We’re sure by now you have seen the U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on Protecting Youth Mental Health. While we might have our own red flags or alarm bells going off in our head, know that Girl Scouts of Colorado is here to help you and your Girl Scouts have conversations about mental wellness, express their feelings, and learn some tools to build their resiliency. As we go into the season where our Girl Scouts are at home and around us more, let’s use the resources we have available to meet them where they are at.
For Adults:
Subscribe to our new Mental Wellness YouTube channel to be notified when we update it with new video resources!
Conversation Starter: Speak Out About Mental Health Join Girl Scouts of Colorado as we have an important conversation with Debbie Boeldt, deputy director at National Mental Health Innovation Center, University of Colorado Medical Campus talks through the clinical side of mental health and what as caregivers you can do to support the youth in your life.
Conversation Starter: Youth Mental Health during COVID On January 26, 2021 we talked with Dr. Laura Anthony, a child psychologist at Children’s Hospital Colorado in the Pediatric Mental Health Institute and an Associate Professor at the CU Anschutz School of Medicine, about advice on how to recognize the warning signs that indicate your girls may be struggling due to the pressures of COVID-19.
Importance of Mindfulness Learn from Meg Fredrick from the Mindfulness and Positivity Project on the importance of mindfulness.
Mindfulness in Troop Setting Join Meg Fredrick from the Mindfulness and Positivity Project as she discusses practical ways for bringing mindfulness into troop meetings using hands on tools.
Resilient. Ready. Strong. Patch training – available on gsLearn New GSUSA patch program to help you support your Girl Scout as they earn their Resilient.Ready.Strong. patch. Girl Scouts learn about 10 skill areas to help boost resilience. Insider tip: while only Girl Scouts can earn the patch, EVERYONE in your family can benefit from these skills.
For Girl Scouts:
Sisterhood of Support program (Cadette, Senior, and Ambassadors) We finish the Girl Scout Law by stating “be a sister to every Girl Scout,” affirming that we are here to support each other through the good and bad in life – just like a sister would. In this patch program we take the concept of the Girl Scout sisterhood of support and bring it to life for our Girl Scouts. In this patch program we will guide our Girl Scout Cadettes, Seniors, and Ambassadors (grades 6-12) through workshops that give them the skills and knowledge to support their peers in one of the biggest concerns facing youth: mental health.
Leaders: want to access this curriculum for your whole troop? Go ahead and register yourself and we can make sure you get access to the google classroom.
Register today to access the recorded lessons, resources, and to attend the upcoming LIVE sessions.
Mental Health through a Girl Scout lens Start talking about mental health is through activities in our National Program Portfolio. We have compiled activities for each program level that can be found in our badges and Journeys. Don’t worry if your Girl Scout already earned the badge or Journey, the activities are great on their own!
Resilient. Ready. Strong patch Life isn’t always easy, but dealing with tricky emotions doesn’t have to be so hard. Try activities from the Girl Scouts: Resilient. Ready. Strong. program to unlock a patch and strengthen your mental wellness. Nobody can snap their fingers and make the world all sunshine and lollipops, but you can take steps to be ready when things get tough.
Make Kindness the Norm patch In the Kindness Challenge patch, Girl Scouts explore the power of kindness and how both receiving it and sharing it with others can truly change the world, one kind act at a time. Access the leader guide for Daisy, Brownie, Junior and the patch booklet for all program levels under the “Council Patches” section of anytime activities.