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Girl Scout Senior Mission Sisterhood Journey in a Day Plans

Does your troop want to earn a Journey in a short amount of time? Here is what my troop did to do the Girl Scout Senior Mission Sisterhood Journey in a Day.

“this was so much fun” -my troop.

Updated August 2022

In my previous blog post , I shared with you the specific Senior Girl Scout Mission Sisterhood resources I used to plan my troop’s Journey in a Day. While it is taking us two days, it really could have been done in one.

Here is a little background on the girls so you can understand why I am so pleased with how it all turned out.

My daughter and one of the girls have been the best of friends since kindergarten. They are very tight, and this young woman is one of the few remaining real friends my child has. Her mother, the troop’s head leader, is one of my dearest friends. These two are original members of the troop.

The other girl joined my troop in fifth grade and attended a different elementary and middle school. I have always liked her since she has such a genuine soul and says how exactly how she feels. No drama or pettiness from her at all-quite the opposite. My daughter and her friend have always gotten along with her, but unless it was Girl Scouts, they did not hang out.

While normally three girls makes drama, with this group, I knew it would not be the case. For example, my daughter told me that she had thought about a particular friendship object that close friend in the troop gave her years ago, but she did not want to make the third girl uncomfortable. That is not only being a sister to every Girl Scout, it was a parent win in my book.

Here is what we did.

Mission: Sisterhood Part One

I picked up both of the girls, who live nearby, since both of their parents were working. We sat in my family room and I talked about the purpose of the Journey. I then asked them what they thought “Sisterhood” meant .

There were different crafts in the leader guide and to be honest, I did not care for some of them and others I tweaked. I decided to have the girls paint river rocks and have them write positive messages on them. These were not going to be left in random places, but to be given to a friend in need when this person needs someone to tell her she cares.

Photo by Hannah Gold

Before the girls arrived I set out the paint and plates with rocks on them so they could get started.

I bought all of my craft supplies at Michael’s. These are the rocks I purchased.

Because the rocks would need more than one coat of paint, I had them start painting them as we chatted. We then talked about the different sisterhoods they each belonged to.

And then, something magical happened.

Much like car conversations when your teenager and you are looking forward, we had a great sideways conversation that covered so many of the talking points in the Journey. With heads bowed down while painting, the three girls really opened up. I interjected as needed to guide the conversation, but letting them talk about the issues they had faced with friends and how it made them feel was natural. No silly cheers or games were needed.  I was able to skip some of the other planned discussions because they were covered during this time.

I am not sure if this would happen in a large group setting, but knowing that our troop has slimmed down to four, and only three were vested in the Journey, created a bond that took root at my kitchen table.

When they were done with painting, they took out their friendship objects and talked about them.

Mission: Sisterhood Part 2

Our sisterhood poster.

I purchased a piece of posterboard and had a pile of magazines that I had not gotten to read. Now they were going to be put to good use!

• Posterboard
• Glue Sticks

So we transitioned from individual projects to a group project.

Photos by Hannah Gold

Here is the finished project. It took about 20 minutes to complete.

Since we started at 10:00, we did not have a snack break because the girls got up later and had just eaten. I wanted to plow through as much as we could before lunch time.

Mission: Sisterhood Part Three

Know thyself.

Now it was time to use the leader’s guide in the Know Thyself section. We did the Social Situations game on page 37 and talked a bit more about what girls valued in a friendship (page 38). The girls discussed their style of interacting and why they felt the way they did.

Mission: Sisterhood Part Four

Lunch and a show.

It was time to get ready for lunch. The guide book talks about making tacos.

My daughter does not like tacos.

Instead, we made homemade pizza. I bought ready-made dough, sauce, and cheese. You can provide other toppings if you wish. It is the same concept as the tacos-put in what you want and how much. It is all different, but together, it is something fantastic!

While the pizza was cooking in the oven, it was time for the girls to watch a show about friendship. I was really stuck on this, as so many of today’s programs that are aimed at teens are way too mature, in my opinion. Others are just plain silly (think Disney Channel). While searching online, I discovered a lost gem… The Facts of Life ! Over the years, the four main characters developed a special sisterhood bond with each other, as well as with the adults who were charged with their care.

I decided that during cooking and eating time, the girls would watch a two part episode from Season 2, when the character Jo is introduced. Jo is an outsider-a scholarship student from the city who has not had the advantages the other girls at Eastland have had. This two parter shows how the girls friendship, particularly the one between Blair and Jo, developed.

I did do a disclaimer with the girls about it being a show from my and their mothers’ time. No technology was available to get them out of trouble (or into it), and the clothing was dated. Otherwise, this show has stood the test of time.

