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What is Girl Scouts Forever Green?

Girl Scouts Forever Green is a national initiative which encourages girls to make a positive impact on the environment. Girl Scouts all over the world are coming together to lower carbon footprints, reduce emissions, and make the world a better place! The four focus areas of Girl Scouts Forever Green are:
 

What are the requirements?

• All projects must incorporate the Leadership Keys (Discover, Connect, Take Action)
• All projects must incorporate the Leadership Processes (Girl-Led, Learning By Doing, Cooperative Learning)
• All projects must be registered online to calculate the environmental impact of their project – http://www.girlscouts.org/forevergreen
• Girls and adults must be willing to participate in pre- and post- surveys, which will help the Girl Scout Council and GSUSA determine the effectiveness of Girl Scouts Forever Green

Community Action Project vs. Service Project

Girl Scouts Forever Green Community Action Projects emphasize Leadership Keys and Leadership Processes. Community Action Projects should be girl-led and give Girl Scouts the opportunity to determine an environmental need and plan a project accordingly. Community Action Projects teach girls leadership, problem-solving skills, critical thinking, and self-motivation.

Service Projects, on the other hand, emphasize lending a hand to a project that is already in place. Service Projects are a wonderful way for Girl Scouts to learn about the importance of volunteerism and making the world a better place.

The table below lists some examples of Community Action Projects and Service Projects. The main difference between the two is that Community Action Projects are girl-led.
 

	Community Action Project	Service Project
Air Quality	Girls gather community partners to inspect school air vents for mold and pollutants	Girls distribute fliers for national Smoke Out day
Green Space	Girls discover a vacant lot downtown and lobby the City Commission to earmark it as a community green space	Girls remove animal waste and garbage from local green space
Waste Management	Girls see point-source pollution near their school and initiate a campaign to remove the pollutant from the area	Girls help collect litter during their school’s Earth Day Event
Energy	Girls speak at school board meeting to advocate for the use of motion-detected lights in schools	Girls volunteer with a local Lights-Out campaign

Girl Scout troops are encouraged to participate in both service projects and Girl Scouts Forever Green Community Action Projects throughout the course of the 2009-2010 year.

How do we start?

Troops should first determine a need in the community and plan a Community Action Project. Remember, Girl Scouts Forever Green projects should center around one of the four focus areas: air quality, green space, waste management, or energy. The troop can invite guest speakers or do individual research at home to help discover what type of Community Action Project might have the greatest environmental impact.

Some things to think about are: Where will our project take place? Who do we need to involve in the community so we can have the greatest environmental impact? How will our project continue to have an environmental impact in the future?

Once the troop has planned a project, submit a project proposal online at: http://www.girlscouts.org/forevergreen. Your project plan will be sent to the Council for approval. Once the project has been approved, you can get started! You will be asked to check in monthly to make sure the project is going smoothly.

Who can participate in your troop’s Girl Scouts Forever Green project?

Anyone can be involved in your troop’s project! Remember to use your community resources wisely! Some people who might want to help include: