How Girl Scout Volunteers Can Lead with Impact

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One of the most inspiring parts of volunteering with Girl Scouts is getting to witness girls discover their strengths through engaging in activities in STEM, financial literacy, the outdoors, art, and more.

When it does come time to introduce new topics to Girl Scouts, many leaders feel intimidated because they do not have experience in these fields. Volunteers don’t need to be an expert or a scientist to bring these activities to their troops!

There are a variety of ways for Girl Scout volunteers to build their confidence and positively impact their Girl Scouts through new experiences.

Find an expert – volunteers can use their network of peers to identify someone who is a professional or has knowledge of the badge or activity the troop is working on. Let that individual take the lead! Participate in the activity alongside the girls to join in on the fun and learn something new.

Prepare – review the materials needed to earn a badge or complete an activity. Make any modifications to best meet the needs and interests of the girls in the troop. As long as the lesson of the badge is understood by the Girl Scouts, consider that a win! Use the Volunteer Toolkit (VTK) to access content for badges and awards.

Relate the activity to your own experience – volunteers can find parallels between what they know and what they’ll learn in an activity. Drawing from personal and professional experiences, and speaking to challenges or issues the volunteer has encountered will create a special connection between the girls and their leader.

Failure is not the end - One of the most valuable lessons from Girl Scouting is that failure is not the end-all. You can try again until you succeed. Be open with the Girl Scouts and let them know that not everything will go according to plan. When leaders show the troop that they are not embarrassed or deterred by failure, it demonstrates perseverance. This is a key leadership attribute!

And remember every time volunteers lead an activity or attend an outing with the troop, they are strengthening their skills and their untapped talents which can be used to empower girls’ confidence and leadership.

For example, adults who volunteer as Troop Cookie Managers learn:

  • Budgeting
  • Finance
  • Goal-setting
  • Organization
  • Technology
  • Troubleshooting

Don’t be afraid of the unknown. From it can come new and exciting experiences and leadership opportunities, for volunteers and girls. You got this!

Want to explore how to use your volunteer experience to introduce new topics to Girl Scouts? Sign up for the Volunteer Connections live meetings! The next meeting will take place on Monday, February 13, at 8:00 PM. At Celebrating a Global Sisterhood, volunteers will learn how to use available resources and their experiences to introduce Girl Scout traditions and celebrate diversity and inclusion for Girl Scouts and Girl Guides worldwide. We’ll also discuss how to celebrate special Girl Scout events, like World Thinking Day and Girl Scouts Celebrate Faith Week.

Registration is now open!

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