I have Chromecast, so I was able to cast it on my television.

August 2022 Update

This episode is no longer available on YouTube. You may be able to find it streaming elsewhere or get a DVD to watch.

After the show was over, we talked about it. Interestingly, the first few minutes talk about Mrs. Garrett’s weight loss and how that is the first thing the girls noticed and commented on. I shared how the four lead characters were called “The Fats of Life” while the show was on the air due to their weight gain and going through puberty while the show filming. These two things led to discussions about appearance and inner beauty versus outer beauty, two parts of the Journey.

Mission: Sisterhood Part Five

Sisterhood cookies.

Here is another place that I diverted from the guide. The book calls for making different “Sisterhood Snacks”. I decided that since my child did not like any of the options, we would do a cookies in a jar snack.

• Cowboy Cookie Mix in a Jar Recipe
• Dry ingredients for the recipe
• Measuring utensils
• Printed recipe

Wash and dry the jar before using. Be sure to buy a large enough jar…I learned this the hard way. Ours was a bit too small, so I had to put the chocolate chips in a baggie, not in the jar.

Yes, I know the ribbon is not Pinterest pretty and the recipe tag is too large. Being an older, seasoned leader, I did not care. I did not have to “Wow” the other two moms, who are my friends. My energy is needed elsewhere.

Mission Sisterhood: Part Six

Friends and our health.

The leader’s guide calls for the girls to do a healthy activity together. One of them is swimming, and since I have a pool, that was what they did. (I am a Certified First Aider). The girls were together for almost an hour-I could not get them out of the pool! After the first time I tried to get them out and failed, I gave them a task. They needed to come up with a sisterhood issue for the video they were creating. We talked about what they did and did not like from the ones they have viewed on YouTube and they worked together from there.

While I watched from the window, they were bonding and creating their new sisterhood!

After I dragged them out of the pool, I served them snacks as they dried off on the lounge chairs and started creating their project. They actually got some of it done, and if I had planned on this being a few hours longer, it could have been finished in a day. But I had a meeting to go to that night so extending it was not an option. I had planned for additional time the next day for it to be completed.

When it was time to bring the girls home, they all said, “This was so much fun! Who thought a Journey would be fun?”

Certainly, not me.

But keep in mind all the planning I had to do and all the shopping and preparation that was required to get this done. I can tell you that during my busy school year, this would not have happened. It is only thanks to the many other leaders who published their lessons online that I was able to put less time than I would have otherwise needed to accomplish the Girl Scout Senior Mission Sisterhood Journey in a day.

So I am sharing with all of you what we did and hope that it is helpful to you.

My next post is all about how the second and final meeting went and how the girls completed their Take Action Project.

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MISSION: SISTERHOOD! Journey

Submitted by Meredith Locke

Northern & Northeastern CO

Girl Scout Seniors made a video as part of their MISSION: SISTERHOOD! Journey ( https://bit.ly/3gGtfVT ). Through this Journey, the Girl Scouts learned many things as they bonded and explored all sides of sisterhood. Their Take Action project was to ask Brownies and themselves through virtual activities what sisterhood is. Watch the video that is the completion of that project .

“Sisterhood sets girls up with a lifetime of support, friendship, and bonding. Having someone in your corner and being someone other people can turn to is really important to be successful. In this Journey, we learned all about these bonds and how to facilitate them. Sharing this experience with the girls in our troop brought us closer together and helped us get to know our sisters for life.”- Anonymous Girl Scout Senior

We want to hear how your girl is using her Girl Scout skills by taking initiative, caring for the community, and Girl Scouting at home.  She can send in her story here .

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Journey in a Day: Sow What?

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Girl Scout Seniors and Ambassadors need to complete a journey award as a pre-requisite to the Gold Award. If the Girl Scout did not earn the Silver Award, she will need to complete two journeys prior to starting her Gold Award process. We welcome all Senior and Ambassador Girl Scouts to join us for this 1-day workshop in Morrisville, Pennsylvania where they will earn the Sow What? journey award.

What is the Sow What Journey About?

During the Sow What? journey you will learn about food: how and where it’s grown, harvested, processed, distributed, and consumed, and why it matters.

We will be addressing food insecurity, growing your own food , and eating locally as part of this 1-day workshop. Girl Scouts will also have an opportunity to cook with local ingredients. All while working with other Girl Scouts from around our region.

Who can attend this journey in a day event?

This workshop is open to all Girl Scout Seniors and Ambassadors. We request that troops that attend together bring safety-wise adults. If you do not have the adults available who can stay, please make a note on the registration form and someone from GSEP Troop 2888 will get in touch with you.

