of girls.