2022 Program Partner Guide

Program Partner Guide 2022

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Greetings! We are excited to provide you and your organization an incredible opportunity to work with Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri as a Program Partner. Our Program Partners are organizations or businesses that have been approved to independently provide Girl Scout programing. Our diverse network of Program Partners offer our more than 30,000 girl members the opportunity for badge workshops, field trips, activities and Journey-based programs. When you choose to offer programming with Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri, you have an opportunity to work with the largest organization for girls in the world—with more than 100 years of expertise in building young leaders who will be our future workforce and community change-makers. Girl Scouts is the preeminent organization dedicated to developing leadership skills in girls and our Program Partners enhance the Girl Scout experience through offering innovative and unique opportunities for discovery.

In this packet, you will find: • The benefits of working with Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri • Safety and logistic information • Information on our leadership program • Program Partner agreement

Questions? Please contact Heather Eyster, Program Manager, at 314.592.2312 or heyster@girlscoutsem.org .

Photos used in this publication were taken before the outbreak of COVID-19 in the United States.

2 Program Partner Guide

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Overview Program Partners are an integral component of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience. By partnering together, we can help Girl Scouts in grades K-12 discover new things about themselves and their communities, connect with those around them and take action to make the world a better place.

Program Partnerships with Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri run on an annual basis from January 1-December 31. Renewal applications are due by December 1; however, new applications are accepted year-round. As a Program Partner you can: • Develop and facilitate workshops or events to help girls explore their interests, enjoy educational experiences, build lasting memories and feel empowered to make a difference in their world

• Promote your organization to Girl Scouts and their families across 28 counties through one or more of the following: Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri’s website, program booths at Council events and in our biannual girl program digital publication, Inspire Discovery • Partner with the largest organization in the world dedicated to leadership development for today’s girls and tomorrow’s leaders

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Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri Our Council

We deliver the Girl Scout experience to members across our eastern Missouri jurisdiction, which includes: St. Louis City and the 28 surrounding Missouri counties of Adair, Audrain (Van-Far School District), Clark, Crawford, Franklin, Iron, Jefferson, Knox, Lewis, Lincoln, Linn, Macon, Marion, Monroe, Pike, Putnam, Ralls, Reynolds, Schuyler, Scotland, Shelby, St. Charles, St. Francois, St. Louis, Ste. Genevieve, Sullivan, Warren and Washington

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Details

A Program Partner is an organization or business working in conjunction with Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri to develop and market Girl Scout program opportunities. These programs may also be general public opportunities to which you would like to invite Girl Scouts. Programs may be date and time specific and do not have to incorporate the Girl Scout National Program portfolio. Your programing will be marketed through various channels, including: our website, Council events, printed biannual publications, etc. Note: Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri Council reserves the right to edit program and marketing materials in communication with the Program Partner contact.

Program Partner Annual Fee

The $30 Program Partner fee is due at the time of application and renewal. Payment can be made by check or credit card. Please make checks payable to Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri.

Please mail checks to: Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri Attention: Heather Eyster 2300 Ball Drive St. Louis, MO 63146

To pay with credit card, please visit girlscoutsem.org/programpartnerfee and complete the form.

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Program Partner Events

Two options: choose one or both options when planning your events

Scheduled Events • You choose the date, time and location for

Flexible Events • You plan the activities for a program, promote the program or event topic and then work with troops to schedule a day for the event/activity • Girls/Troops register for the event or program through your organization and attend with their Girl Scout adults

pre-scheduled event(s) that can accommodate multiple troops at one time. These events must be open for individual girls to attend

• Girls/Troops register for the event or program through your organization and attend the program with their Girl Scout adults

Provided For You • Organization and program information listed on Program Partner webpage with direct link to partner website • Organization listed in Inspire Discovery , our biannual girl program book, available online for all registered Girl Scouts

• Ability to distribute approved flier(s) at Council events when providing a hands-on activity

