Training

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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 through gsLearn. Most training is free for Adult Volunteers, with the exception of certain in-person certification or aquatics courses.

Log into your myGS account to access gsLearn from your My Account dashboard. Check out these helpful instructions to learn more about accessing and navigating gsLearn.

How do I register for courses in gsLearn?
There are multiple ways to register for courses in gsLearn depending on the course type:

No need to register for online courses – they are accessible anytime
Register for in-person or virtual courses with NO fees by selecting and opening the course in gsLearn, then clicking Register in the upper right corner
Register for in-person courses with fees by selecting and opening in the course in gsLearn, then following the link to the My Events registration page to complete the registration and payment process

Volunteers who wish to apply for financial assistance should email a completed Scholarship Application to the Answer Center immediately after registering for the course online and paying the minimum deposit. Financial assistance is only available for courses costing $10 or more.

For questions about online, in-person or virtual courses in gsLearn, visit our publication for volunteer support, Lead and Learn, email Adult Education or contact the Answer Center at 314.400.4600.

Managing My Troop from My Account

Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri's refreshed member account management system is here, with a new look and new approaches to managing your household and troop. Learn more about how to update your member account and perform troop management functions by completing the new course from GSUSA, Managing My Troops from My Account, now available in gsLearn.

In this 45-60-minute, highly interactive course, you will navigate through 12 frequently asked questions on a variety of member account and troop management topics. Collect fun digital badges after completing each topic section to celebrate your learning accomplishments within the course.

While the course focuses on the troop leader experience, several sections contain valuable information to support troop volunteers and caregivers as they manage their household accounts in the refreshed environment. These sections are highlighted in the course contents below.

To complete the Managing My Troops from My Account course:

Access gsLearn on our website
Select Content Library in the green navigation pane on your gsLearn dashboard
Use key words such as “GSUSA” or “Managing” to search for the course in the search bar, or scroll through the course list for GSUSA Managing My Troops from My Account
Select the course to begin

Please note that because of its highly interactive nature, we recommend that the course be completed using a desktop or laptop computer instead of a mobile device.

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.

The New Troop Leader Learning Path is comprised of six 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: GSUSA Volunteer Toolkit – Troop Leader View
The Volunteer Toolkit is your official source for delivering easy, fun troop meetings year-round! With this step-by-step guide, you can start your troop year strong and spend more time adventuring with your Girl Scouts!

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.

Course 6: Managing My Troop from My Account

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
Adult volunteers who plan to camp with girls on or off Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri-owned property must be Troop Camp Certified. Troop Camp certification courses ensure adult volunteers know how to plan a troop camping experience that everyone enjoys.

PREREQUISITES FOR ALL TROOP CAMP CERTIFICATION COURSES:

Troop Camping 101 – Access this course online in gsLearn.
Troop Camping Information Packet (TCIP) Review - Access this course online in gsLearn.
Introduction to Eastern Missouri Camps - Access this course online in gsLearn.
Standard Camp Unit Checkout - Access this course online in gsLearn.

Troop Camp Certification is granted to participants who successfully complete one of the following courses:

Troop Camp A-Z – In this course, adult volunteers receive hands-on, in-depth training and earn their Troop Camp certification. This course includes a 3-hour in-town session and a weekend at-camp experience.
Troop Camp Fast Track – Troop Camp Fast Track is designed especially for adult volunteers who have basic camping skills, are experienced in accompanying girls to camp, and are planning to camp with girls on or off eastern Missouri-owned property. It offers the same information covered in other troop camp certification courses, but at a much faster pace. Troop Camp Fast Track is a 1-day, at-camp experience.
Troop Camp Blitz – In this course, adult volunteers and girls are invited to participate in an enriching weekend where girls explore the outdoors and have fun while the adults participate in training and earn their Troop Camp license. Girls and adults stay together at night. Girls must be registered Daisies through Juniors. Adults also attend a 3-hour in-town session prior to the at-camp weekend.

Cooking for Crowds at Camp
This 5-hour course is required for adult volunteers who wish to use dining hall kitchens at Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri camps. Participants learn policies and procedures for operating and cleaning the facilities, equipment, and appliances. Practical hands-on experience is a key component of this course. A minimum of one adult volunteer per kitchen crew must be certified in Cooking for Crowds to use dining hall kitchens at eastern Missouri camps.

