The World in My Community Badge
For Junior Girl Scouts

There's no need to travel far to find evidence of diversity in the world. It can be as close as the telephone book, kitchen cupboard, or street where girls live. While working on this badge, Junior Girl Scouts can learn about the world around them.

The World in My Community Badge appeared in Girl Scout Badges and Signs (1990) but was not included in the Junior Girl Scout Badge Book (2001). However, the badge is still available here online, adapted for the Web.

Complete six activities.

1. Map It Out

Design or use a prepared map of your neighborhood, county, parish, town, or community. On the map, highlight contributions of people from different ethnic groups, either from the past or present. These could be restaurants, shops, street names, statues, or memorials, businesses, park names, trails, historic houses or buildings, agriculture and plants, specific neighborhoods, etc. See how many different ethnic groups you can find.

2. What's in a Name?

Open a community telephone book to any page. How many different family names are on the page? Open to another page. How many different family names are there? Find a name you think is unusual or interesting. Imagine the family history of a person with that name, and write a short story, a poem, or diary entries.

OR

Create a song or drawing about the exciting things that may have happened in that person's life.

OR

Find out the origin of the name. What can you discover about its history?

3. Getting Around

Read "Fight Prejudice and Discrimination" (pages 74–75) in the Junior Girl Scout Handbook. Survey your community or school to find out how easy or hard it is for people with disabilities to get around. If possible, as part of your survey, interview a fellow Girl Scout or someone you know with a disability.

4. Celebrate!

Participate in a cultural event, parade, or festival for an ethnic group other than your own. Learn about the event's meaning and background.

5. Let's Dine Out

Visit a restaurant or home that serves food different from the food your family cooks. Ask the waiter, restaurant manager, or host about the ingredients and styles of cooking. Find out if the recipe was changed because of different tastes or available ingredients. Ask if any special holiday recipes or dishes are traditionally served.

6. Welcome Wagon

Ask your school principal or secretary if there are any students who have arrived recently from another country or part of the United States. Ask the students before or after school or during lunch to tell you about the similarities and differences between their new community and their old one. Share with them some favorite things about your community.

7. Let's Get Together!

Help organize a backyard or neighborhood fair, a wide game, sports day, fashion show, craft fair, or other event. Create a special activity or game showing all the different types of people who live in your community.

8. Culture Sleuth

Try to learn more about the history, customs, and heritage of an ethnic group different from yours found in your community. Demonstrate what you have learned through a skit, puppet show, series of drawings or posters, a short story, a shadow box display, clay figures, or a speech.

Adapted from Girl Scout Badges and Signs ©1990 by Girl Scouts of the United States of America.

Note: Participation patches must be worn on the back of the uniform only.

Girl Scout badges, patches, awards, and other insignia that are earned for the accomplishment of skill-building activities or any set requirements should be presented, worn, or displayed only after Girl Scouts have completed the requirements outlined in the appropriate program materials.

All insignia are owned by Girl Scouts of the United States of America and are protected by law for use by GSUSA. None of the insignia may be copied, duplicated, or reproduced without prior express written authorization from Girl Scouts of the USA. All rights reserved.