Program Descriptions

Environmental Education

Environmental education seeks to help bridge the gap between people and nature. There are six core concepts environmental education focuses on: (1) life-long learning, (2) interdisciplinary learning approaches, (3) developing a personal relationship with nature, (4) emphasizes active responsibility, (5) encourage sensitivity, awareness and understanding and (6) creation and solidification of values.

Children who participate and engage in environmental education experiences are shown to have increased positive thoughts and associations towards nature as well as a greater sense of stewardship towards environmental issues.

Girl Scouts Nation's Capital offers a wide variety of environmental education programs for youth of all ages. Program offerings vary seasonally and are based on the natural phenomena of our region.

Insect Investigations

Grade: Daisy and Up

Badge Category: Environmental Stewardship

Unleash your curiosity by delving into the diverse and fascinating world of insects. Learn about the features insects share, the special adaptations which help them survive and about common insects found at our camps.

Through hands-on activities, field exploration and games participants will become junior entomologist (bug scientists) with a better understand and appreciation for insects and their important role in our environment.

Example Badge: Bug (brownies)

Friends of a Feather

Grade: Daisy and Up

Badge Category: Animals

Join us in discovering the beauty and diversity of our feathered friends, the birds!

Through hands-on exploration and games participants will discover the unique avian adaptations such feathers, flight and song while exploring camp. By becoming junior ornithologists (bird scientists), participants will learn about the important role birds play in our ecosystem and how everyone can contribute to bird conservation.

Whether new the the world of birding or an old pro, we invite you to take flight in the world of avian wonders!

Example Badge: Animal Observer (daisy)

Slippery Secrets: An Amphibian Adventure

Grade: Daisy and Up

Badge Category: Naturalist

Slide into a world of ancient creatures who have existed since before the time of the dinosaurs, amphibians. Discover the unique adaptations which have helped frogs, salamanders and toads survive over time.

Through hands-on exploration participants will learn about the amphibians that call camp home. They will learn how to identify different species using physical traits and sounds. Through interactive activities participants will uncover the vital role amphibians play in our environment and how human behavior impacts them both positively and negatively.

Example Badge: Habitats (Juniors)

Rockin' Reptiles

Grade: Daisy and Up

Badge Category: Naturalist

Crawl, slither and waddle your way into the amazing world of reptiles! Take a chance to discover the adaptations which these ancient animals have used to survive millions of years while learning about the reptiles that call camp their home.

Get up close and personal with a variety of reptile artifacts, bust reptile myths and discover the conservation challenges reptiles face world-wide on your journey to becoming a junior herpetologist (reptile scientist).

Example Badges: Eco Friend (Brownie)

Wonders of Water (WOW)

Grade: Daisy and Up

Badge Category: Environmental Stewardship

Do you have what it takes to become a water conservation warrior?

Dive into an amazing adventure to learn about the vital role water play on our planet. Through a blend of hands-on activities, game and scientific inquiry participants will discover how water makes life possible on our planet, how it moves through the water cycle and how to tell the health of a water body.

Participants will discover current threats to global water supplies as well as ways they can help water conservation efforts at home and world wide.

Example Badge: Water (Ambassador)

WOW! Journey (Brownie)

Pollination Nation

Grade: Daisy and Up

Badge Category: Naturalist

Bees, butterflies, bat, oh my! What do all these animals have in common? They are pollinators!

Through hands-on activiites, stories, and nature exploration participants will discover how pollination makes the world go round. Learn about different types of pollinators, their unique adaptations and how they are essential to many plant lifecycles.

Engaging activities will highlight modern threats to pollinators such as habitat loss and pesticides and how we can support conservation efforts to protect these important animals.

Example Badges: Flowers (Juniors)

High Adventure

High adventure is any activity that requires specialized training or skills to safely participate in. Within Girl Scouts Nation's Capital there are a number of high adventure activities available to members such as slingshots, archery, tomahawks/knives, canoe/kayak and more.

Adventure education provides participants a direct, active and engaging learning experiences that involves a known and accepted level of risk and challenge. Adventure education provides a number of proven benefits to participating youth including: improved physical and mental health, increased communication skills, higher self-esteem, stronger interpersonal and intrapersonal relationships.

High adventure activities are available at all camps from Spring to fall.

Slingshots

Grade: Daisy and Up

Badge Category: Outdoor Explorer

Develop valuable skills, gain confidence and have a blast while mastering the art of slingshots. During this session, participants will gain hands-on practice drawing, aiming and firing slingshots after learning proper handling, safety and responsible use of slingshots.

Combine skill development, physics and outdoor fun!

Archery

Grade: Brownie and Up

Badge Category: Outdoor Explorer

Step into a sport which requires percision and focus - archery. Designed for participants of all skill levels, from beginner to seasoned archers, this program offers a comprehensive expereince in the art and sport of archery. Enjoy plenty of practice time on the range refining your skills and having fun.

Under the guidance of camp facilitators archers will use proper technique and safety practices while being provided feedback to improve their results.

Tomahawks/Knives

Grade: Cadette and Up

Badge Category: Outdoor Explorer

Step into a world of tradition and precision with tomahawk/knife throwing. This hands-on program will offer participants the opportunity to learn proper throwing technique, safety practices and recieve feedback to improve their results. Whether your youth are looking to learn a new skill or practice an old one, its time to come to camp for some fun!

Team Building

Grade: Daisy and Up

Badge Category: Outdoor Explorer

It's time to build future leaders! Through a series of fun and challenging activites participants will foster collaboration, practice communication and discover leadership skills. Whether its crossing a chocolate river or piling onto a lifeboat to escape a shipwreck its time for participants to become a team!

