Going green one shade at a time, girl scout style!

"Going Green, One Shade at a Time", introduces girls to a variety of environmental issues, the effects on their bodies and more importantly, safer solutions.

This program designed for girls 11-17 years of age, was adopted by Girl Scouts of Connecticut and approved by Girl Scout of the United States of America (GSUSA) in 2008. This patch program is available to Girl Scouts across the United States and beyond.

The patch objectives include: Gain awareness of the effects personal actions and choices can have on the environment and health, gain awareness of pollution and the effect on our environment, gain awareness of organic and non-organic products, gain awareness of products created by recycled materials and explore environmental careers.

Learning activities include the topic of water. One skill states "We all need clean water to live. Pollutants enter our water from many places. Research how life in urban areas, farm lands and industrial areas can impact our water quality." Numerous tools such as a "toxic tour" of their neighborhood, texts, and the internet can be utilized to achieve this activity. The patch program contains flexible learning activities which allow girls in a variety of communities, urban or rural, small groups or large to achieve the objectives.

This program empowers girls to act as advocates for their own health as well as for their family and community. They are encouraged to find safer solutions, become savvy consumers and educate others. For example, one of the activities suggests that the group develop a play about recycling for children.

A registered nurse and a Girl Scout leader developed “Going Green One Shade at a Time”. The Girl Scout program is the world's largest organization dedicated to "helping all girls everywhere build character and gain skills for success in the real world." The program attracts girls of all ages, ethnic groups, social classes and religious backgrounds. This program provides an ideal audience to provide information regarding the environment and to empower them to action within their homes, schools and communities.