Did you know there’s an upcoming holiday all about YOU?!
We’re talking about International Day of the Girl!
In 2011, the United Nations General Assembly declared October 11 as International Day of the Girl Child, to “recognize girls’ rights and the unique challenges girls face, and to promote girls’ empowerment and the fulfillment of their human rights.”
Raise your hand if that sounds amazing to you!
Since that declaration, the challenges impacting young women have evolved year by year. But through it all, we’ve witnessed the way that girls transform adversity into world-changing movements and innovation.
You are the superheroes. You are the game-changers, the never-back-down-ers.
The way you turn your dreams into inventions and businesses, your ambitions into artwork and equations…is going to heal people, support communities, sustain our planet, and create equality for all.
We’re spending all month cheering about International Day of the Girl. Because you make this world better.
Here are some ideas for celebrating International Day of the Girl at your next Girl Scout troop meeting!
Daisy & Brownie Troop Meeting Plan
- Greeting & Opening Ceremony
Greeting & Opening Ceremony (10 minutes)
- Pledge
- Girl Scout Promise
- Girl Scout Law
What is International Day of the Girl? (5 minutes)
SAY: International Day of the Girl is a day the global community comes together to celebrate the power of girls and highlight, discuss, and take action to advance the rights of and opportunities for girls everywhere. What do we think that means? *Give time to discuss this question and why this day is important.*
SAY: In this troop meeting you will complete the four steps to earn the Girl Speak Up Badge! Those steps are Prepare to Launch; Ready, Set, Safe; Speak Up; and Pledge to Keep it R.E.A.L. We are going to work each step as a troop!
- Step 1 – Prepare to Launch (5 minutes)
SAY: Today we are doing a special activity that other Girl Guides and Girl Scouts across the world are doing as well! In this activity, you will tell us what you think about Girl Scouting, so we can make it everything you want it to be. Let’s discuss these questions.
- What do you like about Girl Scouts?
- What do you not like about Girl Scouts?
- What do you wish we did more of?
- Step 2 – Ready, Set, Safe! (15 minutes)
How to Play:
- As a group, help the girls to decide on a simple funny action to perform to match each of these emotions from the story: Love, Cheerful, Frustrated, Excited, Proud, Brave
- Every time an emotion is read out in the story, perform the action. Choose someone to read out the story and make sure they know to slow down as they read the emotion words to give the group time to do the action.
- If you think you will have time, the girls might choose to read the story a few times and read faster each time so that it becomes harder/funnier to do the actions!
- After reading the story, ask the girls if they have felt any of those six emotions in the past week and have a brief discussion about them.
Action Story:
Once upon a time, there was a Girl Guide/Girl Scout. Her friends and family always told her how much they love her because she was always so cheerful and made them smile. Today she was extra excited because she was going to a special Girl Guide/Girl Scout event where there would be a guest, speaking to the girls about her important job.
When the time came for her to get ready to go to the event, she realized that, although she was excited, she was also a bit nervous because there would be lots of girls at the event that she had never met before. Her parents reminded her that if she was her usual cheerful self, the new girls she met were sure to want to be her friends. So, she put on her Girl Guide/Girl Scout uniform and decided to be brave!
The event was amazing, and she quickly realized she had nothing to be nervous about. The leaders ran all kinds of activities which helped her to learn about the lives of girls living in other parts of the world and she was proud to know that she had Girl Guide and Girl Scout sisters in so many countries.
Soon, it was time for the guest speaker to do her talk. The guest was so brave standing up in front of all those people! In her talk, the guest explained that her job was to help girls and women who didn’t get to enjoy the same rights as men and boys in their community. She said that often her job made her frustrated because all people should have the same rights, but she knew that if she was cheerful and brave, she could speak up for other people’s rights and make a difference.