Program Collaborator Events

Your organization also has the opportunity to work with one of our Program Managers to collaborate on a program that would go into the Inspire Discovery . This is an additional opportunity to work with our girls but is not a requirement of being a Program Partner. Program Collaborator Responsibilities • Work with Program Manager to choose date, time, location, cost and capacity for the program. These events are open for individual girls to attend Provided For You • Program listed in Inspire Discovery , our biannual girl program book, available online for all registered Girl Scouts

• Girls/Troops register for the program through Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri

• Program Manager attends event to assist with check-in and is present for the duration of the program

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Sign Up! Follow these steps below to become a Program Partner with Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri:

1. Schedule a meeting with us: At the meeting we will discuss all partner opportunities and then develop a plan of action for your organization. To schedule, please contact Heather Eyster, Program Manager, at 314.592.2312 or heyster@girlscoutsem.org . 2. Submit Program Partner Agreement annually with payment: Program Partner agreements are renewed annually and valid January 1 through December 31. All events are reviewed and evaluated by Girl Scout Program staff to ensure quality activities, services and compliance with GSUSA’s Safety Activity Checkpoints and aligns with the mission of Girl Scouts.

3. If needed, schedule an on-site visit for any high-risk activities. These activities include, but are not limited to, horseback riding, shooting sports, rock climbing, challenge courses and tree climbing.

4. Plan your program! Once approved, partners can start planning their Girl Scout programs.

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Program Partner Checklist

Want to see a complete list of current Girl Scout Program Partners? Please visit our website at girlscoutsem.org/ programpartners.

� Review the information in this guide � Meet with our Program Manager � Consider how your programs or resources will connect to our badges or Journeys � Submit the following documents to the Program Manager: ǔ Program Partner Agreement ǔ $30 annual fee ǔ Certificate of Insurance ǔ Outline of program ǔ Background check policy � Plan and facilitate your program � Complete program evaluation on a quarterly basis � Complete partnership renewal annually

Program Partner documents should be sent to:

Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri Attn: Heather Eyster 2300 Ball Drive St. Louis, MO 63146 Or emailed to: heyster@girlscoutsem.org

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Logistics All Program Partners must meet or exceed Girl Scout guidelines, as outlined in the following content.

Program Development

Girl Scouts love to visit local community organizations and business to experience

something new, meet professionals and explore career opportunities and have fun! Creating fun, educational and quality programs or offerings for Girl Scouts is easy to do. Here are some items to think about when developing unique opportunities Girl Scouts can take part in at your organization or business.

• What does your organization do? What are you experts in?

Program Evaluation

Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri requires all Program Partners to complete a program evaluation/data report for the Girl Scout programs your business/organization runs. The information provided in the program evaluation will provide feedback about the wonderful activities and events Girl Scouts can do in their local communities.

• What is fun about your job?

• What do you already offer for general public programming?

• What age of girls are your opportunities best suited for?

• How does your programming fit with the Girl Scout National Program Portfolio (see pg. 18)

The schedule for evaluations and data reports are as follows:

• For the months of October, November and December, the link will be emailed in January

• Do you want to have pre-scheduled programs or flexible events?

• For the months of January, February and March, the link will be emailed in April

We encourage Program Partner organizations to help Girl Scouts complete requirements for their petals, badges and Journeys, but it is not mandatory. If you are helping girls complete requirements you must submit a breakdown of the program to ensure all requirements are met. A Badge/Journey Program Breakdown form will be provided to gather this information.

• For the months of April, May and June, the link will be emailed in July

• For the months of July, August and September, the link will be emailed in October

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As a Program Partner you are able to have the program participants complete an anonymous customer satisfaction survey at the conclusion of your program or event. Some restrictions do apply. You are not allowed to obtain personal demographic information from the program participants without written approval from the program participant’s parent/guardian.

Promotion at Council Events

As a Program Partner you are required to provide at least one program activity at our Council-sponsored events at no cost. These annual events are included below. If your organization is not able to be present at one of our annual events, alternate arrangements can be made with the Partnerships Program Manager to fulfil this requirement.

The best opportunity to promote your workshops and events to girls and adults is face-to- face during one of our events. You are welcome to attend more than one event each year.

