Girl Recognition

 Girl Recognition

There are lots of different badges you can earn as a reward for completing the challenges in the Girl Recognition System. You can choose to work towards any combination of –

  • Explore a Challenge
  • Create a Challenge
  • Achieve a Challenge
  • Discover a Challenge

Some awards allow you to set your own personal challenges. Others require you to reach a certain skill level and can be cross-credited to external qualifications e.g. Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, St John First Aid or Royal Life Saving Society. Most challenges can be done by yourself or with your Patrol or Unit.

Get yourself a copy of the Girl Guides Australia publication Look Wide from your State Guide Retail Outlet and start planning.

Explore a Challenge:

Explore these challenges at any time and then re-explore them if you wish. There are 10 topic areas to choose from:

  1. Our World
  2. Guiding World
  3. Life Skills
  4. Be Prepared
  5. Outdoors
  6. Health and Fitness
  7. Arts
  8. Friendship
  9. Science and Technology
  10. Faith Awareness

Follow your interests, choose four different challenges in one of the ten topic areas listed above or create your own. Try them on your own, or as a Patrol or interest group.

Get Exploring! Create a Challenge:

There are 30 badges to choose from, plus a blank for you to create your own. Use the Australian Guide Program process – discover, decide, plan to create your own challenges and then do and check to complete and earn your badge.

You will find words around each badge in Look Wide publication to help stimulate your ideas. Use your imagination, you may choose one big challenge or a series of small ones either on your own or with your Patrol or Unit.

Create a different set of challenges and earn another reward. Get creative!

Achieve a Challenge:

These challenges are designed to recognise the skills and abilities of the individual. Completing each challenge will show that you have reached a set level of skill in your chosen area.

  • Trefoil 1 indicates a beginning skill
  • Trefoil 2 shows an intermediate skill
  • Trefoil 3 recognises advanced skill development.

Try them on your own, or as a Patrol or interest group.

Discover a Challenge:

There are ten levels of this challenge with a minimum age for each level.

Each level has four sections: Physical, People, Practical and Self. You are required to complete ten challenges to complete the badge. Each level is named after an Australian gemstone. These badges include many of the traditional Guiding skills all Guides should know. The syllabus for each of these badges can be found in the age appropriate Guide Handbook.

Discover a Challenge Badge Examples:

 Sapphire Discover a Challenge    Jade Discover a Challenge    Black Opal Discover a Challenge

 


Assessment

At times you may require the skills, knowledge or expertise of an external assessor for assessing challenge work. This includes:

  • Queen’s Guide Award (including Focus and interest assessments if needed);
  • BP Award;
  • Junior BP Award;
  • Endeavours; and
  • all ‘Look Wide’ and ‘Look Wider Still’ challenges.

Guides can use the External Assessment Protocol for Guides to help them understand what is required of them when using an external assessor.

Leaders can use the External Assessment Protocol for Leaders to assist Guides in completing their challenges when external assessment is required


Awards

Girl Guides Australia has three achievement Awards for Guides to work towards and gain a great sense of achievement. The Awards can be achieved as you progress through the Australian Guide Program. The Awards are to be worked on one at a time. You should work on the Award best suited to your abilities and interests. You can start the next Award even if you have not gained the previous one. You need to have made or renewed your Promise, be an active member of your unit and patrol, and be ready for extra challenges to start an Award. Once you are 14 years of age you can start the Queen’s Guide Award and complete it by your 18th birthday. You can also work towards the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award as well as the Queen’s Guide Award once you turn 14 years.

Junior BP Award

Each of these Guide Awards has two parts which can be worked on at the same time.

This is assessed by the you and your fellow Guides. You must complete at least two challenges (AIM HIGH publication) from each of the following topics:

  • Promise and Law
  • Outdoors
  • Patrol System
  • Service
  • Guiding Traditions
  • World Guiding

When you have completed six activities you will be halfway and you will be presented with the Bronze Endeavour reward for working so hard.

BP Award

Read through the options in your “Aim High” book and then work on 3 challenges in each of the following areas:

  • Promise and Law
  • Outdoors
  • Service
  • Guiding Traditions
  • World Guiding
  • Patrol Systems

When you have completed 9 activities you will be presented with a Silver Endeavour badge.

Then once you have completed the other 9 activities you will receive your BP Award at a special ceremony.

Queen’s Guide Award

The Queen’s Guide Award is the peak achievement in Guides. The challenges must be completed before your 18th birthday.

See the Queen’s Guide Award Page for further details.

Duke of Edinburgh International Award

The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Scheme has three levels of Award – Bronze, Silver and Gold. Any girl 14 years and over can join Guides to participate in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme. You can register through your State Girl Guides organisation and join a local Unit of girls your age. Guides provides you with many opportunities to learn new skills, give service, participate in a recreational activity or expedition and take part in a residential camp – this could even be at a WAGGGS World Centre such as SANGAM in India.

Last Modified: 28/02/23 at 5:21 PM