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Training

gsLearn Is Here!

New and seasoned troop leaders can take their experience to the next level with gsLearn, our new online training platform! gsLearn will enhance your training experience and allow you to track your progress all in one place!

Whether you are a brand-new leader or a seasoned volunteer with Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri we have a wide variety of training courses available to help you learn and develop your own skills. Training is offered through online courses or as live virtual or in-person courses in order to help find the style that best fits your needs. Most training is free for Adult Volunteers, with the exception of certain live certification courses. Financial assistance may be requested.

For questions about online, in-person or virtual courses in gsLearn, email Adult Education or contact the Answer Center at 314.400.4600.

New Troop Leader Learning Path

Want to give your new troop the best leadership experience possible, but don’t know where to start? Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri's New Troop Leader Learning Path, conveniently located in gsLearn, is where you will find everything you need to know to set up your new troop for success.

Completing this series of online courses ensures that troop leaders and assistant leaders are confident and competent at leading G.I.R.L.’s. The New Troop Leader Learning Path is comprised of five courses. Both the leader and assistant leader(s) in a troop are required to complete the first course, New Troop Leader Training, within 30 days of the course being assigned to them in gsLearn. The remaining courses in the learning path, while not required, contain indispensable information for new troop leaders and may be completed at their convenience, preferably within the first few months of becoming a leader/assistant leader.

Course 1: New Troop Leader Training (REQUIRED)
New Troop Leader Training is designed to help troop volunteers become comfortable in their new role by providing an overview of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience, the basic structure of a troop meeting and examples of proactive planning. 

Course 2: Troop Money Management
This course offers all the information and tips you need when opening a troop bank account, building your troop treasury and completing the Troop Year-End Report.

Course 3: Program Level Training
This training content helps troop leaders guide Girl Scouts through developmental stages and provide them with the best Girl Scout Leadership Experience possible, based on age-appropriate interests, abilities and needs. Choose the grade level most relevant to your troop.

  • Program Level for Daisies
  • Program Level for Brownies
  • Program Level for Juniors

Course 4: Volunteer Toolkit Tutorials
Learn the basics of the Girl Scout Volunteer Toolkit (VTK) in this GSUSA four-part video series for troop leaders and assistant troop leaders, including how to plan your Girl Scout year, manage your troop contacts, look up answers to safety questions, print meeting resources and more.

Course 5: Facilitating Virtual Troop Meetings
In this GSUSA course, learn about how to create and facilitate engaging virtual troop meetings. Be sure to check out the additional reference material section for more resources.

Certification Courses

A wide variety of live training courses, both virtual and in-person, are offered throughout the year. Our most popular live courses are the required certifications needed for activities that expand a troop’s horizons. For a full list of the upcoming live courses refer to our Lead and Learn publication.

Registering for a certification course is simple. Adult members can either register online, follow the registration link for the course in gsLearn, or contact the Answer Center. Training courses are usually open to Senior and Ambassador Scouts if they register through the Answer Center.

Below is a list of the certification courses available in gsLearn. Refer to our Lead and Learn publication for exact dates and times.

Camp Certifications

Troop Camp Certification
Troop Camp Certification is the final in-person course required to take a troop camping, ensuring adult volunteers know how to plan a troop camping experience that everyone will enjoy. Troop Camp Certification may be completed through one of the following courses:

  • Troop Camp A-Z – Full overnight experience
  • Troop Camp Fast Track – Typically for volunteers with some camping background; condensed into one day
  • Troop Camp Blitz – Combines volunteer training with an overnight camping experience for their troop (Daisy through Junior troops only)

Course prerequisites: Introduction to Eastern Missouri Camps (online), Standard Camp Unit Checkout (online), Troop Camping 101 (online), Troop Camping Information Packet (TCIP) Review (online)

USA Archery Level 1
Beginning Oct. 1, 2018 adult volunteers delivering an archery program or training, on or off Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri properties, must be USA Archery Level 1 certified. USA Archery Level 1 certification is a course required of those who wish to teach beginning archery skills to Brownies through Ambassadors. This certification must be renewed every three years.

