FAQs: LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE

1. What is the New Girl Scout Leadership Experience?
   
2. What are the books for girls in the first series of leadership journeys?
   
3. When will the first journeys be available?
   
4. What new awards can girls earn with the It's Your World Change It! journeys?
5. Can girls still earn badges, apart from journeys?
6. How do the Girl Scout Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards fit into the Girl Scout Leadership Experience?
7. What's happening with uniforms?
8. What are the new grade levels?
9. What are the leadership outcomes?
10. What is Transforming Leadership?

1. How and why was the Core Business Strategy developed?
   
2. Who is the Core Business Strategy intended for?
   
3. Does the Core Business Strategy change the Girl Scout Promise or Law?
   
4. How will the organization change?
   
5. How can we change and still keep our tradition alive?
   
6. What is the timeline for implementation of the Core Business Strategy?

More answers to your questions

1. What is the New Girl Scout Leadership Experience?
   The New Girl Scout Leadership Experience engages girls in discovering themselves, connecting with others, and taking action to make the world a better place.
   
   See an overview of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience.
   
   

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2. What are the books for girls in the first series of leadership journeys?
   The first books for girls are all part of the It's Your World Change It! series of leadership journeys. This series features one new book for girls at each grade level in Girl Scouting:

   Welcome to the Daisy Flower Garden
   Brownie Quest
   Agent of Change (for Juniors)
   aMAZE (for Cadettes)
   GIRLtopia: Toward an Ideal World for Girls (for Seniors)
   Your Voice, Your World: The Power of Advocacy (for Ambassadors)
   

   These books place emphasize inviting girls to "Take Action" on an issue they care about. The books also contain stories, inspirational material, Girl Scout history, traditions and values, facts and games, and blank space for girls to fill in their own ideas and memories.

   In addition, corresponding "how-to" books have been created for adults. These guides for adult volunteers offer plenty of support, including customizable sample sessions.
   

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3. When will the first journeys be available?
   All girl and adult books in the It’s Your World-Change It!—are out now, with the second series to be released shortly.
   
   

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4. What new awards can girls earn with the It's Your World-Change It! journeys?
   Girl Scouts at each of the six grade levels have a chance to earn official new awards as they complete steps along the journey. The awards are designed to be worn on the Girl Scout uniform. Daisies, Brownies, Juniors, and Cadettes have the chance to earn several badges along the journey. Seniors and Ambassadors can mark the completion of their journey with a pin or badge.

   The steps for earning the awards are clearly explained in the "how-to" books for volunteers created for each journey. Girls have information about the awards in their books, too. The journey books for girls and adults also have suggested reflection and ceremony ideas related to earning the awards. The goal is to provide opportunities for girls to fully understand the achievement and growth the awards represent.
   

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5. Can girls still earn badges, apart from journeys?
   Girls are welcome to continue choosing and earning badges that represent their varied interests. Earning badges is an important tradition in Girl Scouting and it is here to stay! As adults and girls become more familiar with the elements of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience, they will even be able to see how the Discover, Connect, and Take Action leadership keys can be integrated into earning badges.

   Of course, no matter what activities girls do in Girl Scouting, the experience is always best when it incorporates the Girl Scout processes: Girl Led, Learning by Doing, and Cooperative Learning.
   

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6. How do the Girl Scout Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards fit into the Girl Scout Leadership Experience?
   Girl Scouts of the USA is working to update the requirements for earning the Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards and new guidelines will be available online in spring 2009. During the transition years (2008-2010), girls may continue earning the Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards based on existing standards.
   

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7. What's happening with uniforms?
   In 2006, the National Board of Directors approved a new uniform policy, to take effect in fall 2008. Based on this policy, girls at each level will have one official uniform item (e.g., tunic, vest, sash) so they can display the pins and badges they earn. Girl Scout Juniors and older program age groups will wear their vests and sashes with white shirts and khaki pants, making it easier for more girls than ever before to show their unity and pride as Girl Scouts. Daisies and Brownies may also wear "khaki and white" or choose to wear full uniform ensembles for their age level. The Daisy tunic remains available. There will also be a variety of casual uniform components available for those times when official dress uniform is not required.

   Adult uniforms will consist of a scarf worn with the membership pins for women and a tie for men. The scarf/tie and membership pins will be worn with navy blue business attire.
   

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8. What are the new grade levels?
   The National Board of Directors approved these grade levels in 2006 to provide increased differentiation and advancement as girls experience Girl Scouting. The new levels are effective beginning in fall 2008. Between 2008 and 2010, councils will be transitioning to the new grade level structure according to their local plans. Some have begun using the new levels, adopting the 08/09 Early Bird schedule, and others will be implementing the levels over the next few years, all aiming for national consistency in 2010.

   Girl Scouts of the USA trusts councils, in partnership with families, to assist every girl in having the Girl Scout experience that is best for her. As a general practice, girls say it is important to be with their "social peers"-groups that share the same developmental characteristics.

