aMUSE Take Action Project - Standing Up Against Stereotypes
The aMUSE Take Action Project takes the form of an artistic performance or presentation "Busting a Stereotype". Girls can chose plays, murals, comic strips, paintings, songs, whatever medium they choose. In a recent session, a number of the girls decided to create PowerPoint presentations to show to their audience.
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Many girls opt to make a poster combining artwork & facts that they use as a basis for their presentation.
In this example, the scout decided to prove that "Girl's can't be in the Military" is a stereotype, by highlighting the accomplishments of two women soldiers. The first was Ann Elizabeth Dunwoody, the first woman in U.S. military and uniformed service history to achieve a four-star officer rank. The second, Theresa Vail was a beauty queen (Miss Kansas)and a scholar as well as a soldier.
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This group chose the stereotype Women Can't be President. In addition to the info on their poster, they covered the history of women fighting for the right to vote. They finished their presentation by asking the audience to look around to see if maybe a future woman president of the USA was in the room.
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How does completing the aMUSE Journey prepare girls for their Bronze Award?
For a complete overview of the progression of Take Action Projects from journey to GOLD. Click here
The journeys are a pre-requisite for the higher awards because each journey includes a Take Action Project (TAP). The journey TAP is a project the girls design that follows all the steps they will need to do when they tackle their Bronze Award, so that when they approach the Bronze Award, the steps will be familiar. The journey TAP has no hour requirement & it is to be done on a topic within the scope/theme of the journey. By contrast, the Bronze is 20 suggested hours and they can choose any topic. All Journey TAP's can be done outside of or within the GS community. It is the same case of the Bronze.
The aMUSE TAP involves the "issue" of stereotypes that affect women. The TAP takes place in the form of a performance or art piece where the girls demonstrate a stereotype, prove that it is wrong & ask their audience to help "bust' it.
The 7 steps to a Take Action Project
as they are addressed in the aMUSE journey, note the similarity to the Bronze award steps below.
1 Map It: Investigate community needs and problem causes The girls examine stereotypes & learn to recognize them. They interview women and ask them if they have been affected by stereotypes.
2 Plan it: Prepare a Take Action plan The girls choose a stereotype that they feel strongly about. They decide how they will tackle it, how many people are on their team, what medium they will use to do their project, mural, play etc.
3 Do it: Act “with” the community They present their "stereotype Busting" project to an invited audience.
4 Think About It: Reflect on the project’s impact. They consider how they will act when they see stereotypes in the future.
5 Advocate it: Demonstrate the importance of the issue to others. When they do their presentation, they ask the audience to help them recognize & stand up against their stereotype.
6 Be Proud of It: Celebrate the accomplishments.
7 Keep It Going: Think about how the project could be sustained Think of other people/groups who need to hear about their issue.
The journeys are a pre-requisite for the higher awards because each journey includes a Take Action Project (TAP). The journey TAP is a project the girls design that follows all the steps they will need to do when they tackle their Bronze Award, so that when they approach the Bronze Award, the steps will be familiar. The journey TAP has no hour requirement & it is to be done on a topic within the scope/theme of the journey. By contrast, the Bronze is 20 suggested hours and they can choose any topic. All Journey TAP's can be done outside of or within the GS community. It is the same case of the Bronze.
The aMUSE TAP involves the "issue" of stereotypes that affect women. The TAP takes place in the form of a performance or art piece where the girls demonstrate a stereotype, prove that it is wrong & ask their audience to help "bust' it.
The 7 steps to a Take Action Project
as they are addressed in the aMUSE journey, note the similarity to the Bronze award steps below.
1 Map It: Investigate community needs and problem causes The girls examine stereotypes & learn to recognize them. They interview women and ask them if they have been affected by stereotypes.
2 Plan it: Prepare a Take Action plan The girls choose a stereotype that they feel strongly about. They decide how they will tackle it, how many people are on their team, what medium they will use to do their project, mural, play etc.
3 Do it: Act “with” the community They present their "stereotype Busting" project to an invited audience.
4 Think About It: Reflect on the project’s impact. They consider how they will act when they see stereotypes in the future.
5 Advocate it: Demonstrate the importance of the issue to others. When they do their presentation, they ask the audience to help them recognize & stand up against their stereotype.
6 Be Proud of It: Celebrate the accomplishments.
7 Keep It Going: Think about how the project could be sustained Think of other people/groups who need to hear about their issue.
BRONZE AWARD
Highly Recommended GSOC has a Bronze Award Advisor training
For current listings check the calendar http://www.girlscoutsoc.org/en/events/event-calendar.html
Take Action Project (TAP) vs Community Service projects
The TAP is different than a community service project. A community service project is a one time thing, like showing up at an event & filling food boxes, or planting a tree. The most common community service projects are collections. Donating collected items is nice, but it only solves a short term immediate need. When they do a TAP, the girls find an issue or community need, figure out what they could do to "fix" it, decide who they need to reach out to or help & advocate for their issue.
