Community Service

Discover how you can give back to make your community—and the world—a better place.

Girl Scouts always step up to do what they can to improve their communities and the world.

All across our country and our world, Girl Scouts are leaping to the aid of others by engaging in wonderful acts of service and kindness. Whether by writing letters to senior citizens, honoring first responders, taking part in a citizen science project, or promoting voting and democracy, now your troop can get involved in these unique Girl Scout activities too.

Girl Scout Tree Promise

Join our mission to protect the planet from climate change. Let's plant five million trees—and protect and honor existing trees.

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Explore projects for you and your troop.

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National Service Project:
Girl Scout Tree Promise

Join in on our newest national service project by planting a tree and making an impact in your local community.

Planting trees is a great way to become a steward of the environment. Trees provide places for animals and birds to live, reduce pollutants, filter water, and combat climate change. Plus—you and your troop can be a part of the Girl Scout Tree Promise, an initiative to plant five million trees in five years.

Girl Scouts can make an enormous global impact by participating in this environmental and conservation initiative.

Here’s how you can take part:

Identify where you will plant a tree(s) and get permission to conduct a tree planting.
- Planting on public or private property; suburban, rural, or urban; one tree or many—it is important to find a space where the tree will thrive under your care.
Determine what type and size of tree is best for your location.
- It is important to plant trees native to the environment that are also climate adaptive. Depending on the location, determine if it is better to plant a seedling, a sapling, or a more mature tree.
Prepare to plant.
- Determine when and how you will get your trees for planting
- Check out suggestions to find a tree near you.
- Choose a date to plant that will set your tree up for success! Spring and fall are often the best times to plant.
- Gather your supplies, including necessary tools and accessible water.
- Develop a maintenance schedule for your trees to make sure they continue to thrive.
Invite your community to join you.
- Invite non-Girl Scout friends to join in on the fun of planting. Ask each member of your troop to invite a friend to be a part of the magic.
- Team up with your local partners, including faith communities, to host a tree planting event. (Check out this video for more info.)
Plant your trees.
Record the trees you plant on the Girl Scout Tree Promise Tree Tracker and get your national Girl Scout Tree Promise patch.

For more detailed information on the Girl Scout Tree Promise, including additional activities, information on tree maintenance and care, and more, check out the Girl Scout Tree Promise Toolkit (PDF). You can also find informative videos to share with your troop.

Resources

Girl Scout Tree Promise Toolkit (PDF)
Instructions for troop leaders (PDF)
Sample Email: Community partner outreach (PDF)
Sample Email: Community partner thank you (PDF)

Presented in partnership with the Elliott Wildlife Values Project and American Forests.

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Girl Scouts Give Back:
Honoring our Everyday Changemakers

Small acts of kindness and gratitude can have an incredible impact on your community! And through this national service project, inspired by the Becoming Me program series, Girl Scouts can pay it forward by recognizing the people in their communities who have supported them in finding their unique paths.

Here’s how you can take part:

Think about the people who support and inspire you. They might be teachers, parents, or any individuals serving your community and supporting others. Talk about why it’s important that we honor people who support us. Use our discussion guide to help you get started,
Once you’ve decided on one person you’d like to honor, decide how you (and your troop) will show your gratitude. You could write a letter to tell the person what their support has meant to you or you could support a cause they champion—check out the discussion guide (PDF) for more ways to give thanks.
Reflect on the experience of recognizing this person. How did it feel for you? How did they react? Were your actions responded to by others in your community? How so?

Once your troop has completed the service project, remember to:

Inspire others to give back. Post a photo of your project on social media using the hashtag #GirlScoutsGiveBack. Be sure to tag @girlscouts too.
Complete a survey so your troop’s impact can be counted in our national service project documentation.
Take part in the Becoming Me program series to earn three badges that help you explore your story and the power of your voice. You can even receive a patch.

Resources

Instructions for troop leaders (PDF)

Tell us about your project

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National Service Project:
Fighting Hunger

More than 50 million adults, kids, and families in the U.S. are experiencing food insecurity, a number that has only increased since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and may include members of our own communities, friends and family, or members of our troops, making this a sensitive and important take action issue for Girl Scouts.

As they think about how to give back this holiday season, Girl Scouts can make a big difference in their communities—and for children around the world—by supporting hunger relief efforts. There are lots of ways for your troop to make an impact, whether you’re meeting safely in person or virtually and even if you aren’t able to give food directly:

(Hint: check out our detailed troop leader instructions (PDF) for helpful tips for each project.)

Support a food drive in your community or organize your own (DOC).
Thank a Food Bank Hero. Write to a Food Bank Hero to show your troop’s appreciation and send encouragement for the hard and vital work they do. Mail your handwritten notes to your local food bank.
Volunteer at a drive-thru food distribution program if there are COVID-safe options with local food banks in your area. (And if your troop is old enough.)

Once your troop has completed this service project, remember to:

Inspire others to give back. Post a photo of your project to your social networks using the hashtag #GirlScoutsGiveBack. Be sure to tag @girlscouts too.
Complete a survey so your troop’s impact can be counted in our national service projects.
To recognize your troop’s participation with a patch, try this Girl Scouts Give Back patch.

Resources

Instructions for Troop Leaders (PDF)

Guidance for Conducting a Food Drive (PDF)

Food Drive Toolkit (DOC)

Tell us about your project

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National Civic Action:
Promote the Vote

Since Girl Scouts’ founding in 1912, our members have created lasting, positive change through advocacy and civic action. And though some girls may be too young to cast a ballot, they can still mobilize their communities to take action like a Girl Scout.

As we mark the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which removed the gender restriction to voting, Girl Scouts is launching a national “Promote the Vote” initiative to engage Girl Scout troops in the democratic process.