After the event, the Girl Guide/Girl Scout felt all kinds of emotions. She was frustrated that there were girls who didn’t enjoy the same rights as she did, but she was also excited that she could speak up and help to make a difference. At their next Girl Guide/Girl Scout meeting, the girls who attended the event decided to be brave and give their own talk. They explained the issue to the rest of their group and reminded them that although they were probably frustrated about the issue too, as Girl Guides/Girl Scouts they had the power to speak up and change the world!
- Step 3 – Speak Up! (30 minutes)
Pass It On:
Answering this question: What does Girl Scouting mean to you?
Supplies:
- Ball of string
- Pen and paper
How to Play:
- Start with the question, “How does Girl Scouting make you feel?”
- One person starts off with the ball of string, they say their name and their one-word answer, then they hold on to the end of the string before throwing the ball of string to someone else across the circle who will then say their name and give their answer.
- Each player holds on to part of the string before they pass the rest of the ball of string onto the next player. By the end of the game, the string has become a web that links all of the members of your group together.
- Record all the answers as they are given! Your answers will be included in the #ListenToGirl feedback submitted to WAGGGS.
- Play a second round, with the question, “What does Girl Scouting mean to you?” You can give longer answers for this one!
- If you think you will have extra time in your meeting, you can choose to play a third round where girls answer the question, “What have you learned in Girl Scouting?”
Roll Up to Speak Up:
Answering the question: what do you wish to experience and learn about through Girl Scouting?
Supplies:
- Dice
- Whiteboard or poster board
How to Play:
- Sit in one circle or in small groups (depending on the size and age of the group).
- On a whiteboard or poster, write five categories:
- Teamwork skills: Skills for working in small groups
- Interpersonal skills: Skills for connecting with other people
- Practical skills: Skills you need to try yourself to learn (i.e. learn by doing yourself)
- Personal skills: Skills that help you be strong in mind, body, and soul (i.e. develop self-awareness, self-care skills)
- Topics: Local or global issues which impact our community and/or communities around the world that we want to learn more about and take action to improve.
- Explain the categories in age-appropriate language for the group.
- One at a time, players will take turns to roll the dice (or select a numbered item). If you get a 1 or 2 = suggest a skill they would like to learn and decide what skill category the leader should record it under If you get a 3 or 4 = suggest a topic or issue they would like to explore further If you get a 5 or 6 = perform a silly action chosen by the group i.e. the group might decide that the action is standing up to do a quick silly dance, running around the whole circle then sitting down, etc.
- Continue playing the game until your time runs out or until you have multiple answers under each of the brainstorming headings.
- Step 4 – Pledge to Keep it R.E.A.L. (15 minutes)
SAY: As leaders, we are going to make a pledge to you today that when we plan our Girl Scout activities we will #ListenToGirls so we can make sure that our activities are always Relevant, Exciting, Accessible, and Learner-led (R.E.A.L). Can you all pledge today to help make our group a safe and brave space so that everyone feels comfortable sharing their suggestions and opinions? Together, if we pledge to do these things, we can make our group a fun and meaningful girl-led space!
Leader Pledge Sign to read: “As the Leader of the I pledge to #ListenToGirls and make our group a girl-led space by…”
Girl Scout Pledge Sign to read: “I pledge to make our group a safe and brave space and to help make Girl Guiding/Girl Scouting girl-led by…”
Have girls make a sign with their pledges on them to keep for the future.
- Clean Up & Closing
Troop Leader: you will need to send your answers to WAGGGS by November 30, 2022.
Junior & Cadette Troop Meeting Plan
- Greeting & Opening Ceremony
Greeting & Opening Ceremony (10 minutes)
- Pledge
- Girl Scout Promise
- Girl Scout Law
What is International Day of the Girl? (5 minutes)
SAY: International Day of the Girl is a day the global community comes together to celebrate the power of girls and highlight, discuss, and take action to advance the rights of and opportunities for girls everywhere. What do we think that means? *Give time to discuss this question and why this day is important.*
SAY: In this troop meeting you will complete the four steps to earn the Girl Speak Up Badge! Those steps are Prepare to Launch; Ready, Set, Safe; Speak Up; and Pledge to Keep it R.E.A.L. We are going to work each step as a troop!