Please share the flyer and registration information with those in your troop and service unit. Girl Scout Troop 2888 looks forward to having you join us.

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Senior & Ambassador Journey in a Day at STEM Center

Calling all Seniors & Ambassadors that need a Journey for their Higher Awards! We have two special offerings for you: Sow What Do You Know About Environmental Justice and Think Like a Citizen Scientist: Depths of Discovery. Don't forget to complete your adventure and add your favorite outdoor amenity to your day!

Registration for workshops and amenities closes 8 days prior to scheduled date.

Seniors Journey-in-a-Day (Eastern NM)

• Highest Awards,
• College Readiness,
• Life Skills,
• Creative Arts,
• Community Service

In Person - Eastern NM (Location TBD)

Seniors will earn their GIRLtopia and Your Voice, Your World Journeys by learning how to use their own voice in order to advocate for a world they want to live in. All participants will need to complete their Take Action Project after the program. Snacks & badges included.

Journey in a Day! Girltopia

Attention: Cadette, Senior, Ambassadors!

Join us to earn your Journey in a Day! Did you know that for some highest awards, Journeys are a pre-requisite? Come have fun and learn about how we can interact and be changemakers for an ideal world! Girls should bring a sack lunch, the award will be provided! his program is for 

Registration closes on Saturday March 5th. 

Contact Adora Harvey, at [email protected] with questions.

Girl Scouts is for every girl!  Financial Assistance is available for girls and  families who need additional support in order to access council programs.  Please click here to apply.

Girl Scout banned books project censored by Hanover Board of Supervisors: 'It's a sad day'

HANOVER COUNTY, Va. -- A Hanover Girl Scout is speaking out after she says she was censored by the Hanover County Board of Supervisors during the recognition of her senior project.

Girl Scout Kate Lindley created a project for the Girl Scouts "Gold Award."

Considered the "most prestigious award in Girl Scouting," the Gold Award is the highest honor a Girl Scout can receive. Girls can pick an initiative they are passionate about and spend extensive time creating and executing a project about the chosen initiative, according to the National Girl Scout website.

Lindley's project was "Banned Book Nooks" which she created through her "Free to Read Project." She said the nooks give space to restore access to the books that Hanover Schools banned from their libraries in 2023.

“It exposes more community members to these titles hopefully ending their demonization," Lindley said.

The Hanover Board of Supervisors chose to recognize four girls in the Hanover area who received the award at the start of their meeting Wednesday night.

Lindley said she knew a self-submitted summary of her project, was modified by the board.

In early April, Cold Harbor District Supervisor Michael Herzberg and the board voted to amend the proposed summary of the proclamation to exclude any language around banned books.

The news of the omission of the project's details drew dozens out to a Hanover Board of Supervisors meeting to show support for Lindley.

During public comment, some said that it was shameful to not fully honor the hard work of Lindley's project.

Others said the board's amendment of Lindley's summary was disrespectful.

“It’s a sad day when the leaders of our county censor a teenager," said one speaker.

Lindley addressed the board's decision during public comment.

“You bestowed upon me the greatest honor you could. Greater than that of any proclamation in your censorship of my Gold Award project," she said.

Herzberg responded to Lindley and her supporters after public comment closed. He doubled down on his decision to amend the proclamation, saying that board members have the right to make changes.

“If anyone wants to support an author whose message is about pornography to children then people have the right to do that," Herzberg said. "As a board member, I have a right to say no that I don’t support that request and I also have the right to say yes I have the right to approve the substitute request so the Girl Scout could still get recognized for her Gold Award."

In a statement to CBS 6, Herzberg said that most parents in his school district do not support pornography and sexually explicit material in taxpayer-funded libraries.

Herzberg added that de-selected books did not have his support to be part of a board proclamation, but he did support the substitute proclamation presented at the meeting. 

Supervisor Prichard who was not at the meeting where the amendment was made to Lindley’s proclamation, also addressed the concern.

“I do not believe that as we give proclamations in this building it is our job to evaluate projects. That is work the scouts have already done," Prichard said.

You can view Lindley's project at Morr Donuts in Mechanicsville and We Think In Ink in Ashland.

Depend on CBS 6 News and WTVR.com for in-depth coverage of this important local story. Anyone with more information can  email [email protected] to send a tip .

