GREENPRINT: A Community-First, Mission Support Model
GREENPRINT: A Community-First, Mission Support Model aims to re-create and re-imagine our Girl Scout Service Unit structure, boundaries, roles, and volunteer support to ensure youth in all communities can benefit from Girl Scout programs. As part of this new model, Girl Scouts River Valleys will intentionally uplift, train, support, and empower our volunteer leaders to use their voices and skills to maintain and create vibrant local communities of Girl Scouts in our region.
This new service model includes:
- Updated Community (formerly called Service Units) boundaries and Community names using school district boundaries and names as a guide.
- Creation of a larger geographic support layer for Communities called the Area, which will allow Communities to come together to organize events, programming, recruitment, and more.
- Refreshed Community volunteer leader roles and benefits.
- Increased volunteer engagement, training, support, and tools.
History of GREENPRINT
GreenPrint was started by volunteers, for volunteers! Starting in 2020, an initial group of 18 volunteers from across our council formed an advisory committee. They discussed Girl Scouts’ programs and volunteer experiences, strategies, and new initiatives. Their main findings were:
- Membership was not accurately representing the diversity of the population in our area, which has been increasing and becoming even more diverse
- While satisfaction and retention was high when averaged, members and volunteers were having uneven experiences across our council
- Service Unit structure hadn’t been strategically reviewed in many years
- One-size-fits-all does not actually fit anyone; communities need different things for Girl Scouts to thrive
From February 2021 onwards, this advisory group of volunteers has been meeting to address their findings and co-create GREENPRINT with GSRV staff. They have given feedback on Community and Area boundaries, volunteer roles, volunteer training, and much more!
What does this mean for troop leaders and Juliette mentors?
Volunteer Resources: As of April 1, the Girl Scouts RIver Valleys volunteer website, a subsite of our main girlscoutsrv.org website, has been officially sunset. All information, training, and resources you need to support your troop will live on our main girlscoutsrv.org website. This update will allow you easier access to materials you need to be an amazing volunteer.
Volunteer Support: As we have shifted service unit boundaries to new Community boundaries, you may find that you will have a new set of volunteers that support you locally. You will still be able to run your troop, attend events, have amazing adventures, sell cookies, and more!
What does this mean for Community and Area Volunteers?
Volunteer Resources: As of April 1, the Girl Scouts RIver Valleys volunteer website, a subsite of our main girlscoutsrv.org website, has been officially sunset. All information, training, and resources you need to support your troop will live on our main girlscoutsrv.org website. This update will allow you easier access to materials you need to be an amazing volunteer.
Volunteer Support: Communities will receive support from their Areas and Girl Scouts River Valleys staff. Areas will receive support from Girl Scouts River Valleys staff. Area volunteers may also support a Community’s troops directly if that Community doesn’t have a particular role filled. Volunteer Engagement staff help will Communities and Areas recruit, train, mentor, and appreciate volunteers. Staff from Product Program, Program, Finance, and Recruitment will also support volunteers in various roles.
Volunteer Flexibility: Our new structure is designed to adapt with the changing needs of your Community and Area. Maybe your local membership or volunteer numbers change. Maybe your troops’ interest shifts from one type of programming to another. Or maybe your volunteer team finds a new way of doing things that works better for you! Having the option to fill each role at the Community level, the Area level, or both creates more flexibility to adapt to these changes. By moving to a structure that can evolve over time, we are planting the seeds to keep Girl Scouting strong well into the future.
