Making a Difference: How to Make the Most of Your Girl Scout Troop

Girl Scout troops have a tremendous capacity to have a positive impact on the world. After all, there’s a lot of talent, positivity, and empathy in a Girl Scout group — and that’s a great foundation upon which to bring some good into the world. 

Ensuring your Girl Scout troop has a positive impact involves a mix of developing their positive qualities and taking practical steps to ensure that there’s an outcome. After all, while it’s good to have a loving and caring group, it’s better to put those qualities to good use. Looking for some inspiration on how to do good with your Girl Scout troop? Check out the tips we outline below. 

The world is a beautiful place — or at least, it should be. Alas, our trash doesn’t always end up where it’s supposed to. In all likelihood, there’ll be a site of natural beauty close to your home that could do with a bit of a spruce up. Could you and your squad organize a local clean-up? It’s pretty straightforward to organize. All you need is some equipment to collect trash and a can-do attitude! In the process, you’ll be teaching the girls the importance of looking after this beautiful planet of ours. 

There’s another useful way to volunteer in your local community, too — to help other people. You never have to look too far to find people who are in need of some assistance. Plus, this is just a terrific way to instill an awesome quality in your girls: the importance of helping others. They’ll already be helping others in indirect ways, but there’s something powerful about helping others directly. There’ll be some restrictions on what you can do because of their age, but a little creative thinking will solve that problem. 

Another way to increase the chances that your Girl Scout troop will have a positive impact on the world is to be a role model yourself. In this day and age, there aren’t too many aspiring adults to look up to — you won’t find them on the news! As such, it’s important to show the youth what it is to be a good person. There’s no shortage of ways you can do this; you could volunteer at non-profit organization, raise money for good causes, or simply strive to live by higher values. Your girls will subtly pick up on the message that we all have the capacity to have a positive impact. 

Girls have unique talents and skills to offer. Encourage them to share their skills with others in the community. They can teach crafts, music, sports, or any other talent they possess during workshops or mentoring programs.

Place an emphasis on teamwork. If there’s one thing that’ll push the world towards being better in the future, it’s learning how to work together. There will be challenges and obstacles that the girls need to overcome, but everything will be much easier if they can work together as a team. And that’s hopefully something that they can take into their adult lives. Ultimately, we’re all pulling in the same direction, so let’s work together! 

Remember, the key is to involve the girls in the decision-making process. Let them choose the causes and activities they are passionate about. By empowering them to make a difference, you'll not only create a positive impact but also foster a sense of purpose and empathy within your troop.