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Program Resources

This page is a resource to help your Girl Scouts participate in our programming, no matter where they are or if they're part of a troop or a Juliette! Check out everything we have available, or visit Ways to Participate for more information. 

GSWNY Troop Badge & Journey in a Box Kits

Designed to make Girl Scouting stress-free, the Troop Badge and Journey in a Box kit includes the supplies needed for a troop to complete a badge or journey including an easy to follow activity guide. These kits are rentals, all non-consumable supplies must be returned to GSWNY. Please note that the cost of badges is an additional charge to the rental of the box. The boxes will be available for in-store pick-up at the Buffalo, Rochester, Lockport and Jamestown Service Centers. All kits are $25 to rent (except Girl Scout Ways which is $10) with badges being an additional cost.  View the available kits below - 

Click here to request rental

Robotics

Daisy – Kit includes programming and supplies for a Girl Scout troop to complete the What Robots Do, How Robots Move and Design a Robot Daisy badges

Brownie - Kit includes programming and supplies for a Girl Scout troop to complete the Showcasing Robots, Designing Robots and Programming Robots Brownie badges

Junior - Kit includes programming and supplies for a Girl Scout troop to complete the Showcasing Robots, Designing Robots and Programming Robots Junior badges

Cybersecurity

Daisy - Kit includes programming and supplies for a Girl Scout troop to complete Cyber Security Basics, Cybersecurity Safeguards and Cybersecurity Investigator Daisy badges

Brownie- Kit includes programming and supplies for a Girl Scout troop to complete Cyber Security Basics, Cybersecurity Safeguards and Cybersecurity Investigator Brownie badges

Junior- Kit includes programming and supplies for a Girl Scout troop to complete Cyber Security Basics, Cybersecurity Safeguards and Cybersecurity Investigator Junior badges

Outdoor Art

Daisy - Kit includes programming and supplies for a Girl Scout troop to complete the Daisy Outdoor Art Maker badge

Brownie - Kit includes programming and supplies for a Girl Scout troop to complete the Brownie Art Creator badge

Girl Scout Ways

All Levels – Includes past Girl Scout handbooks and traditional games and songs books to aid in the earning of the Girl Scout Ways badges

Think Like an Engineer Journey

All Levels – Kit includes programming and supplies for a Girl Scout troop to complete the Think Like an Engineer Journey

Think Like a Programmer Journey

Daisy/Cadette/Senior/Ambassador - Kit includes programming and supplies for a Girl Scout troop to complete the Think Like a Programmer Journey

Badge in a Box

Designed to make Girl Scouting at home stress-free, the Badge in a Box includes the supplies needed to complete a badge at home, an easy to follow activity guide, and the badge itself

Ordering a Badge in Box

When you purchase Badge in a Box, you will have the option of free pickup at the Buffalo, Rochester, Lockport, or Jamestown Service Centers or have it shipped straight to your house; an additional fee will apply to each box based on the weight of the box. Kits will only be shipped within the contiguous United States.

Click here to order your Badge in a Box.

NOTE: Grant funds available for some areas of our Council reducing the cost of boxes down to $5.00. If there is not a grant available in your area, members can apply for Council Opportunity Funds. 

Daisy and Brownie Boxes

coming soon...

Junior and Cadette Boxes

coming soon

Senior and Ambassador Boxes

coming soon

Programs on Demand

Our Programs on Demand (POD) provide additional Girl Scout experience opportunities for girls and troops throughout our nine counties. These businesses and organizations feature programs designed to appeal to a wide array of interests, including STEM, art, animals, and many more. Even better, you work directly with these collaborators to determine the specific program and date that fits your schedule.

Check out the programs below and get started planning your Program on Demand! If you have additional questions, the organization associated with the program is your best point of contact. They can answer your inquiries related to pricing, hours, program adjustments, and more. 

View Programs on Demand

Our Programs on Demand opportunities can be found in this online repository. The businesses contained in the document are sorted alphabetically by name.. 

DOWNLOAD POD REPOSITORY

To find a business quickly or search for keywords, use CTRL + F (Windows PC), Command + F (Mac), or your mobile browser’s search function. 

