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Training

GSCM offers a range of courses to help prepare and train you in your role as a Girl Scout Volunteer.  Our goal is to provide girls with the best possible program in a safe environment and to provide adult volunteers with the training necessary to ensure excellent programming for our girls and their safety and protection.  To do that, we require Girl Scout Leaders and Advisors to complete training within six months of their appointment.  When you begin as a volunteer, your Service Unit Manager or Membership and Community Development Specialist will host a welcome session to give you information specific to your geographical area.

Training on Your Schedule

We want to ensure that our volunteers have access to learning opportunities in a variety of settings, and that cover a variety of topics. From the basics of Girl Scouting to camping training, we want to help our volunteers be prepared for every situation.

Check out gsLearn for independent online learning courses. All volunteers with a MyGS account have access to gsLearn, which include GSUSA Foundations, courses about badge offerings, courses about meeting virtually, and more! Additionally, GSCM provides a Home Study option for our Girl Scout Daisy, Brownie, Junior and Teen courses. Introduction to Girl Scout Leadership is also a self-study you can complete on your own time.

Click on the dropdown menus to learn more about each training course. If you have any questions about any of our adult learning opportunities, please email membercare@gscm.org.

You can track your training with this Adult Development Training Card.

 

Available trainings

gsLearn - GSUSA Foundations

Overview: The GSUSA Foundations is an introduction to Girl Scouting for our volunteers. The series consists of three modules: The Girl Scout Way, The Girl Scout Leadership Experience, and Well-Being and Development. All volunteers have access to gsLearn. Simply sign in to your MyGS account, then click "gsLearn" in the left-hand menu. Please note that the first time you log in, it may take up to 30 minutes for the courses to appear on your gsLearn home 

Fee: there is no fee for these courses.
Format: online learning.

Introduction to Girl Scout Leadership

Overview: This self-study course is required for volunteers in leadership roles – Leaders and Co-Leaders.  Information covered will include GSCM Policies, Banking information, Safety information, and Basic Troop Information. The course also includes an exercise on meeting planning. 

You will need the Journey Books (adult and girl) that you will be using with your troop.

Fee: there is no fee for this course.
Format: self-study

Here are the materials you will need to complete this self-study:

Introduction to Girl Scout Leadership Presentation
Volunteer Essentials
Safety Activity Checkpoints

Girl Scout Daisy Level Training

Pre Requisite: Girl Scouting 101 and the introduction to Girl Scout Leadership.

Overview: Come and learn the Daisy program and gather tools and tips for working with our youngest Girl Scouts.  Learn to work with the program materials, plan meetings, and utilize resources.  Become familiar with troop government so that Daisies can learn to make choices and develop team spirit.  Find out how to involve other adults in the Daisy program.

Bring: The adult guide and girl books for the Journey you will be working with your troop, the Girls Guide to Girl Scouting for Daisies, and pen/pencil and paper.

Fee: there is no fee for this course.
Format: In person and online Home Study.  

  Daisy Homestudy BookletDaisy Coursework Packet

 

Girl Scout Brownie Level Training

Pre Requisite: Girl Scouting 101 and the introduction to Girl Scout Leadership.

Overview: Discover the fun of the Brownie program, using the Journeys, Badges, and other resources. Gain an understanding of what makes a Brownie tick and how to form an effective Girl-Adult Partnership.

Bring: The Adult guide and girl handbook for the Journey you will be using with your troop, the Girl Guide to Girl Scouting for Brownies, pen/pencil and paper.

Fee: there is no fee for this course.
Format: In person and online Home Study.

Girl Scout Junior Level Training

Pre Requisite: Girl Scouting 101 and the introduction to Girl Scout Leadership.

Overview: Learn how to work with the Girl Scout Juniors and how to involve girls in the planning process (Girl-Adult Partnership) so that the troop really belongs to the girls. Discover innovative and interesting ideas for this age level including Journeys, Badges, and the Bronze Award.

Bring: The Adult guide and girl handbook for the Journey you will be using with your troop, the Girl Guide to Girl Scouting for Juniors, pen/pencil and paper.

Fee: there is no fee for this course.
Format: In person and online Home Study. 

Girl Scout Teen Level Training

Pre Requisite: Girl Scouting 101 and the introduction to Girl Scout Leadership.

Overview: Teen Girl Scouts Advisor training is for adults who are new to Girl Scout Cadettes, Seniors, or Ambassadors.  The course is designed to explore the transition from leader to advisor and the program resources available to girls in these grade levels.

Bring: The appropriate Journey Facilitators Guide and girl handbook and the Girls Guide to Girl Scouting for your grade level.

Fee: there is no fee for this course.
Format: In person.

First Aid/CPR/AED

Overview: This accelerated course provides information and practice in dealing with breathing and cardiac emergencies in adults, children, and infants, identifying and caring for bleeding, sudden illnesses, injuries and preventing disease transmission. 

