Girl Scout Travel
In Girl Scouting, travel is about fun, exploration and progressive experiences that allow girls to learn to appreciate other cultures, new places and the outdoors. Girls can plan, earn money, prepare and participate in regional, national and international trips. Financial assistance is available in some cases. For help planning a trip or to learn about more troop opportunities contact Debbie Lechner lechner@cox.net and check out our
Girl Scout Travel Website
Troop Travel
Troops or groups can travel together in a number of trips that become progressively more challenging. Some examples:
Field Trips — discovery trips around the neighborhood, short hikes in local parks, or visits to zoos or museums. These trips get everyone accustomed to walking, staying together, and listening. (Check our Leader’s Share Forum for ideas!)
Basic Trips — go a little farther than Field Trips, or last a little longer. Popular trips include visits to a local hostel for a cultural food experience, a day trip to Los Angeles, or an overnight in a museum. These trips often overlap with camping trips, whether in cabins or tents. (Check our Service Unit Events or Council Program Events for ideas)
Advanced Domestic Trips — last several nights or more, and cover more terrain. A trip to Yosemite, to San Francisco, or a trip to Washington, D.C., are typical examples. (see examples of those kinds of trips in the drop down menu)
International Trips — visits to a World Centre, exploring art in Paris, or participating in a jamboree in Australia are among the many options available to well-traveled troops.
Want to get your troop going? Here are some resources to consult:
Let’s Go! Resource Guide to Trip and Travel Planning is your guide to our council’s requirements for safe, fun, enriching travel experiences. Handy checklists and resources are included.
Troop Tripping Workshop – offered approximately four times per year, this course is required for advanced domestic or international trips. Learn the progressive steps to planning and executing travel with your troop, from local field trips to international adventures. Money earning, paperwork requirements, safety and group management, and girl planning are key topics.
Volunteer Essentials includes a Travel Appendix, as well as general safety about transporting girls.
GSUSA’s Global Travel Toolkits for girls and adults offer timelines and thought-provoking questions to help troops move along the travel pathway.
For guidance, contact your Activity Consultant or Sandy Sultz (619) 610-0814.
About WAGGGS
With ten million Girl Guides and Girl Scouts from 145 countries across the world, the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) is the largest voluntary movement dedicated to girls and young women in the world. Girl Scouts of the USA is a member of WAGGGS.
The four WAGGGS World Centres are residential and training centers where girls and young women develop leadership skills through international programs and friendship. They are:
Our Chalet, Adelboden, Switzerland
Pax Lodge, London, UK
Sangam, Pune, India
Our Cabana, Cuernavaca, Mexico
Destinations
destinations are unique opportunities for individual girls to connect with other Girl Scouts, explore new adventures, or see the world! There are domestic destinations, here in the U.S., as well as international events. Learn more in the destinations listing. All are sponsored by GSUSA and are conducted by Girl Scout councils and other trusted providers.
An option for troop travel are getaways. Like destinations, unique program opportunities are available all over the U.S. Troops or groups travel with their own chaperones but take advantage of local experts.
Contact: Amanda Host Freese, (619) 610-0781
Hostelling
Hostelling International USA has been a Girl Scout partner for many years. Locally, HI offers programs that deliver insight into travel, cultural awareness and environmental stewardship. Popular workshops include Girl Scout Travel 101 (formerly World Travel 101), Cultural Kitchen, and Travel Bug. Contact Hostelling International San Diego for information and availability.
Here are the two power point presentations about hostelling that Teresa O Bannon presented at the Budget Travel 101 Hostelling Workshop on January 25th 2014:
Introduction to hostelling for Girl Scouts
Donate to JLWFF
To honor Girl Scout founder Juliette Low’s love of travel, of experiencing different cultures, and of making new friends, Girl Scouts of the USA created the Juliette Low World Friendship Fund (JLWFF) in 1927. Donations to the Juliette Low World Friendship Fund are used to support girls’ international travel and participation in training and other international events. Donate to Juliette Low World Friendship Fund.