Skip to main content
What Girl Scouts Do | Girl Scouts
Home Home Home
Home Home Home
Search Search
  • SHOP
  • DONATE
  • myGS myGS myGS
  • Events Events Events
  • Espanol Espanol Espanol
  • Forms Forms Forms
  • Search Search
  • Discover Discover

    About Us About Us

    • What's New at GSCI What's New at GSCI
    • What Girl Scouts Do What Girl Scouts Do
    • Explore Girl Scouts Explore Girl Scouts
    • Interested in Girl Scouts Interested in Girl Scouts
    • Community Outreach Programs Community Outreach Programs
    • Troop Spotlight Troop Spotlight

    Activities Activities

    • Event Search Event Search
    • Event Calendar Event Calendar

    Our Council Our Council

    • Contact Us Contact Us
    • Visit Us Visit Us
    • Staff Directory Staff Directory
    • GSCI Property GSCI Property
    • Trefoil Boutiques Trefoil Boutiques
    • Build-A-Bear Workshop® Build-A-Bear Workshop®
    • Communications Hub Communications Hub

    Discover what Girl Scouts is all about, what we do, how it benefits your girl and what they will achieve.

  • Get Involved Get Involved

    Become a Girl Scout Become a Girl Scout

    • Join a Troop Join a Troop
    • Pre-K & Kindergarten Pre-K & Kindergarten
    • Individually Registered Girls IRG
    • Ways to Participate Ways to Participate
    • Family Involvement Family Involvement
    • The Benefits of Girl Scouts The Benefits of Girl Scouts

    Become a Volunteer Become a Volunteer

    • Why Volunteer Why Volunteer
    • Ways to Volunteer Ways to Volunteer
    • Start a Troop Start a Troop

    Find Adventures Find Adventures

    • Program Program
    • Outdoor Adventures Outdoor Adventures
    • Summer Camp Summer Camp
    • Event Calendar Event Calendar
    • Travel Travel

    Learn how to get involved with Girl Scouts: join a troop, go solo, or become a volunteer. Find your the adventure that awaits you.

  • Cookies Cookies

    Product Programs Product Programs

    • Fall Product Program Fall Product Program
    • Cookie Program Cookie Program
    • Available Cookie Flavors Available Cookie Flavors
    • Find Cookies Find Cookies
    • Support Girl Success Support Girl Success

    For Cookie Sellers For Cookie Sellers

    For Cookie Volunteers For Cookie Volunteers

    Find out how to buy Girl Scout Cookies, explore the Girl Scout Cookie variaties, see how girls learn essential life skills, and more.

  • Support Us Support Us

    Donate Donate

    • Ways to Give Ways to Give
    • Planned Giving Planned Giving
    • Our Partners Our Partners

    Fundraising Events Fundraising Events

    • Lead Like A Girl - Decatur Lead Like A Girl - Decatur

    Alums Alums

    • Lifetime Membership Lifetime Membership
    • Community Advocate Community Advocate

    We offer several ways the community may support us to help girls realize their dreams and become tomorrow's leaders.

  • Members Members

    For Girl Scouts For Girl Scouts

    • Badges and Awards Badges and Awards
    • Camp and Outdoors Camp and Outdoors
    • Individually Registered Members IRM
    • What's New Badges & Journeys What's New Badges & Journeys
    • For Parents and Families Parents and Families
    • Renew Your Membership Renew

    For Volunteers For Volunteers

    • Volunteer Resources Volunteer Resources
    • Troop Year Planner Troop Year Planner
    • Volunteer Essentials Volunteer Essentials
    • Forms and Documents Forms and Documents
    • Renew Your Membership Renew
    • Girl Scout Experience Box GS Experience Box
    • Volunteer Awards Volunteer Awards

    Program Program

    • gsEvents gsEcvents
    • Camp and Outdoors Camp and Outdoors
    • Outdoor Adventures Outdoor Adventures
    • Summer Camp Summer Camp
    • Highest Awards Highest Awards
    • Leadership Awards Leadership Awards

    Resources for Girl Scout members. Find volunteer, Girl Scout, and family tools and support. Explore badges, activities, and more.

  • SHOP
  • DONATE
  • myGS myGS myGS
  • Events Events Events
  • Espanol Espanol Espanol
  • Forms Forms Forms
  • Search Search

Council Finder

Use this finder to connect with your local Girl Scout council.

