Staying Connected_VirtualResources_web_LBBetools_GirlTablet

Girl Scouts at Home: Staying Connected

Public health: Girl Scouts San Diego is committed to the health and safety of girls and volunteers, and is following public health orders for San Diego and Imperial counties.

GSSD COVID-19 Information

New, Effective July 30, 2021: Updated In-Person Activity Guidance. Read the recommendations thoroughly as updates are woven throughout the document. Included is a new chart that lists options for different kinds of activities. Of course, the safest course of action is to remain outdoors or in a virtual setting when possible. Each troop and family should make the decision that’s best for them. Guidance is reviewed weekly and updated within two weeks of significant changes in authorities' directives.

COVID-19 Guidance for Volunteer-led Activities

Meeting in person:
Troop leaders and service unit volunteers must follow the new COVID-19 guidance to decide whether and how to host in-person activities. If/when you decide to host, be sure to share the participation information with families, and collect the included waiver. These requirements are based on the color-coded California Blueprint for a Safer Economy, which ties infection metrics to possible activities. As such, it's subject to change. Be sure to check frequently for updates.

When you can't meet in person:
We can keep the Girl Scout spirit going strong even when your troop can’t actually meet face-to-face. These Return to Troop Guidelines and COVID-19 Attendee Screening information will help you prepare when it's time. Meanwhile, here are some virtual meeting resources.

Hybrid Meeting Tips
Tips and tools for planning a virtual meeting (from GSUSA)
Digital icebreakers and games (from GSUSA)
Supporting your troop virtually (article from GSUSA)
Group management and tips and tricks for troop leaders (videos from GSSD Outreach team)
Tip sheet for making meetings virtual (PDF from GSSD)
Safety Activity Checkpoints for virtual meetings (PDF from GSSD)
Request virtual meeting assistance from GSSD staff

Troop travel:
Troop travel plans disrupted? Visit the Volunteer Essential Troop Finances page for a COVID-19 update.

Local, State, and Federal Resources

For the latest updates and resources from local, state, and federal government agencies and public health authorities, please visit the following websites:

Coping with COVID-19

Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Advice for the Public from the World Health Organization

COVID-19: Managing Stress in this Anxious Time from the Institute for Disaster Mental Health, State University of NY, New Paltz

Feeding San Diego is a local hunger-relief organization on a mission to connect every person facing hunger with nutritious meals through food rescue. Find food distributions and ways you can help.

Help Kids Cope with Disappointment in the Face of COVID-19 from Girl Scouts of the USA

Mental Health and Coping During COVID-19 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Parent/Caregiver Guide to Helping Families Cope with COVID-19 from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network

Parenting in the time of COVID-19 from the World Health Organization

Tips for Social Distancing, Quarantine, and Isolation During an Infectious Disease Outbreak from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Tips for talking to girls about COVID19 from GSUSA's Raising Awesome Girls blog

For mental health emergencies:

Call 911
Call the National Institute of Mental Health’s Disaster Distress Helpline (1-800-985-5990) or text TalkWithUs to 66746.

Resources for Volunteers and Families

For information about how COVID-19 is impacting Girl Scouts, check out the GSSD COVID-19 Information section above.

Your Blueprint for an Amazing Troop Year: Power a fun-filled troop year with this curated selection of badges, Journeys, and activities to help you throughout this troop year.

Daisies	Cadettes
Brownies	Seniors
Juniors	Ambassadors
	Multi-level troops

Meeting Activities and Tools

See the COVID Guidance section above for details about meeting virtually and in person.

Meeting facilitation:
Check out these tried-and-true resources from fellow troop leaders who successfully adapted their meetings for in-person-safe and virtual settings.

Activities with girls:
Check out the Activities for Girls section below for ideas for meeting content. Keep your virtual meetings active with games (Mad Libs, Pictionary, scavenger hunts), spirit themes (crazy hair day, school spirit), and family involvement (take a walk “together,” pointing out plants, interesting architecture, or favorite colors).

