girl scout journey outdoor

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10 Replies to “Planning Junior Girl Scout Year: Outdoor Junior Journey”

This is so thorough! You always give such great information about how to earn the badges.

Thank you Adriane.

That sounds like so much fun! And I love all the tips you’ve included also, I’d love to do these things with nephews and nieces.

Leena, they are definitely fun ways to help get your nieces and nephews outdoors and enjoying nature around them.

What a comprehensive overview of the Outdoor Junior Journey. Well done! I especially appreciate the emphasis on taking care of the environment. I am glad we have programs like to help prepare the leaders of tomorrow.

Us too, Scott. Thank you for your kind words.

Wow, this is extremely informative. I think it’s great that they learn all of this stuff! Thanks for sharing!

Meghan, you are so welcome. We love helping our children and other scouts keep learning more about their world and themselves.

A very interesting and informative post. Thank you for sharing!

Erica, we appreciate you taking the time to read and learn more about the Outdoor Journey.

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Badges, Journeys and Patches

• Council-Led Programs
• Highest Awards

Spark your sense of wonder. And change the world along the way. 

What will you do next sleep under the stars design your own app plant a community garden start up a new business as a girl scout, there are hundreds of ways for you to have fun, discover something new, or take your current passion to the next level. explore the world of possibilities, earning badges are great ways to explore your interests and learn new skills. badge requirements can be found on the badge explorer or the volunteer toolkit . , journeys, unlike badge experiences, are extended engagements that foster leadership skills. girl scouts of all ages are challenged to think critically, boost their problem-solving skills, and make an impact in their communities through participating in a take action project. , there’s a journey award for every girl scout, no matter their interest. journey award information can be found in the volunteer toolkit ..

It’s Your World, Change It!   Girl Scouts are encouraged to make the world a better place by discovering and practicing their unique leadership style. 

It’s your planet, love it   girl scouts explore environmental topics such as clean water and air, noise pollution, climate change, and more. , it’s your story, tell it   girl scouts develop a strong sense of self and discover how to navigate healthy relationships., think like a citizen scientist girl scouts practice the scientific method—making observations, collecting data, and analyzing results by undertaking a citizen science project. , think like a programmer girl scouts explore technology and discover how computer programmers use “computational thinking” to solve problems., think like an engineer girl scouts become an engineer by participating in hands-on design challenges., the outdoor journey is comprised of 2-3 badges plus a take action project. girl scouts explore the outdoors, gain new skills, and ignite an interest in environmental stewardship..

Whatever your adventure may be, there’s a patch for that. Patches are perfect for commemorating unique experiences, special achievements, and fun troop activities. 

See additional patch programs exclusively from girl scouts river valleys., additional badges, patches, and awards.

For: All Grade Levels

This award is given to a girl scout who has shown extraordinary heroism or risked their life to save another's., contact us  with questions or to nominate a girl scout for this award..

For: Cadette–Ambassador

Community service bars are earned by making a difference in the community and practicing girl scout values., requirements:, your service hours must be separate from those hours you use for other awards. each bar represents a new project, and can only be earned once per program level. it is your responsibility to log your own hours and turn them into your leader or mentor upon completion. once you have completed your hours, you may purchase the community service bar for your program level from girl scouts river valleys council shops., thank you for your service to the community.

Girl Scouts who live overseas can earn this award by doing activities that encourage international friendships with girls in their host country.

This award is given to a Girl Scout who has shown presence of mind and true Girl Scout spirit in an emergency.

Girl Scouts can earn this award once each year by learning more about what their faith and Girl Scouting have in common, using the Girl Scout Law as a guide. Girl Scouts are encouraged to serve those in need, to help their communities, and grow in their faith.

Activity plan 1 (pdf) activity plan 2 (pdf), check out  girl scouts of the usa faith-based awards  for girl scouts looking to put their spirituality into action in a familiar setting..

For: Cadette

Cadettes receive their program aide award by earning one leadership in action (lia) award, completing a program aide training at a council-led event or as a troop using the  program aide plus activity plan (pdf)  and working directly with younger girl scouts at least six times., the program aide plus activity plan is designed for cadettes to work on their own with an adult available for support, for a troop to work on together, or for a community/area to offer the training. the first section of the activity plan is the basic program aide activity plan. the second section covers the role of a community/area event assistant, day camp junior caddie, facilitating flag ceremonies and leading songs and games. activity resources for many of the sessions can be found in the second part of the plan., volunteers leading the activities may customize them to best suit the needs of the girl scouts and the types of activities they are being prepared to lead for troop, community/area events, or day camp activities..

Safety Awards are earned by following a five-step process for being safe, tailored for each grade level.

Requirements can be found in each program level's  girl’s guide to girl scouting ..

Service to Girl Scouting bars are earned by volunteering at least 20 hours for Girl Scouts.

Requirements can be found in the cadette, senior, and ambassador  girl’s guide to girl scouting ..

For: Daisy–Ambassador

Hey there girl scout go-getter we know when girls participate in the full scope of the girl scout leadership experience – they can take on anything show the world that you are an expert girl scout by completing the 10 key experiences to have a well-rounded girl scout year and earn the ultimate girl scout year award. to earn the ultimate girl scout year award troops/girl scouts will:, meet an average of twice per month* during the school year (during the months the troop meets) hold a family meeting (troops)/meet with your juliette mentor (individually registered girl scouts) keep it girl scout-led complete a leadership journey complete at least one activity or badge from each of the skill-building areas; stem, outdoors, life skills, entrepreneurship explore the outdoors and/or go camping attend a council event, community/area event, or plan a field trip—virtual or in person participate in the girl scout cookie program attend or hold an end-of-year celebration or event participate in at least one summer activity (examples: troop camp, troop meeting, field trip), *note for the 2020-2021 year, troops could meet once per month and meet the ultimate girl scout award requirements..

For: Senior–Ambassador (must be currently enrolled in grade 10)

This award is for girl scouts who mentor a girl scout daisy, brownie, or junior group outside of the camp experience. projects should span 3–6 months., find a mentor volunteer who is currently the adult volunteer for a group of girl scouts at the level you’d like to work with. this volunteer will help you through your training and internship, and you’ll help the volunteer with her group of girl scouts for the 3-6 month period. determine 2-3 goals for this training and what you would like to learn and practice. completed program aide training. (this may have occurred during your cadette years.) create and implement a thoughtful program based on a journey or badge that lasts over four or more sessions. be responsible for designing, planning, and evaluating the activities. if you’re passionate about a topic like art or technology, you could design the activities around the area you love or in which you have expertise..

Girl Scouts earn this award by participating in globally themed activities and projects to honor Girl Guides and Girl Scouts in other countries.

Girl scouts of the usa requirements.

Follow these customizable troop plans to complete fun badge activities, make a difference in your community, and explore your world.

Explore badges and awards with GSUSA's Badge Explorer.

Discover where to place badges, pins, awards, and other insignia.

Shop Girl Scout badges, uniforms, program materials, and more.

If you still have questions contact us .

She wants to explore new things, connect with friends and her community and make a difference in the world. And she’ll be able to do just that when she and her troop experience a Girl Scout Journey.

She’ll team up with friends to:

• Identify a problem they want to do something about
• Come up with a sustainable solution that will make a difference
• Create a team plan to make that solution a reality
• Put their plan into action
• Talk about what they’ve learned and what they’ll do next

Every Girl Scout grade level has different Journeys to choose from. Each includes a sustainable Take Action project and all the exploration, discovery and adventure to power a lifetime of leadership and success!

It’s Your World—Change It! 

Whether it’s planting a garden, painting a mural or launching a letter-writing campaign, Girl Scouts of all ages experience unique advocacy challenges, complete Take Action projects and discover what it means to be a leader who makes a difference in the world.

It’s Your Planet—Love It!

Girls learn about environmental topics, such as clean water and air, noise pollution, global warming, soil contamination and agriculture. Each Journey is packed with current environmental information and offers ways to improve life for everyone on the planet through a Take Action project.

It’s Your Story—Tell It!

Girls tell their stories through a range of creative approaches. They explore important themes, such as developing a strong sense of self, navigating healthy relationships and promoting well-being and confidence in themselves and others, which gets them involved in discussion about thinking critically and ready to complete a Take Action project. 

Engineering: Think Like an Engineer

Girls discover how to think like an engineer by participating in hands-on design challenges and completing a Take Action project.

Computer Science: Think Like a Programmer

Girls learn how programmers solve problems by participating in computational thinking activities and completing a Take Action project.

Outdoor STEM: Think Like a Citizen Scientist

Girls make observations and collect data by doing a citizen science project and completing a Take Action project.  