Programs are also sorted by the category they fall under: Badge, Journey, STEM, Outdoors, Entrepreneurship, and Life Skills.

We do not recommend printing this repository as it is updated often with new opportunities and contact information. 

Disclaimer

Please remember that these opportunities are not Girl Scout-sponsored events, so you will need to meet all safety requirements laid out in Safety Activity Checkpoints.

If you know of an organization/business that works with Girl Scouts, please let us know! Complete application here.

These programs are operated exclusively by the organizations and are not associated with any activity sponsored by the Girl Scouts of Western New York.

Council Patches

Explore your interests and expand your horizons by working on patches and badges created just for you! Be creative at home by completing the required steps at home or virtually with your troop. Each patch program offers a curriculum for every age level. 

Current Patches
Multicultural Community Celebrations
Planning Resources

Check out these resources to help you plan, promote, and carry out your event with your faith partner.

1. Girl Scouts Celebrate Faith Flyers: Add your event details to these customizable fliers and ask your faith partner to share in their newsletter or bulletin.

2. Sample Order of Service Ideas: Encourage your girls to play an active role in your house of worship’s service! Work with your faith partner to select the best options for your event.

3. Activities Tip Sheet: Try one of these activities before or after the worship service and during Girl Scout Week (check out the tips below for more!). As always, team up with your faith partner to find an option that works for everyone.

4. PowerPoint Inserts: Customize these sample PowerPoint slides and ask if your faith partner can include them in a worship service slide show to promote your event. (Spanish slides available).

5. Sample Prayers: Share these sample Girl Scout-focused prayers and sample speech with your faith partner. Please work with your faith partner to identify the best options for your event.

6. Iron-On Embroidered Patches: Make your Girl Scouts Celebrate Faith event something your troop won’t forget—with a patch! Patches are available at your council store or the Girl Scout Shop and include: Girl Scout Sunday, Girl Scout Jummah, Girl Scout Sabbath, and Girl Scout Faith (for any faith celebration or faith event, including interfaith). 

Planning Tips

Here are some tips for planning your event.

Work closely with your faith partner. Teaming up will help event planning and promotion go smoothly and deepen the connection between your troop and your faith partner.

Start early. Houses of worship will appreciate the extra time to incorporate your event into their worship schedule!

Include pre- and post-activities. Events before and after the worship service are a great way to share the benefits of Girl Scouting with faith families and give back to your faith partner. You might do a service project or host a cookie booth and/or cookies and punch reception after the service —check out the activities tip sheet for more ideas.

Promote your event. Spread the word through social media and neighborhood channels. Ask your faith partner to promote the event in their newsletters or bulletins. And give your Girl Scout council a heads up too: they may amplify through their channels.

Thank your faith partner after the event. Faith partners will appreciate a note of thanks after your event, especially one they can share with their community.

GSWNY Badge Resources

Daisy
Brownie

No submissions are required for badge work. If you would like to share photos or feedback, please email girl.experience@gswny.org.

Household Elf: PART 1 (video, click here if video is not visible below)

 

Household Elf: PART 2 (video, click here if video is not visible below)

Junior
Cadette
Senior
Ambassador

Girl Scout Traditions

Traditions

Girl Scout Sign: Hold the right hand up at shoulder height with the middle three fingers pointed to the sky and the thumb pressed down over the pinky finger. Make the Girl Scout sign while saying the Girl Scout Promise and the Girl Scout Law, and using the Girl Scout handshake.

Girl Scout Handshake: Shake left hands and make the Girl Scout sign with the right hand.

Quiet sign: The signal to be silent in a group. The person in charge raises their right hand high into the sky. All girls and adults raise their right hands, stop talking, and stay quiet.

Girl Scout Motto: Be prepared     

Girl Scout Slogan: Do a good turn daily

Quip: “Girl Scouts leave a place better than they found it.”

Quip: “Once a Girl Scout, always a Girl Scout! 

The Buddy System: A safety practice to keep girls in pairs when they are outside of the troop meeting space. Trios are sometimes nicknamed a truddy, as in, “Girls, stay with your buddy, or stay with your truddy!

