Girls have a unique perspective on leadership.
They want to be leaders who stand up for their beliefs and values. They want to be leaders who try to change the world for the better. They don’t want to be leaders who simply order someone else around. The Girl Scout Leadership Experience embraces leadership as envisioned by girls. The Spring Conferences were the first step of many in the launch of the New Girl Scout Leadership Experience.
At each conference, teams of participants had a chance to dig into the elements of the GSLE, including the tools, the processes, and the 15 leadership outcomes for girls. They cracked open the Change Your World grade-level journeys and answered these kinds of issues:
- What girl leadership outcomes are intended?
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How is the Discover, Connect, and Take Action framework embedded within it?
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In what ways do the girl-led, cooperative, and hands-on learning processes happen?
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What would the journey look like in each Pathway to ensure a nationally consistent program (all girls, all pathways)?
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What will we do to support adults so they can be more effective in supporting girls?
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What is purposeful leadership and how will an inward leadership journey help nurture the adults who, in turn, model leadership for girls?
In other workshops, teams of participants explored how to apply the learning (e.g., on outcomes, on the framework for the leadership experience, on processes) to current national program activities within Healthy Living, STEM, Environmental Education and other program activities (such as trips, a climbing wall, etc.).
Teams also explored how to help adults prepare to support girls on their leadership journeys – the age-level Facilitator Guides as well as the Leadership Essentials guide.
If you are interested in getting help in using or adapting some of these session designs in your communities, please contact Christina Lightbourne at clightbourne@girlscouts.org. Or send your questions to 2008springconferences@girlscouts.org. Let us know how we can assist you as you manage the transformation to the Girl Scout Leadership Experience!
