Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) is launching three outdoor initiatives to keep girls entertained and engaged in virtual and in-person environmental activities starting this summer.
Offerings include virtual summer camps, free online experiences tied to the outdoors and virtual events for girls across the country to have access to a variety of fun, challenging and experiential activities so they can continue to develop skills and behaviors that will help them become more well-rounded in life.
The organization said that when girls spend time outdoors and increase their exposure to nature, they thrive physically, emotionally and mentally. According to a 2019 Girl Scouts Research Institute (GSRI) study titled “Girl Scouts Soar in the Outdoors,” 86 percent of girls agree they learned more about nature through Girl Scouts, and 80 percent stated that they participated in outdoor activities through Girl Scouts that they never would have done otherwise.
With the launch of the Girl Scout Camp Adventures at Home Marketplace, members and nonmembers can sign up for any of the hundreds of virtual summer camp sessions taking place nationwide. For the first time, girls can meet and participate together in virtual camp sessions offered by any of its 111 councils across the country. They can find a camp based on their interests and grade level on the Marketplace site. Camp sessions include more familiar Girl Scout camp experiences as well as some newer offerings that range from skill building in wildlife education to activities in environmental stewardship, astronomy, STEM, imagination exploration, and the culinary arts.
“Girl Scouts created one of the largest platforms for virtual summer camp opportunities in the country,” shared GSUSA CEO Sylvia Acevedo. “For more than a century, Girl Scouts has been a place where girls come together to learn, lead, get outdoors with their friends, and take action in their communities. This summer, we are proud to continue offering high-quality programming that provides girls opportunities to explore the natural world around them, engage in environmental stewardship, and enjoy the fun and friendship of Girl Scouts in innovative new ways that meet the needs of families during this unprecedented time.”
Parents can also visit the Girl Scout Shop to gear up for Camp Adventures at Home and browse STEM kits, craft supplies, camping gear, sports equipment, and more that go hand in hand with virtual activities. New camp sessions from across the country will also be added to the Marketplace calendar every week from June until mid-August.
“Girl Scout Camp Adventures at Home includes a blend of live engagements with counselors, as well as plenty of activities to complete away from the screen, independently, or with a caregiver,” shared GSUSA’s Director of the National Outdoor Strategy Amanda Daly. “The same goes for programming available on Girl Scouts at Home, including activities that are part of the Girl Scouts Love the Outdoors Challenge—we want to make sure equal opportunities and resources are available to girls from different neighborhoods all across the country, and varying experience levels in the outdoors, both plugged and unplugged.”
Girl Scouts Virtual Outdoor Events will also be rolling out three national virtual events in June, July and August on the Camp Adventures at Home Marketplace platform over the course of the summer for girls to sign up and participate in. The events will focus on topics surrounding ‘Engaging Responsibility in the Outdoors’ in collaboration with The North Face, ‘Space Exploration: Mars to the Stars’ in collaboration with subject matter experts from our NASA-funded ‘Reaching for the Stars: NASA Science for Girl Scouts’ program, and a virtual campout at the Girl Scout Birthplace.
To learn more, go here.
Photo courtesy GSUSA
