Training

Learning lasts a lifetime

Whether you are a new volunteer or a seasoned leader, Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri provides a wide variety of training courses to help you learn and develop the skills you need in your role.

Training is available 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, camping skills, and aquatics courses.

Log into your myGS account to access gsLearn from your My Account dashboard. Once in gsLearn, use the green navigation pane (or select the menu icon for mobile users) to find courses in the Content Library and keep track of your learning in the Achievements section.

How do I register for courses in gsLearn? toggle arrow

There are multiple ways to register for courses based on 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 direct link to the My Events registration page to complete the registration and payment process

Financial Scholarships toggle arrow

Volunteers who wish to apply for financial scholarships should register through myGS and pay the minimum deposit due and then complete the Scholarship Application.

Have questions about online, in-person or virtual courses in gsLearn?

Visit our publication for volunteer support, Lead & Learn, email Adult Education or contact the Answer Center at 314.400.4600.

Lead & Learn

Valuable courses, Council news and opportunities specifically for our adult volunteers.

VIEW NOW

Mandatory Volunteer Training toggle arrow

Protecting the emotional and physical safety and well-being of Girl Scouts is our shared top priority. Your partnership as a volunteer for our Council helps to ensure that Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri (GSEM) is a safe place for all girls.

The purpose of the training is to equip volunteers with the knowledge and skills to recognize signs of child abuse or neglect and understand our responsibilities as mandated reporters.

All volunteers are required to complete the following trainings within 60 days of assignment in gsLearn:

Girl Scouts Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention: Course available in the Content Library in gsLearn. Course completion will be required annually for any active volunteer.
Missouri Child Abuse and Neglect Mandated Reporter Training: Course available in the Content Library in gsLearn. Course completion will be required biennially for any active volunteer.

Click here for Course and Certification Upload Instructions.

Your partnership helps ensure that Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri is a safe place for all girls. We are committed to maintaining policies and procedures that create a secure environment for girls to discover their world, connect with their peers and take action to improve their communities. Thank you for your continued volunteer service to our council, helping us build girls of courage, confidence, and character who will make the world a better place.

Frequently Asked Questions

Mandatory Volunteer Training FAQ

Need assistance accessing gsLearn?
Contact the Answer Center at 314.400.4600 or answercenter@girlscoutsem.org.

New Troop Leader Learning Path toggle arrow

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: Missouri Child Abuse and Neglect Mandated Reporter Training
Girl Scout volunteers and staff are considered mandated reporters in the state of Missouri. This course, provided by Missouri KidsFirst, explores how adults can identify and report child abuse and neglect to the Children’s Division of the Missouri Department of Social Services.

Course 6: Managing My Troop from My Account
This course provided by GSUSA demonstrates how troop leaders can manage troop and troop member information from My Account. It also demonstrates how leaders can complete registration activities for troop members.

USA Archery Courses toggle arrow

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, meaning 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 any USA Archery Instructor certification course begins by 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 opening the course in the Content Library, or selecting Live Sessions in the green navigation menu.
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. If you did not receive your confirmation email from gsLearn, immediately contact Shaun Lindhoff at slindhoff@girlscoutsem.org for assistance.

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.

Small Craft Safety Learning Path toggle arrow

Small Craft Safety: Canoeing, Small Craft Safety: Sailing, and Small Craft Safety: Moving Water are now taught as blended-learning courses. Refer to the spring/summer edition of Lead and Learn for in-person course dates and registration information.

Our Small Craft Safety courses are organized into three learning paths, each of which contains all the knowledge needed to take part in the in-person skills sessions for each aquatic discipline. Some courses are found in all learning paths; however, once you complete a course in one learning path it will be shown as complete in the other learning paths.

While the Girl Scouts Small Craft Safety learning paths are based on the former American Red Cross certification material, they do not result in American Red Cross certifications. Instead, they acknowledge the successful completion of all requirements for that learning path. Girl Scouts Small Craft Safety learning paths are renewable every three years.

Each Small Craft Safety learning path contains multiple blended-learning courses, meaning there will be online components accessible anytime in gsLearn and corresponding in-person skills sessions requiring registration.

All online components must be completed before attending any of the in-person skills sessions.

Each learning path is described below:

Small Craft Safety: Canoeing – required to supervise all levels of Girls Scouts in canoes on flat water (no current).

Basic Water Rescue blended-learning course (online portion in gsLearn)
Small Craft Safety Core online course (gsLearn)
GSUSA Small Craft Safety Training online videos (gsLearn)
Small Craft Safety: Canoeing blended-learning course (online portion in gsLearn)

Small Craft Safety: Sailing – required to supervise Juniors through Ambassadors in sailboats on flat water (no current).

Basic Water Rescue blended-learning course (online portion in gsLearn)
Small Craft Safety Core online course (gsLearn)
GSUSA Small Craft Safety Training online videos (gsLearn)
Small Craft Safety: Sailing blended-learning course (online portion in gsLearn)

Small Craft Safety: Moving Water – required to supervise Cadettes through Ambassadors in canoes on Class I or Class I/II moving water (with current).

Basic Water Rescue blended-learning course (online portion in gsLearn)
Small Craft Safety Core online course (gsLearn)
GSUSA Small Craft Safety Training online videos (gsLearn)
Small Craft Safety: Canoeing blended-learning course (online portion in gsLearn)
Small Craft Safety: Moving Water blended learning course (online portion in gsLearn)

Note that Basic Water Rescue is now offered as a stand-alone blended-learning course, in addition to being a component of all Small Craft Safety learning paths.