In 2012, Girl Scouts will celebrate its 100th Anniversary in the United States. To mark this milestone and honor our founder, Juliette Gordon Low, Girl Scouts of all ages will be engaging in a nationwide, annual, signature Community Action Project called “Girl Scouts Forever Green.” River Valleys was selected as a pilot council for this exciting national initiative.

Using their leadership skills, girls will plan and implement a Take Action project in one of five environmental focus areas (air, waste management, water, energy, green space).  The projects can be completed anytime between January 25 – April 30, 2010.  Girls who successfully complete the requirements will be eligible to purchase a Forever Green patch through any Council Shop.

 

Forever Green projects are based on the Girl Scout Leadership Experience. At each program grade level, the Forever Green action project gives girls opportunities to Discover more about themselves and the world around them by learning more about environmental issues. Girls Connect by reaching out to members of their community to find out what can be done to improve the environment. Finally girls Take Action by planning and implementing a girl-led action project that results in a long lasting change within their community.

 

All Girl Scout troops, individual Girl Scouts, friends and families can get involved today and be Forever Green!

 

 

Key Dates:

• Girls can complete Forever Green projects anytime between January 25 and April 30. 
• River Valleys will be holding a “cap drive” at all five Service Centers April 19-23.  For more information about this project option, refer to the Caps Off With Girl Scouts flier located under the waste management focus area.
• June 14, 2010 is the final day to enter final project data into the Forever Green website and purchase a patch through Council Shops.

Patch Requirements:
Step #1: Register on the Girl Scouts Forever Green website: http://www.girlscouts.org/forevergreen/ and follow the instructions for tracking your project.

 

Step #2: Plan and implement a girl-led Take Action project in one of the five environmental focus areas.  Be sure to review and follow any applicable standards and checkpoints in Safety-Wise.  Note that some of the Forever Green project options will also fulfill Take Action projects in the Leadership Journeys.  

• Air Quality:  Create no-idling zones, replace toxic art supplies and cleansers, plant trees and add indoor plants.
• Energy Conservation: Turn off lights, unplug electronics when not in use, change to compact fluorescent light bulbs.
• Green Space: Create or improve green space in your school/community.
• Waste Management: Compost, recycle, implement waste-free lunches, eliminate junk mail. Caps Off With Girl Scouts project
• Water Conservation: Install rain barrels, monitor local water bodies, install low flow faucets and toilets.

Step #3: Share the impact your project had with Girl Scouts across the country by entering your final project data (for example, how many trees planted or how many caps collected) in the Forever Green website: http://www.girlscouts.org/forevergreen/.

 

Step#4: Purchase your Forever Green Patch through any Council Shop anytime after April 14. Troop leaders/volunteers are responsible for determining when girls have met the patch requirements.

 

In order to measure the girl impact of participating in the Forever Green project, we strongly encourage troops to complete the national Girl Scout outcomes survey www.GirlScoutsVoices.org. However, the survey is not a requirement to earn the patch.

 

Other information can be found in the Forever Green Q & A.

 

Check out some of these council sponsored Outdoor Awareness events.  They will give you the tools needed to keep our plant GREEN!

 

Now that you have completed the Forever Green Community Action Project and you want to learn more about reduce, reuse and recycle, try the Go Green Girl! Tool Kit and Program Patch. This useful tool kit was made possible through a Community POWER Grant and was funded by the Solid Waste Management Coordinating Board. This tool kit and program patch can be used to learn how to reduce waste, improve recycling and reduce toxicity to make this world a better place. This tool kit is geared to 4-12 grade. A tool kit and program patch for K-3 will be available in the Fall 2010.