Girls get outside to explore and enjoy nature while completing a sustainable Take Action project. Fun activities, ranging from backyard camping to high-adventure exploration, build essential outdoor skills and inspire girls to become environmental stewards. 

Because Girls Scouts is girl-led, she and her troop will pick the topic that interests them the most, whether it’s caring for animals; taking a stand for girls; exploring science, technology, engineering or math (STEM); helping others; spreading kindness; protecting the environment; or anything else important to her.

As she and her Girl Scout friends go on their Journey, they’ll earn awards to put on their uniform. The badges they wear proudly let others know about the awesome things they’ve done as a troop. Girl Scouts can take pride in what they’ve accomplished and the amazing experiences they’ve had along the way.

Learn more about  badges  and the  Girl Scout Leadership Experience.

Journey maps, find a list of the badges and journey awards that girl scouts can earn, including badge requirements at gsusa ..

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She wants to explore new things, connect with friends and her community, and make a difference in the world. And she’ll be able to do just that when she and her troop experience a Girl Scout Journey.

She’ll team up with friends to:

Identify a problem they want to do something about

Come up with a sustainable solution that will make a difference

Create a team plan to make that solution a reality

Put their plan into action

Talk about what they’ve learned and what they’ll do next

Every Girl Scout grade level has different Journeys to choose from that include a sustainable Take Action project and all the exploration, discovery, and adventure to power a lifetime of leadership and success!

It’s Your World—Change It! 

Whether it’s planting a garden, painting a mural, or launching a letter-writing campaign, Girl Scouts of all ages experience unique advocacy challenges, complete Take Action projects, and discover what it means to be a leader who makes a difference in the world.

It’s Your Planet—Love It!

Girls learn about environmental topics, such as clean water and air, noise pollution, global warming, soil contamination, and agriculture. Each Journey is packed with current environmental information and offers ways to improve life for everyone on the planet through a Take Action project.

It’s Your Story—Tell It!

Girls tell their stories through a range of creative approaches. Exploring important themes, such as developing a strong sense of self, navigating healthy relationships, and promoting well-being and confidence in themselves and others, gets girls involved in discussions about thinking critically and ready to complete a Take Action project. 

Engineering: Think Like an Engineer

Girls discover how to think like an engineer by participating in hands-on design challenges and completing a Take Action project.

Computer Science: Think Like a Programmer

Girls learn how programmers solve problems by participating in computational-thinking activities and completing a Take Action project.

Outdoor STEM: Think Like a Citizen Scientist

Girls make observations and collect data by doing a citizen science project and completing a Take Action project.  

Girls get outside to explore and enjoy nature while completing a sustainable Take Action project. Fun activities ranging from backyard camping to high-adventure exploration build essential outdoor skills and inspire girls to become environmental stewards. 

Because Girls Scouts is girl-led, she and her troop will pick the topic that interests them the most, whether it’s caring for animals; taking a stand for girls; exploring science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM); helping others; spreading kindness; protecting the environment; or anything else important to her.

As she and her Girl Scout friends go on their Journey, they’ll earn awards to put on their uniform, letting others know about the awesome things they’ve done as a troop so that they can take pride in what they’ve accomplished and the amazing experiences they’ve had along the way.

Get the inside scoop on new  badges for 2020  and find out more about the  Girl Scout Leadership Experience.

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• Grade Levels
• Ways To Participate
• Highest Awards
• Our History
• Lead Like A Girl Scout

We know you want to make a difference in the world—and have fun doing it. You’ll be able to do just that when you go on a Girl Scout Journey.

You’ll team up with friends to:

Identify a problem you want to do something about  

Come up with a creative solution  

Create a team plan to make that solution a reality  

Put your plan into action  

Talk about what you learned—and what you can’t wait to do next!  

There are three series of Journeys to choose from at every grade level:

You’ll pick the Journey topic that interests you most, whether it’s caring for animals , helping others get healthy and fit, spreading kindness, saving the planet, taking a stand for girls , creating community—or any other issue that’s really important to you.

As you go on your Journey, you’ll earn awards to put on your uniform. They’ll let others know about the awesome things you’ve done—and remind you of what you accomplished and the fun you had along the way.

For more about the Girl Scout Journeys, visit Girl Scouts of the USA’s Journey page . 

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Journeys that last a Life Time

Explore what really matters to you and use your passion to change the world – that’s what Girl Scout Journeys are all about. 