Small Craft Safety
The Girl Scout Small Craft Safety courses provide volunteers with information and skills necessary to prevent, recognize, and respond to small craft emergencies. Each course certificate is valid for three years.

Course prerequisite: Basic Water Rescue

  • Sailing Safety – Required every three years to accompany girls in sailboats on flat water. In this course volunteers learn basic safety guidelines for sailing and how to rig and maneuver a sailboat.
  • Canoeing Safety – Required every three years to accompany girls in canoes on flat water. In this course volunteers learn basic safety guidelines for canoeing and flat-water paddling strokes.
  • Moving Water Safety – Course Prerequisite: Rowing Safety. Required to accompany girls in canoes on moving water.

Cooking for Crowds at Camp
Participants learn policies and procedures for cleaning the facilities and equipment, and how to care for dining hall appliances. At least one adult volunteer is required to have this certification to use a dining hall kitchen at any GSEM camp.

American Red Cross Safety Courses

Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED
This is a two-part, blended learning course offered through the American Red Cross (ARC) and meets the requirement for becoming a certified First Aider as per Safety Activity Checkpoints. The first portion of the course is online and comes in an email directly from the ARC (not found in gsLearn). This online module must be completed prior to participating in the second portion of the course, a live, hands-on skills session facilitated by ARC-certified instructors.  This certification must be renewed every two years.

Basic Water Rescue
Participants will learn the skills necessary to prevent, recognize, and respond to many types of aquatic emergencies, including self-rescue and non-swimming rescue situations. This certification is valid for two years and is a prerequisite for all Small Craft Safety courses.

Wilderness and Remote First Aid
Provides participants with a foundation of Fist Aid skills allowing them to respond to emergencies and give care in areas without immediate emergency medical response (EMS). This certification is required for troop activities held in locations where an EMS will take more than 30 minutes to arrive. This certification is valid for two years. Prerequisite: Current Adult & Child/Pediatric CPR/AED certification.

Course prerequisite: Current Adult and Child/Pediatric CPR/AED certification

Training Opportunities from GSUSA

GSUSA offers several online training opportunities through courses and learning paths in gsLearn. These thoughtful and thorough general knowledge courses are available to all Girl Scout councils across the nation. Explore the Content Library in gsLearn (search “GSUSA”) to discover what Movement-wide learning opportunities are available. New courses and learning paths are added frequently.

Below are a few of the online GSUSA courses and learning paths available in gsLearn.

Facilitating Virtual Troop Meetings
Learn how to create and facilitate engaging virtual troop meetings.

Girl Scouts in the Outdoors
This in-depth course introduces troop leaders to what they can do to begin sharing the outdoors with their troop, with an eye toward what girls need at different stages of development and outdoor comfort levels.

Volunteer Toolkit Tutorials
Learn the basics of the Girl Scout Volunteer Toolkit (VTK) in this four-part video series for troop leaders and assistant troop leaders, including how to plan your Girl Scout year, manage your troop contacts, look up answers to safety questions, print meeting resources and more

Successful Leader Learning Series
Through this in-depth five module course, troop leaders will receive an introduction to Girl Scouts and gain insight into how successful Girl Scout Leaders incorporate the 'Girl Scout Way' into thoughts and actions, know and apply GSLE when working with their troop to develop G.I.R.L.s, create a safe, inclusive, girl-led space which embraces troop diversity, and understand and execute council specific guidelines around troop operations.

Troop Organizer Training

Troop Organizer Resources

As a Troop Organizer, you are a key player in bringing the Girl Scout experience to life for girls and adults in your area. Troop Organizing is all in the details! We want you to have all the knowledge and tools necessary to be successful. We value and celebrate your dedication and thank you for joining us in the new membership year. 

Virtual Recruitment

New this year, we can host recruitment nights virtually! Using Zoom or your preferred virtual platform and the provided presentation, we can recruit and start a troop virtually. The same content will be shared as with a Parent/Caregiver Discovery Night but in a more condensed time frame and utilizing technology. This format can be used for recruitment nights or parent/guardian meetings after a troop has formed. 

Order Supplies

Recruitment Assets



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