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Volunteer Resources

GSEMA offers a variety of training opportunities to help volunteers feel confident leading girls. These courses and resources will prepare you to be a successful volunteer. A comprehensive list of upcoming trainings is accessible through our Activities page.

Volunteer Toolkit (VTK)
The Volunteer Toolkit (VTK) is a digital K-5 program tool that gives troop leaders program content, troop management tools, and other resources to make running a troop easier than ever. Log in today!

Click on My GS in the upper right corner to get started.

Troop Leader Features

Through the VTK, troop leaders can:

  • Plan the troop’s calendar year.
  • Email parents with one click.
  • View the troop roster, renew girls’ membership, and update their contact information.
  • View Daisy, Brownie, and Junior Journeys and badges to plan for troop meetings.
    • There are three prepopulated year plans in the VTK for Daisy, Brownie, and Junior leaders, with 15 meetings each.
  • Customize meetings by troop year with other badge and Journey options.
  • NEW! Access the VTK as a multilevel troop (troops with a mix of girls in Daisy, Brownie, and Junior levels).
  • Explore individual meeting plans that show a breakdown of every meeting, including a list of the materials needed, and editable time allotments for each activity within a meeting.
  • Record girls’ attendance at meetings and their badge and Journey achievements.
  • Add council or custom troop events to the troop’s calendar.
  • Enter the troop’s finances (depending on the council’s process).
  • Easily locate resources, such as Safety Activity Checkpoints.
  • NEW! Access 18 activities that now include a “Get Outside” option, which provides alternative outdoor options.           
Family Features
  • Parents can now access the VTK to see what their girl’s troop or group is doing (e.g., meeting information and which badges and Journeys she is working on).
  • Parents can also view the troop’s finances (depending on the council’s process).


In-Person and Online Training Opportunities

Troop Pathway Orientation (Required)

This orientation takes new troop volunteers through the process of starting a troop. Learn about membership requirements, meeting locations, troop checking accounts, strategies for involving girls’ families, required paperwork, safety guidelines, start-up costs, uniforms, and the online Volunteer Toolkit. Prerequisite: Girl Scout membership.

Online: To access this training online please log into LEAD Online. If you are a troop volunteer and need login credentials, please email customercare@gsema.org.

In-Person: To attend a live session, search for a Troop Pathway Orientation trainings.

Level-Specific Essentials (Required)

Each Essentials session covers what you need to know to lead a troop at your level, including petals or badges, Journeys, high awards (for older girls), how to promote a girl-led environment, and how to incorporate the Volunteer Toolkit into meeting planning. Prerequisites: Girl Scout membership, Troop Pathway Orientation, and completion of one to two troop meetings. Search Daisy, Brownie or Junior trainings.

MEDIC First Aid and CPR

Blended Model
Qualify as a First Aid-trained volunteer. This course is offered in two parts: an online program and a hands-on skills session with an instructor. The online portion must be completed prior to the in-person session, and both portions must be completed for certification. Certification is valid for two years. Course fee includes take-home resource book, keychain CPR mask, and certification card. Search for a MEDIC training.

Recertification
This course is for those whose First Aid and CPR certifications are about to expire or have expired within 30 days of the listed session. Recertification is valid for two years. Course fee includes take-home resource book, keychain CPR mask, and certification card. Search for a MEDIC training.

Troop Camping Skills

Online Overnight Orientation
This 41-minute on-demand video is required viewing for at least one volunteer accompanying girls on an overnight trip, but all volunteers are encouraged to view it. An overnight trip is one or two nights at non-camp facilities, which includes indoor council-sponsored events, indoor event overnights, indoor troop overnights and indoor service unit overnights. This orientation should be completed at least three to four weeks before the overnight trip. No registration necessary for volunteers who wish to complete Online Overnight Orientation.

Tent
Completion of this overnight course enables participants to take troops camping in tents, cabins or lodges, on council-sponsored Brownie Camping and Junior Camping programs, or on town encampments. Explore ways to ensure a girl-led experience, safety and risk management, packing tips, fire-building, menu planning, and outdoor cooking. Pre-course work required. Search for a Troop Camping Skills: Tent training.

Lodge
Completion of this course enables participants to take troops camping in lodges or cabins, or to attend town lodge encampments and council-sponsored Brownie Camping. A “lodge” is any building with a stove and flush toilets. Explore ways to ensure a girl-led experience, safety and risk management, packing tips, menu planning, and outdoor cooking. Pre-course work required. Search for a Troop Camping Skills: Lodge training.


LEAD Online: 24/7 Training and Enrichment
This fall, GSEMA rolled out our first online learning platform for volunteers—LEAD Online! LEAD stands for learn, engage, achieve, and develop, all of which are essential to the Girl Scout experience. LEAD Online allows for on-demand trainings and learning tools so troop volunteers can access them easily from anywhere, 24/7 online, and on mobile devices. Online trainings include: Online Overnight Orientation, Troop Pathway Orientation, and Cadette Essentials.

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LEAD Online Webinars (formerly Wednesday Webinar)

 

Access previous webinar recordings:
Celebrating Volunteers: Thanking Them All Year
S'more Inspiration 2018
It's Cookie Time! Live from GSEMA!

 

Visit LEAD Online for an archive of webinar recordings.

 

Essential Resources
Search our Forms and Documents page for resources to manage your troop safely including:

  • Annual Girl Permission Form
  • Volunteer Essentials
  • Safety Activity Checkpoints
  • Girl Scout Activity Form
  • Online Volunteer Agreement

Our Girl Scout shops carry a wide variety of program resources including:

  • The Girl’s Guide to Girl Scouting
  • Journey how-to guides and girl books
  • Girl Scout badges and corresponding requirements
  • Uniforms and Girl Scout-branded sportswear