Badges & Patches

What’s that? You’ve always wanted to…

Make your own movie, build a robot, cook food from a different country, go geocaching, sleep under the stars, write a book of short stories, plant a garden?

Invent something new, paint a masterpiece, be a good neighbor, take amazing nature photographs, make your bedroom into a jungle, run a business, go on an adventure trip?

Become a design engineer, camp with your troop, build a wooden bench, learn to play a musical instrument, or design a website?

Great news! You can learn to do all these things and earn Girl Scout badges as you go.

Check out new badge activities online at the Girl Scout Activity Zone.

Visit the Award and Badge Explorer for details on every badge a Girl Scout can earn.

A Girl Scout patch, on the other hand, is a supplementary insignia that Girl Scouts receive for simply for participating in an event or activity. They are worn on the back of their uniform.

Girl Scouts of Western Ohio has several patch programs that girls can participate in by completing the requirements below!

Bat's So Awesome

Look up to the sky: it’s a bird, it’s a plane… no it’s a BAT! Bats are one of the most misunderstood creatures in the world. Find out more about these interesting and unique animals by completing the steps for your age level with your troop.

DOWNLOAD THE BOOKLET

Bat's So Awesome patches will be available in GSWO Shops later this summer!

Black History Month Patch

The “I Am a Girl Scout!” fun patch is designed to provide Girl Scouts and volunteers of all backgrounds with an opportunity to learn more about the cultures, histories, and traditions of the Black and African American communities honored during Black History Month. We invite you to explore the cultures of the Black and African American communities in your state and across the country! We’ve got plenty of activities for you to choose from so that you can make new discoveries and have tons of fun learning while earning a cool patch!

Ready to get started? Download the activity sheet!

Activity Requirements
Activity requirements per grade level:

Daisies: 3 steps
Brownies: 4 steps
Juniors: 6 steps
Cadettes: 8 steps
Seniors: 10 steps
Ambassadors: 12 steps

Camp Champ

Girl Scouts will be able to explore the outdoors where girls can be messy, make noise, and be active. Outdoor adventures have been an important part of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience since 1912. Through the Camp Champ patch program, girls will spend time outdoors, learn to think creatively, and make their own discoveries.

The Be a Camp Champ Patch Program is for girls of all levels, and is designed to get your group excited about the outdoors, with the main patch to be completed before you go to a camp, and the extensions for you to complete by staying at Girl Scouts of Western Ohio camp properties.

Ready to get started? Download the activity sheet!

Activity Requirements
Patch activities are listed based on previous outdoor experiences. Choose the activities that best match your troop's interests and/or skill level:

Beginner
Intermediate
Advanced

To earn your Girl Scouts of Western Ohio Be a Camp Champ patch, complete steps 1-5 (based on your skill level) to earn the main patch and purchase it in one of our shops. Complete steps 6 and 7 at each camp property to purchase the Camp Extension patches.

Camp Extension Patch Activity Sheets

Family Adventure Patch

Girl Scouts of Western Ohio is excited to announce the Family Adventure Patch!

Complete at least six of the activities below and post a photo or video of you and your family engaged in an activity to social media (tag with #GirlScoutsFamilyAdventure).

1. Show your Girl Scout spirit! Rock your favorite Girl Scout gear and have your family members wear Girl Scout green.

2. Make s’mores together over a campfire, in an oven, or even in a microwave—a sweet Girl Scout tradition. Did you know Girl Scouts is credited with creating the s’mores recipe?

3. Research Girl Scout founder, Juliette Gordon Low, and have a discussion about her life during dinner.

4. Interview your family members to find out if they were Girl Scouts. Learn what was different and same then versus now.

5. Spend time outdoors together. Go on a hike, take a nature walk, go camping, or pursue another outdoor adventure as a family.

6. Identify an issue in the community that is important to your family, and do a community service project together.

7. Attend a Girl Scout event together.

8. Find out how your family can help your Girl Scout troop.

9. Visit the G.I.R.L. Resource Center at your regional office, and explore the retail store to see what badges you may want to earn.

10. Show your troop leader appreciation, by writing or drawing a thank you note.

Patches are available for purchase at council stores.

Future Voter

Girl Scouts will be prepared to lead the change in their town, state, and country as part of our ongoing mission to make the world a better place! How? Start by earning the Democracy badge for your age level. Through these badges you will gain an in-depth understanding of how local, state, and federal government works. Then continue to build the knowledge and skills you’ll need to be a good citizen by earning your Future Voter patch.

Through this Council’s Own Patch Program, girls will explore our nation’s political systems, learn about voting rights, and be inspired to be active citizens who promote the vote in their communities.

To earn your Girl Scouts of Western Ohio Future Voter patch, complete the required number of steps for your age level and purchase your patch in one of our shops.

Ready to get started? Download the activity sheet!

Activity Requirements
Activity requirements per grade level include:

Daisies: 3 steps, including 1 starred item
Brownies: 4 steps, including 1 starred item
Juniors: 5 steps, including 2 starred items
Cadettes: 6 steps, including 2 starred items
Seniors & Ambassadors: 6 steps, including 3 starred items

Invite a Friend

Are you having a blast as a Girl Scout? Do you have friend who would love to join in on the fun? Now she can join, and you can earn an awesome patch!

After you and your friend have completed your membership for the year, fill out the Invite a Friend form and we will send both of you an Invite a Friend patch!

Please note that both girls need to be registered members to receive the patch.

Media Star Patch

The Marketing and Communications Department at GSWO has created a patch Girl Scouts across western Ohio can now earn: the Media Star Patch!

Girls receive the patch when their story is featured in the media or by GSWO. This includes social media channels, the GSWO Blog, the GSWO website, or local media. Stories can be about one independent Girl Scout, or it can be about an entire troop.

Simply submitting a story does not automatically qualify someone for the Media Star Patch; it must be featured.

How do I submit my story?
To submit your story, visit gswo.org/shareyourstory!

What increases my odds of having my story featured?
There are a lot of things that can increase your chances! Here are some tips:

Include photos or videos with your submission (but make sure you have the media releases for any girls in the photos or videos—that responsibility is with the person who submits, not the MarComm department). Photos or videos with girls in uniform are especially encouraged!
Showcase what they were doing, where and when they were doing it, and why the girls chose to do this.
Please include your troop number, community, and age level.
Explain how your girl or girls were a G.I.R.L.s (Go-Getter, Innovator, Risk-Taker, Leader)™.
Take Action projects and other events in the community do especially well.

If you’re still not quite sure, we suggest looking at other stories that have been featured in the past!

Who receives the patch?
The Media Star Patch is only for girls; none are given to adults.

If it is an entire troop who participated in the activity, each girl in the troop gets a patch (even if she isn’t in the photo that is featured!). If it is a story about one or a few Girl Scouts that did an activity outside of a troop, only the girls involved receive a patch.

If we feature the story of something a Girl Scout did, but she is now an adult member, she does not receive a patch.

I submitted my photo for the Program Events Guide. Do I get a patch?
To receive the Media Star Patch, you must have your story featured, not simply your photo. You’re welcome to submit the same photo(s) in the Share Your Story form, but make sure to include a captivating story with it!

Can I receive the patch more than once?
Yes! There is a new patch each year. Only one patch will be given out per calendar year (2017, 2018, 2019, etc.; not per membership year), but continue submitting stories each year and you may get more!

My story was featured on the media. Why didn’t I get a patch?
The Marketing and Communications Department is always looking for stories of our girls featured in the media, but we don’t always catch every story! If you were contacted by the media and don’t think the Marketing and Communications department was aware of it, simply send us an email with the news story!

I was featured in a press release. Do I get a patch?
To receive the patch, the press release with your story would need to be picked up by the media and be featured.

Can I just buy the patch?
No, the patch is only available as a thank-you gift from the Marketing and Communications department.

Signed to Be Kind

Beech Acres Parenting Center has partnered with Girl Scouts of Western Ohio to bring a new patch program that helps to change the world through KINDNESS!

Make an intentional commitment to put kindness first with your family. Sign the pledge to commit to being more kind to yourself, within your family, in your community, and to the world. Whoa… pretty big undertaking? It’s ok! We could all use a little more kindness in our lives. And while it’s nice when kind acts enter our lives at seemingly random moments, what if everyone approached being kind intentionally?

Kindness, above all your strengths, has the ability to change the world. Being kind makes you feel better physically and emotionally. Kindness improves your relationships with your family. Being kind increases your sense of community and brings you closer to those important persons in your life. Kindness can help shape and improve your world view.

When your troop completes your patch requirements email Beech Acres to receive your patches!

Ready to get started? Download the activity sheet!

Activity Requirements
Activity requirements per grade level include:

Daisies and Brownies: 4 steps
Juniors and Cadettes: 4 steps
Seniors & Ambassadors: 4 steps