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Ambassadors-At-Home

Ambassadors (Grades 11-12) at Home

Girl Scout Ambassadors is the sixth level in Girl Scouts and is open to girls in grades 11-12.

Girl Scout Ambassadors are eligible for some awesome opportunities to continue their leadership experience. From implementing a Take Action project to earning for college scholarships, from enhancing her problem-solving abilities to earning the prestigious Girl Scout Gold Award—the highest award available to Girl Scouts. She could even be recognized as one of our National Gold Award Girl Scouts.

We recognize that with coronavirus, everything is changing rapidly. Girl Scouts wants to be here with you during this change so we’re moving quickly as we can to bring content to you that is fun, engaging and helps you relax and reduce your stress.

The activities below have been adapted from existing Girl Scout programming and optimized for use at home during a period of social distancing.

Not a Girl Scout? Not a problem! We're making select Girl Scout program resources available to every girl, parent, and caregiver. It's our way of doing our part during these challenging times, and to do what Girl Scouts always do: make the world a better place. And of course, if you'd like to learn more about joining Girl Scouts, we're here for you!

STEM Activities

Ambassador Cybersecurity Safeguards

Identify data vulnerabilities in their typical day. Then learn how to protect their personal data and digital footprint with healthy online habits.

Adapted from step one of the Ambassador Cybersecurity Safeguards badge.

Purpose: Ambassadors identify data vulnerabilities in their typical day. They learn how to protect their personal data and digital footprint with healthy online habits.

Setup: Everything you do online leaves a trail—a digital footprint. Just like a detective, a savvy hacker can piece together a lot of information about you by following your footprints. If you aren’t very careful with your digital devices, your personal data may be vulnerable to cyberattack.

Time needed: 20 minutes

Materials needed:

  • Pad of sticky notes
  • Highlighter
  • Pen or marker

Activity:

To get started, ask yourself the question: how can I balance living in a digital world with safeguarding my privacy and personal information?

Then, think about all the activities that you do in a typical day, both online and off. How vulnerable do you think you are to cyberattacks, like identity theft or cyberstalkers, when you're doing these day-to-day activities?

Once you have some ideas, gather your sticky notes, highlighter, and pen.

Each sticky note will represent one hour of the day.

Then, list both online and offline activities that you do on a typical day on each sticky note, from morning until bedtime. Once you’ve written on the notes, place them in chronological order on an open wall or on the floor.

Next, use a highlighter to highlight any of your activities that could be a potential personal data vulnerability. In deciding which activities to flag, it may be helpful to ask yourself questions like:

  • When you were at soccer practice, did you post to social media?
  • For your dentist’s appointment, did you have your dentist's address in your synced calendar?
  • After you video chatted with your classmates about your history project, did you disable the webcam?
  • Did you shred the mail before putting the trash out?

Give yourself ten minutes to map out the day's activities by the hour and flag any potential personal data vulnerabilities.

Then, brainstorm how you can better guard your movements throughout the day, both online and off. Write any solutions on the appropriate flagged sticky note.

Then, wrap up the activity by reading the Things to Know below.

THINGS TO KNOW:

Technology has become an essential part of our modern lives. It keeps us connected, offers convenient ways to do tasks, and serves as a vast source of information.

However, the more we use technology, the more vulnerable we become to our personal data being exposed.

A data vulnerability is any weakness that leaves your data open to a cyberattack.

In this activity, you experienced how even everyday activities can expose you to personal data threats.

In real life, there are steps that you can take both online and off to protect your personal data

For example, you can turn off location services on social media; be careful not to post pictures revealing your location, name, school name, or home address; keep virus protection software updated; update your passwords often; keep apps updated; disable your webcam; shred all papers with personal data; and keep your laptop and cellphone secure and password-protected.

Remember: If it's convenient, it's probably not secure. Take the time to safeguard your personal data.

