Can you explain why Journeys must be completed before earning the
Girl Scout Bronze Award?
By completing Journeys, girls
get to experience the level of commitment needed to earn the highest
awards available to Girl Scouts. They’ll gain valuable skills, and be
better prepared to develop, plan, and implement the Take Action
project needed to earn their Bronze, Silver or Gold Award.
How do you define a
"completed" Journey?
When a Girl Scout
develops and carries out her Take Action project, she earns her
Journey awards and her Journey is considered complete.
How are the guidelines for the Bronze Awards different from those
for the Journeys?
Take Action projects related to
Journeys give girls predetermined themes for their projects. But Take
Action projects for Girl Scouting’s highest awards have no predesigned
theme; girls choose their own.
How many hours of involvement are needed to earn the
award?
Each project is unique, so the time necessary to
take the project from planning to sharing to completion varies. The
nature of the project, size of the team, and degree of community
support will all effect the amount of time needed to complete a given
project. The focus should be on delivering a high-quality project
rather than the number of hours necessary to achieve it.
- However, after Journey requirements are met, the suggested minimum number of work hours is 20.
Are troops allowed to work together toward a Bronze Award?
For the Bronze Award, girls must work together in a team
setting. There is no maximum team size, however, the scope of the
project should be taken into consideration. A big project should have
a big team and a smaller project a smaller team. If you have a large
troop, consider splitting into smaller teams to work on several
projects. If you have a small troop or are an individually registered
girl (Juliette) consider teaming with another small troop or other Juliettes.
Are girls allowed to begin working toward their awards over the
summer?
Yes. Girls can start working toward their awards
after they bridge, or transition, to the next Girl Scout level.
Can Girl Scouting itself be the subject of a Bronze Award?
Girls may focus on the Girl Scout Movement when planning Take
Action projects for the Girl Scout Bronze Award.
Can a girl earn her award if she moves after beginning her Take
Action project?
We encourage councils and Overseas
Committees to be flexible and to take girls’ best interests into
account. Whenever possible, a girl should continue to work with her
council or Overseas Committee to complete her project.
Can volunteers, council staff, and parents use the adult guides?
Any participating
adult working directly with girls toward achieving their awards is
encouraged to use the adult guides.
Are there different requirements for girls with disabilities?
No. The requirements are the same for every Girl Scout. Because
work toward Girl Scout Bronze Award is to be done to the best of a
girl’s ability, there is no need to have special requirements for
girls with disabilities. Simply encourage flexibility and engage
advisors that will work with the girl individually.
Does the Bronze Award Project need to be a sustainable project?
Sustainability is encouraged but not mandatory for Girl Scout
Juniors working toward their Bronze Awards.
Can you explain what you mean by “sustainable project”?
A sustainable project is one that lasts after the girl’s
participation ends. By concentrating on education and raising
awareness, girls can make sure a project takes on a life of its own.
Projects that involve hands-on learning sessions and workshops, as
well as those that include collaboration with community groups, civic
associations, nonprofit agencies, local government, and/or religious
organizations are the most likely to continue being relevant beyond a
girl’s involvement.
Do you have any recommendations to
help ensure girls initiate high-quality award projects?
You can help ensure a girl is doing her best to create a
high-quality Take Action project by helping her and her project
advisor understand the difference between a one-time community service
opportunity and a sustainable Girl Scout Bronze Award Take Action
project. The troop/group volunteer or council staff member should work
with the girl to make sure that her project meets the quality
requirements of the award.
How is project impact measured?
Referring to the matrix
provided in the award guidelines, girls can use “success indicators”
to help identify project goals in relation to their communities,
target audiences, and themselves.
