All volunteers must take the following courses to learn about the basics of Girl Scouting.

Required (all courses except New Volunteer Orientation are online through gsLearn)

• GSCM New Vounteer Orientation (virtual with a staff member from Membership & Retention: please contact membercare@gscm.org for assistance)

• GSUSA Delivering Inclusive Program 
  

• GSUSA Foundation 1: The Girl Scout Way 

• GSUSA Foundation 2: The Girl Scout Leadership Experience 

• GSUSA Foundation 3: Well-Being and Development 

• GSUSA Girl Scouts in the Outdoors 

Enrichment (all courses below are on line through gsLearn)

• GSUSA Brand Ambassador 101 for Volunteers

• GSUSA Mental Wellness 101 

• GSUSA Utilizing Troop Support at All Levels 

Volunteer Enrichment and Networking Opportunities: We offer enrichment, support, and networking opportunities for our volunteers on a frequent basis. Please visit our Events Calendar to view these opportunities; we endeavor to add more sessions on an ongoing basis, so please check the calendar often.

Troop Leaders must complete the required courses for all volunteers listed above under “Adult Learning Opportunities for All Volunteers—Required", as well as the following required courses. There are also enrichment opportunities specifically to help Troop Leaders learn more about their role.

Required (all required courses below are online through gsLearn)

• GSUSA New Leader Onboarding: What Girl Scouts Do

• GSUSA Your First Time as a Troop Leader

• GSUSA Girl Scout Levels and Your Role as a Troop Leader

• GSUSA Creating Your Inclusive Troop

• GSUSA Foundation 4: Understanding Troop Operations 

• GSUSA Managing My Troops from My Account

• GSUSA New Leader Onboarding: Your First Troop Meeting 

• GSUSA Brand Ambassador 101 for Volunteers  

 Enrichment (all required courses below are online through gsLearn)

• GSUSA Facilitating Virtual Troop Meetings 

• GSUSA Generating Troop Funds

• GSUSA New Leader Onboarding: Family Engagement - The Key to Success 

• GSUSA New Leader Onboarding: The Girl Scout Cookie Program 

• GSUSA Preparing Safe and Encouraging Environments  

• GSUSA Troop Leader Expectations 

• GSUSA Troop Meetings 101

• GSUSA Zoom for Girl Scouts

Required (the required course below is online through gsLearn)

• GSUSA Daisy Grade Level Essentials 

Enrichment (all the courses below are online through gsLearn)

• GSUSA Daisy Cookie Goal Setter  

• GSUSA Daisy Design with Nature 

• GSUSA Daisy Digital Leadership 

• GSUSA Daisy My First Cookie Business 

• GSUSA Daisy Numbers in Nature  

• GSUSA Daisy Shapes in Nature 

• GSUSA Daisy Petal Badge Learning Path 

          GSUSA Honest and Fair Daisy Petal Badge

          GSUSA Friendly and Helpful Daisy Petal Badge

          GSUSA Considerate and Caring Daisy Petal Badge

          GSUSA Courageous and Strong Daisy Petal Badge

          GSUSA Responsible for What I Say and Do Daisy Petal Badge

          GSUSA Respect Myself and Others Daisy Petal Badge 

          GSUSA Respect Authority Daisy Petal Badge 

          GSUSA Use Resources Wisely Daisy Petal Badge 

          GSUSA Make the World a Better Place Daisy Petal Badge 

          GSUSA Be a Sister to Every Girl Scout Daisy Petal Badge  

Required (the required course below is online through gsLearn)

• GSUSA Brownie Grade Level Essentials 

Enrichment (all the courses below are online through gsLearn)

• GSUSA Brownie Cookie Decision Maker  

• GSUSA Brownie Design With Nature 

• GSUSA Brownie Digital Leadership 

• GSUSA Brownie My Cookie Customers 

• GSUSA Brownie Numbers in Nature  

• GSUSA Brownie Shapes in Nature 

Required  (the required course below is online through gsLearn)

• GSUSA Junior Grade Level Essentials 

Enrichment (all the courses below are  online through gsLearn)

