Girl Guide Volunteers continue to support girls and provide them a safe place to grow by moving and adapting the delivery of their programs to a remote and flexible model delivering fantastic extra-curricular activity to their local communities of Girl Guides and keeping the girls connected and busy with interesting activities.
“It is so important for our girls to have access to some of their usual activities and to continue to connect with their friends at this time of social distancing and isolation” believes State Commissioner for Girl Guides NSW, ACT & NT Sarah Neill.
Guiding from their own homes, girls are completing challenges and activities given to them by their Leaders. Some Leaders send physical packs while others email instructions and activities to be completed at home or during online or teleconferenced virtual meetings. Girls are sharing photos of their achievements with their Leaders and fellow Guides over private blog spots and other social media.
Some Girl Guide meetings, particularly in older age groups, are being held online where girls continue to lead the program; running games and activities and planning future online meetings. In charge of the program, the girls often have a better grasp of using the technology than their Leaders, and the learnings flow both ways.
Units are holding digital camps where girls check-in with each other and their Leaders, complete activities at home, including cooking marshmallows; and even sleep in a ‘tent’.
"It's really important to continue our Guiding traditions and empower girls to celebrate their accomplishments" said Larissa Shashkof, West Pymble Girl Guides Leader.
Girl Guides is a worldwide movement which provides Leaders the opportunity to connect with others around the world to inspire and support each other with program ideas.
“It’s important in these times when the girls are not at school that they have other interactions in their week and can catch up with their Guiding friends” said Region Manager for Northern Sydney Region Girl Guides Jo Kitchener. “Many Units are even meeting during the holidays as the girls have asked to keep the connections”.