- Step 1 – Prepare to Launch (5 minutes)
SAY: Today we are going to take part in a special global youth consultation. Other Girl Guides and Girl Scouts around the world are also taking part. A youth consultation is an activity where young people share their thoughts and opinions and what they share is used to inform future activities. Today we are going to talk about what Girl Scouting means to you and what skills, topics, and issues you would like to explore at Girl Scouts that you think would be helpful for you as you grow older.
- What do you like about Girl Scouts?
- What do you not like about Girl Scouts?
- What do you wish we did more of?
- Step 2 – Ready, Set, Safe! (15 minutes)
How to Play:
- As a group, help the girls to decide on a simple funny action to perform to match each of these emotions from the story: Love, Cheerful, Frustrated, Excited, Proud, Brave
- Every time an emotion is read out in the story, perform the action. Choose someone to read out the story and make sure they know to slow down as they read the emotion words to give the group time to do the action.
- If you think you will have time, the girls might choose to read the story a few times and read faster each time so that it becomes harder/funnier to do the actions!
- After reading the story, ask the girls if they have felt any of those six emotions in the past week and have a brief discussion about them.
Action Story:
Once upon a time, there was a Girl Guide/Girl Scout. Her friends and family always told her how much they love her because she was always so cheerful and made them smile. Today she was extra excited because she was going to a special Girl Guide/Girl Scout event where there would be a guest, speaking to the girls about her important job.
When the time came for her to get ready to go to the event, she realized that, although she was excited, she was also a bit nervous because there would be lots of girls at the event that she had never met before. Her parents reminded her that if she was her usual cheerful self, the new girls she met were sure to want to be her friends. So, she put on her Girl Guide/Girl Scout uniform and decided to be brave!
The event was amazing, and she quickly realized she had nothing to be nervous about. The leaders ran all kinds of activities which helped her to learn about the lives of girls living in other parts of the world and she was proud to know that she had Girl Guide and Girl Scout sisters in so many countries.
Soon, it was time for the guest speaker to do her talk. The guest was so brave standing up in front of all those people! In her talk, the guest explained that her job was to help girls and women who didn’t get to enjoy the same rights as men and boys in their community. She said that often her job made her frustrated because all people should have the same rights, but she knew that if she was cheerful and brave, she could speak up for other people’s rights and make a difference.
After the event, the Girl Guide/Girl Scout felt all kinds of emotions. She was frustrated that there were girls who didn’t enjoy the same rights as she did, but she was also excited that she could speak up and help to make a difference. At their next Girl Guide/Girl Scout meeting, the girls who attended the event decided to be brave and give their own talk. They explained the issue to the rest of their group and reminded them that although they were probably frustrated about the issue too, as Girl Guides/Girl Scouts they had the power to speak up and change the world!
- Step 3 – Speak Up! (3o minutes)
Pass It On:
Answering this question: What does Girl Scouting mean to you?
Supplies:
- Ball of string
- Pen and paper
How to Play:
- Start with the question, “How does Girl Scouting make you feel?”
- One person starts off with the ball of string, they say their name and their one-word answer, then they hold on to the end of the string before throwing the ball of string to someone else across the circle who will then say their name and give their answer.
- Each player holds on to part of the string before they pass the rest of the ball of string onto the next player. By the end of the game, the string has become a web that links all of the members of your group together.
- Record all the answers as they are given! Your answers will be included in the #ListenToGirl feedback submitted to WAGGGS.
- Play a second round, with the question, “What does Girl Scouting mean to you?” You can give longer answers for this one!
- If you think you will have extra time in your meeting, you can choose to play a third round where girls answer the question, “What have you learned in Girl Scouting?”
