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Community Service

GSNI Community Service Opportunities for Girls

Community Service offers many benefits in helping Girl Scouts to develop strong leadership skills. Identifying needs within a community and making a plan to address those needs is a skill used by leaders. Applying public speaking skills when networking and making connections with others are also key leadership qualities. Community Service helps girls to recognize and understand how to apply their own knowledge, skills, and resources to achieve their goals as well as develop their confidence in realizing they can do great things. In return, this service creates a positive connection between Girl Scouts and local communities.

Service Opportunities

National Service Projects

Girl Scouts always step up to do what they can to improve their communities and the world.

All across our country and our world, Girl Scouts are leaping to the aid of others by engaging in wonderful acts of service and kindness. Whether by writing letters to senior citizens, honoring first responders, taking part in a citizen science project, or promoting voting and democracy, now your troop can get involved in these unique Girl Scout activities too.

For more information about National Service Projects, please visit GSUSA's Girl Scouts Activity Zone.

GSNI Days of Service

Days of Service GSNI is excited to offer several organized service events for Girl Scouts throughout the year.

GSNI Camp Service Days at Camp Dean, Camp McCormick and Mary Ann Beebe Center.

Enjoy a day at camp and prepare the property for the summer season! Join other camp fans to make a difference for the Girl Scouts outdoor experience. You might spruce up buildings, paint navigation signs, organize camp supplies, and more! Bonus: Troops with at least three Girl Scout members who attend will receive a $30 coupon code to use toward a future property reservation at any GSNI camp! (As this is a short event, Girl Scouts cannot earn Camp Service Rocker Patches by attending a Camp Service Day.)

All youth must be accompanied by an adult attendee during open house and troops must provide proper girl-to-adult ratios.

Registration is now open for Camp Service Days!

Share Your Service Stories

We love to know about the service projects you or your troop are completing within your communities. Tell us your story and you might be featured in a GSNI publication! Submit your stories and photos to stories@girlscoutsni.org.

Paths of Leadership

paths to leadership

Service

Community Service Bar

Community Service Bar

Girl Scouts who are very active make a difference in their communities! To earn this award, girls choose a community organization to work with (check with Customer Care for approved organizations), receive instructions, and complete at least 20 hours of service.

  1. Choose an organization to help. 
    The organization will need to agree to give you instructions about the work you'll be doing. Check Safety Activity Checkpoints!
  2. Get council approval email customercare@girlscoutsni.org with the subject Community Service Organization Approval.
  3. Complete at least 20 hours of service.
  4. Submit the Service Bar Report form. 
Service to Girl Scouting Bar

Service to Girl Scouting Bar

Girls at this level often volunteer to help at special events at the service unit or council level with younger girls or other special projects. Once a girl completes at least 20 hours of service, she is eligible to earn this award. 

  1. Complete at least 20 hours of service.
  2. Submit the Service Bar Report Form.
Torch Awards

Torch Awards

There are two steps to earn this award—complete one journey and serve for one full term in a leadership position!

Girl Scout Cadette Silver Torch           

Girl Scout Senior Silver and Gold Torch         

Girl Scout Ambassador Gold Torch

Girl Leadership

These awards focus on mentoring younger Girl Scouts. 

Read our Teen Mentor Leadership Guide to find out more.

5th Grade Girl Scouts & Families

5th Grade Girl Scouts & Families Resources:

Junior Aide

Girl Scout Juniors can earn this mentoring award by making and completing a plan to work with Daisies or Brownies on one of their Journeys.

Leader in Action (LiA)

Leader in Action (LiA)

Cadettes earn the LiA award by assisting Brownies as they work on a Journey. There is a LiA award for each Journey. Complete requirements can be found on GSUSA’s website and in the Brownie Leadership Journey Adult Guides.

How to earn the LiA while working with the most recent Journey.

Teen Mentor Leadership Guide

Program Aide Training (Training In-a-Box)

Program Aide Training

All council led In-person Program Aide Trainings can be found in Active Net.

Program Aide Training In-a-Box

If your troop or group is unable to make it to an in-person training, request our Program Aide Training In-a-Box. This training should be completed with a minimum of five girls. 

Program Aide Basic Training and Program Aide Outdoor are leadership programs that will prepare girls to work with younger girls in a Girl Mentor role. Serving as a Program Aide (often called a “P.A.” or an “Aide”) is a great way to share her experience with younger Girl Scouts! 

