ROUTE  66  SERVICE  UNIT
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Take Action

Girl Scouts has a rich history of empowering girls to help improve their communities. Since 1912, Girl Scout groups throughout the country have participated in community service projects addressing everything from caring for animals, baking for troops, serving senior citizens to improving the environment. Community service projects such as tending a local garden at a school or church can be completed in one day. Other endeavors, such as adopting grandparents through the Silver Lining program can span multiple visits throughout the year. Whatever the group decides to undertake, girls learn the benefit of giving back to the community.

Take Action is designed to elevate traditional Girl Scout community service from meeting an immediate need to advocacy projects that make change happen. Girls identify a cause they feel passionate about, and with advocacy and action, make a change. Girls can create a Take Action project with each leadership journey they complete. 
Girl Scout Bronze, Silver and Gold Award projects are all Take Action projects.

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Getting Started 
Not sure how to get started on a Take Action project? Follow these simple Steps and plan a meaningful
Take Action project with girls.


Step 1: Take Action Project vs. Community Service Project  
Before a troop discusses which needs in their community they’d like to address with a Take Action project it is important to know the difference between a community service project and a Take Action project. While some community service projects address the immediate needs in the community, they only help for a short period of time. Take Action projects are lasting service projects that make long-term, measurable change.

          COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECT
          Addresses an immediate need
          Addresses a problem by working with or for a community partner
          Contribution to the community is usually, but not always, measurable
          Makes community better for some people, right now
          Not usually long-lasting or continuous

          TAKE ACTION PROJECT
          Addresses a need, immediate or not
          Addresses the root cause of a problem by working with (not for) community partner(s)
          Creates a lasting impact in the community
          Contribution to the community is always measurable
          Includes provisions to ensure sustainability long after girls’ involvement in the project has ended

A Take Action Project should be: 
Measurable — The success of the project can be determined based on the number of people the project helped, the number of people who were involved, any reduction in the communities need and other concrete numbers.

Sustainable — Girls should make arrangements to ensure that the project creates lasting change and is not a one-time event. Girls can do this by collaborating with community leaders and/or organizations, and building alliances with mentors.
Community service projects are an important way for Girl Scouts to serve their community. However, Take Action projects make a lasting difference in the community and give girls even more opportunities to make their world a better place! If a troop chooses to do a Take Action project they can still participate in community service projects.

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Step 2: Use Community Mapping to Help Choose the Take Action Project
A community map is a drawing or list that shows a communities needs and resources, including contacts that might help girls when working on a Take Action Project. Have girls draw a picture of their community—include resources such as the library, animal shelters, parks department, and more.

Next have the girls think about issues or problems in their community. Suggest that girls ask their parents, watch the local news, or simply take a good look around their community. These issues or problems may be small or large. Some examples may include: an old or unsafe playground at the local park, many stray cats that don’t have a home, nothing for teens to do on the weekend, bullies at school, etc. Make a list of the issues or problems the girls discovered in their community. Narrow this list to a few issues that the girls are interested in. Research the issues further and discuss the resources girls can use to help them fill the communities need.

Have girls choose their Take Action project. Important: one key to a successful Take Action project is to determine what the community needs are before creating the Take Action project. There is nothing worse than creating a project, then finding out that it was not needed.

Step 3: Plan and Go For It 
Sit down with girls and determine what steps need to be taken to complete their Take Action project. Discuss who will do each step of the project. Remember, this is a girl-led project, so step back as much as possible and only help when needed. Take time to write down each step and who is in charge, keep the project plan close at hand for easy reference. Look back to your list of community resources to see who may be able to help the group during the project.

Stuck at a certain step? Take a break and come back to it another day to see the project in a new way.

Step 4: Celebrate! 
Once your project is complete, take time to celebrate. Plan a party or ceremony to talk about what the girls have achieved. Think about inviting community partners or family members. Your group may also want to post a video of your project on the council’s Facebook page.

The benefits of Take Action projects go far beyond the reach of the project itself. Not only does the community see sustainable changes, girls will develop strong leadership skills that will help them throughout their lifetime. As the community sees how girls are changing the world through Girl Scouts, they will want to get involved as volunteers, and may even want to serve as project advisors on other Take Action projects.

                                          Don’t know where to start? Need some inspiration? 
Check out this list of possible organizations to partner with or that other troops have partnered with for their Take Action projects.

Animals 
- Local humane societies
- Local farms
- Tulsa Zoo
- Oklahoma Aquarium

Community Re-Build 
- Habitat for Humanity

Education 
- Local libraries

Human Interest 
- Local food pantries
- Local churches
- Local veteran’s home
- Local shelters
- Susan G. Komen

Family/Children 
- Make a Wish Foundation
- Children’s Hospital
- Ronald McDonald House

Environmental 
- Oxley Nature Center
- Tulsa Audubon Society
- Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation
- Tulsa Botanic Garden

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