Whatever your future Girl Scout travels may be, you’re going to need some money, and now is the perfect time to start planning and earning!
Financial Assistance
Financial Assistance for travel is available through our council and GSUSA.
GCNWI Travel Financial Assistance: GSGCNWI offers financial assistance (FA) and scholarships for girls traveling on council-sponsored trips AND Destinations! Applications for travel FA are available after Jan. 1 each year. If you are currently registered for one of these trips, a council representative will send you an application.
Juliette Low World Friendship Fund: If you apply for a Girl Scouts Destination to one of the WAGGGS World Centres, you will automatically receive $500 toward the cost of your trip;
Financial Assistance with Programs:Every Girl Scout can receive up to $25 per year to help cover the cost of troop field trips, troop travel, and more. Applications are open Nov. 1 to July 30 each year.
Use these money saving tips towards upcoming You & Me trips! There is still availability on the beautiful Door County, WI trip!
Door County Trip Includes:
A boat tour on Ride the Fireboat: Originally designed as a City of Chicago Fireboat, the “Fred A. Busse” was built in Bay City, Michigan in 1937 as a way to combat city fires from the Chicago River and Lake Michigan! Girls on last summer’s trip even got to try using the water hose!
Next up was a stop at The Farm where Girl Scouts can feed baby goats, cuddle with kittens, milk cows and see what life would be like working on a real farm.
A guided tour of The Ridges Sanctuary – state park that preserves the natural area with ridges and swells along the coastline.
A meal at Al Johnson’s where you can pet goats that live on the roof!
The following is a guest post from members of Girl Scout Troop 50834…
Recently, our troop traveled all throughout Europe visiting London, Paris and Barcelona. The trip was very interesting. We were able to see many famous landmarks: Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Tower of London, Eiffel Tower, The Louvre, Notre Dame, La Sagrada Familia.
We also saw famous people: Queen Elizabeth, Prince Edward, Prince Charles, Camilla – Duchess of Cornwall, Felipe VI and Letizia – King and Queen of Spain. We also enjoyed seeing the play Wicked in London, it was amazing! We were able to meet one of the actors after the show.
We rode the train everywhere we went and met different cultures of people from around the world; we also saw many different currencies. We visited PAX Lodge in London and received a Girl Scout pin. The Spanish markets had so many different foods and the crepes in France were fabulous! It was a trip of a lifetime that we will always remember.
We also went to Savannah, Georgia. Getting the opportunity to experience the history of how Girl Scouts began was amazing. We were accompanied by another Girl Scout troop from Kansas during our time there as well.
Some of the highlights of our trip were visiting the birthplace of the Girl Scout founder, Juliette Gordon Low, and learning about how she interacted with and helped girls. Other high points were going on a dolphin cruise on Tybee Island and collecting seashells on the beach. We had a great time discovering our Girl Scout history and more about each other.
If you’d like to learn more about our council’s travel opportunities, visit girlscoutsgcnwi.org.
During this three-day, two-night adventure, Girl Scout Brownies, Juniors and Cadettes travel with their mom, grandma or favorite female adult friend for a fun-filled weekend adventure. The total price of the trip is approximately $350 per person which includes coach bus, accommodation, multiple meals and activities.
The trip takes place from Aug. 5-7, 2018, and the group stays at the iconic Mission Point Resort in shared accommodation. Group activities include a horse-drawn carriage ride, butterfly house and admission to Fort Mackinac.
Girl Scouts and their family members get a full afternoon and evening to explore – whether that’s renting a bike to circle the 8.3 miles around the island, horseback riding, eating free fudge samples or shopping.
Following the success of GSGCNWI’s You-and-Me on Mackinac Island, the council has now added a second You-and-Me option in Door County, Wisconsin. Travel dates for this new opportunity are June 24-26, 2018.
Again, Girl Scout Brownies, Juniors and Cadettes travel with their mom, grandma or favorite female adult friend for a three-day, two-night adventure. The total cost of the trip is approximately $275 per person, and includes coach bus, accommodation, multiple meals and activities.
The group will take part in a trolley tour, guided hike at the Ridges Sanctuary and a boat tour. There will also be free-time to explore the towns of Egg Harbor and Sister Bay. Accommodation is shared-suites at Newport Resort in Egg Harbor.
Registration for both trips closes on January 31, 2018 and requires a $150 deposit. You can register for the Mackinac Island trip here and register for the Door County trip here.
If you’d like to learn more about our council’s travel opportunities, visit girlscoutsgcnwi.org.
Ever wonder what it’s like to travel with Girl Scouts? In this guest blog post, members of Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana share their experience in Colorado…
Day One
We started off meeting at the airport at 9:30 a.m. We got all of our plane tickets and went straight to our gate. Some girls went out and got food before our flight. Soon our plane was ready to be boarded! The flight was two-and-a-half hours to Denver. We practically played Mad Libs at least half of the plane ride. Yay!
We flew over Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, and Colorado. Once we landed, we boarded our bus and saw the most beautiful mountains and hills. The two-hour bus ride was a blast when all of a sudden the girls burst out into the song “Titanium”. Our bus driver also took us to Starbucks so we could eat before the camp dinner time.
We arrived at the camp successfully and learned about different activities we could do during free time. Many girls went out for a dusk hike and even saw a deer! Soon it was time to go to bed so we could have an amazing day tomorrow.
Day Two
We started off the day with an early-morning horseback ride through the mountains. We were on the trails for about an hour and the views were incredible. We had big, super friendly horses … although some of them were a bit slow. Some of us liked that the horses started trotting, that was fun! Our tour guide also took us through a small creek so the horses could stop and get a drink of water.