For example at junior age, they love "helping the puppies or kitties".
Community service - donate blankets or catnip toys to animal shelter.
Bronze TAP - Think about how you investigate needs at an agency, in this example, it's an the animal shelter. If the girls ask what they "need" they will probably hand you a list of needed items. If the girls visit a shelter & interview the staff to find out what problems, challenges or issues they have & how they can help, you may get a different answer.
Possible answers - Low adoption rates for adult animals, low adoption rates for black cats and dogs, the public not knowing about spaying and neutering or knowing where low cost clinics are.
The above issues are great jumping off points for girls to start researching, educating and inspiring their community.
Back to the collection topic, let's say they actually do have a shortage of toys and blankets. How do you make that into a Take Action Project ? Start by having the girls research what kind of things they can make, learn how to make them, buy the supplies, become experts at making them. Next step - reach out to other people, clubs, groups or troops & teach them how to make them. Educate them about why they are needed and why they are important. Ask the people you teach to teach others how to make them to "pay it forward" by connecting them to the shelter so they can donate what they made.. Have the girls talk about the ongoing need to people who might be able to make them on a regular basis, like a quilting club.
Bronze doesn't need to be sustainable (only Gold requires sustainability), but if it contains a "pay it forward component" it can have a greater impact.
The TAP is different than a community service project. A community service project is a one time thing, like showing up at an event & filling food boxes, or planting a tree. The most common community service projects are collections. Donating collected items is nice, but it only solves a short term immediate need. When they do a TAP, the girls find an issue or community need, figure out what they could do to "fix" it, decide who they need to reach out to or help & advocate for their issue.
For example at junior age, they love "helping the puppies or kitties".
Community service - donate blankets or catnip toys to animal shelter.
Bronze TAP - Think about how you investigate needs at an agency, in this example, it's an the animal shelter. If the girls ask what they "need" they will probably hand you a list of needed items. If the girls visit a shelter & interview the staff to find out what problems, challenges or issues they have & how they can help, you may get a different answer.
Possible answers - Low adoption rates for adult animals, low adoption rates for black cats and dogs, the public not knowing about spaying and neutering or knowing where low cost clinics are.
The above issues are great jumping off points for girls to start researching, educating and inspiring their community.
Back to the collection topic, let's say they actually do have a shortage of toys and blankets. How do you make that into a Take Action Project ? Start by having the girls research what kind of things they can make, learn how to make them, buy the supplies, become experts at making them. Next step - reach out to other people, clubs, groups or troops & teach them how to make them. Educate them about why they are needed and why they are important. Ask the people you teach to teach others how to make them to "pay it forward" by connecting them to the shelter so they can donate what they made.. Have the girls talk about the ongoing need to people who might be able to make them on a regular basis, like a quilting club.
Bronze doesn't need to be sustainable (only Gold requires sustainability), but if it contains a "pay it forward component" it can have a greater impact.
BRONZE AWARD steps
Pre-requisite
Girls must be in 4th or 5th grade (or equivalent) and be a registered Girl Scout Junior
AND
Complete one Junior Journey including Take Action Project. The junior journeys are aMUSE,Agent of Change & Get Moving.
An Overview to the Girl Scout Bronze Award Steps
1 Build your Girl Scout Junior team.
2 Explore your community.
3 Choose your Girl Scout Bronze Award project.
4 Make a plan.
5 Put your plan in motion.
6 Spread the word.
Here is a link to GSUSA info about the Bronze Award
http://www.girlscouts.org/program/highest_awards/bronze_award.asp
Here is a link to GSOC overview of Bronze, Silver & Gold Awards
http://www.girlscoutsoc.org/girl-scouts-highest-awards
Girls must be in 4th or 5th grade (or equivalent) and be a registered Girl Scout Junior
AND
Complete one Junior Journey including Take Action Project. The junior journeys are aMUSE,Agent of Change & Get Moving.
An Overview to the Girl Scout Bronze Award Steps
1 Build your Girl Scout Junior team.
2 Explore your community.
3 Choose your Girl Scout Bronze Award project.
4 Make a plan.
5 Put your plan in motion.
6 Spread the word.
Here is a link to GSUSA info about the Bronze Award
http://www.girlscouts.org/program/highest_awards/bronze_award.asp
Here is a link to GSOC overview of Bronze, Silver & Gold Awards
http://www.girlscoutsoc.org/girl-scouts-highest-awards
Here is a PDF Guide to the Bronze Award. There is also a complete overview guide in the Junior Girl Guide http://gscocshop.org/store/product/11270/Junior-Girl%27s-Guide/
| Bronze Award Guide |
Need Project Ideas ?
Click here to view our Inspirational Projects page. Seeing how others have followed their passions to make change in their community can give you an idea of issues and topics that might appeal to your troop. You can also go to the aMUSE for juniors page on this site page & scroll down for real life stereotype busting ideas and resources.