Girl Scout Leadership Experience

Girl Scouts has always been a leadership-driven organization for girls, adults and volunteers alike. That rich history is reflected in the Girl Scout Leadership Experience (GSLE).

The Girl Scout Leadership Experience encompasses everything we know and love about Girl Scouts – troops, camp, events patches, cookies, etc. – and enhances these elements with critical leadership processes and outcomes.

In this illustration of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience (above), Girl Scouts' activities and the way they do them (processes) result in outcomes that empower girls to become leaders.

Outcomes

Girl Scouts has identified 15 specific outcomes, organized around three themes, that girls achieve through Girl Scouting: Discover: Girls understand themselves, their values, and their world Connect: Girls care about, inspire, and team with others Take Action: Girls act to make the world a better place

The Girl Scout Leadership Experience is designed to make sure every Girl Scout achieves the same outcomes, regardless of how she participates.

Processes

The outcomes are what girls gain from the Girl Scout Leadership Experience . . . and processes are how they gain those outcomes. These processes – the heart of Girl Scouting – are:

• Girl-led: Girls play an active part in determining the what, where, when, how, and why of their activities.
• Learning by doing: Rather than listening to someone tell them what to do or how to do it, girls get in there and do it themselves. They explore their own questions, gain new skills, share ideas and take time to reflect.
• Cooperative learning: Girls work together toward shared goals in an atmosphere of respect and collaboration.

Frequently asked questions about the Girl Scout Leadership Experience