By ZIP Code

By State

By Council

close
You are leaving girlscouts.org for a website opened by an external party. You will be subjected to the privacy and security policies of the website
  1. Discover
  2. What Girl Scouts Do

What Girl Scouts Do

 group of young girl scouts outside cheering

When you're a Girl Scout, you call the shots.

Every Girl Scout has their own curiosity, dreams, and talents—so when they come together to decide which of the thousands of Girl Scout activities to try, the sky’s the limit. Whether visiting an animal shelter, camping, hosting a dance-off, or filming a movie—they’re learning to take risks, trust their gut, and team up with others for good.

Have questions about Girl Scouts? 

Do you have questions about Girl Scouts? Need more information before signing up to be a Girl Scout or Girl Scout volunteer. We have answers! Complete our interest form and we can have a staff member contact you to answer your questions and get you started in Girl Scouting.

 

Forever friendship is a powerful thing. It’s what gives Girl Scouts the confidence to be themselves, unapologetically. It’s what makes them feel safe enough to try new things and cheer each other on in tough times. It’s the support that can get them up on tough mornings, help them raise their hand in class, and even climb to the top of a mountain.

girls hiking girls hikinggirls hiking
Make friends
It's easy to make new friends as a Girl Scout.

From joining a troop to spending a week at summer camp, Girl Scouts have the chance to meet others from their neighborhood, community, and nearby schools. They may even meet local leaders during a service project!

girls hugging smile girls hugging smilegirls hugging smile
Have fun
A space to be yourself.

A squad that will cheer you on. A chance to try new things. That’s what being a Girl Scout is all about. Your Girl Scout community is a place to call your own, test your limits, and have a blast.

girl rock climbing girl rock climbinggirl rock climbing
Find adventure
No adventure is too big for a Girl Scout.

From discovering new museums to camping at a state park all weekend, there are as many ways to discover adventure as there are Girl Scouts. Go with a buddy or your entire troop and try something new.

girl gives back girl gives backgirl gives back
Give back
Make an impact on your community.

Restock the local food pantry. Beautify your school’s playground. Lobby for change at a city council meeting. Making the world a better place is all in a day’s work for a Girl Scout. Take it to the next level when you earn the Girl Scout Bronze, Silver, or Gold Awards—our highest awards—to make a sustainable impact.

girl entrepreneurs girl entrepreneursgirl entrepreneurs
Lead your way
Girl Scouts have endless opportunities to lead.

Anyone can tell others what to do. A true leader can make smart decisions, act fairly and responsibly, and let others on the team shine as they work together. Whether it’s running their cookie business or directing a team of volunteers for a Gold Award project.

Senior girl portrait Senior girl portraitSenior girl portrait
Earn badges & awards
Learn new skills.

Then take those badge skills further with Journey award or a Girl Scout Bronze, Silver, or Gold Award. A Journey award allows Girl Scouts to show they know how to take action and make a difference in their community. A highest award shows they know how to solve a problem, permanently.

Girl Scout Promise and Law Girl Scout Promise and LawGirl Scout Promise and Law
Girl Scout Promise and Law

Girl scout Leadership Experience Girl scout Leadership ExperienceGirl scout Leadership Experience
Girl scout Leadership Experience

New Badges & Programs New Badges & ProgramsNew Badges & Programs
New Badges & Programs

The Family Experience The Family ExperienceThe Family Experience
The Family Experience

Girl Scout Grade Levels
Girl Scout Grade Levels

Peek into each Girl Scout level and discover the exciting opportunities they offer. She will have a ton of fun!

DISCOVER MORE

Grade levels

Each level of Girl Scouts is unique with a wide variety of activities to try. Girl Scouts can begin in kindergarten and join all the way through twelfth grade. As a Girl Scout progresses, every level builds upon the last and allows them to explore their interests in a way that is meaningful—and age-appropriate—to them.

Daisy and Brownie Girl Scout
Become a Girl Scout

Making friends, discovering your strengths, exploring new possibilities—it’s all waiting for you!

JOIN NOW
JOIN
VOLUNTEER
DONATE
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • TikTok
  • Contact Us
  • Visit Us
  • Staff Directory
  • Communications Hub
  • Career Opportunities
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy

© 2016-2027 Girl Scouts of Central Illinois

A 501(c)(3) Organization. All Rights Reserved.

Join

Volunteer

Donate

close