Girl Scout Workshops
The Girl Scout Age Levels
Daisy Girl Scouts
- Are 5-6 years old or in Kindergarten and Grade 1.
- They can earn their Promise Center and Learning Petals.
Brownie Girl Scouts
- Are 6 - 8 years old or in Grades 1 - 3.
- They can earn Try-Its.
Junior Girl Scouts
- Are 8 - 11 years old or in Grades 3 - 6.
- They can earn Badges and other awards.
- The highest award is called the Bronze Award.
Girl Scouts 11- 17
- Are 11 - 17 years old or are in Grades 6 - 12.
- They can earn Interest Projects and other awards.
- The highest awards are the Silver and Gold Leadership Awards.
Girl Scout Workshop Module
Contents
- Background
- Girl Scout Workshop Planning Guide
- Girl Scout Award Activities
Background
The purpose of this module is to facilitate the conduction of award and other science-oriented workshops by Society of Women Engineers professional and student sections for Girl Scouts. Sections wanting to hold a Girl Scout event should read the Girl Scout Workshop Planning Guide found in this module. Activities can be used individually for a meeting night or combined for whole or half-day sessions. All of the activities listed in this module are associated with a Girl Scout Award. We have a SWE Girl Scout Event patch that can be purchased from headquarters and given to the girls for the non-award-related activities.
This module has been produced with inputs from many Society of Women Engineers sections across the country. Special thanks to Chicago Regional, Los Angeles, New England Shoreline, Oklahoma State University, Santa Clara Valley and Space Coast for their inputs and support.
This Girl Scout Workshop Module is constantly being updated. Additional awards and other activities will be added from time to time, and specific activities enhanced with additional options, so check back often. If you have comments or recommendations for improving these activities, send them to Susan Anderson.
Girl Scout Workshop Planning Guide
This guide tells you everything you need to know about how to set up and run a Girl Scout Workshop in your area.
Girl Scout Award Activities
For information on how many activities are needed to earn a Try-It, Badge or Interest Project, see the Girl Scout Awards page on the national site. There may be more activities listed in the specific awards below than are required to earn an award, so you can choose which ones you would like to include in a workshop. Remember, it is always good to have at least one more activity station than is required for that particular award so that if a girl has to leave early for a game or another appointment, she will have completed the award before leaving (assuming she leaves only a half-hour early) and can take it home with her.
Brownie Girl Scout Engineering and Science Themed Try-Its
To earn a Try-It, a Brownie Girl Scout must complete at least four of the activities listed in the book(1) for that topic. Other Try-Its, such as Her Story, Working it Out, or Careers, are worth considering from a more general perspective. Here are the ones with Engineering and Science themes:
- *Building Art
- *Computer Smarts (2,4)
- Earth and Sky (3)
- Eco-Explorer
- *Math Fun
- *Movers
- *Numbers and Shapes
- *Point, Click, and Go (2,4)
- *Science in Action
- *Science Wonders
- Space Explorer (3)
- Water Everywhere (3)
* recommended for SWE workshops
1 Try -Its for Brownie Girl Scouts, Girl Scouts of the USA, 2000
2 Requires access to computers
3 Requires access to specific outdoor location(s)
Junior Girl Scout Engineering and Science Related Badges
To earn a Badge, a Junior Girl Scout must complete at least six of the activities listed in the book 1 for that topic. Here are the ones with Engineering and Science themes:
- * Aerospace
- * Architecture* Computer Fun (2)
- * Creative Solutions
- Cyber Girl Scout (2,4)
- * Discovering Technology
- Earth Connections (3)
- Eco-Action3
- * Making It Matter
- * Math Whiz
- * Oil Up
- * Puzzlers
- Rocks Rock (3)
- * Science Discovery
- * Science in Everyday Life
- * Science in Action (4)
- * Science Sleuth
- Sky Search3
- Water Wonders3
- * Weather Watch
* recommended for SWE workshops
1 Junior Girl Scout Badgebook, Girl Scouts of the USA 2001
2 Requires access to computers
3 Requires access to specific outdoor location(s)
4 Badge requirements found online
Engineering and Science Related Earned Awards for Girl Scouts 11-17
Interest Projects
Girl Scouts 11-17 can earn Interest Projects. The majority are listed in Interest Projects for Girl Scouts 11 - 171. Activities are divided into four categories: Skill Builders, Technology, Service Projects and Career Exploration. The girl must complete two activities from Skill Builders, one activity from each of Technology, Service Projects, and Career Exploration, plus any two other activities of her choice. There are now online Interest Projects which have a different structure. To earn these Interest Projects a girl must carry out six activities: Build, Learn, Do, Share, Design, Reflect. They may choose to complete the book Interest Projects in a manner similar to those on-line. More are being added online. Interest Projects from the book (1) with Engineering and Science Themes are:
- * Architecture and Environmental Design
- * Build a Better Future
- * Computers in Everyday Life (2,3)
- Digging Through the Past
- * Eco-Action
- * Exploring the Net (2,3)
- * Inventions and Inquiry
- *Math, Maps and More
- Planet Power
- * Space Exploration
- * Why in the World? Interest Projects found only on-line with Engineering and Science Themes are:
- High-Tech Hide & Seek (3)
- Uncovering the Evidence (3)
A Section or MAL(s) offering a workshop should focus on Skill Builders and Technology or Learn, Build, Do activities and not expect to complete an entire Interest Project. They are designed to take an extended period of time.
Career Exploration activities are perfect for the SWE member who has limited time to prepare but wants to serve as a role model for teenage girls.
Focus Books
Girl Scouts 11-17 can complete Focus Books. Each girl reads through the book on the topic, does some of the suggested activities and sets and completes her own SMART4 goals with her advisor. SWE members can hold workshops around the theme or serve as an expert advisor on the topic. As of now, Making Waves is the only Focus Book with an obvious engineering or science theme.
For more information about Girl Scouting, we recommend GSUSA’s Girl Scout Central website. A complete list of awards that can be earned by Girl Scouts 11-17 is available there.
* recommended for SWE workshops
1 Interest Projects Girl Scouts 11 - 17, Girl Scouts of the USA, 1997
2 Requires access to computers
3 Interest Project requirements found online
4 Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timeframe
“Girl Scouts" and other Girl Scout trademarks are registered trademarks of Girl Scouts of the USA and are used herein pursuant to license
