Ways to Inspire Your Girl Scout to Make the World a Better Place
Looking for ways your Girl Scout can give back to her community?
Whether you’re a troop leader planning the next meeting or a parent helping your girl earn her next badge, community service is at the heart of Girl Scouts.
Girl Scout founder, Juliette Gordon Low, believed helping others was one of the most important things girls could do. Community service, she said, helps build character, teaches valuable skills, and truly makes the world a better place.
When World War I began just a few years after Girl Scouts was founded, Low encouraged girls to help the war effort by running soup kitchens, sending care packages to soldiers, planting victory gardens, and even rolling bandages.
More than 100 years later, Girl Scouts around the world continue to carry out that mission to serve others. Last year, almost 25,000 of our local Girl Scout members performed community service, leading 87% of girls surveyed to say they believe they can make a difference in the world.
Here are six ideas to inspire your Girl Scout to make the world a better place:
Girl Scout Projects to Help Fight Hunger in Georgia
Did you know that 1 in 7 Georgians, including 1 in 5 children, struggle with food insecurity? This includes our Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta members.
The following resources may help you find local food pantries, medical meals and other free and reduced food resources in your area. Dates, times, and hours of food distributions will be found on these sites.
County Government websites and local schools
Through one of our community partners, the Atlanta Community Food Bank (ACFB), Girl Scouts are stepping up to learn about this issue and make a difference. Programs are tailored to each level of Girl Scouts, making it age-appropriate every year.
Your Girl Scout or troop can:
Earn a patch through the ACFB partnership as you learn about the food needs in Georgia
Attend a Saturday ACFB workshop. Check our events calendar for upcoming dates
Collect canned goods and donate to your local food pantry
Get inspired! Read how a local Cherokee County troop made a difference in their community by creating birthday kits for food-insecure children.
Save the Birds, Bees, and Trees; Environmental Service Projects for Girls
Mother Earth needs a little love, and Girl Scouts are here to lend a hand.
Take the Girl Scout Tree Promise (a GSUSA national service project) to protect, plant, and honor the trees that keep our communities cool and healthy. Join our partner Trees Atlanta for a hands-on workshop or sign up for a local tree-planting event. Track your progress and earn the Tree Promise patch.
Support Georgia’s Pollinators
Many
native Georgia butterfly, bird, and bee populations are
declining. Your Girl Scout can make a difference by encouraging a
wildlife-friendly habitat in her backyard, school, or a local park
(with permission).
Join a Birds Georgia workshop, held at their office next to Trees Atlanta, to learn which Georgia birds are at risk and the steps to take to support their population. Birds Georgia may provide financial aid.
On the Go: Get field trip suggestions with more of our environmental partners.
Get Inspired: Read about Girl Scout Elle W.’s Gold Award project, where she created a bluebird sanctuary at Briarlake Forest Park.
Kindness Projects for Girls Scouts. Support for Seniors
Did you know that 1 in 3 older adults say they often feel lonely, and loneliness is closely related to both mental and physical decline?
Your Girl Scout can spread kindness through the Girl Scout National Letter Writing Service Project. One simple letter can make someone’s day. Here you’ll find tips on how to:
- Find a participating senior home
- Write encouraging messages
- Follow safety guidelines
A small gesture like a handwritten letter, card, or hand-drawn picture can make a big difference!
There are other ways to support lonely seniors. Consider arranging a visit to a senior home to play games, host BINGO, lead a craft activity or perform songs or music.
Get Inspired: Read about Gwinnett County Girl Scout Jean Y. and her project to bring songs and meditation to seniors.
Girl Scout Community Service = Civic Service
Helping the community doesn’t stop with volunteering; it’s also about learning to use your voice.
Older girls can attend Girl Scout Day at the Capitol this coming February to meet state representatives, see how laws are made, and discover how government works.
Girls of all ages can earn Civic Leadership Badges, from the Daisy “Be a Good Neighbor” Badge to the Ambassador “Public Policy” Badge.
Want to take it further?
- Contact your local county commissioner or mayor’s office for a city hall tour.
- Learn about the impact and responsibility of voting with our national partner, the nonpartisan League of Women Voters.
Get Inspired: 11Alive was on hand for Girl Scout Day at the Capitol
Girl Scout High Awards: Go for the Gold (and Silver and Bronze!)
Did you know that 2026 marks the 110th anniversary of the Girl Scout Gold Award? It’s the highest honor a Girl Scout can earn, recognizing girls who lead meaningful, long-term community projects.
Along with the Gold Award, girls can also earn the Silver and Bronze Awards, each representing leadership and service at different levels.
Plus, Gold Award Girl Scouts are eligible for thousands of dollars in scholarships!
- Learn about the Gold,
Silver, and Bronze Awards
- Check out
our Highest Award
Yearbook for project inspiration
- Explore the new leadership awards, precursors to the Gold, Silver, and Bronze Awards
Get Inspired: Read about Nora M.’s Gold Award Project to help children with Down Syndrome through her GiGi’s Playhouse Coffee Shop project.
Cookies for a Cause – How Girl Scouts Support the Military and First Responders
There’s a lot to celebrate during Girl Scout Cookie season, from girls flexing their entrepreneurial muscles to earning money for camping or troop travel. It’s also a time to support our service members and their families through the Smiles4Military campaign.
These cookies, “purchased” by a girl’s cookie customer, are shipped via our community partners like the USO and Operation Gratitude around the globe to service members. Since 2013, the council has sent over 2 million boxes to our military personnel.
Girl Scout troops may also decide to donate cookies to their local schools or first responders to say ‘thank you’ for their work in our communities.
Register to attend Cookie Rally or Cookie University and learn more.
Every act of service helps strengthen our communities and make our girls more confident. Whether your troop plants a tree, writes a letter, or tackles a major service project, they’re learning how to make the world a better place, just like Juliette Gordon Low envisioned.