Friendship Circles

The friendship circle is often formed at the end of meetings or campfires as a closing ceremony. Everyone gathers in a circle where they cross their right arm over their left in front of them and hold hands with the people on either side. 

Once everyone is silent, the leader starts the friendship squeeze which is gently passed from hand to hand. When the squeeze returns to the leader, she says ‘Goodnight Girl Scouts’ and the girls raise their arms over head and then turn the circle inside out. 

Girls will often sing ‘Make New Friends’ before passing the hand squeeze.

Make New Friends

Make new friends, but keep the old.

One is silver, the other is gold.

A circle is round, it has no end.

That’s how long I want to be your friend.

Bridging Ceremony

Moving On to New Adventures

Bridging is an important transition in a Girl Scout's life. It's a defining moment when a girl becomes aware of her achievements and is ready for new adventures and responsibilities. Celebrating this change should be fun, personalized, and memorable for everyone involved. And most of all, it should be designed by the girls in true partnership with adults.

Bridging ceremonies usually take place at the beginning or end of the Girl Scout year and can have three parts:

  • Opening: Guests are welcomed and the tone is set.
  • Main section: The ceremony is explained and the girls celebrate moving from one level to the next.
  • Closing: Girls can participate in friendship circles and thank their guests.

Each of the ceremony's parts offers plenty of room for the girls' creativity and individuality. The ceremony should always focus on paying tribute to Girl Scouts as they move forward.

See how Girl Scouts earn their Bridging Awards (PDF):

Daisy | Brownie | Junior | Cadette | Senior | Ambassador

Shop for your bridging kit today!

Flag Ceremony

Flag Ceremony

A flag ceremony honors the American flag as the symbol of our country and all the hopes, dreams, and people it represents. If your group includes girls from other countries, invite them to honor their flags too, and together conduct an international flag ceremony. Flag ceremonies may be used for:

  • Opening or closing meetings
  • Opening or closing special events
  • Beginning or closing a day
  • Honoring a special occasion or special person
  • Retiring a worn flag

Flag ceremonies may take place in meeting rooms, outdoor settings, large auditoriums, onstage, or even on horseback. The American flag is carried by a color guard for protection during a flag ceremony. All flag ceremonies share one thing—respect for the flag.

checklist1_32Flag Ceremony Guidelines

Keep it simple. Emphasis needs to be on respect for the flag rather than on the commands or techniques. Adults can ask girls these questions when planning:

  • Who will carry the flag?
  • Who will the color guards be?
  • Who will give the directions for the ceremony?
  • What song will you sing? Who will sound the pitch and start the song?
  • Will a poem or quotation be included? Who will say or read it?
  • After the Pledge of Allegiance, will the Girl Scout Promise and Law be said?
  • What order will the ceremony follow?
  • When will the group practice?
  • Where will the flags be placed at the end of the ceremony?

file2_32Terms Used in a Flag Ceremony

The color bearer (or flag bearer) is the person who carries the flag. There is one color bearer for each flag used in the ceremony.

The color guard is a team that guards the flags. Any even number of guards may be used, but usually four or six girls are sufficient.

The Girl Scout in charge (or caller) is a designated Girl Scout who announces or calls each part of the ceremony.

 Possible Commands for a Flag Ceremony

"Girl Scouts, attention." Used to announce that the flag ceremony is to begin.

"Color guard, advance." Signals the color guard to advance with the flags or advance to pick up the flags.

"Color guard, post the colors." Directs the color guard to place the flag in flag standards or to attach the grommets to a flag pole rope.

"Color guard, honor your flag." Signals the color guard to salute the American flag.

"Please join us in saying the Pledge of Allegiance." Followed by an appropriate song, quotation, or poem, if so desired.

"Color guard, retire the colors." Prompts the color guard to remove the flag from standards or to lower the flag, detach it from the rope, and fold it prior to being dismissed.

"Color guard, dismissed." Prompts the color guard to leave in formation, with or without the flag.

"Girl Scouts, dismissed." Indicates girls may leave in formation or be at ease where they have been standing.