• GSUSA Junior Cookie Collaborator  

• GSUSA Junior Design with Nature 

• GSUSA Junior Digital Leadership 

• GSUSA Junior My Cookie Team 

• GSUSA Junior Numbers in Nature  

• GSUSA Junior Shapes in Nature 

Required (the required course below is online through gsLearn)

• GSUSA New Leader Onboarding: What Girl Scouts Do (complete the Cadette Section of this training if you haven’t already)

Enrichment (all the courses below are online through gsLearn)

• GSUSA Cadette Cookie Innovator  

• GSUSA Cadette Cookie Market Researcher 

• GSUSA Cadette Digital Leadership 

• GSUSA Cadette My Cookie Venture 

• GSUSA Earning the Silver Award: Your Guide to the Requirements and Process Learning Path  

Required (the required course below is online through gsLearn)

• GSUSA New Leader Onboarding: What Girl Scouts Do (complete the Senior Section of this training if you haven’t already)

Enrichment (all the courses below are online through gsLearn)

• GSUSA Senior Cookie Boss 

• GSUSA Senior Digital Leadership 

• GSUSA Senior My Cookie Network 

Required (the required course below is online through gsLearn)

• GSUSA New Leader Onboarding: What Girl Scouts Do (complete the Ambassador Section of this training if you haven’t already)

Enrichment (all the courses below are online through gsLearn)

• GSUSA Ambassador Cookie Influencer  

• GSUSA Ambassador Digital Leadership 

• GSUSA Ambassador My Cookie Business Resume

In addition to the all-volunteer required courses, service unit volunteers may take the following enrichment courses. Service Unit Manager Orientation is only required for Service Unit Managers, while the enrichment courses are for all service unit volunteers. 

Required (in-person with your Member Experience Associate)

• Service Unit Manager (SUM) Orientation 

Enrichment (all the courses below are online through gsLearn) 

• GSUSA Service Unit Training - Developing & Growing the SU Team 

• GSUSA Service Unit Training - Effective Meetings 

• GSUSA Service Unit Training - Goal Setting & Planning 

• GSUSA Service Unit Training - Leading Effective Digital Meetings 

On-demand Enrichment Learning Opportunities: We know that many volunteers may already attend volunteer meetings in their service unit for networking, learning, and support opportunities.  However, did you know that our Membership and Retention staff team not only endeavors to attend as many service unit meetings as possible to offer support, they are also available to offer in-person training sessions. 

Membership staff are available to facilitate enrichment learning experiences for service unit volunteers and troop leaders on an on-demand basis. Examples of enrichment topics include, but are not limited to: Troop Management; Girl Scout Travel; Money-Earning; Troop Finance/Management; Parent/Family Engagement; etc. Service Unit Managers may send a request to membercare@gscm.org and a membership staff member will be in touch to discuss the interest and need.

These enrichment courses show volunteers how to use the Volunteer Toolkit. All VTK courses are online through gsLearn.

• GSUSA New Leader Onboarding: Your First Troop Meeting  

• GSUSA Volunteer Toolkit - Caregiver View 

• GSUSA Volunteer Toolkit - Demo/Service Unit Access  

• GSUSA Volunteer Toolkit - Individual Registered Girl (IRG) Caregiver View 

• GSUSA Volunteer Toolkit - Troop Finance View 

• GSUSA Volunteer Toolkit - Troop Leader View

Volunteers such as Troop Cookie Managers and Service Unit Cookie Managers can participate in annual trainings which are held prior to the start of the cookie sale program each year. 

All volunteers can learn some general information about the Girl Scout Cookie Program by taking the gsLearn course titled GSUSA New Leader Onboarding: The Girl Scout Cookie Program. There are also gsLearn courses about the badges Girl Scouts can earn during the cookie sale. 