Volunteer Toolkit:
Add a badge or Journey to an upcoming meeting in your VTK Year Plan. When parents log in, they can see the activity plan, materials list and relevant pdfs or videos for the badge.

Bridging at a distance:
Troops and individuals families can celebrate this milestone in a variety of ways, even if they can't meet in person.

Meeting tools:
Chat and collaboration

Video conferencing and collaboration
Check out these and other alternative options and discuss with parents and girls the best solution for your troop’s needs. While most of these options have a free version, please note you may be prompted to consider their upgraded versions for a subscription fee. Here's a handy tip sheet we put together to get you started.

Zoom (FAQ; maximum meeting duration of 40 minutes in free version)
Skype (Support; up to 10 participants free)
Webex (Help Center; limited file and content sharing in free version)
GoToMeeting (Support; no free version)
Google Hangouts Chat and Google Hangouts Meet (Support; no free version)

Inspiration and Guidance

7 Ways to Deal When the World Is Just So Overwhelming: As a family, how are you handling all of the anxiety and stress that the kids and adults in your household are feeling right now? Raising Awesome Girls offers easy and helpful ideas to reduce anxiety and stress.

Beyond Virtual Fieldtrips: Distance Learning During Coronavirus School Closures: Millions of families are trying to keep the learning alive at home amid virus-related school closures—even while they attempt to adjust to their own new work-from-home realities. A few teachers offer amazingly practical advice for how everyday families can get through this difficult time.

Campfire Chats: Girl Scouts isn’t just for the kids…The Girl Scout Network’s Campfire Chats bring together powerful Girl Scout alums and supporters at the top of their fields to educate and inspire. These virtual events showcase a wide variety of topics, from cooking to financial literacy and career advice.

Girl Scouts At Home: Find activities for girls along with advice for parents and caregivers plus inspiration for troop leaders. Their virtual events calendar is live! Register for upcoming events or past event to get the recording.

Girl Scouts Give Back and Rise to Today’s Challenges: Giving back to the community is a longstanding Girl Scout tradition, and in current times of crisis that is no different. Whether Girl Scouts are stepping up to provide resources or coming together to support their Girl Scout sisters, these stories are truly inspiring.

Help Girls Take Action Against Racism: Racism didn't end with the Civil Rights movement. Whenever we see injustice, we all have a responsibility to confront it.

Supporting Your Troop When You Can't Meet in Person: Even as we all practice social distancing, Girl Scouts is still a place where girls can feel supported and share honest conversations about what they’re feeling.

Supporting Each Other

Connecting with families:

Get social: Search for the incredible social media groups run by our volunteers and ask to join. Many resources and experiences are being shared by troop leaders, long-time volunteers, and the GSSD Troop Support team.

Activities for Girls

If you're a parent new to leading your girl through her Girl Scout experience, check out GSUSA's new Keep Girl Scouts Going: Activity Guide for Parents and Caregivers, an overview and step-by-step guide through whatever #GirlScoutsAtHome experience she chooses.

If your troop isn't meeting right now, email Customer Care to find a sister troop you can visit virtually. Looking for a troop, or know someone who is? New virtual troops are forming now!

Badgework

Adapting badges and Journeys for virtual meetings: Check out these proven tips for how you and your girls can adapt your badge, journey, or award activities to a virtual setting.

Badge Explorer: Browse and decide which badges you’ll work on virtually together—or independently!

Community partners: Many are offering more online and virtual badge-earning opportunities than ever. Contact the ones that offer programs you're looking for to inquire.

Girl Scouts At Home: Find a wide variety of badgework and activities for every age group, including two full badge activity guides, on this GSUSA resource page.

Happenings pages: Up-to-date listings of Girl Scout activities, including online/virtual badge and Journey opportunities.

IRM resources: Check out the program resources on our IRM page if you're looking for some help completing a Journey from home.