USAflag_IconHandling the Flag of the United States of America

Display of the American flag is governed by law to ensure that it will be treated with the respect due the flag of a great nation. This is known as the United States Flag Code. Some of the rules most useful for Girl Scouts are:

  • The flag of the United States of America should be at the center and at the highest point of the group when a number of flags of states (or localities or pennants of societies) are grouped and displayed from staffs.
  • When the flags are posted in stands or raised on a pole, the American flag is always kept higher than other flags, so it is placed in its stand after other flags are lowered into their standards, or it is raised up a pole first.  When it’s time to retire the colors, the American flag is taken out of its stand first so it remains the highest flag at all times.  
  • The flag, when carried in a procession with other flags, should be either on the marching right or, if there is a line of other flags, in front of the center of that line.
  • When you display the flag on a wall or in a window where people can see it from the street, it should appear flat with the blue part at the top and on the flag's own right (which is the observer's left).
  • When displayed after dark, the flag should be illuminated.
  • The flag is to be hoisted briskly and lowered slowly, with dignity.
  • The flag should never be allowed to touch anything beneath it, nor should it ever be carried flat or horizontally—always aloft and free.
  • Never use the flag as a cover or place anything on top of it.
  • No disrespect of any kind should be shown to the flag of the United States. It should be kept clean.

check_32Retiring a Worn American Flag

Retiring a flag is a special ceremony that ends with burning the flag and disposing of the ashes in a respectful manner. For further information, check with council program staff.

Other Girl Scout Ceremonies

torch_32Important Ceremonies in Girl Scouting

  • A Fly-Up is a bridging ceremony for Girl Scout Brownies bridging to Girl Scout Juniors. Girls receive the Girl Scout pin along with their Brownie wings.
  • Founder's Day or Juliette Gordon Low's Birthday, October 31, is a time to remember the important role Juliette Low played in the growth of the Girl Scout Movement in the United States.
  • Girl Scout Birthday ceremonies can be held on or near March 12, the date Juliette Gordon Low started Girl Scouting in the United States.
  • A Girl Scout Bronze, Silver, or Gold Award ceremony honors Girl Scouts who have earned these special awards and is usually held at the troop/group level or combined with council recognition.
  • Girl Scouts' Own is a girl-planned program that lets girls explore their feelings around a topic, such as friendship or the Girl Scout Promise and Law, using spoken word, favorite songs, poetry, or other forms of expression. It is never a religious ceremony.
  • Investiture welcomes new members—girls and adults—into the Girl Scout family for the first time. Girls receive their Girl Scout, Girl Scout Brownie, or Girl Scout Daisy pin at this time.
  • Journey ceremonies honor Girl Scouts who have earned the final award along a Journey. The ceremonies are usually held at the troop/group level and invite girls to develop a themed celebration of their Journey, often including friends and family.
  • Court of Awards is a special ceremony recognizing girls’ accomplishments. Girls are presented with their badges, year pins, and other recognitions earned during the year. Volunteers may also be recognized during the ceremony. The Court of Awards can be held anytime during the year, at any location, and as often as the troop wants.
  • Opening ceremonies start the Girl Scout meeting.
  • Pinning ceremonies help celebrate when girls receive grade-level Girl Scout pins.
  • Rededication ceremonies are an opportunity for girls and adults to renew their commitment to the Girl Scout Promise and Law.

checklist2_32Tips for Holding Ceremonies

  • Devote sufficient time for planning the ceremony. Good ceremonies have a clear purpose and enrich the meaning and mood of the event.
  • Use Journey adult guides and  The Girl’s Guide to Girl Scouting to help girls plan their ceremonies.
  • Take safety precautions when using candles or fire, or when the girls construct bridges or platforms. Refer to Volunteer Essentials and the Safety Activity Checkpoints (available through your council) for specific advice.
  • Add personal elements to traditional ceremonies. Use favorite poems, songs, stories, and sayings, or have the girls write something new.
  • Consider the role of colors and symbols that the girls might use in their ceremony.
  • Observe flag etiquette during flag ceremonies.
Religious Awards

The Girl Scout My Promise My Faith pin invites girls in grades K-12 to experience a faith journey through exploration of the Girl Scout Law and teachings from their faith.  Girls may earn this national pin every year.  There are five steps to earning this pin. 

