Hey Girl Scout go-getters! Excited about what the next year of Girl Scouting has in store? Me too! I’m Haley, one of the Program Managers with GSNorCal, and I’m your inside source for intel on the best upcoming programs this year. We’ve got it all: robots, stars, archery, camp, and so much more! There are plenty of incredible events planned for this coming year, and the Early Fall Preview is just a sneak peek. Here are my top 10 picks for Fall 2018 (but remember, programs fill up fast, so register today).
Think Like An Engineer Journey Starter
Age Levels: Daisies, Brownies, Juniors
Location: Children’s Creativity Museum, San Francisco
10/6/18: 1:00PM–4:00PM (Brownies and Juniors)
11/3/18 or 11/17/18: 1:00PM–4:00PM (Daisies and Brownies)
Discover how you can use the engineering design process to help solve problems and make the world a better place. Earn the first half of your Think Like an Engineer Journey award by tackling design challenges, building helpful gadgets, and designing a Take Action project to be completed after the workshop.
Girls will complete the first half of the multi-level Think Like an Engineer Journey, and receive a Creativity Museum patch.
Junior Badges at Robot Garden
Age Levels: Juniors
Location: Bothwell Arts Center, Livermore
Get ready for robots! Earn all three progressive robotics badges in one sitting: Programming, Designing, and Showcasing Robots. Supported by robotics enthusiasts, you’ll learn how to “talk” to a robot with algorithms, imagine a useful robot, build and share your prototype design, and see real robots in action.
Price includes 3 robotics badges and lunch.
Space Science Investigator Overnight
Age Levels: Juniors
Location: Chabot Space & Science Center, Oakland
Discover the Sun, Moon, planets, and stars as you earn your Space Science Investigator badge. Your evening will be filled with interactive explorations at Chabot Space & Science Center. Venture through our Solar System and beyond in the planetarium, investigate the night sky using telescopes, gain confidence in your astronomy skills, and have a blast on this stellar overnight experience!
The badge can be added to your purchase; see the website for details.
It’s your Planet—Love It! Journey Overnights at the Oakland Zoo
Age Levels: Brownies, Juniors
Location: Oakland Zoo, Oakland
10/13–10/14/18: 7:00PM–10:00AM (Brownies)
11/10–11/11/18: 7:00PM–10:00AM (Juniors)
We pack all the fun of our Journey and badge workshops into overnights at the Oakland Zoo! See what the Zoo is like at night after all the guests have gone home. You will get to visit the Children’s Zoo at night, meet an animal ambassador up close, and have a tasty snack before bed. After you snuggle down in the comfort of our Education Center at night, enjoy a tasty continental breakfast before heading out into the zoo for a private tour as the animals wake up!
Outdoor Journey Weekend at Bothin
Age Levels: Brownies, Juniors, Adults
Location: Camp Bothin, Fairfax
10/20/18–10/21/18: 10:00AM–12:00PM
Connect with the outdoors, develop your leadership skills, and take a journey into nature with the 2018 Outdoor Journey Weekend for Brownies and Juniors! Brownies will complete the Brownie First Aid, Hiker, and Cabin Camper badges, while Juniors will complete their Animal Habitats, Camper, and Eco-Camper badges. Adults can also receive their Troop Camping Certification training, enabling them to be confident and safe while camping their troops. Camp is calling, and we must go!
This program will complete the Outdoor Journey for Brownies and Juniors except for completing the Take Action projects.
Camp Like a Girl 2018
Age Levels: Cadettes, Seniors, Ambassadors, Adults
Location: Twin Canyon, Lafayette
11/10/18–11/11/18: 4:30PM–2:00PM
Camping and Astronomy come together as older girls build and expand their outdoor cooking, living, and survival skills. Games and contests rooted in Outdoor badges challenge girls to work together as a team of experts. At night, girls learn about the night sky, astronomy, and the expanding universe around them!
Girls complete the Cadette Primitive Camper badge, Steps 1, 2, 4 and 5 of the Cadette Night Owl badge, Steps 1–4 of the Senior Adventure Camper badge, and Steps 1, 2, and 5 of the Senior Sky badge.
Be An Extraordinary Troop
Age Levels: Juniors, Cadettes, Seniors, Ambassadors, Adults
Location: GSNorCal Santa Rosa Office or GSNorCal San Jose Office
11/3/18: 1:00PM–3:30PM (GSNorCal San Jose Office)
11/10/18: 1:00PM–3:30PM (GSNorCal Santa Rosa Office)
Take your troop management skills to the next level! Adults and girls work side by side to learn the “patrol system”—a technique for organizing meetings, structuring leadership, and accomplishing goals. Girls and leaders will be amazed at what you can achieve when you learn and implement positive systems.
Wild Child
Age Levels: Cadettes
Location: Camp Skylark Ranch, Pescadero
10/27/18–10/28/18: 1:30PM–12:00PM
Cadettes get a taste of the wild with a night away at an imaginary primitive island: sleep in a hammock, cook dinner and breakfast outside, and master new outdoor skills. It’s a true wilderness sleepout away from the “real world”. Cadettes will earn their Primitive Camper badge. Registration fee includes the badge.
Art and Archery: Bothin Edition
Age Levels: Cadettes, Seniors, Ambassadors
Location: Camp Bothin, Fairfax
Bring artistry to the archery range and take aim at your own creation! We’ll start with the basics and best practices every archer should know, then head over to the art station to design and create your own personal target. Take your creation home and show off that bullseye!
9/16/18, 10:30AM–1:00PM
9/16/18, 1:30PM–4:00PM
10/28/18, 9:00AM–12:00PM
10/28/18, 12:30PM–3:30PM
Archery Rangers
Age Levels: Brownies, Juniors, Cadettes, Seniors, Ambassadors
Location: Twin Canyon, Lafayette
Ready, aim, fire! Practice your precision and spend a day at the range honing your archery skills at Twin Canyons! Safety will be emphasized, and bullseyes are encouraged!
12/1/18, 10:30AM–12:00PM (Cadettes and Ambassadors)
12/1/18, 1:30PM–3:00PM (Brownies and Juniors)
Whether you’re stoked about stars or can’t wait for camp, register early to make sure you get your pick of Girl Scout adventure. These 10 programs are just a sampling of all our options, so don’t forget to check out the full Early Fall Preview—it’s got tons of exciting activities in every category.
What to do next:
- Put on your go-getter cap and start planning upcoming programs and activities with the Early Fall Preview (and keep an eye out for the full version coming this August!)
- Looking for more fall activity ideas for your troop? Check out our other blog posts full of ideas & inspiration.
Haley Ireland—Haley is a Program Manager at the Girl Scouts of Northern California, specializing in girl power and wordplay. After attending Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington and spending many summers at an all-girl summer camp, Haley knew she wanted to devote her time to getting girls to raise their hands, raise their voices, and raise their spirits!
I have had trouble for the last few weeks reading the Trailhead because of a popup that slides in from the right side of the window asking me to subscribe . I am already subscribed and I can find no way to close this popup so I can read the trailhead! The top of the popup that would have a little X to close it is hidden under the bar at the top. Please let me know if there is a workaround for this problem. I apologize for any spelling or grammatical errors that I cannot see becuase they are under the popup as I type.
Thank you,
Vivian McBride
Troops 30375, 31838, 32512
Hi Vivian – Thank you so much for catching that – we had no idea! We’ve updated how the pop-up appears, so it’s easier to close.
Marissa Vessels
Problem fixed, thank you!
Vivian