GIRL SCOUTS LEADER'S DAY 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. |