Girl Scout Ranger Program

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The National Park Service and Girl Scouts of the United States of America have partnered to create the Girl Scout Ranger Program. Through this program you are invited to:
  • explore the outdoors
  • learn about the history of national parks
Girl Scouts are invited to participate in a variety of existing, organized educational or service projects at national park sites, or design their own experience or project to align with Journey work, badge activities, or a Take Action or Highest Award project. Girl Scouts are awarded certificates and/or patches for their participation.

While having fun in a national park, you can:
Qualifying Program Experiences
Girl Scouts are invited to work collaboratively with NPS employees to take part in educational programs, volunteer and service projects at any NPS site. Example activities for Girl Scouts:

Participate in Existing Educational Programs and Service Projects such as:
  • Ranger-guided interpretive tours
  • Junior Ranger programs
  • Environmental education programs
  • Web Rangers
  • Service projects: Many national park sites have volunteer programs that can offer Girl Scouts an opportunity to assist in a variety of long-term or short-term projects to improve and ensure protection of park resources and facilities. Girl Scouts are encouraged to take part in any sustainable organized project, agreed upon by NPS, as an appropriate service opportunity that protects and preserves park resources. Girl Scouts and their leaders should contact the park Volunteer Coordinator to select and develop these projects and activities.
Girls hike at Yosemite National Park.

Design New Experiences or Projects

While existing organized educational programs are an excellent way to learn about the NPS, the NPS also invites Girl Scouts to develop their own projects and establish activities in collaboration with NPS employees. Girl Scouts interested in developing their own project must first coordinate their project with a park representative. While there may be some limits to the scale or type of activity, Girl Scouts are encouraged to seek out opportunities to develop their own activity. Parks have the discretion to decide what project best serves the needs of that location and fits within the guidelines of the site. Girl Scouts are also encouraged to use visits to NPS sites as inspiration for Take Action projects beyond the borders of the park or site, bringing their experiences home to improve their local community.

How to Earn a Certificate and/or Patch

Girls can participate in the Girl Scout Ranger Program through a troop, event, travel, or camp experience, and will be awarded a program certificate and/or patch upon completion for their Girl Scout grade level.

While the program does not require a specific number of hours of participation for each Girl Scout grade level, it is important that the program stresses a progression of activities. Younger girls may experience a brief engagement in a short learning activity, and older girls should be challenged to engage in a deeper experience. Certificates are issued by the park after completion of program requirements.

To earn a Girl Scout Ranger certificate, girl scouts should participate in organized education activities and/or volunteer service projects for a minimum of five (5) hours at one or more national parks.

To earn a Girl Scout Ranger patch, Girl Scouts should participate in organized educational activities or volunteer service projects for a minimum of ten (10) hours at one or more national parks.

Girl Scouts learn from a Park Ranger at Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

Getting Started!

  1. Chose a National Park Service site.
    Visit http://www.nps.gov/findapark/index.htm. Choose a national park, a monument, or any of 407 sites protected by the National Park Service. Explore nature, learn the history and read the stories to discover why it is important to preserve your park.
  2. Imagine Yourself in a National Park.
    Brainstorm activities that you might want to experience at a national park. Consider working outside with a geologist or inside identifying fossils. Maybe wildfire restoration, building a bridge, or a night sky project interests you.
  3. Contact the park and make a plan.
    Call the park (the phone number is on the park's website under Contact Us). Identify yourself as a Girl Scout. Ask if there is someone who works with the Girl Scout Ranger program or a volunteer coordinator. Express your ideas to the coordinator. Together, plan a project to help the park and fulfill your goals.
  4. Go to the park and Have Fun!
    If your park does not have a volunteer program or is too far away to visit, create a Take Action Project.
  5. Have Fun!
    Once all the logistics are set up, go and have fun with the Girl Scout Ranger Program! Feel free to keep track of your participation in the program by using the downloadable Girl Scout Ranger Activity Log!
  6. Share the experience.
    Share your best shots on Instagram and Twitter using #gsoutdoors (don't forget to tag @GirlScouts) and you can be part of the largest Girl Scout photo collage in the world!
Learn about becoming a Girl Scout Ranger
Ready to learn more about becoming a Girl Scout Ranger? Click here to read the FAQs!

Also, be sure to check out this cool video featuring girl scouts participating in the Girl Scout Ranger program!

Girl Scout Gold Award Certificate of Recognition
The NPS prioritizes working with partner organizations, such as Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA), to extend the benefits of natural and cultural resource conservation and outdoor recreation at national park sites.
In addition to these opportunities, the NPS would like to recognize scouts and their achievements and/or accomplishments related to the environment and/or conservation.

Girl Scouts who have completed their requirements for the Gold Award are eligible to receive a certificate of recognition from the National Park Service.

Please click here to download the Gold Award Certificate of Recognition. (Use of the certificate is based on the honor system, as the certificate should only be downloaded after earning the award).


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