The Girl Scout Leadership Experience (GSLE)
At Girl Scouts, everything centers around the girl. It’s what makes Girl Scouts truly unique – our program is designed by, with, and for girls. The Girl Scout Leadership Experience (GSLE) is our research-based impact model that describes what members do in Girl Scouts, who they do it with, how they do it, and how they benefit. This framework should be a blueprint for every activity that your Girl Scouts participate in. When planning your year, make sure that you’re implementing all parts of the GSLE regularly.
The Girl Scout Leadership Experience has been purposefully designed to include a variety of fun and challenging activities to help Girl Scouts learn, grow, and thrive. Girl Scouts have the opportunity to take on leadership roles and learn-by-doing in a safe, fun, and cooperative environment. When we say variety of activities, this means that Girl Scouts participate in at least four out five of the following:
- National Program Portfolio (badges, Journeys, awards)
- Outdoor or camping experience
- Community service and/or Take Action
- Field trip and/or events
- Cookie program
At Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes, we offer a free patch incentive to encourage this variety of activity! It’s the Super Troop patch program.
Supportive relationships mean that troop leaders care about their troop, encourage their creative thinking, are inclusive, and provide a safe space. As a result, Girl Scouts experience positive relationships with their peers and a feeling of belonging. As a supportive adult, you are crucial to the success of the Girl Scout Program. Supportive adult relationships are strongly linked to experiencing the GSLE with a strong dependency between the supportive adult and the three processes. When Girl Scouts feel supported and safe, they are more likely to achieve our outcomes and ultimately our mission.
Three Girl Scout Processes
The Girl Scout Leadership Experience draws on three unique processes—Girl-Led, Learning by Doing, and Cooperative Learning—that encourage Girl Scouts to try new things, write their own stories, and develop the skills and confidence to say, “I know I can do this!”
- Girl-Led. Girl Scouts take the lead, no matter their age. From selecting the badges they’ll pursue to how they’ll organize an activity; Girl Scouts have the opportunity to follow their dreams and grow their skills—and gain the confidence that comes with that.
- Learning by Doing. Participatory activities are fun for Girl Scouts of any age, but they also help them feel empowered to shape their own experience. Girl Scouts unlock their “I got this” attitude as they discover they can always dust themselves off and try again when things don’t go according to plan.
- Cooperative Learning. There’s power in having a tight-knit group of friends who will learn with you, grow with you, and always cheer you on. Girl Scouts experience firsthand that teamwork, respect, and collaboration can fuel them through any challenge that comes their way.
As a volunteer, you’ll draw on these three processes as you lead Girl Scouts of any age. And naturally, girl-led at the Daisy level will look very different from girl-led at the Ambassador level. What is most important is that your Girl Scouts make decisions about the activities they will do together and make choices as they’re doing the activities together. As they learn from their successful and not so successful tries, they gain confidence. All Girl Scouts should have the opportunity to lead within their peer group. By the time they are Cadettes, Seniors, and Ambassadors, they will be using the leadership skills they’ve developed to take on more ownership of their activities, mentor younger Girl Scouts, and take action to make the world a better place.
The Five Outcomes
And finally, when we incorporate a variety of activities, supportive adults, and the three processes, Girl Scouts experience the 5 GSLE outcomes:
- Strong Sense of Self. Girl Scouts have confidence in themselves and their abilities and form positive identities.
- Positive Values. Girl Scouts act ethically, honestly, and responsibly, and show concern for others.
- Challenge Seeking. Girl Scouts learn to take appropriate risks, try things even if they might fail, and learn from mistakes.
- Healthy Relationships. Girl Scouts develop and maintain healthy relationships by communicating their feelings directly and resolving conflicts constructively.
- Community Problem-Solving. Girl Scouts desire to contribute to the world in purposeful and meaningful ways, learn how to identify problems in the community, and create “action plans” to solve them.
The outcomes occur as a result of regular meetings and activities including Girl Scout traditions, in an emotionally and physically safe space, with a supportive adult.
Although they may start building their leadership skills in school and on sports teams, research shows that the courage, confidence, and character Girl Scouts develop stays with them throughout their lives. Our program and outcomes are based on research and our studies show that Girl Scouting has a measurable positive impact on Girl Scouts. In fact, we can proudly say Girl Scouts are almost 10 percent more likely than non-Girl Scouts to have positive expectations about their future based on our studies. We encourage you to learn more about our program and outcomes as you check out our studies and in-depth research for insights and information.
One last tip: Girl Scouting isn’t a to-do list, so please don’t feel that checking activities off a list is more important than tuning in to what interests them and sparks their imaginations. Projects don’t have to come out perfectly—in fact, it’s a valuable learning experience when they don’t—and Girl Scouts don’t have to fill their vests and sashes with badges. What matters most is the fun and learning that takes place as they make experiences their own, so don’t be afraid to step back and let your Girl Scouts take the lead.
Source: Volunteer Essentials – About Girl Scouts, “The Girl Scout Leadership Experience”
