Pathways give girls different ways of participating and allow them to customize their experience for themselves. Here is how Girl Scouts of Northeastern New York explain the Pathways:
"Girls have told us how hard it is to fit Girl Scouting into their schedule once they’re in middle and high school. Even girls who are younger have other activities like dance class, or T-ball that can make scheduling traditional troop meetings difficult.
Girl Scouts of America has introduced different Pathways: Troop, Camp, Events, Series, Travel and Virtual, in which you can join or participate in Girl Scouts. It is your choice and you can choose more than one Pathway. There’s bound to be one Pathway (or many) that will fit your schedule.
"Girls have told us how hard it is to fit Girl Scouting into their schedule once they’re in middle and high school. Even girls who are younger have other activities like dance class, or T-ball that can make scheduling traditional troop meetings difficult.
Girl Scouts of America has introduced different Pathways: Troop, Camp, Events, Series, Travel and Virtual, in which you can join or participate in Girl Scouts. It is your choice and you can choose more than one Pathway. There’s bound to be one Pathway (or many) that will fit your schedule.
- The Virtual Pathway is an online Girl Scout community that provides girls with the opportunity to participate in Girl Scouting without regard to geographic location. Participation is through a Web-based platform developed by GSUSA and includes interactive and high-quality program activities in a safe, secure online environment. This pathway will be delivered by virtual volunteers through two models:
- Group-based model delivers the Girl Scout Leadership Experience (GSLE) via national programming, such as the journey books.
- Issue-based model delivers the GSLE through progressive learning that’s focused on a specific interest or topic.
- The Travel Pathway offers girls leadership opportunities and cross-cultural understanding through local, regional, national, and international travel. Girls prepare, plan, earn money, and participate through group travel, council-sponsored trips, or nationally sponsored destinations. The travel pathway also facilitates appropriate progression; for example, younger girls participate in short, local trips to prepare them for longer, international trips as they progress through grade levels.
- The Series Pathway offerings are a sequence of linked, cumulative program sessions that relate to a specific theme or purpose with the same group of girls participating in all sessions for a short duration. Each girl chooses to participate in the entire series as a complete program package; series offerings may be short term (for example, six days of two-hour daily meetings) or longer term (such as meeting every two weeks for twelve weeks) but always is shorter than an academic year. Note: Series offerings may require a pre-requisite to participate from session to session, because girls build on the skills learned at each session.
- The Event Pathway features events that are stand alone program offerings; examples include a career event for Seniors and Ambassadors, or a leadership conference for teenage Girl Scouts. The primary difference between events and all other pathways is that different girls participate in each event, as opposed to one group of girls coming together regularly. Girls in this Pathway choose events that fit in their schedule and align with their interests.
- The Camp Pathway features day, weekend, and resident experiences that introduce and explore the out-of-doors. A defining characteristic of this pathway is that it is an outdoor, condensed experience.
- Day camp includes girls who are currently attending or have completed kindergarten (or older), and who typically meet for at least three consecutive days for four or more hours. The occasional overnight may be offered.
- Weekend camp includes girls currently attending or have completed kindergarten (and above), and typically lasts for two or three days, with overnights.
- Resident camp includes girls who have completed kindergarten, and typically lasts for three to fourteen days. Campers live at the program site for the duration of the session. Resident camp is typically delivered by seasonal staff during the summer season; this differs from the volunteer-delivered nature of all other pathway offerings.
- Expeditions are GSNENY’s outdoor programs designed for girls who love outdoor adventure and who want to do things all year round where they learn new skills. Expeditions are always offered in a variety of skill levels so that girls can build on their experiences and challenge themselves to reach new levels of adventure.
- The Troop Pathway offers the same group of girls the opportunity to participate in a variety of activities, usually over a span of nine to twelve months. Girls may join at any time during the troop year. Note: A troop that also goes camping or travels as a group is still operating in the troop pathway (not the camp or travel pathways)."
Check with your local Council for how they manage each of the Pathways.