The Power of Advocacy #3 - Ambassador Journey - Take the Survey

Step 3 - Focus on one realistic angle of their advocacy issue.
Since my issue doesn't have regular research already available -- I am creating my own research.
Take the survey:

 
 https://docs.google.com/forms/d/10Z4X1d446ef105YIILJxqBeXzTqINZbF4sCnmcdLAls/viewform

 

 

 

 

           The survey is up! If you are an Older Girl and you want to see changes, please fill out this survey. The staff and volunteers need to know that we want a say and a voice.

            All of the answers and feedback will be given to the staff so they see just how many girls want to participate and help.

The Power of Advocacy #2 - Ambassador Journey

Step 2:  Tune In – Do some research – zoom in on a specific angle and possible solutions.  See out the root causes.  Where can you learn more?  Trustworthy and unbiased.

 

            When I was 13, I was a part of a group called The Green 13. It was a group of teenagers that were all passionate about one thing, getting kids outdoors. But not only getting them outside, but also showing them that they need to be outside.

            Because research shows, that kids who spend time outdoors are more fit physically and mentally. They are happier and healthier and ready for challenges. And Girl Scouts have conducted and are conducting research on what girls as a whole are interested in. Trying to appeal to them so they join Girl Scouts, whereas there are girls in Girl Scouts, who are not happy with many of the choices being made.

            One of the issues that have come up in my council is that adults are making choices whereas the girl should have. So I have created a survey that asks older Girl Scouts in my council, what they want to see done. As well as, if they would like to participate in a Girl Led Committee that helps make the decisions on what we can do. Girl Scouts was started as Girl Led… lets get it back to that.

 https://docs.google.com/forms/d/10Z4X1d446ef105YIILJxqBeXzTqINZbF4sCnmcdLAls/viewform
 

The Power of Advocacy #1 - Ambassador Journey -

Step 1:  Finding Your Cause 

Everyone has something they love, something they like, or something that’s deeper than it all. Something they are passionate about and my passion is the environment. Everything and anything green, growing and flowing. Starting this journey, I knew I was going to do something environmental.

Due to my love for the environment I found it an insult that the nurseries and big name stores were selling invasive species. It was my first idea to talk to City Council about banning the ability to sell invasive species. But this idea changed, when I figured out, that girls in my council weren’t having a say in outdoor activities and trips.

So my project went from, banning invasives, to giving girls a voice in getting outdoors and loving it!

Iceland and Ireland - What I did this summer

The fall means back to school and in my case, back to troop. I can’t wait to tell all of my friends – Girl Scouts and non-Girl Scouts about my summer.

There is no secret that I am a very active Girl Scout – they see me in January and February selling cookies with my sister. As a high school student, they ask me, “Why?” Here is my why …
Hiking four mountains in seven hours, learning about Vikings in a home made of turf, experiencing a different culture and meeting new friends. This June and July I was fortunate enough to experience all of these. Girl Scouts helped me get there. Through a program called Destinations, I was able participate in two different trips, one to Ireland and Iceland.

Destinations is an initiative through Girl Scouts of the USA to help girls go on national and international trips. This initiative is a three-part process. Every Destinations has an application and every girl that goes on the trip is chosen out of many others, due to their application content. Every application is reviewed by a selection committee.
What they look for includes:
1. What does the girl already know about the destination they choose?
2. Will the girl most likely bring something to the table that the others wouldn’t?
3. Does the girl have connections to the destination beyond just the desire to go?

After the selection, you have to fund. There are multiple ways to fund for the trip.
1. Part-time jobs
2. Cookie sales – this is what a cookie can do. I used the proceeds from my cookie sales to fund my summer trips.
3. Scholarships – For some Destinations, you can apply for scholarships.

Ireland Multi-Sport Adventure
This trip was just that. We went rock-climbing and backpacking, all-day hiking and took a canoe trip to an island 30 minutes off the coast, Salt Island.
Going on this trip was a great experience. I got to see Ireland through an explorer’s eyes. This trip was about pushing yourself to your highest and to figure out what you can do, physically and mentally.
What helped me to participate fully on this trip was being a part of our council’s High Adventure Team, which backpacked, rock-climbed and hiked regularly. Through the High Adventure Team I learned tips and techniques that helped me to excel on this trip.
My favorite part of this trip was the mountain-biking. I had never mountain-biked on this scale before. We did courses and trails in the woods with logs, trees and natural divots as our obstacles.

Iceland Exploration
This was a trip with a history and geology twist to it. What was unique about this trip was that my mom went to Iceland when she was 15 and did some of the same things on her trip, as I did on mine.
Before I went, I touched base with my environmental geology professor from ACC, who gave me more resources on the environmental aspect of Iceland. We went on all-day trips to waterfalls, valleys, museums and hot springs.

My love for the environment helped me to coordinate an activity for this trip. I planned a tree-planting with Icelandic Scouts and with the Girl Scouts on this trip, we planted 103 trees.
The Girl Scout cookie program allowed me to develop skills that I can use in all areas of my life, including my role with Keep America Beautiful – Youth Advisory Council, City of Pflugerville Parks Commission and as the youth director for Discover Green. I am more confident in who I speak with and understand goal-setting and planning. Both of these were key in the successful international tree-planting I coordinated as a part of the trip.

All of these experiences are the outcomes of understanding that all girls who want to be Girl Scouts should be given that opportunity. We need more adults to lead the girls in Pflugerville and in Central Texas. To get involved contact the council office at gsctx.org or pecantrail.org

Girls in the Outdoors -- What we really want!

I am working to find out what older girls really want in outdoor programs.  I feel that GSUSA and GSCTX don’t really know what we want.

 This is part 1 of a 2 part Take Action Project I am putting together for my Your Voice, Your World: The Power of Advocacy  - Ambassador Journey.

 

Below is the link to a survey –  that I have put together to get as much current girl or even girls who left GS for another organization, data as possible for GSCTX.  PLEASE forward to as many girls ages 11-18 you know who are or were Girl Scouts.

 

 https://docs.google.com/forms/d/10Z4X1d446ef105YIILJxqBeXzTqINZbF4sCnmcdLAls/viewform

 

The second part is a letter writing/email/video message campaign to GSUSA to move forward with an Outdoor series of journeys and more outdoor skills badges. – If you would like to be a part of the second phase let me know by emailing me – sarah@discovergreenyel.org