Ambassador Think Like an Engineer

Find out how engineers solve problems with the Design Thinking Process. Then, take on a design challenge to engineer a new piece of mobility equipment that helps other people!

Adapted from meeting three, activity three of the Ambassador Think Like an Engineer Journey.

Set-Up: Mobility equipment is technology that’s designed to help people with mobility impairments move from place to place. It gives users greater independence and control over their day-to-day lives by providing them with freedom of movement. Mobility equipment includes mobility aids like crutches and wheelchairs as well as artificial limbs and prosthetics.

For this design challenge, follow the steps of the Design Thinking Process to engineer a prototype of a new piece of mobility equipment for an amputee. Your equipment will need to help them to move from place to place. A prototype is a quick way to show an idea to others or to try it out.

The Design Thinking Process is the steps engineers go through to solve problems. They: identify the problem, brainstorm and plan, build, test, and improve.

Materials: 

  • 1 large piece of cardboard (2 x 3 ft. or more)
  • 1 roll of string
  • 2 sheets of felt or another medium-thick fabric
  • 5 rubber bands
  • 4 brass fasteners
  • 1 sheet of poster board
  • 5 cardboard tubes
  • Duct or packing tape
  • Scissors
  • Paper
  • Pencil

NOTE: If you’re missing a material or have another idea for something that might be useful, free feel to test them! For example, if you don’t have cardboard tubes, you could roll poster boards or stack sturdy cups. Trying out different ideas to see what works is something engineers do!

Then, identify the problem you're trying to solve: engineer a prototype of a new piece of mobility equipment for an amputee.

After, spend a few minutes brainstorming the design of your device. Sketch your ideas on sheets of scratch paper to create a plan that keeps in mind the criteria and constraints.

  • Criteria are things the design needs to accomplish. They’re the goals for a prototype. The criteria for the challenge is that your prototype must: 1) help the user to move from one side of the room to the other, 2) be comfortable for the user, and 3) be easy and convenient for people to use.
  • Constraints  are  ways the design is limited. For example, there might only be a certain amount of time to build the prototype or a limited amount of materials to make it. The constraint for this challenge is that you can only use your challenge materials, including the cardboard, string, sheets of felt, rubber bands, brass fasteners, poster board, and cardboard tubes.

It might help to ask yourself questions like:

  • What sort of equipment do people use to move from place to place?
  • What features of this equipment work for your user (amputee)? What special equipment already exists? How can you improve them? 
  • What features might your user want or need? 
  • What materials could you use? What parts does your prototype need?
  • What mechanism (if any) will your prototype have?

Once you have some ideas, choose one to turn into a prototype.

Then, use your plan and materials to build your mobility device. As you build, feel free to try lots of different ideas to see what works and doesn't work. Remember, the goal is to practice thinking like an engineer, NOT to make a perfect prototype!

When you think you have a finished prototype, test it and see how well it works!

Before you start testing, what do you think will happen? Will your prototype be able to meet the criteria? Take a guess!

Then, find out if you were right! Test your prototype by trying it out and walking around the room.

During the test, you may find things that work and others that don’t. So, after testing, make sure to ask yourself: How could you improve the prototype?

Then, improve it using what you’ve learned. Once you have a new version, test the new prototype again to see if your changes worked!

Want More Challenge? Try This! Redesign or add features to your equipment that help the user travel on different surface terrains. For example, what could you add to help with sidewalk ice in the winter?

What could you add to help someone living on a farm with lots of soft dirt and grass? What additional features or mechanisms will you need to add for each condition?

Once you’ve created any type of prototype, you can share it with others. They can help you to think of new ideas and look for ways to make your prototype even better. 

And that’s it! You’ve completed a design challenge from the Ambassador Think Like an Engineer Journey! You’ve learned about the Design Thinking Process and used the steps to engineer a prototype of a new mobility device.

If you had fun with this design challenge, check out the other activities in the Think Like an Engineer Journey. Or, explore more about engineering and computer science with the Robotics badges.

