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Taking Advantage of Learning Opportunities
Girl Scouts strives to provide our adult leaders with the information they need to successfully partner with their girls. We let you know how and where you can get additional information when you want to learn more.
Learning opportunities are offered in a variety of ways to best meet your unique learning style. Written resources, face-to-face learning, interactive online learning, and additional methods are being developed and tested all the time.
Girl Scouts of Alaska proudly offers the following Adult Learning Opportunities:
Webinars: Watch and participate in presentations on the internet. The last portion of live webinars includes time for questions and answers.
Conference Calls: Conference calls are a great way to share your experience and questions with other volunteers, parents and staff from across our council without having to leave the comfort of your home.
Face-to-face: A variety of adult learning opportunities are offered in communities across our council. These are typically in person courses in a classroom type setting.
ANNUAL ADULT LEARNING SUMMIT - SAVE THE DATE! Nov. 9 and 10, 2012
The Adult Learning Summit has something to offer every volunteer. Whether you're new to Girl Scouting or an experienced leader, the Adult Learning Summit is a great way to learn more about the Girl Scout program, strengthen your youth development skills and network with other volunteers from across the state. This is a 2-day event you don't want to miss. Registration is now open!
ADULT LEARNING SUMMIT SCHEDULE
Friday November 9th
3:00-7:00 Registration Open
3:30-5:00 Mini Sessions
4:30-6:00 Meet and greet, Girl Scout Expo and Girl Scout Store
6:00-8:00 Council Award Ceremony, Light Dinner, and Anna Bryant, Key Note Speaker
Saturday November 10th
8:30 – 9:00 Check-in
9:00-9:45 Opening Ceremony with, Sue Perles, the new CEO of Girl Scouts of Alaska
10:00-11:00 Session 1
11:15-12:15 Session 2
12:15-12:45 Lunch (provided onsite)
12:45-1:15 General Session: Dialogue with CEO & Adult Membership Connection Committee
1:30-2:30 Session 3
2:45- 3:45 Sessions 4
3:45-4:00 Closing Ceremony
Not sure what sessions to attend? Check out our suggestions of potential sessions new and experience volunteers can attend below.
|
New Volunteers |
Experience Volunteers |
Extras |
|
|
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Mini Sessions (25 min sessions)
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Time |
Room Name |
Room Name |
Room Name |
|
4:00-4:25 pm |
Bronze, Silver, & Gold Award Overview |
Girl Led |
Troop Finances |
|
4:35-5:00 pm |
Traditions and Ceremonies |
SWAPPS |
Girl Guides to Girl Scouting and Journeys |
Session Descriptions
Participants will choose four 1-hour sessions. Each of the sessions below are 1-hour in length.
Daisies, Brownies and the Girl Scout Program
Facilitators: Sheila Miller and Sarah Guthrie
Daisies and Brownies have loads of energy and love to be active. This session will give a brief overview of age characteristics, tips for working with the age group, and will talk about how to utilizes the program materials in your meetings successfully.
Behavior Management 101
Facilitator: Amanda Block
Behavior management all begins with a relationship. Learn the basic building blocks to behavior management and then spend time practicing putting them into action.
Juniors and the Girl Scout Program
Facilitators: Tara Lee Ellis and Roslyn Lack
Juniors are very social and want to work in small groups on projects. This session will give a brief overview of age characteristics, tips for working with the age group, and will talk about how to utilizes the program materials in your meetings successfully.
Cadettes, Seniors, & Amassadors and the Girl Scout Program
Facilitators: Lisa Mead and Amy Von Diest
Find out how to create the best experience for girls by creating an atmosphere that reflects their abilities, interests, and needs. Learn how to help girls obtain the Girl Scout Leadership Experience, while helping them prepare for the next big transition within their lives. The session will also touch briefly on the Silver and Gold Awards and other opportunities that older girls have.
Troop Management
Facilitators: Jeanne Glaister and Amy Von Diest
This session is designed to orient volunteers on how to start and manage a Girl Scout troop. Topics that will be covered include; running a parent meeting, six parts of a troop meeting, the mechanics of managing a troop from planning out a sample troop year to troop finances and bank accounts. Learn how to set up your troop for success.
Introduction to Encampment
Facilitators: Bright Nygard, Jennifer Baldwin, and Becky Catchpole
Learn about the council-wide signature event for Girls currently in 3rd grade and up, Encampment. Plan ahead for the June 2013 event by learning about what it is and what to expect. Get hands on information about how to set your camp site up and everything you should plan to bring.
Did She Really Just Say That???
Facilitator: Amanda Block
What do you do when you overhear a girl saying something inappropriate? Come learn techniques to deal with inappropriate comments and sensitive topics. Discover how to take “non-Girl Scout” topics and transform them into powerful (and appropriate) conversations with girls. Also included will be information about child abuse reporting.
Songs and Games
Facilitator: Amy Von Diest
Do you work with girls that want to sing Girl Scout songs and play games? This session will provide you the opportunity to learn and sing-a-long. Be prepared to let go and move around.
