Camp & Outdoors | Volunteer Essentials | Girl Scouts of Southern Alabama

Taking Girl Scouts outdoors creates deep connections to place.

They develop interest, confidence, competence and advocacy. Outdoor experiences prepare girls for adventure, inspire environmental stewardship and instill natural curiosity that activates risk-taking in our young leaders.

Outdoor Progression allows Girl Scouts to learn the skills they need to become competent in the outdoors, including how to plan and organize outdoor activities. Acknowledge a girl's mastery of an outdoor skill and invite her to challenge herself further by taking that next step up and out! Outdoor fun can be endless when girls lead!

Learn how to begin sharing the outdoors with your troop with our Girl Scouts in the Outdoors course in gsLearn as well as Safety Activity Checkpoints to assist in planning your adventures.

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Learn how to begin sharing the outdoors with your troop with on-demand courses in gsLearn.

GSUSA Getting Girls Outdoors introduces volunteers to what they can do to begin sharing the outdoors with their troop.
Basic Overnights helps volunteers prepare to take girls through the “Sleep Out” stage in outdoor progression and is required before taking girls on their first overnight and campout. Download the Basic Overnights Training Packet (coming soon) for this course.

First Aid/CPR Certification

Visit the Event List for available First Aid/CPR certification sessions.
You can also take advantage of First Aid/CPR certification courses offered by the American Red Cross, National Safety Council, EMP America, or the American Heart Association.

GSSA Outdoor Essentials is a progressive patch program designed to guide each age-level, from Daisies to Adults, to develop increasingly more advanced skills and proficiency in the outdoors. The program is intended to supplement and enhance the existing Girl Scout program of badgework, Journeys and programs at camp. All will build skills in leadership and a passion for lifelong learning. Check out our Outdoor Essentials Resources Manual with tons of tips and tricks!

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Thanks to a grant from the Elliott Wildlife Values Project, GSUSA has created nine new outdoor skill-building videos especially for volunteers newer to Girl Scouts and older Girl Scouts as they take younger girls outside: