Girl Scouts to Offer Virtual Activities, Summer Camp  

Girl Scouts are Unstoppable!

There’s no doubt things look a lot different than they did before COVID-19, but Girl Scouts of Wisconsin – Badgerland Council has embraced the “new normal” by providing virtual formats of its iconic programming – including summer camp.

Badgerland Council, which comprises the greater Madison area, now offers opportunities for all girls (not only its Girl Scout members) to explore issues they care about, connect with experts on topics that interest them, and take action in their communities. Even its summer camp opportunities will be virtual, a decision Badgerland’s CEO says was difficult to make yet will lead to something new and exciting for its members.

“At Girl Scouts, we build leaders through experiences,” said Marci Henderson. “We encourage girls to learn how to do hard things; how to get back up when she gets knocked down. At Girl Scouts, we transform disappointment into opportunity. And that’s exactly what we are planning for the upcoming months.”

Rather than holding its regular overnight sessions at Camp Ehawee (Mindoro, Wis.) or Camp Brandenburg (Dane, Wis.) girls will have access to an abundance of opportunities to get a taste of camp life with its “Happily Ever Outdoors ‘Sneak Peek’ Camps.” These one-day virtual sessions will have girls completing activities and participating in camp traditions based on the same themes originally scheduled for this summer – Mess Makers, Area 51, Area 51, Sea Goddesses and Be YOUnique to name just a few.

Already, girls can choose from a spectrum of online webinars, Zoom meetings and live Facebook viewing parties almost daily that cover a spectrum of topics (i.e. All About Worms, Movie-Making Workshops, Scavenger Hunts, Knot-Tying, Card-Making). Adults, both volunteers and parents, can join enriching conversations related to Girl Scout activities and staying emotionally well during this stay-at-home period. Early this month, Badgerland released a ‘Stay-At-Home’ patch program, which encourages girls to get outdoors, get creative, learn about new things, and help others. To date, girls have reported completing more than 1,000 activities from the program.

Troop meetings, a more traditional method of Girl Scout gatherings, have gone virtual too. Badgerland provides access to online resources and Zoom accounts for its troops to continue meeting and provide girls more stability and opportunities to socialize with their friends.

“During these uncertain times, it’s more important than ever to meet our members where they are and give girls the opportunity to stay connected to their troop and leaders while having fun, learning and making the world a better place,” Henderson said.

Additionally, Badgerland Girl Scouts are participating in a nationwide Girl Scouts community service project with millions of Girl Scouts participating in a campaign to write letters of appreciation to front-line works fighting COVID-19.

During a time of uncertainty, Girl Scouts is steady and doing what it does best…making a difference in the lives of girls and the community.

To learn more about Girl Scouts and participating in any of the virtual programs available to the community, visit gsbadgerland.org or call 800.236.2710.