Canoes

Grade: Varies by Location

Badge Category: Outdoor Explorer

It's time to get your paddle on! Join our camp facilitators in an amazing time out on the water. Facilitators will take participants through gearing up, learning to paddle and boarding boats to have an amazing time out on the water.

**only available at Camp Winona, Camp White Rock and Camp Coles Trip**

Kayaks

Grade: Varies by Location

Badge Category: Outdoor Explorer

**only available at Camp Winona, Camp White Rock and Camp Coles Trip**

Low Ropes

Grade: Brownie and up

Badge Category: Outdoor Explorer

It's time to discover the amazing things a team can do! By playing games, completing challenges and climbing up on the low ropes course participants will get a chance to discover the power of teamwork.

**only available at Camp White Rock and Camp Crowell**

Outdoor Skills Programs

In a world of increasing urban expansion and technology, outdoor skills may seem like a relic of the past but these skills have benefits to children far beyond the simple skills learned.

Learning outdoor skills can help children develop:

Self-reliance and Independence
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Environmental Awareness
Resourcefulness and Adaptability
Physical Fitness and outdoor enjoyment
Crisis Management
Boost confidence and resilience

Camp Survivor: Steps of Survival

Grade: Daisy and Up

Badge Category: Outdoor

Come hang out in the woods and empower your youth with the skills, confidence and resilience needed to navigate the complexities of outdoor survival.

Participants will explore the steps of survival and learn how to assess situations they may face in the wood. Through hands-on experiences participants will learn how to react in an emergency, make shelters and how to make decisions when faced with a survival situation.

Example Badges: Hiker (Brownie)

Trail Adventure (All Ages)

Camp Survivor: Fire and Fire Safety

Grade: Brownie and Up

Badge Category: Troop Camping

Ignite your passion for camping by discovering the fundamentals of fire building at camp. Learn about the three elements of fire, how to select fire making materials, and how to sustain a fire. Emphasis will be placed on fire safety including teaching participants Girl Scout fire procedures as well as fire etiquette.

Each participant will get a chance to practice building a fire using their newly acquired skills before enjoying a campfire snack.

Example Badges: Cabin Camper (Brownie)

Camper (Junior)

Camp Survivor: Orienteering

Grade: Junior and Up

Badge Category: Outdoor & Adventure

Do you know how to find your way? Through hand-on activities participants will learn how to navigate the woods by using compasses, map, nature signs and more. By playing games they will practice using their skills in a variety of challenges to test their navigation skills.

Example Badges: Camper (Junior), Geocacher (Junior)

Camp Survivor: Knives and Tool Safety

Grade: Cadette and Up

Badge Category: Troop Camping

Become a camping expert! In this engaging and interactive program youth will learn how to use various camping tools such as pocket knifes, hatches and more. Through hand-on learning participants will become empowered and feel confident in using camping tools effectively and safely.

Example Badges: Primitive Camper (Cadette)

Arts & Crafts Programs:

Arts & Crafts is much more than just great fun but it is also great for child development. Completing art projects helps children develop skills such as:

Self-esteem
Fine motor skills
Resilience and Patience

At camp, we focus on environmentally friendly arts and crafts as part of our mission of environmental stewardship.

Beeswax Wraps

Grade: Daisy and Up

Badge Category: Art in the Outdoors

It's time for creativity to meet sustainability! This hands-on arts and crafts program offers participants of all ages the opportunity to create their own beeswax wraps, a stylish and eco-conscious alternative to plastic wrap.

Recycled Accessories

Grade: Daisy and Up

Badge Category: Art in the Outdoors

Embrace sustainability while enjoying the fun of crafting unique accessories from recycled materials. Participants will use repurposed materials such as plastic bottles, old clothing, carboard and more to create one-of-a-kind accessories to take home at the end of the day.

Herbology 101: Making Natural Cures

Grade: Juniors and Up

Badge Category: Art in the Outdoors

Welcome to the world of herbs and natural remedies. Learn about the basics of herbology including the history of natural remedies, how herbs affect the body and the different ailments they have been used for. As part of this discovery participants will get the opportunity to create their own herbal remedies such as infusions, poultices, salves and more.

Evening Programs

The fun and good times at camp don't end just because the sun goes down. Our evening programs offer troops a great way to maximize the experience of camping. Our evening programs offer a wide variety of opportunities for programs such as environmental education, outdoor skills, and Girl Scout traditions.

Campfire Fun

Grade: Daisy and Up

Badge Category: Troop Camping

Join in a Girl Scout tradition by gathering around our fire with friends new and old. Enjoy a night of games, songs and skits led by our experienced camp facilitators. Don't forget to bring you sweet tooth and enjoy a marshmallow with us. Bring your own chocolate and graham crackers if you would like to elevate your campfire s'more.

Night Sky Navigators

Grade: Daisy and Up

Badge Category: Space Science/Naturalist

Since the dawn of time, humans have looked to the night sky. Join in this ancient tradition with camp facilitators as you learn about the stories told from the stars and the scientific discoveries we have made about space.

Example Badges: Sky (Senior)

Night Hike

Grade: Daisy and Up

Badge Category: Environmental Stewardship

When humans go to sleep, nature wakes up! Discover various animals who live in the dark and learn about the special adaptations they use to survive. Don't forget to leave the flashlight behind for this nighttime adventure.

Example Badge: Night Owl (Cadette)

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