Roll Up to Speak Up:
Answering the question: what do you wish to experience and learn about through Girl Scouting?
Supplies:
- Dice
- Whiteboard or poster board
How to Play:
- Sit in one circle or in small groups (depending on the size and age of the group).
- On a whiteboard or poster, write five categories:
- Teamwork skills: Skills for working in small groups
- Interpersonal skills: Skills for connecting with other people
- Practical skills: Skills you need to try yourself to learn (i.e. learn by doing yourself)
- Personal skills: Skills that help you be strong in mind, body, and soul (i.e. develop self-awareness, self-care skills)
- Topics: Local or global issues which impact our community and/or communities around the world that we want to learn more about and take action to improve.
- Explain the categories in age-appropriate language for the group.
- One at a time, players will take turns to roll the dice (or select a numbered item). If you get a 1 or 2 = suggest a skill they would like to learn and decide what skill category the leader should record it under If you get a 3 or 4 = suggest a topic or issue they would like to explore further If you get a 5 or 6 = perform a silly action chosen by the group i.e. the group might decide that the action is standing up to do a quick silly dance, running around the whole circle then sitting down, etc.
- Continue playing the game until your time runs out or until you have multiple answers under each of the brainstorming headings.
- During the activity, the leader can record the answers that were shared in the brainstorm. They can be included in your #ListenToGirl feedback submitted to WAGGGS.
- Step 4 – Pledge to Keep it R.E.A.L. (15 minutes)
SAY: As leaders, we are going to make a pledge to you today that when we plan our Girl Scout activities we will #ListenToGirls so we can make sure that our activities are always Relevant, Exciting, Accessible, and Learner-led (R.E.A.L). Can you all pledge today to help make our group a safe and brave space so that everyone feels comfortable sharing their suggestions and opinions? Together, if we pledge to do these things, we can make our group a fun and meaningful girl-led space!
Leader Pledge Sign to read: “As the Leader of the I pledge to #ListenToGirls and make our group a girl-led space by…”
Girl Scout Pledge Sign to read: “I pledge to make our group a safe and brave space and to help make Girl Guiding/Girl Scouting girl-led by…”
Have girls make a sign with their pledges on them to keep for the future.
- Clean Up & Closing
Troop Leader: you will need to send your answers to WAGGGS by November 30, 2022.
Senior & Ambassador Troop Meeting Plan
- Greeting & Opening Ceremony
Greeting & Opening Ceremony (10 minutes)
- Pledge
- Girl Scout Promise
- Girl Scout Law
What is International Day of the Girl? (5 minutes)
SAY: International Day of the Girl is a day the global community comes together to celebrate the power of girls and highlight, discuss, and take action to advance the rights of and opportunities for girls everywhere. What do we think that means? *Give time to discuss this question and why this day is important.*
SAY: In this troop meeting you will complete the four steps to earn the Girl Speak Up Badge! Those steps are Prepare to Launch; Ready, Set, Safe; Speak Up; and Pledge to Keep it R.E.A.L. We are going to work each step as a troop!
- Step 1 – Prepare to Launch (5 minutes)
SAY: Today we will take part in a youth consultation. We are going to talk about what Girl Guiding/Girl Scouting means to you and what skills, topics, and issues you would like to explore at Girl Guides/Girl Scouts that you think would be handy for you as you grow older.
- What do you like about Girl Scouts?
- What do you not like about Girl Scouts?
- What do you wish we did more of?
- Step 2 – Ready, Set, Safe! (15 minutes)
Supplies:
- Pen and paper
How to Play:
- Ask a small group of volunteers (3-5 people) to improvise a scene, without any planning.
- Setting: The setting of the scene is that they are together at a party.
- Story: The story is up to them! Stop the scene when it comes to an end, or when it has been five minutes.
- Ask for another group of volunteers to reenact the same scene, but the characters are uncomfortable and scared.
- Ask for a third group of volunteers to play the same scene again, but this time the characters are feeling safe, confident, and brave.