Take Action
Facilitators: Anne Kurland and Lecia Kahklen
Girls discover, connect, and take action. Learn how to take action with the girls. This session focuses on moving from community service to root cause projects. Identify how take action fits into Journeys and Girl Scouts highest awards.
The Girl Scout Leadership Experience
Facilitators: Tara Lee Ellis and Sheila Miller
Come learn what the Girl Scout Leadership Experience is and how it effects what girls do, how they do it and how they will benefit through this experience.
Travel Planning
Facilitator: Lisa Mead
Not only do some of the most memorable moments in a Girl Scout’s life happen while taking trips, but travel also offers a wealth of opportunities for girls to develop leadership skills. You will learn how to prepare girls for local, national, and international travel of any scope and duration. Explore the travel pathway and troop trips.
Grit, Gratitude and Self-Control: Why Character Development is Critical and How to Teach it to Girls
Facilitator: Amanda Block
Learn how to cultivate a culture of character development and specific techniques to help girls gain these skills. Topics will include: the importance of failure (and how to let girls do it), the difference between being nice and being kind, the role vulnerability plays and more.
Event Coordination
Facilitator: Pat Purcell
Do you plan events, service unit events, or hope to in the future? Events are an important part of the Girl Scout experience for many girls of all age levels. This session will give you useful tips and strategies to create and execute successful events.
Now That’s A Story!
Facilitator: Amanda Block
A well placed, powerful story can have a huge impact. Learn how to identify and tell the Girl Scout story to parents, community members and your girls. Discover how stories can inspire action, change people’s minds and motivate girls to change the world.
Recommended Adult Learning Courses
Volunteers in the Troop Pathway:
Step 1 - Introduction to Girl Scouts: This informal information sharing can be done over the phone, in person or during an information night depending on the circumstances. Please contact the Member Services Specialist in your area to schedule an Introduction to Girl Scouts that works for you.
Sept 2 - Online Girl Scouting 101: This easy-to-use online course introduces volunteers to Girl Scouts’ inspiring national leadership experience, from Journey resources and The Girl’s Guide to Girl Scouting to cookie sales, safety guidelines, and much more. Spend about 45–50 minutes learning online - whenever you can fit it into your day. Go to http://training.girlscouts.org/default.asp the password is: aboutGS101.
Step 3 – Getting Started and Troop Management: These courses are separated into two webinars or combined into one face to face training. You will learn about how to start and facilitate a troop, safety guidelines, troop finances, and where to find the forms and information you need when you need it.
Volunteers in other Pathways such as Series and Events:
Step 1 - Introduction to Girl Scouts: This informal information sharing can be done over the phone, in person or even during an information night depending on the circumstances. Please contact the Member Services Specialist in your area to schedule an Introduction to Girl Scouts that works for you.
Sept 2 - Online Volunteering for Girl Scout Series and Events is a condensed version of Girl Scouting 101. If you’re a new series/events volunteer, this 25-minute online introduction will give you the essence of Girl Scouts’ inspiring national leadership experience - whenever it’s convenient for you. Go to http://training.girlscouts.org/default.asp the password is: volunteer
Step 3 - Getting Started: This essential one hour course will prepare all volunteers for volunteering with Girl Scouts of Alaska by introducing you to the goals, policies and processes of Girl Scouts of Alaska. This course is offered as an online interactive webinar or in person, often in conjunction with Troop Management. Go to eCouncil to register.
Supplemental Adult Learning Courses
In addition to the core courses listed above we offer supplemental courses on a variety of topics. Previous webinars, conference calls and face-to-face training topics have included Encampment, Early Bird Registration, Engaging Girls, and Event Planning. To see what’s currently available or to make suggestions please visit http://www.girlscoutsalaska.org/for-adults/adult-learning.
Online resources from GSUSA:
Online Volunteer Orientation gives a wonderful overview of Girl Scouts USA and the history of the founder and organization. Go to http://training.girlscouts.org/default.asp. The password is: discover
Leadership Essentials does an excellent job of walking through the Journey books. If you want to learn more about Journeys, this course is highly recommended. Go to http://training.girlscouts.org/default.asp. The password is: discover
Webinars
Listen & watch a presentation on the internet, then ask questions. If you cannot make it to the live web meeting, it will be recorded and available to view on the Girl Scouts of Alaska website at a later date. Welcome to the wonderful world of webinar learning!
Go to http://www.girlscoutsalaska.org/programs/registration and click on “Adult Training” to sign up for one (or all) of the following opportunities. Instructions with the website/ login-in will be emailed to you upon registration.
If you missed the in-person webinar, click on the links to review the materials that participants viewed.
Encampment documents/Encampment Webinar.pdf
Encampment – what is it, what do girls do there, what should we pack, what are SWAPS, what’s new? Get these answers and more.
Girl Scout Traditions documents/Webinar Ceremonies and Traditions.pdf
Learn about the Girl Scout traditions – everything from ceremonies to adult recognition.
Adult Learning Summit
Click here to view the 2012 agenda.
(Mac users will need Adobe Reader to view this agenda).