FREE Democracy Badges

FREE Civic Democracy Badges

Available for registered GSCSNJ Girl Scouts

March - September, 2021

Be prepared to lead the change in your town, state, and country! Start with the Civics badges and gain an in-depth understanding of how local, state, and federal government works. Get ready to be a voter, an activist, or a political leader. Research laws and understand how they’re created. Explore how the electoral college works. Learn about the representation of women in government, and so much more.

How it works:

Leaders/parents access badge requirements.

Girls complete the badge requirements as a troop or independently. *one free badge per GSCSNJ Girl Scout

Leaders/parents claim her FREE Civics Badge.

Girls participate in council programs to enhance their civic engagement and democracy experience.

Accessing Badge Requirements

For Volunteers

The Volunteer Toolkit is a digital planning tool currently available to troop leaders, co-leaders, council-selected administrative volunteers, and primary caregivers of Girl Scouts with active 2021 memberships.

Those with the volunteer roles listed above can access the Volunteer Toolkit by:

Logging into their MyGS account
Once logged in, go to My Account at the top of the screen.
Select Volunteer Toolkit on the left navigation toolbar.

From here, Troop Leaders can search and add the appropriate Civic Engagement badge curriculum to their Troop's Year Plan. This will break down the badge requirements into troop meetings. Troops can feel free to spread the badge earning across multiple meetings or review the materials to condense the amount of time it would take.

Parents/Guardians

Some troops may opt to not participate in the FREE Civic Badge promotion, but that doesn't mean your Girl Scout can't work on the badge herself! Parents will be able to request PDF badge requirements that will help them walk through each step of the badge with their Girl Scout.

By registering through the appropriate eBiz link below, parents will be sent a unique retail code to download the Badge Requirements from the Girl Scout Shop for free.

Access your girl's badge requirements:

Request Her Free Badge

What we recommend:

While volunteers or guardians can complete the form to claim a girl's free badge, we recommend guardians submit the form for their girl. This will ensure no duplicate submissions and allow guardians to submit what address their girl's badge should be sent to.

The badge request form needs to be completed for each girl individually.

CLAIM HER FREE BADGE

Civic Engagement Programs

Did you know that civics isn't only about law and government?

It also includes things like money management, the importance of education, and evaluating the value of the organizations you interact with. Enhance your Girl Scout's understanding of civic engagment through council-run programs designed to supplement the skills she gianed through earning her Civic Engagement badge.

Girl Scout Experience & the College Search

Thursday, April 1 | Grades 9-10 | $10 per girl

Learn how your Girl Scout experience can make you a stronger candidate for college and inform your college search. We’ll discuss what colleges are looking for and how to develop your qualifications, as well as how to identify schools that will be a great fit. We’ll also discuss the timeline of the application process, guidance on standardized testing, and an overview of the financial aid system.

REGISTER YOUR GIRL

Checking & Savings Accounts: Now What Do I Do?

Tuesday, April 6 | Grades 6-12 | $20 per girl

This interactive class will teach Girl Scouts how to use a checking account. We'll walk step by step through account balancing and how to reconcile with bank statements. We'll also look at savings accounts, using your ATM card, and the importance of saving and giving.

REGISTER YOUR GIRL

Through the Lens of Leadership

Thursday, April 22 | Grades 9-12 | $15 per girl

Learn about Alice Paul's life and the leadership skills she exemplified in her 7-decade quest for true and lasting equality. This program includes a presentation followed by discussion and activities, in which girls:

Learn about Alice Paul's significant contribution to U.S. history as a suffragist and equal rights activities.
Explore concepts of leadreship, communication and integrity.
Understand and discuss issues of inequality that continue to exist
And more!

REGISTER YOUR GIRL

Suffragist Playbook

Thursday, April 29 | Grades 9-12 | $22 per girl

The women’s suffrage movement was decades in the making and came with many harsh setbacks. But it resulted in a permanent victory: women’s right to vote. How did the suffragists do it? One hundred years later, an eye-opening look at their playbook shows that some of their strategies seem oddly familiar. Women’s marches at inauguration time? Check. Publicity stunts, optics, and influencers? They practically invented them. Petitions, lobbying, speeches, raising money, and writing articles? All of that, too.

REGISTER YOUR GIRL

FAQs

Can Anyone Claim a Free Badge?

All registered GSCSNJ Girl Scouts can claim a free Civic Badge.

One (1) free badge per registered GSCSNJ Girl Scout.
Girls can only claim the badge that corresponds to their current Girl Scout level (i.e. a Senior Girl Scout cannot request an Ambassador badge).

When Will I Receive My Girl's Badge?

Badges will be mailed out 4-6 weeks after the form submission. Badges will be sent directly to the mailing address provided on the submission form.