Volunteer Trainings

With several volunteer opportunities available to community leaders, we strive to offer training opportunities– everything from Girl Scouting 101 to Mental Health First Aid – to make your role easier and more enjoyable! Please check out our calendar, using the volunteer filter, to see everything we have to offer!

Have an idea or connection for a new training? Please email volunteer@hngirlscouts.org.

Required Trainings for New Leaders

At Hornets’ Nest Council, we are happy to offer the convenience of online training for our new leaders. The new leader training is called the “New Leader Learning Path” and is made up of several short modules to help you in your role as a leader. Some of the modules have very short quizzes at the end. Once you have completed all of the modules, along with the quizzes, then your new leader training will be complete! It will take about an hour to complete the New Leader Learning Path.

To access the New Leader Learning Path, you will first need to be registered as a new leader and complete your background check. Once that is complete you will gain access to our online learning platform called gsLearn. Log in to gsLearn by clicking on “sign in” at the top right corner of our website, then click the gsLearn button to begin setting up your account. Around 15-30 minutes later you should get an email about a gsLearn team update and an online course invitation. This means your account is fully set up and when you return to gsLearn you will see the New Leader Learning Path on your home screen.

If you have not registered as a leader yet, you can do so here.

Volunteer Trainings

Thank you for your interest in volunteering with Girl Scouts, Hornets’ Nest Council. We strive to offer training opportunities to help make your role easier and more enjoyable! Click the dropdown menus below to discover more about the different opportunities that we have available for you.

Check out our calendar, using the volunteer filter, to see everything we have to offer and to register for any upcoming in-person sessions.

Have an idea or connection for a new training? Please email customercare@hngirlscouts.org

Community Partner Trainings & Other Enrichment Opportunities

Discovery Daze - An Enrichment Training Day for Volunteers (Full day, 1-2 hour In-Person Sessions)
Join fellow volunteers for a day of enrichment training to learn skills for your troop. Check back soon for registration details.

First Aid and CPR (6 hours, In-Person Course)
Complete The American Heart Association Heart Saver First Aid course (view Volunteer offerings) to recognize and treat medical, injury and environmental emergencies in the critical first minutes before EMS arrives.

Focus on Abilities — Working with Girl Scouts with Disabilities (2 hours, In-Person Course)
Join Disability Rights and Resources (view Volunteer offerings) to learn to work with Girl Scouts who have ADD/ADHD, autism, learning, physical and/or other disabilities.

Understanding Journeys (2 Hours, In-Person Course)
Join us for a deep dive into the National Program Portfolio and walk away with resources and a plan to help your Girl Scouts complete a Journey!

Mental Health First Aid (8 hours, In-Person Course)
Complete this nationwide program to help an individual displaying signs or symptoms of a mental illness by connecting them with the appropriate professional, peer, social or self-care.

Program Cancellation and Refund Policy
Girl Scouts, Hornets’ Nest Council reserves the right to cancel or modify any program or training if insufficient registrations or extenuating circumstances occur. Refunds will only be given if:

1. Program or training is cancelled by GSHNC due to lack of registration or other extenuating circumstances.

2. Request for cancellation is received in writing at least 3 weeks prior to the event; refund will reflect a 25% processing fee unless otherwise noted in the description.*

*Please note: Refunds will not be given if less than 3 weeks of notice is given.

Outdoor Trainings for Girl Scout Volunteers

Please use the Trip Training Requirements Chart to determine which trainings are required. Please note: Outdoor courses must be taken in order.

Our virtual Outdoor Trainings is available on GS Learn. To access, please sign in to your account at hte top of this page, then click the ‘GS LEARN’ button. Once on gsLearn, click ‘Content Library’ on the left side of the page to view available training courses.

*Please note that if this is your first time logging in to gsLearn, you may need to wait approximately 30 minutes for your account to gain access to our library. You should receive an email about a gsLearn Team Update that indicates those background processes have completed. You can then sign in again to view our Content Library.

If you have any difficulties locating these trainings, or are new to the gsLearn platform, please contact Customer Care at customercare@hngirlscouts.org or call (704) 731-6500.------------------------------------------------------

Level 1 – Be Safe, Be Ready (2 parts, Online Course)
Leaders must complete both sections to take a troop overnight to a site where girls sleep in enclosed facilities containing flush toilets. No fire building or outdoor cooking is allowed at this training level.

Be Safe, Be Ready – Girl Planning
Be Safe, Be Ready – Outings & Overnights

You must complete both sections of Be Safe, Be Ready in order to be fully trained, and to continue to higher levels of training.

If you completed Be Safe, Be Ready online in the last two years, that training is still valid but you may need assistance to skip to Level 2. Please contact Customer Care. If you completed Be Safe, Be Ready longer than two years ago, please complete the gsLearn quizzes for Level 1 to brush up on the specifics before proceeding to Level 2!

Level 2 – Fire Building & Outdoor Cooking (1 part, Online Course)
Level 2 completion allows participants to lead a troop in campfires and outdoor cooking, and to stay at locations without on-site refrigeration. Sites must still have tested water and established bathroom facilities.
**Please note: This training is currently being updated and is unavailable. The new version fo this course will be available in spring 2022.

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*Level 3 – The Overnight Camp Experience
Level 3 is required before taking a troop tent camping at a facility with tested water and established bathroom facilities.

*Level 4 – Primitive Camping
Level 4 prepares adults to work with groups at primitive camp-sites without established shelters, bathrooms and/or safe drinking water. This is a 6 hour day class and can be taken with the Backpacking Preplan to make it an overnight experience. This includes a practice backpack for beginners.
**Please note: We are currently working on a virtual version of this training! The new version fo this course will be available in spring 2022.

*Level 5 – Backpacking Preplan & Overnight
Before leading a group on an overnight backpacking experience, participants must acquire skills including equipment selection and packing, trail selection, backpacking safety, preventing and managing trail-side situations, and more. In addition, this can be taken alongside Primitive Camping.

*Levels 3 , 4, and 5 are only offered in-person right now, but there are plans to complete online trainings for them in the future. To check and see if an in-person course is available right now, please visit our calendar for the next available dates.

To become a Backpacking Trip Leader, adults and Ambassador Girl Scouts must complete Levels 1-5.

Outdoor Activity Facilitator Trainings

Facilitator Training

If you are interested in becoming a facilitator for an activity area at one of our properties - such as Archery, Canoeing, the Phoenix Tower, etc. - please consult our Program Eligibility chart for what we require of facilitators at our own camp properties.

We often host trainings throughout the year - check our Activity Calendar to see if there are any upcoming dates for a training you are interested in.

If you would like to reserve an activity area at camp, but no one in your Troop is able to get trained, don't worry - you can pay extra to reserve a trained facilitator through us for most activity areas!

If you are interested in becoming a facilitator to leave activities off of camp properties, please consult the Safety Activity Checkpoints document on the Forms page of our website to see what training and/or certification is required by GSUSA for that activity.

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