Getting Started!

Here are the trainings needed to get you started and ensure that you and the girls you are working with have an excellent Guiding experience.

Orientation to Guiding - Have you just joined the Girl Guides of Canada? This orientation course will provide you with a basic overview of the organization, its Mission, Vision and Principles. It will help you understand your role as a Guider, where you fit in the larger organizational structure and what resources to turn to for help. This course will also introduce you to the different youth and adult programs, and what opportunities you have for further training and professional development within Girl Guides of Canada.

Leadership Development Program (LDP) - in order to earn LDP - Stage One, Guiders must take: About the Girl, Programming for the Girl and Quick Start.

About The Girl (Branch Specific) - About the Girl is designed to give details about the physical, emotional, social and intellectual needs of girls at different ages and how to best serve their needs in the Guiding program. Those who interact with girls of this age, in both structured and informal environments, will acquire a fuller understanding of the girl at this age. This will help to develop realistic expectations for girls’ behaviours and abilities.

Programming For The Girl (Branch Specific) – Programming For The Girl helps Guiders organize an hour-long program that is girl focused and meets the needs of the girls. It will help Guiders to determine the goals of their program and develop different types of activities to meet those goals. By applying the age characteristics of the girls in their branch, which are covered in About the Girl, Guiders will have a better understanding of how to structure a meeting. They’ll also learn how to use activities that let girls learn by doing, and that suit different learning styles and developmental stages.

Quick Start (Branch Specific) - In Quick Start, Guiders will use their knowledge of the girls in their Unit to deliver the program while furthering their understanding on how to create a successful girl/adult partnership, manage behaviour and create a wonderful experience for the Guider and the girls in their unit.

In addition, you will need:

Safe Guide (November 2004 edition) – The Safe Guide training module will provide Unit Guiders with an understanding of the importance of the Safe Guide document and its related polices and procedures. This module will also give an overview of risk factors and risk levels to help Guiders understand the basic concepts of risk management. In addition, this module will give Guiders a process to follow to assess the risk of specific Guiding activities.

Optional:

Putting The Pieces Together (All Branches) - In Putting the Pieces Together, Guiders develop a sense of their leadership style, understand different models of leadership, increase their skills and confidence as a leader, and give an understanding of group dynamics and behaviour management to help coordinate a group of girls.

You may also wish to take training in: First Aid, Outdoor Activity Leadership, Food Safe and Arts.

Where can you get this Training?

Girl Guides of Canada offers a number of different trainings and methods of delivery in order to best meet the needs of today’s Guiders. BC Trainers offer face-to-face trainings in each Area. The Program Delivery Service at National offers e-learning format for some trainings. The Training Methods Chart will introduce you to the trainings that are available. The Leadership Development Program (LDP) is a training program designed to help women gain confidence and self-assurance through their contributions to Girl Guides of Canada youth programs.

You may also wish to visit our Training Opportunities and Training Forms on the National Website.