Adult volunteers help girls grow strong in Girl Scouting. The Girl Scout motto is “Be Prepared” and training will help you guide and support girls in Girl Scouting. Previous Girl Scout experience is not necessary—we provide you with the information and resources needed to make volunteering with us an excellent experience. Girl Scout training is one of the many resources available to you as a volunteer. It helps you meet the growing needs of girls, today and tomorrow.
There are three courses that are considered essential for all Girl Scout leaders. If you are a new leader, you should complete them at your earliest opportunity, and definitely within your first year.
- Orientation into Girl Scouting provided at service unit level (2-hour training)
- Basic Leadership Training provided by the council
- Program Age Level Training provided by the council
Every troop/group needs to have one leader trained in Orientation, Basic Leadership and Program Age Level. These leadership training courses should be completed within three months of assuming active leadership. It is recommended that all leaders that work with girls be trained leaders.
Click below to go to each training information:
SPARK Training October 26 & 27, 2007
CPR/First Aid Information and Certification
Training Formats to Fit Volunteers’ Busy Schedules
Classroom/Group Training
Online and Blended Learning Training
On-Request Classroom Courses
Self-Study
Equivalency Tests, Exemptions, and Challenges
SUMore Trainings
Become a Council Trainer
CPR/First Aid Information and Certification
Maintaining a safe environment for girls to discover, connect, and take action is a priority for Girl Scouting. Most Girl Scout activities require a Girl Scout first aider to be present. Click here for some general information and questions about Girl Scout first aiders.
Training Formats to Fit Volunteers’ Busy Schedules
To accommodate the busy lives and schedules of our adult volunteers, the council staff has created several training options, including classroom, online/blended learning, independent home study, and equivalency tests. Check the Training Categories and Progression Chart to see what trainings you need.
Classroom/Group Training
These courses are offered in a classroom setting with hands-on activities, interaction, and networking with other volunteers. Classroom/group courses are offered at different locations throughout the council jurisdiction and are lead by volunteer council trainers, staff, or community partners.
- Click here to review new registration procedures and view classroom/group training descriptions.
- Click here to register online.
If you have any questions, please contact the council office at 651-227-8835 or girlscouts@girlscoutscv.org. In addition, a description of the various types of trainings is available in the Adult Training Information (PDF document) section of the 2007-2008 Council Guide.
Online and Blended Learning Training
The following classes are available entirely or partially online; the online content is also available on CD-ROM upon request . (Requests for CDs must include the name of the training.)
Note: These Online Trainings will open in a new window on your system. Depending on the software you have installed on the computer you are using, it might be interpreted as pop-ups, and you may need to adjust your settings accordingly.- Basic Leadership (Please allow pop-up windows in your browser)
- Orientation Online Plus+ (Please allow pop-ups in your browser)
- STUDIO 2B Orientation (Please allow pop-up windows in your browser)
On-Request Classroom Courses
Training courses, such as CPR/First Aid classroom sessions, Program Age Level Basic trainings, or enrichment classes, can be scheduled “On-Request” by service units. Requests must be made to the council staff at least one month prior to the training date and must guarantee a minimum number of participants. The following are the current On-Request Workshop Forms:
Self-Study
The Self-Study utilizes the leader handbook and is followed by the completion of the quiz. Basic Leadership and Troop House Training also include a short video. Click here for the Self-Study Training Request form. Click here to download a Program Age Level training Girl Scout Daisy Leader Training, Girl Scout Brownie Leader Training, Girl Scout Junior Leader Training, STUDIO 2B Self-Study.
Equivalency Tests, Exemptions, and Challenges
Adult volunteers who have prior troop/group leadership experience and/or prior outdoor/camping experience may take an equivalency test to pass out of Basic Leadership, one program age level course, Basic Outdoor Skills, or Intermediate Outdoors Skills. Click here for more information about Equivalency Tests, Exemptions, and Challenges.
SUMore Trainings
These short training outlines can be accessed as needed online in PDF format. Service Unit Managers can bring these outlines to Service Unit Meetings and offer enrichment sessions 15-30 minutes in length. Any volunteer will be able to facilitate these sessions. Click here to access the SUMore Trainings.
Become a Council Trainer
The training team is looking for a few good volunteers who want to improve and develop their professional presentation skills and/or those who want to have fun while helping volunteers learn. We provide a top-notch 12-hour Train the Trainer course, which utilizes the most recent findings in adult learning theory. If you plan to do any sort of training in your career, you will benefit from taking this course and volunteering as a council trainer. Trainers who would like to teach CPR/First Aid will need to have appropriate American Red Cross certification.
Train the Trainer participants must:
- complete the 12-hour Train the Trainer course;
- mentor for one year with an experienced trainer;
- audit and apprentice in Basic Outdoor or Program Age Levels
- agree to conduct at least two sessions per year (for a minimum of two years) of Basic Leadership, Program Age Level, Outdoor Skills, CPR/First Aid, or other specialized training.
As a council trainer, you may conduct training sessions in your own area or travel throughout the council’s jurisdiction. To register, check the current training event listings. If there is not a current Train the Trainer scheduled, please call the council office for more information.
