The Girl Scout Leadership Experience has been purposefully designed to include a variety of fun and challenging activities to help Girl Scouts learn, grow, and thrive. Girl Scouts have the opportunity to take on leadership roles and learn-by-doing in a safe, fun, and cooperative environment.
Supportive relationships mean that camp staff care about their campers, encourage their creative thinking, are inclusive, and provide a safe space. As a result, Girl Scouts experience positive relationships with their peers and a feeling of belonging.
The Girl Scout Leadership Experience draws on three unique processes—Girl-Led, Learning by Doing, and Cooperative Learning—that encourage Girl Scouts to try new things, write their own stories, and develop the skills and confidence to say, “I know I can do this!”
- Girl-Led. Girl Scouts take the lead, no matter their age. From selecting the activities they’ll take part in to what they'll cook for dinner and all the steps it takes to get there; Girl Scouts have the opportunity to follow their dreams and grow their skills—and gain the confidence that comes with that.
- Learning by Doing. Hands-on activities are fun for Girl Scouts of any age, but they also help them feel empowered to shape their own experience. Girl Scouts unlock their “I got this” attitude as they discover they can always dust themselves off and try again when things don’t go according to plan.
- Cooperative Learning. There’s power in having a tight-knit group of friends who will learn with you, grow with you, and always cheer you on. Girl Scouts experience firsthand that teamwork, respect, and collaboration can fuel them through any challenge that comes their way.
As Girl Scouts learn from their successful and not so successful tries, they gain confidence. They all should have the opportunity to lead within their peer group. By the time they are Cadettes, Seniors, and Ambassadors, they will be using the leadership skills they’ve developed to take on more ownership of their activities, mentor younger Girl Scouts, and take action to make the world a better place.
And finally, when we incorporate a variety of activities, supportive adults, and the three processes, Girl Scouts experience the 5 GSLE outcomes:
- Strong Sense of Self. Girl Scouts have confidence in themselves and their abilities and form positive identities.
- Positive Values. Girl Scouts act ethically, honestly, and responsibly, and show concern for others.
- Challenge Seeking. Girl Scouts learn to take appropriate risks, try things even if they might fail, and learn from mistakes.
- Healthy Relationships. Girl Scouts develop and maintain healthy relationships by communicating their feelings directly and resolving conflicts constructively.
- Community Problem-Solving. Girl Scouts desire to contribute to the world in purposeful and meaningful ways, learn how to identify problems in the community, and create “action plans” to solve them.
These outcomes occur when Girl Scouts are introduced to traditions and positive values in an emotionally and physically safe space with supportive adults. While camp is short, its impact is long-lasting and opens the door for Girl Scouts to build skills, relationships, and confidence that will follow them throughout their lives, as the research shows. Our program and outcomes are based on research and our studies show that Girl Scouting has a measurable positive impact on Girl Scouts. In fact, we can proudly say Girl Scouts are almost 10 percent more likely than non-Girl Scouts to have positive expectations about their future based on our studies. We encourage you to learn more about our program and outcomes as you check out our studies and in-depth research for insights and information.
