Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Silver Award




Silver Award


ABOUT THE SILVER AWARD

The Silver Award is the Second Highest Award in Girl Scouting.  It is the highest award that Cadette Girl Scouts ages 11-14 or in grade 6-9 can earn it.
The Girl Scout Silver Award represents a girl’s accomplishments in Girl Scouting and her community as she grows and works to improve her life and the lives of others.


MOVING GIRLS TO TAKE ACTION

As leaders we are here to be adult advisor to help to guide the girls to Discover, Connect and Take Action to create and complete a Silver Award Project.  The Girl Scout Council emphasizes raising the bar for all Silver Award Projects.

This is a BIG SHIFT.  The Silver Award Project is not just a community service project, making the world a better place for some people in the short-term.  It’s about making the world a better place for measurably more people and for a sustained period of time.

Taking Action involves identifying an issue, understanding the root cause and creating a project that is sustainable with an impact that is measurable. And there must be a global element:  talk about how the project could keep growing bigger in the future.

What is our role as adult leaders:
             
            Encourage the girl to think critically and outside the box
            Model the Promise and Law
            Cheerlead! 
  Support all ideas
            Provide resources to explore issues
            Answer questions or refer to those who can
            Suggest avenues that one might not be aware of
             


 Silver Award Process and Projects:


This is a sample of how to get our girls moving on the Silver Award Projects.  By no means is this the only route to go or the only answers. And all this might not have gotten done all in one sitting. Perhaps identifying the issue was one talk.  Then the girls were tasked to do some community mapping, and find out what organizations in their community also served the need.  When they came back together, the girls could pool information and lead a discussion about how they want to proceed.

Let’s see how it goes! Give them some structure and a push!  We will offer resources to aid, but don't do it for them.  Support and cheerlead their efforts. And finally, hold them to the high standards of the Silver Award Project.  This should be a tough project for the girls to put together and accomplish, within their reach, but not a piece of cake!



For Our Girl Scouts:

Ask yourself:

--to identify the interest:  Environment - clean up community, recycle program, etc.
--what community organizations are there with whom you can partner:
1.             Chosen non-profit to work with
2.             Town Parks and Recreation Departments
3.              Library, schools, church, etc.
4.              Children Programs
5.              Animal Rescue Programs

Who can help?
1.             Advisor
2.             Family
3.             Peers - school clubs/groups
4.             Troop

Example:
What can they do?
1.             Create a website where other groups/organizations can sign up/find info about monthly park clean-up days/times.
2.             Work with foundation to implement/continue program and decide on who/how it can become sustainable.  How will that be managed and supported?
3.             Advertise to recruit groups to help.  Have a special day for the organization
4.             Ask for sponsorship for supplies


Here's another way of looking at it:

Ask them:
Identify the interest: Sports

What community organizations are out there with whom you may partner:
1.             YMCA
2.             Local sports leagues
3.             Community Centers
4.             boys and Girls Club
5.             Local professional teams
6.             Sporting Goods Stores
7.             Restaurants - Sports themed
8.             Susan B. Komen Foundation - Race for the Cure  **sample of a non- 
          profit to work with

Who can help?
1.             Schools
2.             Troops
3.             Children of Survivors

What can they do?
1.             raise awareness to young kids about the cause (breast cancer)
2.             promote healthy, active lifestyle
3.             staff a booth at a fair  

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