Cookie Badges (all the courses below are online through gsLearn)

• GSUSA Daisy Cookie Goal Setter  

• GSUSA Daisy My First Cookie Business

• GSUSA Brownie Cookie Decision Maker 

• GSUSA Brownie My Cookie Customers 

• GSUSA Junior Cookie Collaborator  

• GSUSA Junior My Cookie Team

• GSUSA Cadette Cookie Innovator 

• GSUSA Cadette Cookie Market Researcher 

• GSUSA Cadette My Cookie Venture  

• GSUSA Senior Cookie Boss 

• GSUSA Senior My Cookie Network

• GSUSA Ambassador Cookie Influencer 

• GSUSA Ambassador My Cookie Business Resume 

Girl Scouts has a wide variety of badges and patches available for Girl Scouts to earn. Volunteers can learn more about how to implement this part of the Girl Scout program on gsLearn. In addition to the badge courses found under each grade level above, gsLearn also has the following enrichment courses that are available online through gsLearn:

• GSUSA Resilient. Ready. Strong. Patch 

• GSUSA The Mental Wellness Patch Program: Why It Matters and How to Implement It 

• GSUSA World Thinking Day 101: An Overview for Volunteers
• GSUSA Sparking Girl Scout Interest in STEM

Volunteers who are looking to become First-Aiders will need to meet certain qualifications before they can serve in the role. First, all First-Aiders must be registered Girl Scout adult members who have completed a background check. Second, all First-Aiders must submit a certificate from a qualifying CPR and first aid course, or provide proof that they are a qualifying medical professional.

In order to be approved as a First-Aider, please submit your certification(s) using our online First-Aider Registration Form. You can also consult this form to see a list of medical professions that qualify, as well as the list of accepted first aid courses and providers. 

First-Aiders whose certifications have expired will need to renew their certifications, then use the same form to submit their renewed/new course completion certification.  

Any questions about becoming a First-Aider or recertifying should be sent to membercare@gscm.org. 

GSCM is currently seeking first-aid/CPR instructors to be able to schedule in-person courses throughout our council footprint. Please visit our Events Calendar often as our goal is to offer more of these opportunities. If you or someone you know is interested in offering Pediatric and Adult First-aid/CPR courses for volunteers, please reach out to us at membercare@gscm.org  

All volunteers are required to complete the gsLearn course titled GSUSA Girl Scouts in the Outdoors.  

Basic Troop Camping Training (blended learning experience comprised on an online prerequisite, in-person planning session, and overnight camping experience. Online prerequisite training will be assigned to participants to complete prior to the in-person planning session).

Volunteers who are looking to take their Girl Scouts camping will need to take Basic Troop Camping Training. Upon completing this training, volunteers will be able to take their Girl Scouts camping at GSCM or non-GSCM sites with established restrooms or latrines and established sleeping facilities such as cabins, screened-in shelters, platform tents, or yurts. 

Learn more about Basic Troop Camping by searching for sessions on our Events Page.    

Tent Camping Training (in-person; prerequisite-completion of Basic Troop Camping Training)

Tent Camping Training is required when your troop or group will be using tents when camping outdoors at GSCM or non-GSCM sites with established restrooms or 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.  

Learn more about Tent Camping Training by searching for sessions on our Events Page.  

Basic Troop Camping training expires after 10 years. To recertify, you will need to complete a form to demonstrate your knowledge. To request this form, please email membercare@gscm.org. 

If you have been trained by another Girl Scout Council or other youth organization on how to take a group of young people camping, and would like to be considered for exemption from GSCM’s Basic Troop Camping training, please email membercare@gscm.org to request a Basic Troop Camping Exemption Form. You will need to fill out this form with information about the training you have received, and we will review your experience to determine if you qualify for an exemption.

Outdoor Skills Trainings and Certifications

We are currently working to build our outdoor skills instructors corps so that we may offer more outdoor skill trainings for our volunteers. We are seeking qualified instructors interested in teaching courses, as well as adult volunteers who may be interested in becoming trained instructors, for the following:

• Archery

• Canoeing/Kayaking

• Low/High Ropes 

• Rockwall Climbing

• Sling Shot

• Hatchet Throwing

Those who are interested, please reach out to us at membercare@gscm.org