While badges show the world you’ve learned a new skill, Journey awards say, “I found a way to make a difference”.

Girl Scout Journeys are multi-session experiences in which Girl Scouts team up and do hands on activities, connect with experts, and take lead on a Take Action project with their community. Once a Junior, Cadette, Senior, or Ambassador completes their Journey, they’re ready to drive lasting change in their communities by going for their Bronze, Silver, or Gold Award. 

Find everything you need to kick-start your adventure with your Girl Scout level’s Journey

Badges, Journeys, and Awards

• Highest Awards
• Badge Explorer
• Mental Health Matters
• Getting Outdoors

Spark your sense of wonder. And change the world along the way.

What will you do next? Sleep under the stars? Design your own app? Plant a community garden? As a Girl Scout there are hundreds of ways for you to discover something new or take your current passion to the next level.

And badges, Journeys, and awards show the world your accomplishments.

So what are you waiting for? Start exploring badges and awards—and a world of possibility.

Get these newly updated Award Logs and Badge Charts for each grade level. Print these out for reference, and to replace the versions in The Girl's Guide to Girl Scouting . 

Daisies  Badge & Award Chart  (PDF)

Brownies Badge & Award Chart  (PDF)

Juniors Badge & Award Chart  (PDF)

Cadettes Badge & Award Chart  (PDF)

Seniors Badge & Award Chart  (PDF)

Ambassadors Badge & Award Chart  (PDF)

New badges so that every dreamer and go-getter can learn something new and keep exploring our world.

Girl Scout Activities to Try

Ways to Get Outside

• Summer Camp
• Outdoor Girl Leadership Programs

Our goal is to get girls outside- whether that is through a summer camp session, outdoor badge work with her troop or participating in Girl Scouts Love State Parks Weekend. Below, find all the ways you can participate and get your girl excited about being a part of the great outdoors! 

Join us at camp throughout the year- not just summer- to experience the outdoors! We offer day and overnight experiences for all levels of Girl Scouts including badge workshops, Journey-in-a-Day programs and self-guided troop activities. Find an upcoming program on our  calendar .

For more information about setting up a day activity for your troop at camp, e-mail  [email protected] .

We have horse programs for all age levels with the option to introduce girls to horses, earn badges or develop their equestrian skills. We have sessions for troops that are interested in bringing multiple girls to the barn and sessions for individual girls who want to participate in a program, but don't have a troop to go with. 

Find upcoming troop horse programs on our calendar. You can also e-mail  [email protected]  for more information about bringing your troop out to ride. 

Many of the badges the first Girl Scouts earned were tied to learning and refining outdoor skills - and that hasn't changed in our 100+ years!

There are Girl Scout outdoor badges and Journeys for all Girl Scout levels- from Daisies to Ambassadors. Each badge gives girls hands-on experiences that build on each other, making her confident and proud of her outdoor skills. Search all the Outdoor badges and Journeys available using the  Award and Badge Explorer . (To see all the outdoor options, filter the topic to Outdoors.)

You can also fill the back of your uniform with outdoor patches by completing  patch programs . 

Girl Scouts Carolinas Peaks to Piedmont is excited to work with several North Carolina State Park partners each year to host Girl Scouts Love State Parks Weekend, which happens every year in September! In the past, we have partnered with Chimney Rock State Park, Grandfather Mountain State Park, Hanging Rock State Park, Haw River State Park, Lake Norman State Park, New River State Park, Pilot Mountain State Park, South Mountains State Park, and Stone Mountain State Park.

Girl Scouts Love State Parks Weekend 2023 is happening September 9-10! Learn more about events happening around our council and find activities to unlock the patch!

Are you involved with a community, school or non-profit group that is looking for a beautiful location for your group event? Bring them to one of our  camps !

With our breathtaking properties and flexible range of offerings, our camps are a wonderful place to host a retreat, workshop, meeting or special event. Whether you want a rustic, back-to-nature experience or all of the comforts of modern amenities (including indoor plumbing), we have the perfect location for you. Our attentive and friendly staff can guide you through your reservation and schedule additional features like meal service and group programs and activities.

To learn more about specific packages for lodging, meals, programming and more, please e-mail  [email protected]  or call 800-672-2148. 

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We're 2.5 million strong—more than 1.7 million girls and 750,000 adults who believe in the power of every G.I.R.L. (Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-taker, Leader)™ to change the world. Since 1912, we’ve built girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place.

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