American Red Cross Courses

Many Girl Scout activities another require that a First Aider be present. For this reason, we recommend that at least one adult volunteer per troop be certified in Adult and Pediatric First Aid, CPR/AED through the American Red Cross or council-approved organization such as the American Heart Association (AHA) or American Safety & Health Institute (ASHI). Always consult Safety Activity Checkpoints to see if a First Aider is required for your troop activity.

Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED Blended Learning
This course is for those who wish to serve as a Girl Scout First Aider. In this course, participants become certified in Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED in a blended learning format where the participant must complete some coursework online prior to attending an in-person skills demonstration led by American Red Cross certified instructors. This certification must be renewed every two years.

Since activities can take place in a variety of locations, the presence of a first-aider and the qualifications they need to have are based on the remoteness and scope of the activity. For example, if you take a two-mile hike in an area that has cell phone reception and service along the entire route and EMS (Emergency Medical Services) is no more than 30 minutes away at all times the first-aider will not need to have knowledge of wilderness first aid. If, on the other hand, you take the same two-mile hike in a more remote area with no cell phone service and where EMS is more than 30 minutes away, the advanced first-aider must have knowledge of wilderness first aid.

Wilderness and Remote First Aid
This course is required for troop activities held in locations where an EMS will take more than 30 minutes to arrive. Participants are provided with a foundation of Fist Aid skills allowing them to respond to emergencies and give care in areas without immediate emergency medical response (EMS). Successful course completion requires participation in all course activities and skill sessions. Some practice sessions may require strenuous physical activity, including walking uphill or on uneven terrain. This certification must be renewed every two years. Prerequisite: Current Adult and Pediatric CPR/AED certification. This course takes place over a weekend at one of eastern Missouri’s camp properties.

USA Archery Courses

Certification for Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri’s archery program is provided through USA Archery. USA Archery offers their courses in a blended learning format. This fantastic learning enhancement means that the knowledge portion of the USA Archery Level 1 Instructor and USA Archery Level 2 Instructor courses is completed online and the practical skills portion is completed in-person.

Registration for USA Archery Level 1 Instructor or USA Archery Level 2 Instructor course begins by first registering for an in-person practical skills session in gsLearn, then paying for and completing the online portion of the course on the USA Archery website.

To successfully complete the requirements for USA Archery Instructor Certification (Level 1 or Level 2), volunteers must:

Register for an in-person, GSEM-hosted USA Archery Instructor (Level 1 or Level 2) practical skills session in gsLearn by selecting Live Sessions in the green navigation menu or by opening the course in the Content Library.
Pay for and complete the appropriate USA Archery Instructor online course on the USA Archery website. USA Archery Level 2 Instructor certification has additional requirements before completing the online course.
Log choice of in-person, GSEM hosted USA Archery Instructor practical skills session in the USA Archery website (the same session chosen in gsLearn). This may only be done after passing the online course exam.

Only after successfully completing both the online and in-person portions of the course will a participant receive their official USA Archery Instructor Certification (along with additional requirements for Level 2).

Each participant will be required to create an account with USA Archery (if they do not already have one) before paying for and completing the online portion of the course.

After registering for an in-person, GSEM hosted practical skills session in gsLearn, participants will receive a confirmation email with very detailed instructions for how to complete the online portion of the course and log your choice of practical skills session on the USA Archery website.

Note: You may not participate in the GSEM hosted in-person skills session unless you have completed the online portion of the course. In addition, USA Archery will not issue a course certification unless the participant has logged their choice of practical skills session on the USA Archery website. Completion of the required tasks on the USA Archery website is the responsibility of the participant.

USA Archery Level 1 Instructor
In this course participants learn about range safety, range set up, the steps of shooting, equipment, and repair. USA Archery Level 1 Instructor Certification is a required course for volunteers who wish to teach beginning archery skills to Brownies through Ambassadors, on or off Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri property. Girls 16 years of age and older are welcome to participate in this course. This USA Archery certification is valid for three years.

A course fee of $40 is required for the online course paid on the USA Archery website. There is no cost for the in-person, practical skills session. Detailed instructions for navigating the USA Archery website may be found in the confirmation email following participant registration for the in-person, practical skills session in gsLearn.

