Adult Learning

Our council provides quality courses conducted by trained staff, volunteers, and community subject matter experts. Take advantage of as many courses as you can. The courses you take as an adult volunteer will assist you in providing the best growth experiences for girls, and assist in your professional development. The volunteer application process, including criminal background check and training, must be completed before meeting with girls.

Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains reserves the right to cancel courses if necessary.

To learn more about any of these courses, please contact Customer Care.

Find trainings

Check our calendar to find when a course will be offered. View the listing to regisister.

Troop Leader Basics

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After your membership is made active (including passing your criminal background check and submitting a Troop Leader Position description,) you will have 45 days to complete the New Leader Onboarding Training. This course will walk you through the fundamentals of your new leadership journey! You can access the course by logging in to myGS, clicking My Account, then clicking gsLearn. The course will be listed on your dashboard.

gsLearn

gsLearn is your one stop shop for leader training. Courses uploaded to gsLearn can be completed in your own time and in your own space. Available training includes the Successful Leader Learning Series, product program sales, information about badges, and much more! More trainings will be uploaded throughout the year.

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These courses provide lifesaving skills. For upcoming training, click our Calendar or contact Customer Care.

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This guide is designed to support busy troop volunteers on the go. You can easily find what you need to get started on your Girl Scout journey and search for answers throughout the troop year.

Outdoor Skills

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This workshop is a 1.5 hour, free online training to learn and review basic outdoor skills using GSUSA outdoor resources. Volunteers with OAW training can lead a simple fire, cook a one-pot meal or cook over a fire using sticks (think s’mores!), and sleep for one night in lodges, Adirondacks, or cabins on our GSGWM properties. This training is available any time you are ready to take it.

This is NOT a prerequisite for the other outdoor courses.

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Prerequisite: none

This is an overnight or blended learning training that includes outdoor cooking, camping, orienteering, whittling, firebuilding, and skills needed to camp for multiple nights in developed campgrounds, or to use tents, stoves, or advanced cooking methods with your Girl Scouts. This training is offered by volunteer trainers in local communities, and by the Girl Experience team, mostly in spring and fall. New trainings are posted on our website as soon as they are available.

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Prerequisite: none

This workshop covers backpacking, winter camping, and canoe/boating camping. Girl Experience staff offer this advanced overnight training, which covers safe use of stoves, backcountry trip planning, advanced navigation skills, and advanced shelters skills (tarps, hammocks, snow shelters). AOLS is offered every fall, alternating between backpacking and canoe training, and every other winter as a winter training.

Not sure where to begin with your girls? The GSUSA outdoor progression chart outlines the steps our Girl Scouts take from exploring the outdoors to multi-day backcountry trips.

Facilitating Adult Learning

Would you be interested in being a volunteer adult learning facilitator for your community and surrounding area? Please contact Customer Care to let us know! Please note that we will schedule you 1 – 2 facilitator training sessions on how to offer and run trainings.

Short and Snappies

Short and Snappy trainings are quick (15-20 minute) information segments provided at a community meeting. Any Community Learning Coordinator or interested volunteer can lead a Short and Snappy- try one out today!

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Partnering with Parents

Being a troop leader can be challenging at times, so get the most out of your girls' parents! There are tons of ways to get parents involved with a troop, and the strongest troops balance their support through parenting, communicating, volunteering, learning at home, decision-making, and community collaboration. Learn new ways to communicate effectively with parents and ask for their help when it is needed.

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Starting the Girl Scout Year

With fall approaching, a new Girl Scout year is beginning, and with it you may have a case of "new school year jitters." Whether you're a seasoned volunteer or new to Girl Scouting, learn ice breakers, tips to make your girls feel welcome, and five steps to follow to start the year off right!

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Supporting Positive Behaviors

Sometimes leaders or parents are so enthusiastic about certain activities that the girl’s interests and skill levels may get overlooked. Mistakes are part of learning, so learn how to allow girls to experience “safe” failure, and talk through what worked, what didn’t, and what could be done better next time.

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Girl-Led Progression

Talk through challenging behaviors that you have experienced, and learn why kids behave the way they do, what they’re trying to communicate with their behaviors, and what you can do to help them change their behavior in the future.

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Patch Programs

Patch programs include requirements and activity suggestions for troops, groups, or individual girls. All packets can be mailed, picked up at our Bedford office, or downloaded from the website to bring fun earned activities to your girls year after year.

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World Thinking Day

Each year on February 22, girls participate in activities and projects with global themes to honor our sister Guides and Scouts around the world. Check out this S&S to learn more!

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Customizing Your Journey

The National Leadership Journeys help ensure that all Girl Scouts get the same general themes and lessons, but there are still a lot of ways to customize them to fit your group. This S&S can help you learn how!

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Throw Away Your Troubles

Sometimes group discussions get out of hand. This activity can help you share problems or issues by jazzing up the round-table concept.

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Investitures and Rededications

These ceremonies are usually held at the beginning of each Girl Scout year. They can be combined for a troop, group, or Community that is investing and rededicating girls and adults at the same time.

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Community Service vs. Take Action Projects

Learn and understand the difference between Community Service and a Take Action Project.

Monthly Volunteer Meeting

Volunteer meetings keep you up to date with what’s going on with Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains! Meetings take place on the second Tuesday of each month, except for July when we take a summer break. You can register in advance to attend this meeting. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.