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Ep 135 Conquering Iron Deficiency: Sarah Bland’s Journey To The Girl Scout Gold Award Hearts Of Gold - Reflections from Gold Award Girl Scouts

• Society & Culture

Sarah Bland is a high school senior from Richmond, Virginia, where she lives with her mom, dad, and brother. Sarah runs cross country and track year round, and she has been an active member of her Girl Scout troop for 13 years. In her free time, she loves exploring new restaurants, hiking with friends, baking, and working as a lifeguard. After graduation, she plans to attend university and study health sciences. Several years ago, Sarah experienced iron deficiency, which impacted her performance as an athlete and her health overall. After learning how common it is in female athletes, she decided to dedicate her Girl Scout Gold Project to educating others about iron deficiency in athletes. Her goal was to inform athletes, parents, and coaches about the importance of iron, and how to prevent and treat iron deficiency, so they can be healthy and reach their full potential. https://www.energetichealthyathlete.com/  https://www.wtvr.com/news/local-news/iron-deficiency-jan-18-2024 Key Takeaways from this episode: 1. Iron Deficiency in Athletes: Sarah's Gold Award project focused on spreading awareness about iron deficiency in athletes, particularly female athletes. Up to 35% of female athletes may experience this condition, which is often overlooked by doctors. Sarah's project aimed to educate coaches, parents, and athletes about the signs and importance of getting tested for iron deficiency. 2. Creating Awareness through Infographics and Videos: Sarah utilized tools like Canva to create infographics and Doodly to make videos to explain the key information about iron deficiency. These visual aids helped in effectively communicating the message and educating the audience about the importance of iron levels in the body. 3. Persistence and Passion in Achieving Goals: Sarah's project took over 200 hours to complete, highlighting the time-consuming nature of the Gold Award process. Despite the challenges faced in creating a website, video, and conducting research, Sarah's passion for informing others about iron deficiency kept her motivated. She learned that with dedication and persistence, she could achieve her goals and make a positive impact in her community. Share this show with your friends on Twitter. Click to have an editable already written tweet! https://ctt.ac/33zKe Sign up for our newsletter: https://bit.ly/3rx06pr Join our Facebook Community https://www.facebook.com/sherylmrobinson/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/sherylmrobinson/?hl=en Please subscribe to Hearts of Gold on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/sherylmrobinson or on your favorite podcast app. Support future Hearts of Gold episodes at https://www.patreon.com/heartsofgold Editing by https://www.offthewalter.com/ Walter’s YouTube channel is https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCt0wFZRVaOpUd_nXc_8-4yQ

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Senior Think Like an Engineer Journey

The harmless holder design challenge, find out how engineers solve problems with the design thinking process., activity details.

Set-Up:  Plastic rings are great for carrying cans, but they're a real problem when they become trash on a beach or in the ocean.   When people litter, garbage like the plastic rings become harmful for birds, turtles, fish, and other animals.   When the plastic ends up in the ocean, it breaks down into debris, called microplastics. Microplastics pollute the ocean and are often eaten by sea creatures, who may then be eaten by humans!

For this design challenge, follow the steps of the Design Thinking Process to engineer a prototype for a new and better way to hold a six-pack of soda cans that isn't harmful to animals. A prototype is a quick way to show an idea to others or to try it out. The Design Thinking Process is the steps engineers go through to solve problems. They: identify the problem, brainstorm and plan, build, test, and improve.

Time needed:  60 minutes

Materials needed:

• 1 large piece of cardboard (1 x 2 ft or more)
• 8 paint stirrers or dowels
• Another type of paper, like white or newspaper
•  20 rubber bands
• 1 meter (39 inches) of string
• 6 cans of soda
• Duct or packing tape

Note:  If you’re missing a material or have another idea for something that might be useful, free feel to test them. Trying out different ideas to see what works is something engineers do!

To get started, Then, identify the problem you're trying to solve: engineer a soda holder that isn’t harmful to animals.

Then, spend a few minutes brainstorming the design of your holder. Sketch your ideas on sheets of scratch paper to create a plan that keeps in mind the criteria and constraints.

• Criteria  are things the design needs to accomplish. They’re the goals for a prototype.   The criteria for the challenge is that your holder must: 1) hold six cans, 2) be easy to carry, 3) be safe for animals, and 4) be convenient for people to use.
• Constraints  are   ways the design is limited. For example, there might only be a certain amount of time to build the prototype or a limited amount of materials to make it. The constraint for this challenge is that you can only use your challenge materials, including the cardboard, paint stirrers or dowels, wax paper, other paper, rubber bands, and string. If you also gathered other materials to use, feel free to try them out!

It might help to ask yourself questions like:

• How can you hold six cans together?
• How could you arrange the cans? On their sides? Stack them?
• How can you easily remove the cans?
• How will you carry the holder?
• How are you going to keep the cans from falling out of the holder?

Once you have some ideas, choose one to turn into a prototype.

