Volunteer Connections by Girl Scouts of Nassau County

  How to Plan for the New Girl Scout Year: New Troop Year Tips Podcast  with, Troop Leader Heidi Donofrio Getting back into the swing of things for a new troop year can be overwhelming. We’re here to support you, Girl Scout volunteers, to help make the planning process easier! In our New Troop Year Tips podcast episode, GSNC Brownie Troop Leader Heidi Donofrio joins staff member and podcast host, Cathy Ciccone, to share her best how-to tips, to ensure troop leaders are prepared for the start of a new Girl Scout year. Here’s all of the valuable resources she shares (with links), so you don’t waste your time googling! P.S. Be sure to read to the end to find out the most important lessons Heidi has learned to date as a troop leader. Building a strong foundation within co-leaders and troop parents: ·         Maintain constant communication, using what works for you! This could be through text, email, an app like “ Band ,” or with vi...

Let’s talk about bridging! If you’re not familiar, bridging is a beloved Girl Scout tradition that honors girls’ achievements throughout the year and celebrates their “crossing the bridge” to the next Girl Scout level. Girl Scout troops hold their bridging ceremony in May or June, and some tie it to the end of the girls’ current school year. When are Girl Scouts ready to bridge? Grade 1 Daisies bridge to Brownies Grade 3 Brownies bridge to Juniors Grade 5 Juniors bridge to Cadettes Grade 8 Cadettes bridge to Seniors Grade 10 Seniors bridge to Ambassadors Grade 12 Ambassadors bridge to adults Even if your troop is not ready to bridge yet, remember, this episode will always be available for you to come back to, when you’re ready! We’ll discuss how to plan a bridging ceremony and how to keep it girl-led, who you can get involved, the insignia you’ll want to include, how to customize it to fit your troop’s needs, and resources you can use to make the planning process a breez...

As a Girl Scout volunteer, you are changing the lives of the new generation of leaders. You are a mentor and a cheerleader. You make new experiences possible and help create lasting memories. You provide comfort and inspiration in trying moments and encourage confidence and growth. You help build girls of courage, confidence, and character while finding the same within yourself. On Monday, April 10, we celebrated volunteers at Lead with Impact, a special in-person Volunteer Connections event. The evening offered volunteers the chance to connect with one another to share their thoughts and ideas about the impact of volunteering. GSNC staff were present at informational tables to answer volunteer questions about Highest Awards , program opportunities , CampBlue Bay , and more! Volunteers are always looking for activities to do with their troops so that is why we had three hands-on activity tables! Volunteers learned how to build an edible fire, make a campfire SWAP, and they mad...

Girl Scouts look to their leaders for direction and support with brainstorming, evaluating, and choosing solutions. Troop leaders should be knowledgeable to help the girls solve problems creatively and effectively! On Monday, March 13, the Volunteer Training and Resource team hosted How Great Leaders Solve Problems to help volunteers understand problem-solving and how to positively reframe their mindset to view problems as opportunities for growth and change! Volunteers also learned best practices to implement which will empower Girl Scouts to break the barriers of limited thinking and come up with creative solutions, especially when working on a Take Action project for the Highest Awards. Here are the best practices and some examples that were discussed! Invite different perspectives. When four Girl Scouts are working on the Silver Award, they should discuss their ideas as a group. They should also meet to discuss ideas with other members of their troop, their peers, and ...