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GirlScoutsAtHome

Girl Scouts at Home

As Girl Scouts, we live by the motto "be prepared" - and that includes when the unexpected happens. The safety and well-being of our members and their families are of paramount importance as we all navigate through the COVID-19 situation together. While we ask that all members continue to follow the guidance of the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and their local health officials and cease in-person meetings, we want to deliver the opportunity for Girl Scouting to continue at home.

Below you'll find more information on how girls, their families, and troop leaders can continue to participate in Girl Scouting at home or virtually until we are able to meet again in person.

Wondering how to talk to your kids about coronavirus? Read this Raising Awesome Girls article from GSUSA for tips.

Virtual Programs for Girl Scouts

We hosted virtual programming twice a day, 7 days per week on our Facebook Page for 10 weeks in the spring! You can catch the replays below. In addition, you can check out the Awesome Girls Event Calendar for more virtual Girl Scout events around the country!

Daisies (Grades K-1)
Past Daisy Workshops:

Missed a workshop? All of the recordings can be found in the Videos tab of our Facebook Page (you don't need an account to watch!) or on our YouTube Channel.

Below is the playlist of all past Daisy workshops!

Brownies (Grades 2-3)
Past Brownie Workshops:

Missed a workshop? All of the recordings can be found in the Videos tab of our Facebook Page (you don't need an account to watch!) or on our YouTube Channel.

Below is the playlist of all past Brownie workshops!

Juniors (Grades 4-5)
Past Junior Workshops:

Missed a workshop? All of the recordings can be found in the Videos tab of our Facebook Page (you don't need an account to watch!) or on our YouTube Channel.

Below is the playlist of all past Junior workshops!

Cadettes (Grades 6-8)
Past Cadette Workshops:

Missed a workshop? All of the recordings can be found in the Videos tab of our Facebook Page (you don't need an account to watch!) or on our YouTube Channel.

Below is the playlist of all past Cadette workshops!

Seniors (Grades 9-10)
Past Senior Workshops:

Missed a workshop? All of the recordings can be found in the Videos tab of our Facebook Page (you don't need an account to watch!) or on our YouTube Channel.

Below is the playlist of all past Senior workshops!

Ambassadors (Grades 11-12)
Past Ambassador Workshops:

Missed a workshop? All of the recordings can be found in the Videos tab of our Facebook Page (you don't need an account to watch!) or on our YouTube Channel.

Below is the playlist of all past Ambassador workshops!

Programming for All Ages
Past Workshops:

Missed a workshop? All of the recordings can be found in the Videos tab of our Facebook Page (you don't need an account to watch!) or on our YouTube Channel.

Below is the playlist of all past All Ages workshops!

Learning Opportunities for Adults

GSWO adult members are invited to join us for our virtual learning webinar series. Each webinar will provide guidance and resources  to help you support and plan with your girl or troop. If attending live, we encourage you to bring questions and share best practices and ideas.

Upcoming Webinars:

More opportunities to come, check back soon!

Past Webinars:

Troop Trips and Travel

We may not going anywhere currently, but... what a great time to think about the places you and your troop would like to visit in the future. Whether it's a field trip to the aquarium, a troop trip to Savannah, an adventure at your local climbing hot spot, or any other outing held outside of your regular meeting place, be sure to join us to learn more about planning your outing, safety policies, ideas for outings and need to know info to get you and your troop ready to explore!

Girl Scout Destinations

While you're at home dreaming about where you'll travel when the opportunity comes join us we explore Girl Scout Destinations, the ultimate adventure program for girls ages 11 and older. With a ton of different trips to apply for every year—from surfing camp on the east coast and breathtaking hikes out west, to the crazy-cool wonder of new cultures abroad—there’s something amazing for everyone to experience.

Make friends from all over the country as you travel with Girl Scouts from different states, see and learn new things, and pack your bags full of inspiring, life-changing experiences and memories.

Girl Scouts Take Action!

Girl Scouts are often quick to action in a time of need as Girl Scouts have always been working to make the world a better place.  Our resources and access are limited right now, but we know that's not stopping girls from looking for ways to serve their community.

In this webinar we'll look at ways girls can make a difference in their communities through what we call, Take Action Projects. We'll discuss what a Take Action project is, the difference between Take Action and other community service projects, share tips for planning  guiding girls, and  provide resources to support you and your troop. 