Important Council Events to Know

Time of Year

Annual Council Event

Troop Round Up

First 2 Saturdays in October

Girl Scouts GO: Run for the Cookies

Saturday after Thanksgiving

Troop Round Up Troop Round Up is an annual fall event at Camps Cedarledge and Tuckaho to kick off the new Girl Scout year with all girls in grades K-12. The event is attended by more than 2,000 girls and adults. Your organization would be responsible for staffing a booth with a hands-on activity. Event applications are sent late Spring. Girl Scouts GO: Run for the Cookies During this family-friendly event, more than 800 girls and adults participate in a 5K or 1-mile run/walk at our Council office. At this event your organization would provide a hands-on activity for our families to complete before or after their race. This event is open to all Girl Scout members, their families and the entire community. Exhibitor applications for this event are sent in late Summer.

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Important Information on Safety, Media and Insurance

Photography and Video or Audio Recordings If you would like to take photographs or make video or audio recordings of Girl Scouts at your events, you need to have their parents or guardians sign a media release form for your organization. Although parents or guardians sign a media release form when girls are registered with GSUSA, it does NOT include other businesses/organizations that work with Girl Scouts. Plan ahead to include a media release form, or any other permission forms, in your registration information. Safety All Program Partner opportunities must meet or exceed the Girl Scout guidelines for safety as outlined in the Safety Activity Checkpoints and Girl Scout Safety Guidelines. Girl Scouts’ adult-to-girl ratios vary according to the age level of the girls but always require a minimum of two approved, registered, background checked, unrelated adults. Troops/groups are expected to follow the standards at events they attend. If girls are attending individually, a parent/guardian is required to attend with them. • Read and understand Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri’s COVID-19 Response Guidelines and adhere to all current precautions and procedures. Updates that are made to this document will be communicated to all Program Partners • Read applicable Safety Activity Checkpoints and Safety Guidelines found at girlscoutsem.org/ safetyactivitycheckpoints and select “Safety” from the categories As an organization offering programming to Girl Scouts it is your responsibility to:

• Ensure all adults involved in program delivery have successfully passed a Criminal Background Check

• Ensure no alcohol and/or illegal substances are permitted at Girl Scout events and that no one is under the influence

• For overnight events, it is not appropriate for males to sleep in the same space with girl members or female adults. Males may participate only if separate sleeping quarters and bathrooms are available for their use. If this is a family event, we can provide you with additional information

• Complete an incident report for any accidents or incidents that occur during a Girl Scout program

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Background Check Policy To ensure the safety of our girl members we require any facilitator who is working directly with our girls to undergo a background check. The facilitator can provide a copy of the organization’s background check policy or undergo a background check through Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri. Background checks through Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri are confidential and available online. Please complete your request by visiting https://app.sterlingvolunteers.com/en/Candidates/Account/Register . You will create an account and login. When asked, use good deed code: ddgn5lj. Please indicate on your agreement the facilitators who will be submitting information for their background check. Insurance Organizations and businesses that partner with Girl Scouts must submit a current Certificate of Insurance verifying a minimum total occurrence limit of $1 million in commercial general liability coverage (or a combination of that and umbrella liability), $1 million in automobile coverage and workers’ compensation coverage.*

The Certificate of Insurance must list Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri as the certificate holder and additional insured. Please see below for the correct listing:

Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri, Inc. 2300 Ball Drive St. Louis, MO 63146 By carrying adequate liability insurance, the Program Partner is able to accept the responsibility for actions of its staff and volunteers. Please note: It is possible that not all girls attending your programs are registered Girl Scouts. Non-members are not covered under Girl Scout insurance. Waivers If a waiver needs to be signed by participants and/or a parent/guardian, please provide the waiver to the Girl Scout parent or volunteer prior to the day of the program and have them bring it with them to the program. *Organizations providing only virtual programming for Girl Scouts must submit a current Certificate of Insurance verifying a minimum total occurrence limit of $1 million in commercial general liability coverage listing Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri as certificate holder.

