This summer, I had the privilege of partnering with the Girl Scouts of Silver Sage. As a first-time participant in this program, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect, but my experience quickly became both meaningful and impactful. My host, Kristen, was incredibly supportive, providing me with the background knowledge I needed and helping me understand my objectives for the summer.

Goals & Intended Outcomes:
As a veteran teacher, my main goal was to align the Girl Scout badge programs and school outreach initiatives with educational standards and classroom needs. I was tasked with developing engaging curriculum materials that could be used in school settings, as well as creating flyers and promotional materials to help recruit new members and inform families about local Girl Scout opportunities. The intended outcome was to provide troop leaders with accessible, classroom-friendly content that promotes leadership, creativity, and confidence in young girls, while also increasing school-based participation in Girl Scout programs.

Accomplishments at the Host Site:
During my time with the Girl Scouts of Silver Sage, I was proud to contribute to several key projects. I developed curriculum for the Junior-level Bronze Award badge, which was successfully implemented at a summer camp session—an exciting milestone to see my work in action (see attached photo).

In addition, I designed promotional flyers aligned with Girl Scout values and programs for two schools that will be launching a new in-school Girl Scout pilot program this Fall. These materials will support recruitment and engagement efforts directly within the school setting.

Finally, I created theme-based activity plans for the upcoming Fall and Winter Day camps. Using the general themes provided, I developed multiple creative, classroom-friendly activities for each day to ensure the camps are engaging, hands-on, and age-appropriate.

Impact on Career Knowledge & Teaching Style:
This experience significantly expanded my understanding of curriculum development. By creating lessons aligned with Girl Scout programming, I gained a deeper appreciation for how to structure activities with clear objectives, intentional sequencing, and measurable outcomes. It helped me home in on the most important elements of a lesson and sharpen my ability to design engaging, purposeful content.

Additionally, working outside a traditional classroom setting gave me fresh insight into informal education and how learning can be both fun and meaningful. This has influenced my teaching style by encouraging me to incorporate more hands-on, theme-based learning and real-world connections into my own classroom.

Grade Level and Subject Taught: 2nd Grade