   Girl Scout Daisies (Grades K-1)
   Girl Scout Brownies (Grades 2-3)
   Girl Scout Juniors (Grades 4-5)
   Girl Scout Cadettes (Grades 6-8)
   Girl Scout Seniors (Grades 9-10)
   Girl Scout Ambassadors (Grades 11-12)
   

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9. What are the leadership outcomes?
   

   Discover

   • Girls develop a strong sense of self
   • Girls develop positive values
   • Girls gain practical life skills
   • Girls seek challenges in the world
   • Girls develop critical thinking

   Connect

   • Girls develop healthy relationships
   • Girls promote cooperation and team building
   • Girls can resolve conflicts
   • Girls advance diversity in a multicultural world
   • Girls feel connected to their communities, locally and globally

   Take Action

   • Girls can identify community needs
   • Girls are resourceful problem solvers
   • Girls advocate for themselves and others, locally and globally
   • Girls educate and inspire others to act
   • Girls feel empowered to make a difference in the world
   
   

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10. What is Transforming Leadership?
    Transforming Leadership is a GSUSA publication that defines the specific outcomes (benefits) of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience for girls. The book describes the outcomes for each of the six grade levels within Girl Scouting, with outcomes defined in developmentally appropriate ways for each grade level, including examples of measurable signs that show whether girls are making progress. Transforming Leadership will help orient volunteers, staff, and the general public to the model underlying the Girl Scout Leadership Experience. It is the next step in Girl Scouting's effort to develop today's generation of girl leaders.

    This is a pivotal time in the history of Girl Scouting. This new publication will serve as an essential resource now and into the future.
    

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1. How and why was the Core Business Strategy developed?
   The Core Business Strategy was developed to help Girl Scouts continue to be the best personal leadership development program for girls ages 5-17. In June 2004, Girl Scout leadership enlisted the services of Willie Pietersen, a professor of the Practice of Management at Columbia Business School, to help us develop a strategy to ensure our future success and growth.
   
   We are now mobilizing the expertise from across Girl Scouts to build on our strengths, resolve our challenges, and develop actions to ensure that we continue to be a leading authority and the leading voice for girls.
   

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2. Who is the Core Business Strategy intended for?
   It is intended to address the present and future of the entire Girl Scout organization. GSUSA and our councils are interdependently entwined and the strengths and challenges of each affect the other.
   

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3. Does the Core Business Strategy change the Girl Scout Promise or the Girl Scout Law?
   The Core Business Strategy does not propose any changes to the Girl Scout Promise or the Girl Scout Law. Both are tied to the rich history of Girl Scouts and they will continue to be at the heart of the Girl Scout experience. In fact, we are exploring ways to integrate them more fully into the fabric of the program model.
   

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4. How will the organization change?
   We are working on the specifics of our transformation and evolution right now. At this point, we are focusing collectively on five strategic priorities. It is important to note that our evolution will be keeping all of the promise and purpose of Girl Scouting and adding elements that will bring our programs to girls for decades to come. Our strategic priorities are:
   
   
   • Brand: Transforming the Girl Scout image with a compelling, contemporary brand.
   • Program Model and Pathways: Building the best-integrated personal leadership development model that defines activities and outcomes, differentiated by age-level, for girls 5-17 and offers flexible pathways for participation.
   • Organizational Structure and Governance: Creating an efficient and effective organizational structure and democratic governance system.
   • Volunteerism : Developing a nimble, state-of-the-art model of volunteerism that mobilizes a diverse cadre of volunteers committed to the Girl Scout mission.
   • Funding: Substantially increasing contributed income to fund a vibrant Girl Scout organization.
     
     
   And, because the culture of Girl Scouts is so important to the successful implementation of the Core Business Strategy, there is also a gap team that is focused on:
   
   
   • Culture: Leading the transformation of our culture, which is a key component of the broader transformation of Girl Scouts.
     
     
   Although our program and delivery systems are evolving, girls are and will remain the focus of everything we do.
   

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5. How can we change and still keep our tradition alive?
   Girl Scouts has a wonderful 93-year history that is unsurpassed. Many of our traditions – our name, our personal leadership development model, and our support for girls to help them live the values conveyed in the Girls Scout Promise and Law – have withstood the test of time.
   
   In keeping with the vision and passion of Juliette Gordon Low, our Core Business Strategy will marry the best aspects of our tradition with new ways of doing things so that we can meet the challenges of girls of today and beyond.
   

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6. What is the timeline for implementation of the Core Business Strategy?
   Development of the Core Business Strategy began in June 2004, with the next phase of the Strategy development commencing in January 2005 with the appointment of the Gap Teams. Work of the Gap Teams is ongoing through 2005, with consultation from outside experts, feedback from Girl Scout members, and regular reporting. In 2006, the work of each Gap Team will be integrated into the ongoing work of GSUSA. Based on the recommended pathways identified by the Gap Teams and with continuing advice and guidance from Council representatives, GSUSA will phase in the recommendations at varying times depending upon the complexity of the action plans. We do not underestimate the time and logistics of implementing the Core Business Strategy, which can be more efficiently and effectively accomplished through the support and involvement of our members. We plan to have the Core Business Strategy fully operational by our 100th Anniversary in 2012.
   

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