There are many Religious Recognitions that are created by faith communities for their members who are Girl Scouts.  Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. provides a list of approved programs that allows the recognition insignia to be worn on the official uniform.  Each religious organization develops and administers its own program.  The girlscouts.org website provides a Religious Recognitions Chart which includes images of these emblems and contact information.

Community Service Opportunities

Please view the community service opportunities in the drop down below and remember that these opportunities are not Girl Scout-sponsored events, so you will need to meet all safety requirements laid out in the Safety Activity Checkpoints. 

Current Opportunities

Opportunities at Williamsville Suburban

Name of Organization: Williamsville Suburban

Contact Name: Katrina Hunley

Email: khunley89@aol.com

Phone Number: 716) 276-1900

Organization Address:193 S. Union Rd.
Williamsville , New York 14211

Description: During the holidays, we are hoping to connect with Girl Scouts of Western New York, to bring in holiday cheer to Williamsville Suburban. Activities can be about music program, craft or social. It can be any day during the time slots of 10-12, 2-4 or 6-8 for 1 hour. 

Opportunity at RocKats

RocKats is an all-volunteer, 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives of free-roaming cats in the city of Rochester. We are committed to helping the cats and those who care for them.

We hope to build 40 cat shelters to provide a warm space for cats that live four doors during the harsh winter months. We donate these to colony caretakers throughout the city of Rochester.

We have most of the supplies needed, and hope there might be some troop, of all ages, willing to help us with the construction of the shelters (made from styrofoam, black plastic bags and wood.

We do not have a space for the activity, and hope that perhaps individual troops or families will take on the task or work in any way possible. If you like to build things and save the lives of community cats, please reach out with any questions! Thank you for your time.

Learn more about us from our website:
www.RocKats.org

Opportunity at YWCA

Here at YWCA WNY, we serve a population of low-income seniors who reside in our building in Black Rock. My main duty as a Project Coordinator is to create and execute activities for our seniors.

Previously, we had hosted trivia night for our seniors with the Clarence Youth Bureau. However, the youth bureau is no longer doing activities outside of Clarence. I am wondering if a local Girl Scouts Troop would be interested in partnering with us to host a trivia night for our seniors.

I would be interested in helping develop a trivia board with an interested troop, as well as figuring out prizes for winners.

Any date from Monday through Friday would work for us, most likely during the hours of 1 to 3.

The service location would be our building at 1005 Grant Street.

Interested troops can contact me at jorrange@ywca-wny.org

HOST FAMILIES NEEDED!

Have you ever been curious about hosting a foreign exchange student?

Did you know…

EF Exchange only accepts students that will flourish on an international exchange. Our thorough screening and preparation process set our students up for success.

We provide host families and students with proactive outreach and individualized support. Our local and regional coordinators will be within driving distance!

Host families provide the student with room, board, and food, and are expected to treat their student as a member of the family, not as a guest. Students cover their own travel costs, health insurance, school expenses, cell phone, and spending money, anything extra. EF and the U.S Department of State also designate certain requirements of all host families. For example, host parents should be at least 25 Years old, pass a background check and have a stable and suitable household.

Our families represent the diversity of American culture, and we encourage families of all shapes and sizes to apply. There is no “typical’ host family. Some families have young or teenage children, while others may be empty nesters or newlyweds. Our families include single people, same sex couples and grandparents, and we find them all to be wonderful hosts.

We are committed to making sure that our foreign exchange students and host families have a great experience. If problems ever arise, you can rely on your local exchange coordinator, regional coordinator, and full-time EF staff to be there for you. In the rare case that we can’t all resolve the issue together, we will find the student a new home.

We are currently looking to place over 1000 students with host families for this upcoming school year.

Please contact mary.keller@efexchangeyear.org

Service Opportunity in a Senior Living Community

The Village at Unity in Rochester, New York is providing an opportunity for intergenerational programming. Celebrate national Girl Scout day and Plant a Flower day by connecting with members of an older generation and making someone’s day.

The Village at Unity is a high-quality senior living community that offers residents all of the comforts of home, and a wide range of programs and amenities. They are hoping to find volunteers to participate in an activity and spend time with senior citizens. The residents of this community are always looking forward to interacting with other people.

