Virtual event series on Saturdays Starting May 22
Girl Scouts of the USA is excited to announce the Becoming Me program. This is a special collaboration with Penguin Random House and Former First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama. The program follows the recent publication of Mrs. Obama’s book, Becoming: Adapted for Young Readers, and offers a unique opportunity for Girl Scouts to embark on their journeys to become their best selves. The program, which includes a virtual event with Mrs. Obama, will also walk girls through earning three badges at each Girl Scout level.
The May 6 virtual event is open to girls grades K through 12 and their parent/caregivers when they join or renew as a member in Girl Scouts ($35 for 18 month membership; financial aid is available). Following the event, Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas (GSNETX) will offer a virtual workshop series to dive into the main themes of Becoming Me even further.
Becoming Me is designed to unlock the power of girls’ unique stories as they embark on their journeys to becoming their best selves. Girls will explore five themes presented in Becoming Me including: Unseen History – Your Entire Story Matters, Support Systems & Mentorship, Owning your Story and Finding your Voice, Learning to Swerve, and Public Service. Girls participating in the program series will earn three badges and the Becoming Me patch, as well as a digital Becoming Me journal. The virtual event series will be held on Saturdays for 1 hour starting May 22. Registration opens May 6 for all grade levels. Becoming Me program series curriculum will be available to Girl Scout partners. This includes troop leaders, schools, places of worship and other community volunteers.
A Champion For Girls & Women
“Mrs. Obama is a cultural leader and a champion for girls and women,” said GSUSA Interim CEO Judith Batty. “Her journey described in Becoming closely aligns with our mission of building girls of courage, confidence, and character. It is a story of sharing joys and triumphs, as well as the bumps and bruises along the way. Our Becoming Me program will challenge participants to look inside themselves to define who they are and who they want to become, just as Mrs. Obama does in Becoming.”
“I am so pleased to be working with Girl Scouts of the USA on the Becoming Me program,” says Mrs. Obama. “It is a joy and privilege to support young girls along their journeys of becoming, working together to unlock the unique and profound power that lies within each of our own stories.”
Girl Scouts’ Becoming Me program will be available at no cost to any interested Girl Scout enrolled for the 2021–22 membership year. Drawing on Girl Scouts’ programming—which includes over 300 skill-building badges—we’re thrilled to release the curated Becoming Me program series, built on 18 badges that explore key themes in Becoming: Adapted for Young Readers.
The Girls Scouts’ Becoming Me program includes:
- A six- to eight-week experience centered around core themes from Mrs. Obama’s Becoming: Adapted for Young Readers that align with the Girl Scout mission, such as knowing and telling your story, maintaining mental health and wellness, and supporting and nurturing girls on their journeys.
- A journal activity through which participants reflect on their personal experiences as they answer the question “Who are you, and who do you want to become?”
- A facilitator guide to help volunteers steer Girl Scouts through their journeys. Plus free digital downloads, such as modified Becoming journal content and an excerpt from Becoming: Adapted for Young Readers.
- Admission to a virtual event featuring a conversation between Girl Scouts and Mrs. Obama, during which she’ll explore the themes in Becoming: Adapted for Young Readers and how they relate to Girl Scouts’ and young people’s experiences today.
- An exclusive Becoming Me patch for optional purchase.
The Becoming Me program will launch in early May 2021. Learn more by visiting girlscouts.org/BecomingMe.
