
National Service Projects
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.
Join our mission to protect the planet from climate change. Let's plant five million trees—and protect and honor existing trees.
GET STARTEDJoin 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.
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.
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.
Once your troop has completed the service project, remember to:
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.)
Once your troop has completed this service project, remember to:
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:
For more voting information, check out:
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!
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.
Valentine’s Day is the perfect opportunity for you and your troop to reach out and show others that you care—especially those who may be alone on a day that’s all about connection!
For our second year, Girl Scouts of the USA is teaming up with Wish of a Lifetime from AARP, an organization dedicated to celebrating older adults’ stories and forging intergenerational connections, for their Cupid Crew 2022 campaign, a volunteer-driven effort to safely create heartfelt cards for older adults who are socially isolated. Building on last year’s momentum, Wish of a Lifetime hopes to send nearly a quarter million cards through the Cupid Crew campaign.
Your troop can help spread joy to thousands of older adults across the country by writing Valentine’s Day cards as part of the Cupid Crew Cards for Valentine’s Day National Service Project.
1. Discuss the Cupid Crew national service project with your troop.
2. Create your valentines.
3. Decide where to send your troop’s cards.
4. Make a plan to send or deliver your Cupid Crew cards.
If you choose to deliver your cards, please do so by Monday, February 14.
For a COVID-safe drop-off, we we ask you to focus on the following:
If you choose to mail your cards, please send them by Thursday, February 3, to ensure that they arrive in time.
If your troop decides that each girl will mail their card(s), provide the council office as the return address and make sure they also include a note to let staff know that these are Valentine’s Day cards sent from Girl Scouts and Cupid Crew. To ensure your cards arrive in time, send them by Thursday, February 3, and be sure to let the community know to expect the package.
*Include a note (PDF) to the facility staff to let them know you’re sending cards as part of your Girl Scout troop’s participation in the Cupid Crew national service project.
5. Remember to wrap up by celebrating and sharing.
Wish of a Lifetime from AARP grants wishes to people 65 and older in recognition of their special accomplishments, contributions, and sacrifices. As one of AARP’s charitable affiliates, Wish of a Lifetime helps people achieve long-held goals while also combating the negative effects of isolation and strengthening social ties and intergenerational connections. Connecting wish recipients with the people and passions that are important to them is central to the organization’s work. To learn more, visit www.wishofalifetime.org or follow @wishofalifetime on social media.
Thanks to Sodexo Seniors for their continued support of Girl Scout national service projects.
Share project details, highlight troop activities, and upload pictures to let Girl Scouts around the world see your accomplishments.
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