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Virtual Program Guidelines The world of virtual programming is exploding due to the COVID-19 outbreak. With this expansion into the virtual space, organizations can offer programming to girls across the country, meaning Girl Scouts of East- ern Missouri can partner with organizations outside our jurisdiction. There is also the option for local orga- nizations to offer virtual programs in additional to in-person options. Below is a set of tips and guidelines to consider when offering virtual programming for our girls.

Tips for a Successful Virtual Program

Begin the program with an introduction of who you are, what you do and what the girls will be doing during the program.

• Be sure to outline any expectations for how they will engage with you throughout the program. Let them know if they should use the chat feature, raise their hand, etc. • While you are talking or demonstrating it is recommended to keep all program participants on mute. • Girls may be using a parent/guardians account, so it’s best to remind them to change their display name to the name they prefer to be called, so you can appropriately call on them during the program.

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Set conduct expectations. Participants at a minimum should: • Participate in the digital environment to the same standard as a physical environment, including participating when called on, listening attentively, and minimizing distractions to others • Not share links or passwords for program meetings with those who aren’t registered for the program • Request help when needed • Mute when not talking. Consider muting all program participants and having the program facilitator unmute individually as necessary. The safety of our girls is always top priority. Please read the safety guidelines below: Program Partners should not be the only adult online. Girl Scouts have adult-to-girl ratios that must be met for all Girl Scout activities. The number of required adults varies based on age and number of girls, but the minimum is always two unrelated adults. This can be met by program facilitators and/or parents/guardians in the room with their girl. Ratio requirements can be found at girlscoutsem.org/en/for-volunteers/ VolunteerEssentials/Safety.html .

• Whether using Zoom or other platforms, utilize the following security features: ǔ Have a registration process to account for who is in the room ǔ Use a random meeting ID versus a personal meeting ID for each program ǔ Disable join Zoom before host and utilize waiting room options ǔ Disable screen sharing by non-hosts

ǔ Disable the chat and group messaging features to limit communication to only between participant and host ǔ Do not record session without previous parent/ guardian consent ǔ Become familiar with the security features of the platform being used ǔ Use a password for program sessions • While your organization may be offering programming activities, you cannot “take supervision” of children in a virtual setting. Therefore, it is important to communicate the following with parents/guardians: ǔ Share supervision expectations and ask parents/ guardians to acknowledge that they understand these expectations ǔ Share room/space expectations. If doing physical activities, it is important to ask parents/guardians to evaluate the space being used in the home to make sure it is free from hazards. ǔ Inform parents/guardians of the settings/materials needed to complete program activities ǔ Encourage parents/guardians to be aware of their child’s online activities

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Important Tips For Creating Marketing and Promotional Materials

The Girl Scout servicemark is a registered trademark and must only be used with prior permission. We strive to maintain brand consistency which will help uphold our brand value and protect against unauthorized, inconsistent and unlicensed use of the Girl Scout brand.

The words ‘Scout’, ‘Scouts’ and ‘Scouting’ should never appear without the modifier ‘Girl’ and each word should be capitalized. Always use “Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri” in place of “Girl Scouts of the USA” or “Girl Scouts of America.” Always spell out “Girl Scouts” and never use “GS”.

Girl Scout Nights, Workshops or Programs When promoting Girl Scout nights, badge workshops, community service projects and Journey experiences, the words ‘Scout,’ ‘Scouts’ and ‘Scouting’ should never appear without the modifier ‘Girl’ and each word should be capitalized.

All marketing for these types of Girl Scout opportunities should be approved by Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri before distribution. Please send files for approval to Heather Eyster at heyster@girlscoutsem.org.

Please see below for correct examples of Girl Scout Program Partner promotions.

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About Girl Scouts

About Girl Scouts

Girl Scouts is a way of life that brings out the best in all girls.

Girl Scouts are big thinkers, ground-breakers, change- makers and role models. Girl Scouts design robots, start garage bands and improve their communities—and yes, they sell the best cookies on the planet! At Girl Scouts, she gets to lead her own adventure (it’s her world!) and team up with other girls in an all-girl environment to choose the exciting, hands-on activities that interest her most.

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The Girl Scout Difference

Girl Scouts offers the best leadership development experience for girls in the world.