Outdoor Activities

Girl Scouts Love the Outdoors Challenge

Summer is the perfect time to get outdoors safely while social distancing! While you’re at it, join the Girl Scouts Love the Outdoors Challenge—complete the designated number of activities and earn yourself a cool new patch. Use #gsoutdoors to share your story and to see how other girls are completing this fun outdoor challenge.

Life Skills Activities

Ambassador College Knowledge

Narrow down your college search and start making a financial plan.
Adapted from step one and three of the Ambassador College Knowledge badge. 

Time needed:  1–2 hours

Materials needed:

  • Computer, tablet, or smartphone with internet access
  • Paper
  • Pencil or pen

Activity:

Explore your options. The first step in applying to college is figuring out where you might like to go. If you have a school—or group of schools—that you’re interested in, you’re already on your way. If not, that’s just fine! You can start by accessing your free account on CollegeLab, a mobile-friendly web app where you can research more than 2,000 colleges and universities, get personalized acceptance predictions at the top 500 colleges, create a balanced college list to share with your family or guidance counselor, and organize and collect your notes. Due to our special partnership, registered Girl Scouts working on the College Knowledge badge are eligible for FREE access!

Talk to your parents or guardians about anything non-negotiable that will guide your search: maybe your future school needs to be close enough that you can live at home, or affiliated with your religion. Choose at least three schools that interest you and meet your family’s needs, and compare them.

CHOICES—DO ONE:

Find your place. The location of a school plays a big part in the experience you’d have there. Do you plan to live at home while you attend your school, or go home on weekends? Do you want to be in a major city, or do crowds stress you out? Do you love warm weather? Look into the places that are home to your chosen schools and compare them. Think about the cost of living, entertainment options, and access to public transportation. Talk about your findings with family and friends or make a plan to see the schools in person to help narrow down your choices, if possible.

OR

Investigate your interests. Yes, you’re going to college to further your education—but you want to have fun, too! Activities and groups will help you get plugged into college life and make new friends. Are you an athlete? Passionate about politics? Do you want to join a sorority? Sing in an a cappella group? Research the activities and groups offered by your chosen schools and compare them. Talk about your findings with family and friends or make a plan to see the schools in person to help narrow down your choices, if possible.

OR

Compare your program. Many people start college without any idea of what subject they’d like to specialize in. (And many change their minds along the way!) That’s totally fine—college is all about self-discovery. But if you’re passionate about a particular subject or career path, you’ll want to make sure your college can guide you to your goals. Research your potential focus of study at your chosen schools, and compare the options. Is the school known for having a solid program in your field? What kinds of classes are offered? Are there student clubs or groups (Computer Science Club, Pre-Law Society)? Talk about your findings with family and friends or make a plan to see the schools in person to help narrow down your choices, if possible.

Activity:

Make a financial plan. Higher education is exciting and beneficial in many ways, but it can also be very expensive. The full “sticker price” of a four-year college or university, whether public or private, is out of reach for many, many families in the United States. The good news is that some schools cost less than others—and there are ways to save money and help pay for tuition and other expenses. Look into the cost of higher education and find out how you might receive financial assistance.

CHOICES—DO ONE:

Research in-state and out-of-state tuition costs. If you’ve just started thinking about the cost of your college education, you may not have compared the expenses between in-state and out-of-state schools. The base tuition cost for state schools is often much higher for out-of-state students. Choose one state school in the state where you are a resident, and one state school in a different state. Compare the base tuition costs of each, and think about how you might be able to save money while attending both out-of-state and in-state schools. Talk about your findings with your family or guidance counselor.