USA Archery Level 2 Instructor
In this course, participants gain the necessary tools to serve as the lead instructor for long-term archery programs such as Junior Olympic Archery Development (JOAD), Adult Archery Program and Collegiate Archery Program clubs, and the Explore Archery Program. This course includes information from the USA Archery Level 1 Instructor online certification course and provides participants with an introduction to the National Training System (NTS) Steps of Shooting for recurve and compound bows, equipment and accessory setup, athlete development, and events. USA Archery Level 2 Instructor Certification is also required to become a USA Archery Instructor Trainer for Council. Girls 18 years and older are welcome to participate. This USA Archery certification is valid for three years.

A fee of $50 is required for the online course paid on the USA Archery website. There is no cost for the in-person, practical skills session. In addition, participants must have a current U.S. Center for SafeSport Training (free on the USA Archery website), current USA Archery Background Screening ($35 for 24 months), and a current USA Archery adult membership ($160 for 36 months). The total cost for this course is $245. Detailed instructions for all USA Archery Level 2 Instructor requirements and how to navigate the USA Archery website may be found in the conformation email following participant registration for the in-person practical skills session in gsLearn.

Instructors who complete USA Archery Level 2 Instructor Certification, as well as the online USA Archery Instructor Trainer course ($10), may facilitate USA Archery Level 1 Instructor courses for GSEM volunteers.

Please contact Shaun Lindhoff at slindhoff@girlscoutsem.org with questions about USA Archery.

Aquatics Courses

To register for an in-person aquatics course, adult members may either register online, follow the registration link for the course in gsLearn, or contact the Answer Center.

Below is a list of aquatics courses available in gsLearn. Refer to the current Lead and Learn publication for exact dates and times of in-person courses.

Small Craft Safety Learning Path
In August of 2019, the American Red Cross retired their Small Craft Safety program. Since that time, we have worked to develop an equivalent program that would allow Girl Scouts to enjoy aquatic activities like canoeing and sailing. This spring, Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri is introducing the new Girl Scouts Small Craft Safety blended-learning program. When adult volunteers complete any of our Small Craft Safety courses, they will learn how to prevent, recognize, and respond to many types of aquatic emergencies as well as self-rescue and non-swimming rescues for aquatic emergencies, skills formerly covered in The American Red Cross’s Basic Water Rescue program.

Completion of any new Girl Scouts Small Craft Safety course does not result in an American Red Cross certification, but instead acknowledges the successful completion of all requirements for that course. Girl Scouts Small Craft Safety program courses are renewable every three years.

As a blended-learning program, each Girl Scouts Small Craft Safety course is comprised of a 25-minute prerequisite video (in gsLearn) and an in-person presentation and skills demonstration at one of our Eastern Missouri camps. The online instructional video must be completed before attending the in-person session.

Instructions for how to access, navigate, and complete courses in gsLearn

The Small Craft Safety learning path includes the following courses:

GSUSA Small Craft Safety Training – online 25-minute prerequisite video
Small Craft Safety: Canoeing (applicable to all Girl Scout program levels) – required to accompany girls in canoes on flat water (no current). 1-day course comprised of a presentation and skills demonstration at camp.
Small Craft Safety:  Moving Water (c* s* a*) – required to accompany girls in canoes on moving water (Course Prerequisite: Small Craft Safety: Canoeing). 1-day course comprised of an at-camp presentation and a river float at a separate location.
Small Craft Safety:  Sailing (j* c* s* a*) – required to accompany girls in sailboats on flat water (no current). Comprised of a 3-hour in-town session and a 1-day presentation and skills demonstration at camp.

You do not have to complete all courses in the learning path to participate in aquatic activities. Only complete the course for the activity in which you will be participating, along with any prerequisites.

Lifeguard In-Service Training
Girls Scout of Eastern Missouri Lifeguard In-Service Training is a mandatory course for registered volunteers certified in American Red Cross Lifeguarding who wish to lifeguard on Council properties. This online course is provided in gsLearn and must be completed annually.

If you need to take a class to maintain your Lifeguard certification, please contact the American Red Cross at 1.800.RED.CROSS (1.800.733.2767) or redcross.org.

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.

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.