Allow our kids to experience the world.
We want our children to try new things. School teaches basic skills. Sports clubs usually expose them to a single sport. Youth organizations have programming to follow So, what do you do if your child is interested in a subject that’s not available?
You can point them to YouTube or another video site. Numerous apps can share how to do things digitally. Both are a great way to learn (I do it all the time), but as adults we know when to question what we’re told. We understand not to take anything we’re told as truth without exploring it ourselves.
My problem was I wanted to be involved. I wanted to make sure my children were engaged in the things they wanted to do and these things were presented in a positive light. In our house, we had a rule. If my girls wanted to try something, they had to try. If I paid for a month of lessons, they would do them — whether they found they liked them or not.
I became heavily involved in Girl Scouts because of my bad experiences as a child in the organization. It didn’t take long to realize that my experience was bad due to my leaders more than GSUSA.
Each volunteer walks into an organization with a set of skills, experiences, and knowledge. Crafters want to share crafting. Religious people want to share their beliefs. The best volunteers want to improve themselves and bring new information to their girls. It can be hard to find a way to learn new things, especially if you have limited time. In Girl Scouts, there is a lack of support for enrichment training.
This is why I started blogging in May 2010. I created digital badges that included steps to learn about a subject, links to additional information online, and sometimes supplements when I couldn’t find the examples I felt needed to be shared. At this time, I have over 500 badge programs that include crafts, hobbies and even STEM.
Girl Scout adults have used these activities at Service Unit meetings as well as house-bound leaders using the materials to bring activities to their girls that they never thought they could.
I added supplements (initially Grab ‘n’ Go sheets) as single activities in November 2012 that could be added to meetings or events. Most are designed to use minimal and / or easily found materials. The idea was to have something you could grab and present with minimal preparation.
Ultimately, the reason I’ve done this is to expose the girls to a variety of activities, crafts, etc. The more diverse the knowledge they are exposed to, the more likely they are to find things to carry over into their adult lives. It might be a career, a hobby, or even leading their own kids to a larger world.
Now, it is May 2024. After providing all of this information for free, I’m looking to expand the offerings of the badge programs and help even more people. I have created so much that it’s hard to dig through.
Embracing change.
I am working on the Enrichment Project Membership Library.
The first level — Members — will be free. You’ll be able to get the badge steps and basic support files. If this is all you need, I’m glad to help. I only ask that you share this resource with others.
The second level — Mentors — will start the paid levels. It will include everything above plus all the extra support files and supplements I create for a badge program. Some of these files will be available on the blog for a short period of time to allow you the chance to see what’s offered.
I plan to have third and fourth levels eventually. The third level will include more in-depth help, non-badge-specific items, retired Etsy offerings, and more. The fourth level will be a “creator” level. I’ll give you all my lists and materials so that you can create items for sharing or for sale. For example, after making a “Sign Fun” supplement category, I thought it would be great to make a badge set for creating signs / digital papers. Currently, I have over 600 designs in black only. All of these would be available as part of the “creator” level. (Or I need to take a break from writing badge programs occasionally and this is where my creativity took me.)
Of course, through this all I want to incorporate a podcast, forums, video, roundtables, and more.
Share!
If you see something that might benefit someone else, please share. Most of the materials are not Girl Scout-specific. Not only have I used them as extracurricular activities at school, I’ve also helped a nursing home activity director with using them.
Lastly . . .
You might want to meet up with me elsewhere. While I could give you a list of social media sites, it’s easier just to ask you to search for “larajla.” You’ll find me easily.