BFF and the aMaze Journey

(This from the Girl Scouts Research Institute, from GSUSA)

Building Healthy Relationships at Girl Scouts of the USA

BFF (Be a Friend First)
In October, Girl Scouts of the USA launched an innovative bullying-prevention initiative for middle-school girls. BFF, which stands for “Be a Friend First,” is based on the popular aMAZE! Leadership Journey. Working with volunteers, girls learn relational and leadership skills to short-circuit bullying behavior and to prevent it from happening in the first place. BFF uses role playing, creative writing, and discussion exercises through which girls explore thorny issues like peer pressure, stereotyping, gossip, and cliques. As part of BFF, girls also create and lead projects in their schools and communities to tackle bullying issues. BFF can be easily integrated into existing health or character education classes, can serve as an after-school program, and can even be offered during a holiday break. Girl Scout councils across the country will be launching this important initiative in their communities this winter. Check out the BFF webpage, and stay tuned for more!

What a great program that ties in directly with the leadership Journey!  One of the things we talk at length about in our Cadette Essentials Trainings is about the Journeys.  Which to take? How to do it?  How to incorporate it into the year?  Consensus usually comes with 6th graders, new to their middle schools, getting the most benefit from the aMaze Journey.  This Journey tackles what they are dealing with in school, and helps them work their way through the twists and turns of pre-tweendom.  (Is that really a word?)

I've had advisors say this was the best thing for the troop:  that it went smoothly, girls jumped at the chance to participate, and they really bonded as a troop.  I've also had those who said it was torture to get through:  too much talking, too much touchy-feely, too hard to make it through all the pages.  It's best when I have both groups in the room at the same time!!!  The ones who have the great experiences are overwhelmingly forthcoming about how to make it work!  They have great tips and stories to share, including my favorite:  once a quarter? couple of months?  The girls come for their Friday night meeting at 5. Have dinner, chat, clean up.  6pm is the prompt start of the meeting.  It's over at 8pm. And then from 8pm that night, til 8 am the next morning, it's all girl time to do what they want!

This advisor used her family/bonus room, and let the girls loose.  Some nights they were all asleep by 10, and others by 2.  She said this was also the time the girls would put a fire in the fireplace, get into jammies and crawl into their sleeping bags, and then chat about issues.  Girl Scouts is a safe place for girls, and this place was no exception!  The advisor said that this was the time they had the best sharing, the best talking about the issues and the best girl time.  She said it felt like the pressure was off, and the girls could just share.  That they happened to complete a Journey, was a bonus!

And then they left at 8!  No group fixing breakfast....just grab a muffin or bagel, and go!  The girls still had the weekend to do all their "stuff", and so did the advisor!