Leader Training Plan

So you want to volunteer? We’re so excited to have you! Here’s what you need to know about getting started and trained in your new Girl Scout role.

Before a new leader starts changing the world, they need to:

• Complete the registration process
•  View the GSUSA welcome video and complete the online knowledge check

If you are unable to find the training that you need in your area on the GSCTX Event Calendar, please use the Training on Demand form to request training.  Once your request is submitted we will work with your Service unit and the Volunteer Facilitators to schedule the requested training.

Girl Scouting 101 is a basic volunteer orientation class that is available as an online course designed to familiarize the new volunteer to Girl Scout program including the mission, the Promise and the Law and the Girl Scout Leadership Experience. Visit this link and enter password: aboutGS101

Volunteer Essentials is a document that offers a comprehensive overview of the Girl Scout program, policies and standards for safety, money handling, events and activities. Volunteer Essentials contains a wealth of information and is commonly referred to as "the national volunteer handbook"; it is best used as an on-going resource. New Volunteers should be familiar with this publication and read the Quick Start Guide prior to attending Jumpstart training. 

Money Manager Training is a one hour course in person or online for anyone planning to be a signer or co-signer on a troop bank account. After the course please submit the Course completion certificate along with the Bank Account Co-Signer Agreement form to your Service Unit Treasurer. Click Here for the Money Manager Self Study Packet.

Chaperone Course is an online mini course that covers safety, roles and responsibilities for adults traveling with the troop. This course is not required but can be used as a tool for Troops and Service units.

Are you ready for some enrichment in a face-to-face learning environment? These trainings will provide you knowledge and skills and will allow you to ask questions of a facilitator who has started a troop before!

Jumpstart is an orientation that gives the new troop volunteer the opportunity to meet with the Service Team volunteers that support the neighborhood/area that she/he is volunteering in. Jumpstart gives practical information about getting your troop started and the resources available to each volunteer. Contact your Service Unit Director or MDE for more information.

Leadership Essentials is a face to face class that teaches leaders how to create a program that is girl led, hands on and cooperative. Leadership Essentials includes discussion of program goals and delves into the Girl Scout core program curriculum including Journeys and the Girls Guide to Girl Scouting. Grade Level training is also included in this class and some classes cover specific grade levels such as Daisy/Brownie while others will cover all grade levels. Please choose the class that best suits your grade level needs. Additional grade level information can be found on the GSUSA website.

CPR/AED and First Aid: A first-aider is an adult volunteer who has taken Girl Scout-approved first-aid and CPR training that includes specific instructions for child CPR. All troop meeting and troop activities must have at least one adult volunteer in attendance that is first-aid/CPR-certified. 

• American Red Cross
• American Safety and Health Institute
• National Safety Council
• American Heart Association

The following health care providers may serve as Girl Scout First-Aiders if they hold current CPR certification: physician, physician's assistant, dentist, nurse practitioner, registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, paramedic, military medic, or emergency medical technician. Note: First Aid/CPR classes completed entirely online do not satisfy Girl Scout requirements for certification and do not offer enough opportunity to practice and receive feedback on technique.

There’s nothing like great adventures! Are you ready to go on your first ever adventure outside your troop meeting place?

Let's GO! 1 - Out and About: This course allows volunteers to lead girls on adventures including field trips, basic day hikes and simple overnights in buildings with their own heat source, electricity and running water.  This 4 hour course is the foundation for the other outdoor courses and the pre-requisite to Let's GO! 2, Let's GO! 3 and Let's GO! the extra mile.

Let's GO! 2 - Fire Food and Fun: This course trains volunteers to build fires cooks a simple one-pot meal and make s'mores.  This 2 hour course is the second step on the path to camping adventures with the girls.

   Ready to take camping to the next level?

Let's GO! 3 - Outdoor Skills: This class trains volunteer to expand their horizons and move out of buildings and into the outdoors.  Participants will learn the basic 8 camping skills, how to include the girls in planning, budgeting, packing for an overnight trip, safety, fire-building, cooking, sanitation, and many other activities. This course lasts 7 hours.

Let's GO! 3 - 1,2,3: This class combines all the Let's GO! courses into one convenient comprehensive overnight training.  The participant will receive the foundation of Let's GO! 1 - Out and About and the skills of Let's GO! 2 and 3 all in one course. When the participant takes this course there is no need to take the other courses individually. This course in an overnight course.

  Taking girls to camp or on an excursion? Let’s take a moment to talk about safety… 

Let's GO! 3 - The Extra Mile: This class prepares the girls and their advisors to explore beyond their local region and plan for trips that are national and even international.  The course provides more information about budgeting for larger trips, how to plan the accommodations and travel and other pertinent information. Let's GO! 1 - Out and About is a pre-requisite for this course.

Let's GO! Recertification: Let's GO! - 1, 2, and 3 require a recertification every three years.  Recertification will NOT require participants to retake the course but instead will be an online update mini-course. The recertification will address any policy, safety or forms and reporting changes that have occurred.