 

 

 

Highest Awards 101

We know that not even our current situation will keep girl from thinking about how they can help their community whether now or in the future. In this webinar, learn about how girls take what they have learned from the Take Action process and use them to earn the Bronze and Silver awards along with Girl Scout's highest honor, the Gold Award. We'll share more about what these awards are, the steps to earning them, planning guidance and resources you can use to help your girl(s) along the way.

 

Gold Award 101

This webinar is for adults supporting a girl who is working on or planning her Gold Award. We'll share the detailed steps to earning the award, along with the processes, best practices and resources to get her to Gold. Gold Award recipient, Ell Cope shares her journey and tips for success.

 

 

Preparing for Camp and Outdoor Adventure

As your girl or troop looks ahead to when they can get out and enjoy the outdoors together, you might have questions about how to help prepare them for camping or adventuring. Join Outdoor Program Manger, Tori Houck, as she shares tips for preparing your girl or troop for a successful camp experience, addresses questions and concerns and points you to some helpful resources.

 

 

Lodge Camp Training

Join Outdoor Program Team Leader, Vicki Proctor, and Outdoor Program Manager, Marie Cordes, as they lead you through the basics of Lodge Camp Training so you are prepared to take girls out to any of our many camp properties. We advise that you read the corresponding manual thoroughly on your own time before planning a visit to a GSWO camp property. Note, Troop Trips & Safety training is required before completing Lodge Camp Training. You can find the Troop Camp Training Manual, Site Users Guide and Troop Trips & Safety information on our website under Volunteer Learning .

 

 

 

Girl Scout Guide to Bridging

Leaders will learn what is Bridging, the difference between Bridging versus Advancing, the steps in Bridging, where to find resources to help, and gather ideas on how to virtually complete the pre-requisites to Bridging. 

 

Faith Awards & Programs for Girl Scouts

Faith & Girl Scouting go hand-in-hand, and there are many ways for girls to explore and deepen their faith through Girl Scouts, no matter what faith background you come from. We’ll give an overview of Girl Scout faith programs and awards, and where to find out more and we’ll be there to answer any questions you may have about these programs.  

 

THRIVE 2020 Patch Program

As Girl Scouts, we live by the motto "be prepared" — and that includes when the unexpected happens. With the new THRIVE 2020 patch program, you can demonstrate your skills to survive, THRIVE, and be a better Girl Scout during the worldwide pandemic we’re experiencing.

Even in challenging times, Girl Scouts continue to make the world a better place, and the world needs us now more than ever! Earn your Girl Scouts of Western Ohio THRIVE 2020 patch by completing the required number of steps for your age level.

Once you've completed the patch program, you can order it with contact-free shipping or stop into one of our shops!

 

Resources to Meet Virtually

Below is a list of free and low-cost tools troops and service units across the country are using for virtual meetings. While we cannot endorse or support specific online meeting tools, we encourage you consider these or alternative options and discuss with parents and girls the best solution for your troop or service unit needs. 

Be sure to reference the Safety Activity Checkpoints for Virtual Meetings before hosting your first virtual meeting.

Video and Audio-Conferencing Tools

While all of these options have a free version, please note you may be prompted to consider their upgraded versions for a subscription fee.

Zoom - FAQ
Note: Meetings durations maximum of 40 minutes in free version.

In order to make your Zoom meetings more secure, we recommend the following steps:

  1. Use passwords for meetings – these can be different for each meeting if desired
  2. Do NOT use the personal meeting ID for classes – use the random generated meeting ID feature
  3. Enable “waiting room” on all of the meetings
  4. Turn off screen sharing by participants – this is now the default, this can also be turned back on dynamically during meetings
  5. Use the “manage participants” feature to monitor who is in the meeting – if necessary, remove uninvited guests (there is also an option of “not allowing removed participants from rejoining” that can also be easily enabled)
  6. Lock the meeting once everyone is in – this is also done from the Manage Participants icon 

Skype - Support
Note: Up to 10 participants free

Webex – Help Center
Note: Limited file and content sharing in free version

Chat and Collaboration Tools

While all of these options have a free version, please note you may be prompted to consider their upgraded versions for a subscription fee.

Additional Low-Cost Tools

Additional low-cost tools for collaboration and conferencing to consider if the above options do not meet your group's needs.

 

For the latest updates on how COVID-19 is impacting our council, please visit gswo.org/covid19.