Pinterest STEM board: Find lots of fun STEM ideas for badgework activities.

Community Service

Adopt, foster, or provide food for an animal in need with our community partner, Helen Woodward Animal Center or the San Diego Humane Society.

Check on neighbors, friends, and family. Call, text, and (safely) knock on doors to make sure they are connected and have the support they need with the Community Check-In Checklist from the California Department of Aging. Stay Home. Save Lives. Check In.

Civic Action for Girls is GSUSA's site that girls can use now to take action to right the wrongs they identify in their communities.

Donate blood via American Red Cross of San Diego/Imperial counties (age 16+).

Give thanks to those who support Girl Scouts. We’d like to thank the donors who support Girl Scouts San Diego all year long. If you’d like to create a drawing or email about how Girl Scouts makes a difference in your life, send it to philanthropy@sdgirlscouts.org.

Make cloth face coverings. The CDC has information on cloth face coverings to slow the spread of the virus, including both sewn and no-sew methods.

National service projects: Letter writing campaign. inP include a letter writing campaign, promote the vote, mask making, and citizen science. Find out more about all of these options, including instructions and samples.

Provide food for vulnerable families and seniors during the COVID-19 crisis by volunteering at San Diego Food Bank (age 11+).

Spread kindness and uplifting messages. Make #wordrocks or signs with positive themes and leave them around your neighborhood. Decorate your front door, windows, or yard. Reach out to your local HOA or apartment complex for permission, and get ideas from our community partner, Word Rocks!

Write thank you notes to healthcare providers, first responders, grocery store workers, delivery people, food bank volunteers, or teachers. Remember to check with the intended organization to find out if they accept physical items by mail or if you should scan/email them copies.

Get Outside

Explore your own backyard: enjoy family time, have a picnic, pull some weeds, birdwatch, and get a little dirty.

Girl Scouts Love the Outdoors Challenge: Explore the outdoors from your window, front step, laptop, or a wide-open trail! Take this national challenge by choosing from a list of activities to earn a cool new patch. Find out more on our Ways to Camp page.

Hiking, Exploring, Learning, Fun from County News Center: Great at-home and outdoor resources for kids and families!

Nearby Nature: Find outdoor spaces to explore in your neighborhood.

Pinterest Staying Connected board: Loads of indoor and outdoor idea starters to get your creative juices flowing.

San Diego County Parks closures: Follow guidance on closures, stay with your family, and ensure you can keep a safe physical distance from others.

Virtual Recreation Center: Find tips, tricks, and tales to help you pass the downtime with San Diego County Parks and Recreation.

Indoor Activities

Earn some badges: Check out the badgework section below.

Girl Scouts At Home: Find a wide variety of badgework and activities for every age group including two full badge activity guides. Their virtual events calendar is live! Register for upcoming events or past event to get the recording.

Have a day camp naming brainstorm: We need your help to name our collection of day camp programs! We have Camp Winacka, Camp Whispering Oaks…but what should our day camp program be named?

Implement a new chore schedule: Kids who pitch in on housework learn responsibility, and completing small tasks gives them a sense of accomplishment and inclusion.

Learning, Fun from County News Center: Great at-home and outdoor resources for kids and families!

Pinterest Staying Connected board: Loads of indoor and ourdoor idea starters to get your creative juices flowing.

Sing a Girl Scout song: Sing along to classic Girl Scout songs with the local volunteers in the Girl Scouts San Diego Songbirds.

Visit a virtual museum: Local artists and organizations are live streaming and turning to digital platforms to share their work, but still need our help to weather coronavirus. This site also includes links to online story times, live performances, and art resources for kids.

Virtual Backgrounds

Add a little Girl Scout-flavored spice to your online meetings with these virtual backgrounds. To download the desired image to your computer, click on the backgrounds you want. A full-sized image will open in a new browser window. Right click on the image to download/save image.

Zoom instructions | Google Meet instructions | Microsoft Teams instructions