For 80 years, USA Girl Scouts Overseas has been helping girls and families make a smooth transition to their new location. Whether a family relocates with a corporation, the military, an embassy, or missionary services, a girl must leave all her friends, her faith community, her grandparents and everything that is familiar to her…yet she can still remain active in the U.S. Girl Scout organization through its overseas branch. Belonging to a familiar, reputable group gives girls the security of knowing that they'll have an instant group of friends when they reach their new home.
Families relocating overseas may contact the USA Girl Scouts Overseas headquarters for additional information on how to become involved when they reach their new home. Staff will inform the overseas committee at the new location that the family is on its way.
Volunteer adult leadership is essential to the Girl Scouts Overseas. Many volunteer opportunities are available for adults interested in making a difference in a young girl's life, including working directly with girls as leaders or offering administrative support to troops.
For those family members prohibited from working in a foreign country because of its laws, Girl Scouting is the perfect place to share your expertise and increase your skills in a particular area of interest. Please contact USA Girl Scouts Overseas for more information on volunteer opportunities with your overseas committee. Also see Volunteer on this site.
USA Girl Scouts Overseas serves American girls living overseas and girls attending American or international schools. Global Girl Scouting refers to all aspects of the relationship between Girl Scouts of the USA and the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, the 144 other WAGGGS member countries and the four world centers of WAGGGS. Activities in this area include writing letters of introduction for GSUSA members traveling abroad, facilitating international travel opportunities, distributing WAGGGS program initiatives to GSUSA councils, and posting job vacancies at the four world centers. The Juliette Low World Friendship Fund, which promotes Girl Guiding/Girl Scouting around the world, also falls into this area. For more details, see Global Girl Scouting.
USA Girl Scouts Overseas collaborates with its sister host country Girl Guide/Girl Scout organizations to provide the ultimate international experience for girls. Awards such as the International Friendship Recognition Pin allow U.S. Girl Scouts overseas and host country girls the opportunity to work together, learning and experiencing each others' cultures and appreciating their differences. USA Girl Scouts Overseas requests permission from host country Girl Scouts/Girl Guides to organize in an American or international school.