This is a great opportunity to make a difference, be friendly and helpful, and learn from the experiences of others.

Please contact Lindsay Lown if interested, or for more events. There are multiple opportunities to volunteer with The Village at Unity.

Lindsay Lown: Lead Resident Programs Coordinator
llown@leisurecare.com | (585) 351-6767 

Disclaimer

If you have a volunteer opportunity for Girl Scouts, please submit opportunities using this form. 

These programs are operated exclusively by the organizations and are not associated with any activity sponsored by the Girl Scouts of Western New York.

Community Events

Please view the community events in the drop down below and remember that these opportunities are not Girl Scout-sponsored events, so you will need to meet all safety requirements laid out in Safety Activity Checkpoints.

View Community Events
make_showtime_troop_time_with_rbtl_Page_1

Click the RBTL flyer for more information such as shows, dates, and how to purchase tickets.

water_safety_pledge

From Goldfish Swim School:

SAFER SUMMER STARTS NOW!
Take the Safer Swimmer Pledge with your kiddo to remind them of the 5 water-safety must-knows before you hit the pools, lakes and beaches this summer!

  • You’ll learn 5 Water Safety Must-Knows to follow at the pools, lakes & beaches this summer
  • You’ll be entered to win FINTASTIC prizes, like Safer Swimmer Prize Packs, FREE Swim lessons, and the grand prize, $5000 towards a GOLDEN Family Getaway!
  • Goldfish Swim School will donate $1 to the USA Swimming Foundation for each pledge, helping give underserved children around the US access to life-saving swim lessons!
  • You’ll unlock a 25% promo code to Speedo USA - with 10% of purchase going to the USA Swimming Foundation!
  • You’ll o-fish-ally be a Wavemaker for Water Safety, joining the ranks of World Champion Swimmers Ryan Murphy & Cullen Jones, renowned pediatrician Dr. Molly O’Shea and Goldfish teams and families across North America Make Waves, Give Back and Save Lives!
Disclaimer

If you know of an organization/business that works with Girl Scouts, please let us know! Send contact information here.

These programs are operated exclusively by the organizations and are not associated with any activity sponsored by the Girl Scouts of Western New York.

Travel

Girl Scouts love to travel—from the field trips they take as Brownies to the global adventures they go on as teens. If you love exploring different places and cultures, then Girl Scouts is the place for you. View Travel Guide Here.

You can experience all that our country has to offer, whether you’re “blasting off” at Space Camp in Alabama, taking in a Broadway show in New York City, or visiting the birthplace of Girl Scouts’ founder, Juliette Gordon Low, in Savannah, Georgia. And you can plan even bigger adventures around the world, traveling with other Girl Scouts who share your love of adventure.

Girl Scout Destinations

Check out Girl Scout Destinations, the ultimate adventure program for girls ages 11 and older. With a ton of different trips to apply for every year—from surfing camp on the east coast and breathtaking hikes out west, to the crazy-cool wonder of new cultures abroad—there’s something amazing for everyone to experience.

Make friends from all over the country as you travel with Girl Scouts from different states, see and learn new things, and pack your bags full of inspiring, life-changing experiences and memories. Find your trip today!

Where can you go?

Where can you go?  Places like China, Costa Rica, Switzerland, Patagonia, Peru, Scotland, Germany, Mexico, and more!

How far will your Girl Scout experience take you? That’s up to you!

Trefoil TV

Watch Trefoil TV

Watch past episodes of Trefoil TV on our YouTube page or using the links below:

Staff Choice

Girl Scout High Awards & Other Service Ideas 

Girl Scout Traditions 

Health and Wellness 

Fun & Games

STEM

Arts & Travel

Camp Week

Lifeskills

Acts of Kindness & Service

Trefoil TV Kick-Off Week:

The program team at GSWNY is here for you! If you need assistance with Journey, the Girls Guide to Girl Scouting, council-sponsored programs, high award question, etc., please contact the program department team at 1-888-837-6410 and ask for a program manager or email us!

2022 Girl Scouts of Western New York

Girl Advisory Board

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