Lessons Learned from a Take Action Project

These are the girls from Troop 900. We just finished our second year of Brownies and are headed up to Juniors. There is something you should know about them. It's a secret that keeps getting out. They are nothing short of AMAZING! They look so "normal", until you really get to know them. I just don't know what else to tell you so you will have to see for yourselves.
I started my Girl Scout journey with an enthusiastic kindergartner who was determined to be a Daisy. She went to every meet and greet. She reminded me, "You put my name on the list right?!". I had never been a Girl Scout. The most I knew about it was that one of my friends was  Girl Scout all the way through school. I am also "that mom", highly involved in their kids activities. I know that most of what they do is run by either volunteers or under paid teens. If I want my kids to have a good experience I need to be supportive and involved. When they asked abut being a troop leader it was a no brainer. Be a troop leader and girls get to participate - my girl gets to participate. Don't be a troop leader and girls miss out on the fun. 4 years later and I have learned a lot. The really cool thing about being a Girl Scout is that you never stop learning. I cannot wait to share with you what I am learning, what I have learned, and to learn from you.

Cupcake Diaries by Coco Simon

At the end of every Journey the girls are supposed to complete a Take Action Project based on what they learned. We had been diligently going through A World of Girls Journey and looking at the possibilities for a Take Action Project. I tried placing several of the scripted ideas in front of them, presenting ideas for needs I saw in the community, anything. It just wasn't working. The girls were FRIED! I was done, they were done, and we were just done. We had about 2 months left of being a Brownie until Bridging, but it was ok. We had already completed 2 other Journey's, and did not need to be stressed over the third one. I gathered the girls in a circle outside and said, "Girls, lets just play until Bridging." Relief swept over them. Then I said the words I never regret, but always get me in trouble, "What do you want to do?" They threw out ideas left and right - none of them small. None of them having to do with camping, or singing, or art, or other things we've done though out our time together. They were BIG!

Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer by Megan McDonald

"Mrs. Ellen, can we have a book picnic?"
"Yes, but what does that look like?"
"Can we collect books?"
"Yes, but who are the books for?"
And in those moments the most amazing Take Action Project formed. This project was the girls from start to finish.
The girls got into groups of about 3. They picked a book and designed a table around the book. They had table decorations, food, and some of them even made SWAPs.

The Sword In The Stone by T.H. White

The groups project planned including who is bringing what, flyers to advertise, and when things needed to be brought. Some had to have baking days to get their snacks put together. (They decided that the TAP wasn't enough, they had to throw in earning the snack badge.) For the first few weeks I facilitated them learning about different snacks and them making samples to try. Then my role changed. We created a time line so that they knew how long they had to complete certain tasks. My co-leader and I would go around to different groups and check in. The girls would tell us what they had planned and where they were. we would ask questions to get them thinking. It became apparent that some of our girls weren't understanding the vision of their peers and needed a correctly completed model. I created my own book table and the girls could submit ideas on which book I was using. those who figured it out won a prize.

Bake Sale by Sara Varon

The girls invited friends and family to their book picnic, which ended up being inside due to weather. They asked people to either bring books appropriate for ages 0-12 or monetary donations. Their goal - to hold story time for kids living in shelters and foster homes and give those kids books. They have collected well over 300 books at this point. They also received enough money to buy about 40 books for a school in Guatemala. The books are bilingual and are some of their favorites! See, they studied literacy rates for World Thinking Day and learned that Guatemala had low literacy rates. They focused their World Thinking Day studies on Guatemala and the need for education of children in that country. We thought we hit a road block in obtaining books for these kids, but opportunity knocked and they took it.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

We are in phase 2 of this project, setting up story times and passing out books. These are some of the most AMAZING girls ever, and I learned that with passion comes results - no matter your size.