- Discuss the differences and what made them unique and why.
- Step 3 – Speak Up! (3o minutes)
Going On Up:
Answering this question: What does Girl Scouting mean to you?
Supplies:
- Pen and paper
How to Play:
- In small groups, take a few minutes to think about the three following questions:
- How does Girl Guiding/Girl Scouting make you feel?
- What does it mean to you?
- What have you learned in Girl Guiding/Girl Scouting?
- As a group, decide on a creative way you want to convey your answers. You could create a song, a commercial, a poem, a rap, a video, a comedy sketch, etc.
- Take 10 minutes to create your creative answer, then present it to the group. Finish by explaining your answer in a couple of sentences.
- Leaders will need to record the answers – they will be included in the #ListenToGirl feedback submitted to WAGGGS
Think Outside the Box:
Answering the question: what do you wish to experience and learn about through Girl Scouting?
Supplies:
- Small pieces of paper
- Pens/pencils
- Tape
- 3 boxes (one with a star, one with a question mark, and one with a heart)
How to Play:
- On a whiteboard/poster, write four skill categories:
- 1 = Teamwork skills: Skills for working in small groups
- 2 = Interpersonal skills: Skills for connecting with other people
- 3 = Practical skills: Skills you need to try yourself in order to learn (i.e. learn by doing yourself)
- 4 = Personal skills: Skills which help you be strong in mind, body, and soul (i.e. develop self-awareness, self-care skills)
- Take a piece of paper and write down the name of an object on it (Any object: a flying kite, an orange, a torch, etc.). Put it in the box with the star on it.
- Your next challenge is to think of some skills you would like to learn at Girl Scouts in the future. Take four pieces of paper and label each one with a different number from 1 through 4.
- Try to write down one skill you would like to learn under each of these four skill categories and place your pieces of paper into the box with the heart once you have finished writing them.
- Think of at least one topic or issue that you want to learn more about at Girl Guides/Girl Scouts so that you have the information you need to take action and improve the issue. Write down each topic/issue on a separate piece of paper and place your pieces of paper into the box with the question mark.
- Take one piece of paper from each box, and in pairs, try to come up with ideas that would link the three pieces of paper in an innovative way (ie. how could you use the object to learn the skills and explore the topic). If time allows, you can play a few rounds, putting back your pieces of paper and taking new ones.
- Debrief: Are there some ideas that you could and would like to try out? It is important to the leaders that you get a chance to develop skills and learn about topics/issues at Girl Guides/Girl Scouts that you might not get to explore at school or at home. It is also important to us that YOU get to have a say in what skills you would like to learn and issues you would like to take action to improve.
- Once you’re done playing, be sure to put the pieces of paper back in the box! The leader will record all the ideas in the boxes with the heart and the question mark and they will be included in your #ListenToGirl feedback submitted to WAGGGS.
- Step 4 – Pledge to Keep it R.E.A.L. (15 minutes)
SAY: As leaders, we are going to make a pledge to you today that when we plan our Girl Scout activities we will #ListenToGirls so we can make sure that our activities are always Relevant, Exciting, Accessible, and Learner-led (R.E.A.L). Can you all pledge today to help make our group a safe and brave space so that everyone feels comfortable sharing their suggestions and opinions? Together, if we pledge to do these things, we can make our group a fun and meaningful girl-led space!
Leader Pledge Sign to read: “As the Leader of the I pledge to #ListenToGirls and make our group a girl-led space by…”
Girl Scout Pledge Sign to read: “I pledge to make our group a safe and brave space and to help make Girl Guiding/Girl Scouting girl-led by…”
Have girls make a sign with their pledges on them to keep for the future.
- Clean Up & Closing
Troop Leader: you will need to send your answers to WAGGGS by November 30, 2022.
Download GSUSA Activity Guide for International Day of the Girl
Download WAGGGS Activity Pack for International Day of the Girl