Dear Girl Scout families,
As we are gearing up for week two of school closures, activity cancellations and work from home situations with other likely transitions ahead, you may be looking for ways to keep your Girl Scout engaged in some semblance of normalcy. I want to provide you more information about how Girl Scouts can be a resource to your family during this time. We’re committed to supporting girls and families throughout this crisis. Girl Scouts is uniquely suited to help meet families’ needs in the following areas:
- Providing emotional support and guidance
- Sharing opportunities for girls to act and support their communities
- Providing program opportunities to support distance learning
- Keeping girls engaged with troop friends and others in a virtual way
Supporting girls
Girl Scouts has long been a valued resource to families and volunteers in supporting girls. Please follow the links below for helpful and timely information to assist you in navigating these times.
During the weeks to come, Girl Scouts will continue to provide resources and articles designed to meet the needs of families as they evolve.
To make my world a better place
Throughout our history, Girl Scouts have played an important role in helping to keep our country safe. In the century since our organization’s founding, we have seen times of peace and times of turbulence, but as Girl Scouts, we have always come together to be a force for good. Girl Scouts tended victory gardens during the Great Depression, collected clothing and taught survival skills to women during World War II, and organized conferences to advocate for equality during the Civil Rights Movement. The work of today’s Girl Scouts is just as essential. Girl Scouts can continue to demonstrate leadership in preventing the spread of COVID-19 and mitigate the severity of its impact. Here are a few ideas of what your Girl Scout can safely do from home and within her neighborhood:
Friendly and helpful
With many families staying at home, a common activity is to go outside… take walks, ride bikes, etc. as a family. Why not leave some signs of encouragement along sidewalks to spread some extra cheer? Or how about creating your own PSA such as this
awesome Girl Scout troop
did to encourage a healthy community?
Considerate and caring
Make cards, write notes or create short videos for residents of a local nursing home that isn’t allowed visitors.
Health professionals greatly need face masks
so this is an urgent opportunity for those that can sew. Or perhaps host a virtual story time for the children of the nurse who lives down the street so she can get some much-needed rest.
Courageous and strong:
Write thank you cards for people who work in professions that are essential to our communities during COVID-19 such as hospitals and health care facilities, first responders and grocery stores. Show how much we appreciate their courage and dedication.
Girl Scouting at Home
Girl Scouts – North Carolina Coastal Pines has launched
Girl Scouting at Home
where parents, girls and volunteers can tap into a wealth of resources to support the continuation of exploring and learning through the Girl Scout Leadership Experience… virtually. The web page features the following:
- Virtual Troop Meetings: check the site for grade level online meetings. Keep checking back, as more will be uploaded as they are created.
- Digital G.I.R.L.: a collection of activities, videos and more to support a variety of program themes and topics such as:
- Community Connections
- GS traditions
- Life Skills
- STEM
- Outdoor
- Volunteer Connection – Virtual Trainings and Enrichments: resources to assist volunteers in supporting girls, continuing their own learning pathway and more
We will continue to update and grow resources to bring the Girl Scout program right into your home, whether it be badge activities girls can complete on their own to virtual programs girls can participate in. We know families have a need to keep girls engaged in learning, and our program is the perfect way to keep girls engaged in a program they already know and enjoy and support their educational needs. We will also be helping to provide support and guidance to volunteers to help troops stay connected while in-person meetings are suspended.
In addition to the website, you can also follow us on social media, where we’ll be posting updates, program activities, and more.
We would love for you to share your Girl Scouting at Home experience with us by using #OurGSNCCPCommunity.
As a reminder, based on guidance from the World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and local and state agencies, GS-NCCP has suspended all in-person Girl Scout events, meetings, activities, travel and campsite visits consistent with similar bans on gatherings across the nation. In accordance with these recommendations, we have extended our suspension on all council events, training and campsite reservations until May 15, 2020. Cancellation notices and refunds will continue to be issued to all registrants of impacted activities.
During these days when life feels uncertain, we can depend on and draw strength from our Girl Scout community and shared sisterhood. Feeling a sense of community with Girl Scouts across the movement can help relieve some of these feelings and give us new perspectives to cope with our stress.
We’re all in this together, Girl Scouts. Even while we practice social distancing, we can work together for the greater good. Stay positive, remain flexible, and find new ways to connect with one another.
Yours in Girl Scouting,
Lisa Jones
CEO
Girl Scouts – North Carolina Coastal Pines