Voting is arguably our most important civic duty—but barriers still exist. In many parts of the country, voting laws and protocols make it difficult for many people, especially people of color, to cast their votes in local and federal elections. In other words, there’s work to be done—and girls can play a part!

We all have a role in helping people exercise their right to participate in the democratic process, including in this challenging time of COVID-19.

Here’s how your Girl Scout troop can promote the vote:

Discuss the importance of voting. Lead your girls in a conversation (PDF) about why voting is essential and the power they have to increase access to the vote and to encourage others to vote, even if they are too young to vote themselves. (Hint: your troop could earn one of our new Democracy badges in the process!)
Make a plan and set a goal. With your girls, decide which action(s) you’ll take to encourage people to register to vote and make a plan to vote, and how many people you’ll reach out to. There are so many ways your girls can share key information (PDF) and get the word out! Senior and Ambassador troops can register (or pre-register) to vote and make plans to cast their ballots together!
Share your story on social media. Research shows that if you persuade one person to vote, they’ll likely influence at least one additional friend or family member to vote too! If you use social to educate and inspire others to vote, be sure to tag us using @girlscouts.
Complete a survey so your troop’s impact can be counted in our national service projects.
Encourage your girls’ ongoing civic engagement through working to earn Democracy badges and using GSUSA’s suffrage toolkit.

For more voting information, check out:

Resources

Instructions for troop leaders (PDF).
Instructions to share with girls (PDF).

Tell us about your project

Girl Scouts is a § 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization. We do not take sides in elections or support or oppose any political candidates. Promote the Vote is a nonpolitical and nonpartisan initiative designed to increase civic participation and is not linked to any political party or to individuals on any one side of an issue. We encourage all citizens, regardless of political party, affiliation, or beliefs, to participate in the democratic process.

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National Service Project:
Citizen Science

How can you play a part in solving some of the biggest problems facing our planet? Enter citizen science, where volunteers help scientists collect data for their studies and experiments. Anyone can be a citizen scientist—all you need is curiosity and a willingness to help!

This summer, your troop can contribute to important scientific research by participating in one of our Girl Scouts Give Back citizen science projects. We’ve partnered with SciStarter, an online citizen science community, to help get you going!

Here’s how your troop can make a difference: 

Choose either the Great Sunflower Project (for girls of all ages) or the Globe at Night project (for Cadettes, Seniors, and Ambassadors) to create an account for your troop on SciStarter.
Read the project’s instructions on your SciStarter dashboard and gather the needed tools and materials.
Collect data for the project using the recommended tools and materials, and log the data using your SciStarter dashboard.
Snap a photo of your troop’s work and share on social media using #GirlScoutsGiveBack (be sure to tag @girlscouts). Don’t forget to add your project to be counted as participating in our national service projects.
If you wish to recognize your troop’s participation with a patch, we recommend the Girl Scouts Give Back patch. 

Want to learn more about citizen science? For a limited time only, you can download all activity instructions and the Take Action Guide for the Think Like a Citizen Scientist Journey for free from the Girl Scout Shop! 

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Girl Scouts Give Back:
Letter-Writing Service Project

The idea is simple: girls write letters to people in nursing homes, senior residences, and assisted living facilities, including the dedicated staff and caregivers. This long-distance hug is a way to share your good thoughts with these vulnerable and loved community members.

Here’s how it works:

Ask your girls (and their friends!) to write letters to senior and caretakers using our tips (PDF).
You can mail letters to one of the facilities (PDF) or reach out to a local assisted living center and find out how they would like to receive your troop’s letters. You could collect and deliver them (using no-contact practices), have girls mail them individually, or even deliver them via email. Don’t forget to include a note to tell the staff about the letters you’re sending (DOC).
Take a picture of your letter packet and post it to your social media networks using #GirlScoutsGiveBack (and be sure to tag us @girlscouts).
Don't forget to come back here and log the number of letters to add them to the national campaign! Let’s see how many letters of love and care our Movement can send!
To recognize your troop’s participation with a patch, check out this Girl Scouts Give Back patch.

Resources

Instructions for troop leaders. (PDF)

Tell us about your project

Tell the world about your project.

Share project details, highlight troop activities, and upload pictures to let Girl Scouts around the world see your accomplishments.

Discover how you can give back to make your community—and the world—a better place.

National Service Project: Girl Scout Tree Promise

Here’s how you can take part:

Resources

Girl Scout Tree Promise Toolkit (PDF) Instructions for troop leaders (PDF) Sample Email: Community partner outreach (PDF) Sample Email: Community partner thank you (PDF)

Tell us about your project

Girl Scouts Give Back: Honoring our Everyday Changemakers

Here’s how you can take part:

Resources

Instructions for troop leaders (PDF)

Tell us about your project

National Service Project: Fighting Hunger

Resources

Instructions for Troop Leaders (PDF)

Guidance for Conducting a Food Drive (PDF)

Food Drive Toolkit (DOC)

Tell us about your project

National Civic Action: Promote the Vote

Resources

Instructions for troop leaders (PDF). Instructions to share with girls (PDF).

Tell us about your project

National Service Project: Citizen Science

Girl Scouts Give Back: Letter-Writing Service Project

Resources

Tell us about your project

National Service Project:
Girl Scout Tree Promise

Girl Scout Tree Promise Toolkit (PDF)
Instructions for troop leaders (PDF)
Sample Email: Community partner outreach (PDF)
Sample Email: Community partner thank you (PDF)

Girl Scouts Give Back:
Honoring our Everyday Changemakers

National Service Project:
Fighting Hunger

National Civic Action:
Promote the Vote

Instructions for troop leaders (PDF).
Instructions to share with girls (PDF).

National Service Project:
Citizen Science

Girl Scouts Give Back:
Letter-Writing Service Project