Getting Started with Journey Books

The core component of the Girl Scout program is the Girl Scout Leadership Experience (GSLE), in which girls discover themselves, connect with others, and take action to make the world a better place. The most efficient—and fun—way to deliver the GSLE is to use journey books, which are a coordinated series of activities grouped around a theme, each with a clear starting point (an invitation to explore and take action) and an ending point (an opportunity to reflect, reward, and celebrate). Each journey includes exciting, challenging, and purposeful experiences spread over a series of sessions (which you can expand over a longer period, if you wish), and each is tied to the GSLE. In other words, the GSLE is sewn right into the journey books for you!

To get started, all you need is a sense of adventure to guide girls on a great journey. Check out these five simple tips:

• Take a 10-minute walk through the bilingual Girl Scout Leadership Experience online resource at www.girlscouts.org/gsle. A guide talks you through each component of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience and provides clear definitions, illustrating how each piece is part of a well-researched, powerful, and change-making experience for girls. Note, too, the summaries of each journey that pop up when you click on “Journeys.” It is also important within the first 6 months of your Girl Scout experience that you complete the Leadership Essentials Module, either online or in person that guides how you work with the Journeys with your girls.  This module is one of the three required resources for your Girl Scout learning experience.
• Choose a journey. Pick up one of the girl journey books for the grade level of the girls you’ll be working with. Read for the pleasure of it, just to get an overview of the journey’s theme.
• Review the sample sessions in the adult guide. These samples show you how to bring the journeys to life.
• Now that you know what’s possible, invite the girls (and their parents/guardians) to use their imaginations for how to make the journeys real in ways that excite them. You don’t have to do everything exactly as laid out in the books. The books are a great resource with lots of room for creativity and customization.
• Step back and watch how the girls, with your knowledge, support, and guidance, have enormous fun and a rewarding experience. Celebrate with them as they earn their leadership journey awards, too!
• Be sure to sprinkle in the parts of the Girl Scout program that keep it exciting for the girls.  Badges, patches, field trips, the outdoors, product sales, community service, the higher Girl Scout honors, the Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards.  These things and more lead to the mission:  girls leading with courage, confidence and character to make the world a better place!

Throughout your own journey—and even before—volunteer and staff members of the Girl Scout Council of the Southern Appalachians are there to offer support, learning opportunities, and advice. Never hesitate to contact them.

Next Section:  Planning in a Girl-Led Environment