In the afternoon, a bunch of people enjoyed doing mosaics, and other crafts at the craft cabin while some swam at the pool. Our favorite part about the pool was the rock-climbing wall. Many of us have gone adventuring off to explore the property and saw llamas and goats.
Later in the day we did the low-ropes course. It was all about team building and communication. We learned to always make a plan and think outside of the box. There was also a small challenge course. Another lesson learned is that it is better and easier when everyone joins in and tries their hardest.
Day Three
Today was our whitewater rafting trip! When we got to the Mad Adventures Rafting, we were split up into two different groups for rafting. The two guides were really funny and nice. At first we were in slow, smooth, and peaceful water. Later we ended up in rapids and we got very wet even on the boat.
We went to a small cliff with two different levels, the lower one being 5 feet and the higher one being 20 feet. Some of us climbed up the cliffs and jumped into the river. In the middle of our trip, we stopped to rest and eat lunch (on land). The guides set up a sandwich station and we got to make our sandwiches and eat cookies.
After lunch, we got back out on the water. We played many games, for example, Rodeo. Rodeo was a game where you stood at the front edge of the raft and the rest of the boat would go in circles, trying to make you loose your balance and fall into the river. The people who jumped in had very surprised looks on their faces. Today was an enjoyable day and everyone enjoyed it!
Day Four
Today we went tubing, and had fun doing archery as well. Some of us also had fun rollerskating and swimming. We also enjoyed a cook out dinner and had a campfire afterwards where we enjoyed S’mores and sang songs.
Day Five
Today was definitely a fun-filled day! First, we started off with the adventurous canoeing. Girls were playing music, dancing and playing different types of competitive games. Sadly, the hour was short although, it was an awesome start to the day.
After the drive back to camp most of the girls went to lunch. We had a walk back to the forest zip line. Most of the girls went for a second turn because it was super fun. Some put their fears aside and went for it and ended up with the biggest smile on their faces! We headed back to our chunk of free time. Girls did activities including swimming, visiting the library, mini golf, and hiking.
Later that afternoon, nine girls set off for the steak dinner and horseback ride. The food was amazing and horseback riding was even better! With a trot, walk, fun fact learning, and singing, and joke telling, the two-hour horse ride was a complete success. After that activity, girls decided to go play the human version of Hungry Hungry Hippos and some stayed for rollerskating.
Day Six
Today we went to the Rocky Mountain National Park. While there we encountered a herd of elk, learned how to lasso a wooden horse, some of us took a tour of a homestead and learned of the family that lived there.
We went on a photo tour, going to different spots to take photos. We climbed the Alpine Ascent at 12,000 feet! After our climb in the wind and cold (plus a little snow!), we did some souvenir shopping.
We also went to the Continental Divide for a photo op. Then we went to a town called Grand Lake. We enjoyed ice cream and trinket shopping.
Day Seven
To start the day, some girls went on a breakfast horseback ride. The horses were very energetic; they trotted numerous times. The food was delicious — we had giant cowboy pancakes, seasoned eggs, bacon, and sausage.
After our ride, we went to lunch and later that afternoon, four of us went to the high-ropes challenge course. Some of the obstacles were the Jacob’s Ladder, the “Leap of Faith,” and other trust activities. Some people went for a beautiful waterfall hike, went swimming, and went to the craft cabin.
If you’d like to join our council’s next trip to Colorado in 2019, click here to learn more and register. For more information about our travel opportunities, visit girlscoutsgcnwi.org.
Nearly a dozen girls from Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana traveled to Switzerland this summer on a council-sponsored trip. Accompanied by five adults, the group arrived in Zurich after an eight-hour plane journey from the States. Once there, they hit the ground running on a walking tour of Altstadt, or Old Town, in the Swiss city of Zurich.
The next day, the Girl Scouts went to the Swiss National Museum and the Zurich Zoo, where they happened to see Beyoncé! Next up was Bern, the capital of Switzerland. The group enjoyed many free sites here, such as a bear pit, rose garden and botanical garden.
Girl Scouts in Bern, Switzerland
The following day, everyone participated in a walking tour of Bern and was luck enough to see Le Tour de France as the cyclists biked through the town.
Perhaps the highlight of the trip was the nine days the girls got to spend at Our Chalet, which is an international Girl Guide/Girl Scout centre and one of five World Centres of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, or WAGGS. While there, the girls met other groups from the U.S. and Canada, including their pen pals from Canada.
Girl Scouts white-water rafting at Our Chalet
While at Our Chalet, the girls also went zip-lining, abseiling into a gorge, white-water rafting, met a woodcarver and did a lot of hiking. The views of the country were phenomenal. Finishing up the trip was a day in Lauterbrunnen where the participants saw Trummelbach Falls, the only waterfalls in Europe you can see inside of a mountain.
This trip was a culmination of a year’s worth of planning. Once the girls applied in June 2015, they began discussing their itinerary. They also attended a panel with people who had either worked at Our Chalet or visited there to get a better sense of what to expect.
Girl Scouts at Trummelbach Falls in Switzerland
At the end of the trip, the girls agreed that Switzerland was one of the most beautiful places they had ever seen and they returned to the States with bags of cheese and chocolate for souvenirs.
To learn more about council-sponsored travel opportunities, click here. For more information about traveling as a Girl Scout, please email our senior program manager of arts, cultural awareness and travel programs at achristensen@girlscoutsgcnwi.org.