CPR/AED and First Aid Certifications are good for 2 years.  Be sure to arrive on time and wear comfortable clothing. You may wish to bring something to kneel on if desired. Bring your lunch if the course runs over lunchtime. This is an adult training, no children, please.  This course is 4 hours long.

Fee: There is a fee for this course, please check the listing for more information.

Note: It is recommended that an adult volunteer not serve as both the troop/group First Aider and the Troop Camper on the same trip.

You may have individuals in your troop who are already First Aid/CPR trained or are a nurse, physician, paramedic, physician’s assistant or emergency medical personnel who have had advanced training beyond standard first aid and community CPR.  If so, they may serve as your First Aider by completing the First Aider registration form and provide their certification or licensing.

If you plan to be in an area where EMS access is more than 30 minutes, you will need to have someone certified in Wilderness First Aid. This course is available through the Red Cross and is also part of our partnership.

Outdoor 101 – Introduction to the Out of Doors

Pre Requisite: Girl Scouting 101

Overview: This is an introductory course for troops wanting to explore the out of doors.  The adult learning course is a self-study packet that focuses on age appropriate activities, outdoor progression, reservation procedures, and safety hazards in the out of doors.

Fee: there is no fee for this course.
Format: In person.

Basic Troop Camping

Pre Requisite: Girl Scouting 101 and Outdoor 101.

Overview: This adult training is required when planning to troop/group camp with girls at GSCM or non-GSCM sites with established restrooms and sleeping facilities such as cabins, screened in shelters and platform tent/yurts.

This course includes a pre-session online component, a 2 hour pre-planning session and an overnight camp out about a week later that runs from 8:30am the first day to about 11am the next day.  All sessions from the same course must be attended.  Participants, in patrols, will plan and shop for meals, learn and practice outdoor skills, outdoor program activities, safety factors, and the how-to’s of facilitating the Girl Scout Leadership Experience through outdoor education. 

Fee: The fee for this course will be determined in your first planning session to cover the cost of the meals.

Note: This training will begin promptly.  If you arrive late, admission to the class will be at the discretion of the trainer.  This is an adult training, no children please. 

Format: In person.  

Basic Troop Camping

Basic Troop Camping: Online Pre-session (PDF)
Basic Troop Camping: Online Pre-session (PowerPoint)

Basic Troop Camping Test

Free PowerPoint Viewer

Free Adobe Reader

Occasionally participants have had trouble viewing the videos in the power point.  If you have a problem, you can view the video inserts via these links:

Four Cooking Methods

How to make a Charcoal Chimney

How to make a Box Oven

Cooking in a Box Oven

Starting a Charcoal Chimney

Square Knot

Clove Hitch

Bowline

Tautline

Larks Head (this is close)

This diagram is closer to how it’s used at camp.

Tent Camping

Pre Requisite: Girl Scouting 101, Outdoor 101 and Basic Troop Camping.

Overview: This adult training is required when your troop/group will be using tents when camping in the out of doors at GSCM or non-GSCM sites with established restrooms/latrines and fire circles.  When your troop has progressed to camping in tents, this course will provide the information needed to plan for the camping trip, pitch a tent, set up a tent site, and how to strike and store a tent.

Please bring: A bag lunch and, if possible, a tent you will be using for your camp trip.

Fee: There is no fee for the course.

Note: This training will begin promptly.  If you arrive late, admission to the class will be at the discretion of the trainer.  This is an adult training, no children please. 

Format: In person.  

Camp Training Exemption and Recertification

Camp Training – Exemption

In order to take girls on a basic troop camping experience with indoor facilities or established platform tents/yurts at Girl Scouts of Central Maryland, a troop must have a camp qualified adult.  Although we offer this training through GSCM, we understand that some volunteers may have taken training elsewhere so we offer an exemption from our Basic Troop Camp Training.  To qualify for this exemption adults must have completed a troop camp training course with another Girl Scout Council or a similar course with another youth serving organization.  To take girls on a tent camping experience you must participate in GSCM’s Advanced Camping course.  The Camp Exemption form can be found here.

Camp Training – Recertification

Beginning October 1, 2013, volunteers who completed Basic Troop Camping course or a previous variation need to re-certify every 10 years.

Fee: There is no fee for recertification.
Format: Online Home Study

Note: You must have completed GSCM’s Basic Troop Camping, or its equivalent before registering for recertification.

Adult Enrichment Workshops & Webinars
Cookie Program Training

Volunteer Guide to Smart Cookies

Parent and Girl Guide to Smart Cookies

More information about volunteer training for the Girl Scout Cookie program can be found on our Cookie+ pages. The contact person for all Cookie Program trainings is Terry Mercer.