Global Action Girl Scouts
"Girl Scouting and Girl Guiding can be the magic thread which links the youth of the world together." — Juliette Gordon Low
An Amazing Passport to Discovery
It’s a big world, and what better way to experience it than on a global scale?
Whether exploring global issues through a Girl Scout Journey or badge, earning their Global Action Award, or traveling with a Girl Scout Destination, Girl Scouts can engage globally at every program level.
Find your place in the world and make a real difference!
- Global Action Team
- Global Action Summit
- Global Action Award
- Learning About the Global Girl Scouts
- Earning Your Global Action Award
- World Thinking Day
- Global Action Days
As part of the Global Action Team, Girl Scout Seniors and Ambassadors become advocates for important issues that impact people across the world. The program focuses on three main themes:
- Taking Action: create a Global Take Action Project that impacts the community, inspires others to act, and creates change for the better.
- Global Awareness: develop cultural awareness by collaborating on a project with a global reach.
- Leadership: lead the annual Global Action Summit—a weekend retreat for Cadette Girl Scouts. You’ll teach about action through advocacy, making global connections, and how to follow through on large community projects.
Global Action Summit
At this annual event, the Global Action Team helps Cadette Girl Scouts learn global action through advocacy, making global connections, and preparing to lead large projects in their communities. Many past summit participants have gone on to become Global Action Team members, and some turn their knowledge from the Global Action Summit into Highest Awards projects.
Save the Date:
Global Action Summit
June 2-4, 2023
Registration opens February 2023
Global Action Award
In 2015, leaders around the world agreed to work together to accomplish 17 goals by 2030—these are referred to as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs or global goals for short). They focus on things like taking care of the environment, making sure all people have enough to eat, and improving people’s health. They are big goals, but Girl Scouts know a thing or two about changing the world! The Girl Scout Global Action award calls for addressing the global goals by discovering, connecting, and taking action in your communities.
Learning About Global Girl Scouts
If the global goals are new to you, start by teaming up with an adult to learn about the SDGs online. You can also download and read this short booklet, The World We Want: A Guide to the Goals for Children and Young People. Once you’re familiar with the goals, you’re ready to move on to earning your Girl Scout Global Action Award.
Earning Your Global Action Award
This year, the Girl Scout Global Action award is focused on SDG 3: Health and Well-Being and SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. Every Girl Scout must complete five steps in order to earn their Global Action award.
- Learn about the Global Goals and Global Action award.
- Find out about climate change.
- Explore responses to climate change.
- Focus on a climate change issue.
- Create a Global Action Climate Challenge.
The Award Activity Guides
World Thinking Day
Every year on February 22, Girl Scouts and Girl Guides across 150 countries celebrate World Thinking Day.
The World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) and member organizations, including GSUSA, have celebrated World Thinking Day since 1926.
The World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) operates five World Centres that offer training programs, activities, and lodging for Girl Scouts and leaders, as well as members of some other groups and independent travelers. Activities are primarily focused on international friendship and cooperation, personal development and leadership training, enjoyment, and service. The Friends of WAGGS World Centres organization supports and promotes the centres. We are fortunate to have several Friends of WAGGGS World Centres in our council who are available to speak at events.
The five World Centres are:
- Our Chalet, in Adelboden, Switzerland
- Pax Lodge, in Hampstead, London, England
- Our Cabaña, in Cuernavaca, Mexico
- Sangam, in Pune, Maharashtra, India
- Kusafiri, across Africa
Global Action Days
- World Thinking Day: February 22
- International Women’s Day: March 8
- Global Youth Service Day: Second or Third Weekend of April
- Global Action Week for Education: Third or Fourth Week of April
- Girls in ICT Day: Fourth Thursday of April
- World Environment Day: June 5
- International Day of the Girl: October 11
- Global Poverty Day: October 17
- 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence: November 25 to December 10
Learn about Global Action Days »
