Spotlight on girl-driven in action

At Girl Guides we know that there's no better expert on girls than girls themselves. That's why our new program puts girls in the lead with a girl-driven approach. With Girls First, girls will be in the driver's seat as they shape their Guiding journey. Each girl will choose what she wants to learn and do through a range of programming options that are fun and exciting – and that align with her world.

Through a girl-driven approach, girls are more likely to actively participate, lead, and make decisions in the program and the organization, and have the desire to make a difference in their communities.

Here's what two Guiders have to say about the positive impact of using girl-driven programming:

Girl-driven means focusing on girls incorporating their ideas into the planning…. It allows girl members to discover their passions and needs, and allows them to take the lead in deciding what the unit completes in a year. I can't wait to see them grow with this concept through the new Girls First programming!

I have always seen the goal of GGC and its programming as developing and fostering strong, compassionate female leaders. The only way to do that is to ensure that Guiding's focus fits with the experiences of today's girls. The things that my 7-year-old Brownie daughter deals with on a daily basis at school are much different than what I dealt with when I was 7, and the support and tools that she needs are different.

- Kristin Greenwood, Guider, Girls First Champion, and Girls First Testing Unit

 


Girl-driven means letting girls take the lead. This can be done as Guiders watch the girls and listen and learn to gain an understanding of what makes them happy and what they might find challenging. I believe in finding a girl's comfort zone and nudging her gently beyond it in a place she knows is safe. My Brown Owl did that for me and she changed the way I saw myself and my abilities. So many people do not see that our Sparks and Brownies can, with the right encouragement and a safe place, be leaders themselves.

I think that it's really important for Guiders to learn from our girls. They have so much to say if we just learn how to listen. Girls have always been able to take the lead. They simply need a safe environment to do so – and what better place than Guiding?

- Beth Spencer, Guider, Girls First Champion, and Girls First Testing Unit



2017-18 Guiding Year Coming to a Close.