OR

Find out about scholarships. The cost of a college education can look overwhelming at first—but there are many options available for financial assistance, including scholarships. Are you highly ranked in your class? Are you an athlete? Are you the daughter of a veteran? Can you make a prom dress out of duct tape? (Seriously—look it up!) There are special scholarship opportunities available just for Girl Scouts, too. Visit our Scholarships page to see the latest offerings, and be sure to check with your local council as well. There are many other websites where you can search for different types of scholarships, too. Once you’ve researched your options, apply for at least one scholarship. Have a family member, teacher, or guidance counselor look over your application before you submit it.

OR

Compare the costs of public, private, and junior college. People often assume that public schools are cheaper than private schools, but sometimes—depending on the location and financial aid received—they’re similarly priced. Junior college (also called community college) can also be a great way to further your education at a significantly reduced cost. Choose the subject or career path you’re most interested in and compare the cost of pursuing it at a public institution, private institution, and a junior college. Share your findings with your family, a teacher, or a guidance counselor to get their feedback.

Service Project Opportunities

DIY Mask-Making

Take action to keep your community safe and healthy by making face masks and donating them to organizations in need. Get instructions on how to make DIY homemade masks and a list of organizations requesting mask donations here.

Now, with this nationwide mask-making campaign, all girls have the chance to step up to help their friends, neighbors, and frontline workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. And we’ve partnered with Feeding America, a network of local food banks across the U.S., to make it easy for your girls to amplify their efforts.

Registered Girl Scouts can earn the Building Better Communities patch.

Girl Scout Gold Award

Girl Scout Gold Award: Creating Lasting Solutions to Today's Challenges

Girl Scouts are the youth leaders their communities need to create solutions to the new and ever-changing obstacles that arise from this global pandemic.

Gold Award Girl Scouts are the dreamers and the doers who take “make the world a better place” to the next level. To earn the Gold Award, high school Girl Scouts research the root cause of a community issue they are passionate about, then lead a team to tackle it, by planning and implementing a project that has tangible and lasting impact on their communities and beyond.

The Girl Scout Gold Award is the mark of the truly remarkable—proof that not only she can make a difference, but that she already has.

Get inspired to go Gold by visiting our Gold Award webpage.

Note: Girls, volunteers and families are encouraged to take the time and space they need to adjust to this period of rapid change and uncertainty. When they’re ready, we’re here to support Senior and Ambassador Girl Scouts to safely take action in their communities—whether it’s helping ensure kids are still getting the nourishment and enrichment they need out of school, responding to the possible ramifications of isolation during social distancing, adapting an existing project to positively impact local communities today, or something else entirely!

Letter-Writing

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.

Get started with these helpful resources:

Share your story of letter writing with the greater Girl Scouts Movement by posting on social media with #GirlScoutsGiveBack. Don't forget to tag @girlscoutsla (Instagram) and @GSGLA (Facebook) as well as @girlscouts on both platforms.

More Ideas

More ideas:

Giving back to the community is a longstanding Girl Scout tradition, and in current times of crisis that is no different. Here are some great ways to give back while practicing social distancing.

 

  • Build and/or stock some Little Free Pantries
  • Take a trash clean up hike with your family
  • Use sidewalk chalk to spread messages of kindness and hope
  • Go plogging (jogging while picking up trash)
  • Clean out your closet and donate unwanted items
  • Make upcycled pet toys for an animal shelter
  • Make a bee hotel
  • Create care packages for the homeless
  • Create and donate craft kits to a children's hospital
  • Build a Little Free Library
  • Do yardwork for a neighbor in need
  • Plant a tree

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    Just for Fun Boredom Busters!

    Summer Creative Writing Club

    Senior & Ambassador Summer Creative Writing Club, Wednesdays, 3:00 pm-4:00 pm

    Curious about fiction writing or want to get back into it and need some inspiration? Join us for a fun, relaxed summer creative writing club and connect with fellow Girl Scout Seniors and Ambassadors interested in expressing themselves through creative writing. We’ll use some quick writing prompts and games for free writes, and share our stories in a nonacademic, girl-led environment. We will encourage our writing practice and inspire each other with topic discussions and supportive group feedback. Register.