Cadette Girl Scouts looking to earn the Cadette Program Aide Award will need to complete this training as part of the required three-step process. 

Girl Scout programming is built on progression, and we believe that for Girl Scouts to have the best Girl Scout Leadership Experience they should be in grade 6 or above to complete Program Aide Basic/ Program Aide Outdoor Trainings.

Girl Scouts who are in or have recently completed grade 5 can start working on their LIA Award or finish their Junior Aide Award. 

Complete the form below to request the Program Aide Training In-a-Box:

 
 
 
 
 
Cadette Program Aide Award

Cadette Program Aide Award

Earning the Cadette Program Aide pin is a three-step process. A Girl Scout Cadette must:

  • Earn one LIA Award
  • Complete Program Aide Training
  • Complete 25 hours of service with younger Girl Scouts

After completing the first two steps, girls will need to work directly with younger girls for a minimum of 25 hours or a minimum of 6 separate activity sessions.

Cadette Program Aide Time Log

Volunteer-in-Training

Volunteer-in-Training (VIT)

Seniors and Ambassadors who would like to mentor a Daisy, Brownie, Junior, or Cadette group, outside of camp, can earn this award. There are three steps to this award—work with an adult mentor, complete a GSNI leadership course, and create and implement a program for girls based on a Journey or badge. The VIT project should cover a three-to-six-month period.

Teen Mentor Leadership Guide

Girl Leader Feedback Form & Time Log

Counselor-in-Training

Counselor-in-Training I (CIT)

Seniors can earn this award by mentoring younger girls in a camp setting and build skills toward becoming a camp counselor. Girls must complete CIT I Training held at a GSNI resident camp and work with younger girls at camp.

Teen Mentor Leadership Guide

Counselor-in-Training II

Counselor-in-Training II (CIT II)

Ambassadors can earn this award after earning their CIT I Award and working with younger girls at a GSNI resident camp while focusing on increasing their skills in one specific area, such as lifeguarding or the arts. Girl Scouts who earn this award will be eligible for paid employment at GSNI resident camps.

Teen Mentor Leadership Guide

Community Leadership

These award focus on the leadership skills of project management and team leadership and culminates in the Girl Scout Highest Awards of Girl Scout Bronze, Silver, and Gold. All three awards challenge girls to complete pre-requisites and then develop and implement a sustainable project to solve an identified problem in a community.

Girl Scout Bronze Award

Girl Scout Bronze Award

The Girl Scout Bronze Award is the highest award a Junior can earn. Once a troop completes a Junior Journey, they can begin to plan and carry out their Bronze Award Project. As girls complete their project, they’ll develop more confidence, meet new people, and work with other Girl Scouts to make a difference. The minimum hours required to complete a Bronze Award Project is 20 hours per girl. A troop or individually registered girl who submits their final Bronze Award Project report will receive a GSNI Bronze Award Certificate for each girl.*

Find out more.

Girl Scout Bronze Award Final Report

Girl Scout Silver Award

Girl Scout Silver Award

Going for the Girl Scout Silver Award, the highest award a Cadette can earn, gives girls the chance to show they are a leader who is organized, determined, and dedicated to improving their community. Cadettes can begin to work on their Silver Award project once they complete a Cadette Journey. Girls can work individually, or in groups of up to four girls, each completing 50 hours as they plan and implement their Silver Award project in their community. Once a girl submits her final Silver Award Project report, she will receive a GSNI Silver Award Certificate.*

Find out more.

Girl Scout Silver Award Final Report

Girl Scout Gold Award

Girl Scout Gold Award

The Girl Scout Gold Award is the highest award an individual Girl Scout can earn. Earning the Gold Award has many benefits including scholarship opportunities and the ability to enter the military one rank higher. Once a Senior or Ambassador completes the prerequisites—completing two Journeys or earning her Silver Award and completing one Journey—she can begin to plan her individual Gold Award project. She must submit a project proposal before implementing her project plan. The proposal is reviewed by a volunteer Highest Awards Committee. The committee will meet with the girl to discuss her proposal. Gold Award projects must address the root cause of an issue, be sustainable, have a global impact, and be a minimum of 80 hours of one individual's time.*

Find out more.
Keep her engaged and inspired in challenging times. Renew Now.
Keep her engaged and inspired in challenging times. Renew Now.
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