GIRL SCOUTS AND EARTH DAY 2024
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Date: Mon Apr 22, 12:00 AM EST - Mon Apr 22, 11:59 PM EST
  • Council Program Events
  • Daisies,
  • Brownies,
  • Juniors,
  • Cadettes,
  • Seniors,
  • Ambassadors,
  • Volunteers

GIRL SCOUTS AND EARTH DAY 2024

“I will do my best...to use resources wisely...to make the world a better place…”
What is Earth Day?

Earth Day, celebrated on April 22nd each year, is dedicated to building awareness about the environmental challenges that face our planet. Each year it has a different theme. Learn more at https://www.earthday.org/

Why is Earth Day Important?
• Earth Day encourages a day of education about environmental issues that affect our planet every year.
• Demonstrations on Earth Day let our representatives in government know how important action on environmental issues is to their constituents.
• Earth Day gives us a day to reflect and remember the significance of the health of the planet and what we can all do to help ensure that health.
• Earth Day has influenced major national policy in the past, and will  continue to do so; in the years that followed the first Earth Day many national environmental policies were passed including:
          - The Clean Air Act
          - The Water Quality Improvement Act
          - The Endangered Species Act
          - The Toxic Substances Control Act
          - The Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act
         
So many ways to celebrate!

Girl Scouts and Guides around the world celebrate Earth Day with community service projects that improve the environment, or with demonstrations and programs that educate others about the challenges our earth is facing. Many of them earn YUNGA (Youth And United Nations Global Alliance) Challenge Badges like Climate Change, Energy, Forests, and The Ocean. Girl Scouts in the USA often choose to earn the Global Action Award in honor of Earth Day. The Global Action Award is an official national award, so Girl Scouts can wear it on their vest or sash, just like a badge. The award patch is now different for each grade level.

The Activity Packs with the award requirements can be downloaded at https://www.girlscouts.org/en/for-girls/think-globally/global-action-award.html. The Global Action 2022 Award emphasizes two Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): #3, good health and well-being; and #11, sustainable cities and communities. How does this connect with Earth Day?

If girls explore the characteristics of a sustainable community, they'll find them described as places where:
• The needs of everyone in the community are met and people feel safe, healthy, and ultimately happy; where
• the environment is appreciated, protected, and enhanced, and damage to the environment is minimized.
You can help girls go online or to the library to learn more about sustainable cities and communities. Leading, coaching, or mentoring roundtable or informal discussions can help girls figure out the connections between Earth Day and the goals of the Global Action Award.
Ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being at all ages is essential to sustainable development. And the goal of SDG #3 is to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all, at all ages.

Why? Ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being are important to building societies where people feel safe, healthy, and happy!

The United Nations has a downloadable flier with more information, plus suggestions for how we all can help achieve this goal: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/3_Why-It-Matters-2020.pdf

To earn the Global Action Award, girls:
 1. Explore the Global Goals(SDGs) and the Global Action Award.
2. Explore good health and well-being issues.
3. Create a health and well-being challenge.
4. Explore sustainable cities and communities.
5. Create a sustainable cities and communities challenge.

DO MORE...EXPLORE A CAREER!
Environmental health is the branch of public health that focuses on the relationships between people and their environment; promotes human health and well-being; and fosters healthy and safe communities. Environmental health is a key part of any comprehensive public health system. Use your search engine to find environmental health resources and images online.