Girl Scouts River Valleys offers a variety of training opportunities for you to prepare for a safe and fun outdoor experience with your Girl Scouts. Before venturing outdoors, volunteers are required to have the knowledge and experience to lead a safe and positive camping experience.
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Online Introductory Campfire & Cookout Training
We recommend volunteers to take the following gsLearn online trainings before leading outdoor campfire and cooking activities.
Note: Training classes may not appear in your gsLearn account right away. However, if you do not see your Camp & Outdoor training class(es) within 24 hours please contact us so we can have them re-assigned to you.
Campfire Fun: Fire Safety & Tips
Campfire Fun is a simple online training focused on fire safety and is a great experience before the Girls Cook Out and Sleep Out training—Perfect for volunteers who are ready for adventure! Along with the teachings, you’ll spend the evening around a campfire telling stories with your Girl Scout sisters.
S’mores & More: Intro to Outdoor Cooking
S’mores & More is a great follow-up training to Campfire Fun. This online training will provide you with the basic skills to lead your Girl Scouts in their first simple cookout. You can roast marshmallows, make pie iron pizza (A.k.a pudgie pie pizza), or cook hot dogs. You’ll learn tips, safety guidelines and group management techniques for both stick/fork and pie iron outdoor cooking styles.
In-Person Campfire & Outdoor Training
We recommend volunteers take the following training as they relate your outdoor activity.
Girl Scouts Cook Out
In the Girl Scouts Cook Out training you’ll learn essential outdoor cooking skills including fire building methods, charcoal and camp stove cooking, outdoor dishwashing and sanitation methods. Once complete, you’ll be able to enjoy cooking meals using different fuel sources and equipment safely.
Girl Scouts Sleep Out
In the Girl Scouts Sleep Out training you’ll learn how to guide Girl Scouts in planning a one- or two-night adventure sleeping in tents. Build on the skills from the self-study Girls Sleep In training and gain new skills related to program ideas, planning, safety and addressing environmental concerns related to outdoor tenting. After this training, you will understand what gear is needed for an overnight and how to use and care for tents.
Prerequisite: Girls Cook In Training and Girls Sleep In Training
Scheduled Training: Check back on our volunteer calendar for Girl Scouts Cook Out or Girl Scouts Sleep Out hosted at Girl Scouts River Valleys Camps during April and May. An option to combine these two trainings is called Under Night Adventure for Adults. Your Service Unit’s outdoor champion or manager may also be offering these training or variations of these trainings at other times.
Facilitator Courses
Archery Basics for Adults
This archery training for adults provides volunteers the necessary skill to lead a beginner archery activity at a Girl Scout River Valleys Camp. You will learn about range safety and setup, shooting steps and equipment. This training is valid for three years. Archery facilitators must be 18 years or older.
Prerequisite: Prior experience with archery.
Scheduled Training: Check back on our volunteer calendar to register for the Archery Basic for Adults training offered once in spring and once in fall at a Girl Scouts River Valleys Camps.
Small Craft Safety – Canoeing Certification
This is the current Safety Activity Checkpoints requirement for a canoe trip leader. Learn the skills necessary to prevent, recognize, and respond to canoe emergencies, and gain the knowledge to assist a troop in planning and implementing a canoe outing. This certification covers flat water canoeing and is valid for three years. It will also allow you to use kayaks at our camp properties.
Note: This is a safety and rescue certification course and not a canoeing skills class.
Prerequisite: Participants must be experienced canoeists who are prepared to pass a prerequisite canoe skills test demonstrating the following:
- Float or tread water for 1 minute without a life jacket.
- Swim any stroke for 25 yards without a life jacket.
- Swim any stroke for 25 yards while wearing a life jacket.
- Safely launch and control a canoe using the proper strokes while paddling forward and backward, turning, stopping and holding position.
- Paddling will be done solo, either alone in the canoe or with a non-paddling partner to help balance the canoe. When paddling forward and backward steering strokes, such as J-strokes or sweep strokes, must be used to maintain a straight-line course without switching sides or ruddering.
Scheduled Training: Check back on our volunteer calendar to register for the Small Craft Safety Canoeing Certification offered in June at Camp Lakamaga.
Low Ropes Facilitator Certification
This facilitator certification offers opportunities for troop/groups to participate in group initiative games and low course challenge elements. The low ropes course is not meant to be a playground or obstacle course. It is a series of physical challenges to help individuals and groups develop self-confidence, physical coordination, and skills in leadership, decision-making, problem solving, communication, trust, and teamwork.
In this 7-hour course learn how to facilitate the ropes course experience safely and properly. You’ll learn about group name games, ice-breakers, initiatives, trust, spotting, and the elements on the course as well as how to debrief the entire experience. The course also includes a facilitator guide. This training will allow facilitators to be able to use any Girl Scouts River Valleys low ropes course. Low ropes facilitators must be 18 years or older.
Prerequisite: Previous knowledge and/or background in team building and low ropes course elements.
Scheduled Training: Check back on our volunteer calendar to register for the Low Ropes Facilitator Certification offered once in the spring and once in the fall at a Girl Scouts River Valleys camp.