NEW YORK, Aug. 3, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Girl Scouts of the
USA (GSUSA) today announced 28 new
badges focused on entrepreneurship, math in nature, and digital
leadership that embolden girls to navigate a changing society and
build the futures they want for themselves and the world. Amid
seismic shifts in technology and culture brought on by the COVID-19
pandemic, Girl Scouts can now earn new badges—in addition to the
hundreds of existing badges—that address girls' evolving interests
in ways that resonate with them. The badges also address some of
parents' top concerns for their children as they handle the
increasingly digital world, helping girls develop an
entrepreneurial mindset toward technology, learn STEM skills while
exploring nature, and build confidence and safe practices
online.
The new Girl Scout badges include:
- Math in Nature (grades K–5): Despite increased
remote learning, not all learning happens indoors. This
badge gets girls outdoors to explore and conserve the natural world
as they learn math concepts. Activities include discovering shapes
and patterns in natural objects, learning about symmetry and
tessellation, and mastering time and measurement theories. Girl
Scouts then use this background to design nectar feeders, trail
maps, and other outdoor tools and essentials. Girls often receive
the message that STEM isn't for them, but they're especially
interested in STEM concepts when they're linked to things that
girls enjoy, such as outdoor time. Sponsored by Johnson &
Johnson.
- Cookie Business (grades K–12): With businesses
shifting their models and relying even more on technology, girls
learn to think beyond the storefront. The new Cookie
Business badges help girls think like entrepreneurs as they run
their own cookie businesses and incorporate online sales via the
Digital Cookie® platform. The badges progress from goal
setting and effective sales-pitching in person and online to using
market research, creating business plans, and implementing digital
marketing campaigns. In light of the consumer trend to shop more
online, including on the Digital Cookie platform, girls now have
even more opportunities to experience digital sales and
marketing.
- Digital Leadership (grades K–12): Digital
well-being is not a just buzzword—it's here to stay. Girl
Scouts explore what a leader is, both online and in their everyday
lives. They learn how to be online in a responsible and safe way,
and dive into topics like managing your well-being online, how to
balance your time on and offline, and how to deal with issues like
misinformation, clickbait, and biases in advertising. Girl Scouts
discover how people use technology to connect and lead, then use
those skills to create impact and become digital activists
themselves. While internet safety and well-being are among parents'
top concerns since the pandemic, many girls are already
digital leaders who use technology to connect with others on
social issues and causes they care about. These forward-thinking
badges are designed to support and motivate girls as they navigate
the digital world. Sponsored by Instagram.
"Girl Scouts helps girls navigate our changing world and build
the futures they want to see," said GSUSA Interim CEO Judith Batty. "Through our new badge
experiences, girls can conserve the natural world, run their own
small business, create digital content that inspires others, and
address online bullying. Girl Scouts has been a source of
connection, support, and joy for girls throughout the pandemic, and
is addressing current issues girls, parents, and caregivers care
about."
And through Girl Scouts at Home™, GSUSA has made free
self-guided activities from select new and existing programming
available online to the public. Members can additionally access a
suite of Girl Scout programming online through the Volunteer
Toolkit, including troop meeting plans, tips for volunteers, and
other resources to help girls earn badges and awards.
To join or volunteer, visit www.girlscouts.org/join.
We're Girl Scouts of the USA
We're 2.5 million strong—more than 1.7 million girls and 750,000
adults who believe in the power of every G.I.R.L. (Go-getter,
Innovator, Risk-taker, Leader)™ to change the world. Our
extraordinary journey began more than 100 years ago with the
original G.I.R.L., Juliette Gordon "Daisy" Low. On March 12, 1912, in Savannah, Georgia, she organized the very
first Girl Scout troop, and every year since, we've honored her
vision and legacy, building girls of courage, confidence, and
character who make the world a better place. We're the preeminent
leadership development organization for girls. And with programs
from coast to coast and across the globe, Girl Scouts offers every
girl a chance to practice a lifetime of leadership, adventure, and
success. To volunteer, reconnect, donate, or join,
visit www.girlscouts.org.
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SOURCE Girl Scouts of the USA