Girl Scouts’ mission is to build girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place. Since 1912, girls have explored new fields of knowledge, learned valuable skills and developed strong core values through Girl Scouts. Today, Girl Scouts is, as it always has been, the organization best positioned to help girls develop important leadership skills they need to become successful adults. At Girl Scouts, guided by supportive adults and peers, girls develop their leadership potential through age-appropriate activities that enable them to discover their values; connect with others in a multicultural environment; and take action to make their world a better place. All Girl Scout activities are designed to be girl-led, cooperative and hands-on— a process that creates high-quality experiences conducive to learning.

Growing in Girl Scouts: A Lifelong Leadership Journey

As a Girl Scout, there are lots of ways for girls to have fun, make friends and do things that have a positive impact on their lives, now and in the future. At every level, Girl Scouts have fun while making the world a better place. Girl Scouts earn badges, join troops, hike and camp and participate in the Girl Scout Cookie Program. As they advance through the program, girls can also explore careers in science and technology, travel the world, discover nature and take on projects that transform their communities. Daisies K-1 st grades Brownies 2 nd -3 rd grades Juniors 4 th -5 th grades Cadettes 6 th -8 th grades Seniors 9 th -10 th grades Ambassadors 11 th -12 th grades

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The Girl Scout Leadership Experience

Our Girl Scout Leadership Experience is a one-of-a-kind leadership development program for girls, with proven results. It is based on time-tested methods and research-backed programming that help girls take the lead—in their own lives and the world.

The inclusive, all-female environment of a Girl Scout troop creates a safe space where girls can try new things, develop a range of skills, take on leadership roles and just be themselves.

Our Program

Girl Scouts is proven to help girls thrive in five key ways as they:

Girl Scouts takes the potential of girls, combines it with robust skill- building programming, and adds caring adult mentors and strong female role models. Everything a Girl Scout does centers around STEM, the outdoors, development of life skills and entrepreneurship, and is designed to meet her where she is now and to grow along with her. Whether she is building a robotic arm, coding her first app, building a shelter in the woods at camp or packing for her first hike, a Girl Scout has an exciting array of choices through the Girl Scout Leadership Experience to suit her interests at every age.

Develop a strong sense of self.

Display positive values.

Seek challenges and learn from setbacks.

Form and maintain healthy relationships.

Identify and solve problems in the community.

Our Programmatic Pillars

STEM Computer science, engineering, robotics, outdoor STEM and more

Life Skills Civic engagement, healthy living, global citizenship, communication skills

Entrepreneurship The Girl Scout Cookie Program teaches goal setting, decision making, money management, business ethics and people skills

Outdoors Adventure and skill building, from the backyard to the backcountry

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Program Resources Girl Scout Journeys and badges take the girl leadership game to new heights. They enable girls to choose how they want to experience and influence the world, while preparing them to address some of society’s most-pressing needs through hands-on learning and real-life problem solving.

Journeys

Journeys provide the framework for the Girl Scout Leadership Experience. They are designed to help girls explore and develop the skills to discover, connect and take action. Because Girl Scouts is girl-led, troops will pick a topic that interests them the most. There are multiple Journeys for girls to choose from at each Girl Scout grade level.

The Journeys include the following themes: • It’s Your World - Change It!

For more information on Girl Scout Journeys and badges, visit girlscouts.org/en/our-program/badges

• It’s Your Planet - Love It! • It’s Your Story - Tell It! • STEM • The Outdoors

Badges

Badges are nationally-developed awards given to girls who try new things and explore a specific topic. A badge is made up of five steps with three options for each step. Badges are based around common themes of:

• STEM • Financial literacy and business skills • Health and first aid • Life skills • Outdoor skills and adventure • Arts and culture

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Patches

Patches are unofficial awards girls receive as recognition for the activities they complete in Girl Scouts. Some Program Partners choose to design their own fun patches to give girls at an event or program, but that is not necessary.

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2300 Ball Dr. St. Louis, MO 63146-8604 314.592.2300 800.727.GIRL (4475)

facebook.com/GirlScoutsEasternMO

@girlscoutsem

@GirlScoutsEM

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