The Girl Scout Leadership Experience
Since 1912, Girl Scouting has been about leadership development. Juliette Gordon Low wanted to give members the opportunity to develop self-reliance and resourcefulness. GSUSA has called for a purposeful focus on leadership for girls in the Girl Scout program.
The Girl Scout Leadership Experience (GSLE) engages girls in discovering themselves, connecting with others, and taking action to make the world a better place. This leadership model provides the design for what girls do in Girl Scouting.
The values of the Girl Scout Movement, as expressed in the Girl Scout Promise and Law, remain the cornerstones of the Girl Scout experience. The Girl Scout approach to leadership is based on three principles: Discover, Connect, and Take Action.
Three Keys to Leadership
DISCOVER + CONNECT + TAKE ACTION = LEADERSHIP
All Girl Scout experiences are intentionally designed to tie to one or more of the fifteen National Leadership Outcomes, or benefits, categorized under the three keys to leadership. These three new leadership keys replace Girl Scouting's four program goals.
Discover
Girls understand themselves and their values and use their knowledge and skills to explore the world. As a Girl Scout discovers her world, she:
- Develops a strong sense of self
- Gains practical and healthy life skills
- Strengthens her values
Connect
Girls care about, inspire, and team with others locally and globally. As a Girl Scout connects with others in a global community, she:
- Forms caring relationships
- Promotes cooperation and team building
- Embraces diversity
Take Action
Girls act to make the world a better place. As a Girl Scout takes action in the world, she:
- Feels empowered to make a difference
- Identifies and solves problems she cares about
- Advocates for herself and others
Girls Take the Lead: GSLE Processes
The most important thing about girls discovering, connecting and taking action is that their actions will be girl led. In Girl Scouting, it's not just what girls do, but how they do it. Here's how Girl Scouts defines these processes:
Girl Led
Girls play an active part in figuring out the what, where, when, how, and why of their activities. They lead the planning and decision-making as much as possible. Girls are engaged in their learning and leadership opportunities as they become active participants in their local and global communities.
Learning by Doing
A hands-on learning process that engages girls in action and reflection, resulting in deeper understanding of concepts and mastery of practical skills. As they participate in meaningful activities and then reflect on them, girls get to explore their own questions, discover answers, gain new skills, and share ideas and observations with others.
Cooperative Learning
Girls work together toward shared goals in an atmosphere of respect and collaboration that encourages the sharing of skills, knowledge, and learning. Working together in all-girl environments also encourages girls to feel powerful, as well as emotionally and physically safe, and lets them experience a sense of belonging even in the most diverse groups.
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