What Is STUDIO 2B?
A Program Option for Girls 11-17
The Four B's
BECOME: celebrate yourself today and become your best self in the future.
BELONG: be part of a group where you have fun, relate to others with respect and develop lasting relationships.
BELIEVE: develop your ideas and voice what's important to you.
BUILD: take action on what you care about and make a difference.
STUDIO 2B is an innovative way for Girl Scouts ages 11 to 17 to connect with each other, get advice from adults, and try new activities. This program option uses the four Girl Scout Program Goals reframed as "The Four B's" (see box at right) as the basic goals of every activity. In STUDIO 2B, girls explore who they want to be and what they want to do in the future. And they decide what activities they want to do. STUDIO 2B members are registered Girl Scouts, accept the Promise and Law, follow Safety-Wise standards and can choose to earn the Girl Scout Silver and Gold Awards. STUDIO 2B is “real” Girl Scouts!
STUDIO 2B Resources
Girls can use a variety of resources and STUDIO 2B ONLINE (www.studio2b.org) to jumpstart their discussions, explore new activities and earn awards. STUDIO 2B recognizes that girls have different needs and interests as they progress through adolescence. Accordingly, some of the activities and books in STUDIO 2B are designed specifically to appeal to girls 11-13, 13-15 or 15-17. Other activities and books enable girls to learn and share across developmental stages. The STUDIO 2B Collections series speaks directly to girls 11-13, 13-15 or 15-17 about their lives. The STUDIO 2B Focus series provides girls with fun ways to set goals related to skills they want to learn. When they have met their goals, they earn the corresponding charm. The STUDIO 2B Basics planner helps girls fit STUDIO 2B into their lives. Accessories like t-shirts, bags and charm holders offer girls new symbols of belonging.
The STUDIO 2B options are an additional way to meet Girl Scout program goals. They are not meant to replace the current resources for Girl Scouts ages 11-17. Girls can continue using the resources and names they choose. They can also mix and match the previously existing resources with the new STUDIO 2B resources. When it comes to options, STUDIO 2B is about “more, more,” not “either/or.” Girls can participate in both traditional activities and STUDIO 2B activities, or they can choose to be involved in one exclusively. Girls 11-17 want a variety of ways to participate. Some want to be part of a group or troop that meets regularly. Others want to be individually registered and choose from a calendar of events. STUDIO 2B is meeting these diverse needs!
How Girls Are Supervised in STUDIO 2B
Research shows that girls appreciate their interactions with current volunteers. Additionally, they would like to spend some of their time with volunteers 18-29. Girls want a glimpse of who they are going to be “next,” and volunteers 18-29 are uniquely able to offer this perspective. Girls also said it would be great to spend time with adults who are experts in the topics they are exploring. Adults of all ages and backgrounds are needed to help out for as little as an hour one time and as often as one day a week. STUDIO 2B offers a variety of flexible volunteer opportunities for adults. Anyone interested in volunteering in the Kentuckiana Council should contact Girl Scouts at 888-771-5172.
The Research
A diverse group of girls (both in and out of Girl Scouts) ages 11 to 17 from all around the country shared their opinions about what they need and want when they participate in out-of-school activities. Parents, volunteers and staff from Girl Scout councils also weighed in. This extensive research by GSUSA has shown that the developmental needs and interests of pre-teen and teenage girls fall into three distinct groupings: 11-12, 13-15, and 16-17. These girls want conversations and activities that focus on their specific interests, needs and worries. They need a safe place to talk with a trusted adult (especially teen-savvy young women), and they told the researchers that they wanted the program to be fun, and not always "work." They want to become their best selves, be a part of a group, develop their ideas and voice, and take action on what is important to them.
How Advisors and Mentors Can Help
Girls have said that while they certainly need and value advice from adults, they want their experiences in STUDIO 2B to be driven by a “By Girls, For Girls” philosophy.In STUDIO 2B, girls lead the way and are supported by adults who advise. From the time a girl joins Girl Scouting — whether as a Daisy or as a high schooler, she needs continual opportunities to try new things, and develop skills in areas that attract her, including planning, goal setting, decision making and evaluation, and to make decisions about the direction the program in her troop or group is going. While adults often think they know what is best and what they need, girls need to be involved in making these decisions. Girl Scout program is based on a skill progression. One of Girl Scouting's four program goals is to help each girl develop to her full potential. She can only learn what that is if she is given chances to grow and develop her interests.
Want More on STUDIO 2B?
For additional information on STUDIO 2B, please visit www.studio2b.org or contact Terri Tock at the council office, 502-636-0900 ext. 229 (Louisville) or 1-888-771-5170 (toll free).