Then, use your plan and materials to build your holder. As you build, feel free to try lots of different ideas to see what works and doesn't work. Remember, the goal is to practice thinking like an engineer, NOT to make a perfect holder!

When you think you have a finished holder, test it and see how well it works!

Before you start testing, what do you think will happen to your holder? Will it be able to meet the criteria? Take a guess!

Then, find out if you were right! Test your prototype by placing the cans in your holder and walking around the room.

During the test, you may find things that work and others that don’t. So, after testing, make sure to ask yourself: How could you improve the prototype?

Then, improve your holder using what you’ve learned. Once you have a new version, test it again to see if your changes worked!

Want More Challenge? Try This!

• Design a holder that can hold more than six soda cans.  See how many cans you can design it to hold!
• Add another function to your holder . So your holder can hold cans, but what about lunch? What else can you design your holder to do?
• Learn more about the materials that make up your holder.  How could you make it more sustainable? How could it be improved to be better for the environment? What materials could you use?

Once you’ve created a can holder or any type of prototype, you can share it with others. They can help you to think of new ideas and look for ways to make your prototype even better.

And that’s it! You’ve completed a design challenge from the  Senior Think Like an Engineer Journey!  You’ve learned about the Design Thinking Process and used the steps to engineer a prototype of a soda holder that isn’t harmful to animals.

If you had fun with this design challenge, check out the other activities in the Think Like an Engineer Journey. Or, explore more about engineering and computer science with the Robotics badges. 

Adapted from the Design Squad® Global "Harmless Holder" activity. © 2017 WGBH Educational Foundation. Design Squad is a registered trademark of the WGBH Educational Foundation. and Design Squad Global is a trademark of the WGBH Educational Foundation.

Note: Girls, volunteers and families are encouraged to take the time and space they need to adjust to this period of rapid change and uncertainty. When they’re ready, we’re here to support Senior and Ambassador Girl Scouts to safely take action in their communities—whether it’s helping ensure kids are still getting the nourishment and enrichment they need out of school, responding to the possible ramifications of isolation during social distancing, adapting an existing project to positively impact local communities today, or something else entirely!

Troop Leaders:  The instructions for all badge steps are available free of charge in your  Girl Scout Volunteer Toolkit .

Girl Scout Activity Zone activities have been adapted from existing Girl Scout programming.

Explore more activities.

Explore local water issues with this badge activity.

Share stories about the sky, then write your own.

Discover elements of a supernova and make a stardust self-portrait.

Hometown Hero: Kelly Mullooly of Massapequa Park on a mission to teach kids composting

Kelly Mullooly at home with her composting bin in Massapequa Park.  Credit: Newsday/Alejandra Villa Loarca

Massapequa High School senior Kelly Mullooly is on a mission to make composting cool.

Mullooly, 17, recently spearheaded a “Kid Komposting” project in which she educated about 100 third graders at her district’s Birch Lane Elementary School as well as three local Girl Scout troops on what can and cannot be composted and how waste reduction can benefit the environment.

She also showed the elementary schoolers and scouts how to create their own compost bins for use at home by having them bring in an empty container and food scraps such as banana peels and coffee grounds. She provided the composting soil.

“I just want them to see that their actions do matter and they can have good consequences,” said Mullooly, who pursued the project as part of her Gold Award, the highest achievement attainable with the Girl Scouts of the USA. “By making the effort to care about the environment through composting they can really take charge and make a difference.”

Mullooly’s mission to help the environment actually goes back to her own days as a student at Birch Lane. As a fifth grader, she said she participated in a “No Trash Tuesdays” project with her Girl Scout troop, in which they encouraged the use of reusable containers for lunch every Tuesday.

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“I wanted to continue working on projects that had a similar goal of helping the environment,” said Mullooly, a member of Girl Scout Troop 2524.

Prior to her presentations at Birch Lane, Mullooly said she received approval from the school’s principal, Stephen Aspetti, as well as STEAM and Magnet program teacher Kelsey Downey, who was her mentor for the endeavor. STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, art and math. The Magnet program is designed to bring academically gifted students together to promote a higher level of thinking, according to district officials.

“Kelly understands that the earlier we begin to recognize and have a hands-on role in protecting our environment, the more likely we are to adopt these practices into our everyday lives,” Downey said. “She hopes that teaching the third graders about composting now is just a small step toward them becoming passionate about conservation and protecting our environment.”

Michael R. Ebert is an education researcher and has worked for Newsday in various capacities since 2003. He was part of an 11-person team named as 2008 Pulitzer Prize finalists for investigative coverage of the LIRR's platform safety issues.

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