On May 2, Girl Scouts of the USA announced a new partnership with the National Park Service to launch the “
Girl Scout Ranger Program,” a joint venture connecting girls with National Park Service sites through the United States, including monuments, seashores and urban sites.
Through the Girl Scout Ranger Program, girls can participate in a variety of organized educational or outdoor service projects. Girl Scouts may also design their own project that aligns with various badge activities or a project to earn one of the highest awards in Girl Scouting, including the Girl Scout Gold Award. Girls who successfully complete projects will be awarded certificates from the National Park Service and Girl Scout patches.
 |
Girl Scout Cadette Sianna from Norfolk and
Superintendent Kirsten Talken-Spaulding at Fort Monroe |
Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast, which serves girls in southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina, has an ongoing partnership with Fort Monroe National Monument to engage girls in unique activities to teach them about history, culture and the environment. Kirsten Talken-Spaulding, superintendent of Fort Monroe National Monument, is a Girl Scout alumna and a recipient of the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor and achievement in Girl Scouting. In her role, Talken-Spaulding has the opportunity to work with Girl Scouts who visit the park and help spark girls’ curiosity and interest in the outdoors.
Currently on display at the
Casemate Museum on the Fort, is a Girl Scout archive exhibit, Sisterhood on the Fort, about the history of Girl Scouting on Fort Monroe, starting with the first Girl Scout troop that formed on the military installation in 1926. The exhibit is free and open to the public to view.
Girl Scouts who wish to participate in the Girl Scout Ranger Program can visit the National Park Service website to locate a park (“Find Your Park”) near their home. There, they can also learn about the history of the park and explore its natural and cultural resources. Girl Scout parents and volunteers can arrange for activities, including hiking, biking, wildlife watching and guided interpretive tours.
In addition to
Fort Monroe National Monument, the following sites run by the National Park Service are within the service area of Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast:
girl scouts of the colonial coast
