Volunteer Training

Whether you are a new leader or in your fifth cookie season, our volunteer training sessions are designed to engage with volunteers at every stage of Girl Scouting to provide you with the information, resources, and skills to feel prepared and confident in leading girls. With these offerings, we strive to enhance your leadership skills to build girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place.

All live (in-person or virtual) training opportunities are listed on our events calendar.

Self-paced, online training is available on gsLearn. gsLearn is available to any registered adult member by logging into myGS and entering your account. Courses available may vary based on your role(s) and are added to regularly.

We know that training is critical to a successful volunteer experience, and for that reason, we are continually adding to our training portfolio. Check the event calendar and gsLearn regularly.

Available on gsLearn

Essentials for NEW Volunteers is our new volunteer training for new Leader, Assistant Leaders, Treasurers, and other volunteers active in planning Girl Scout Activities. The essential courses for a new volunteer are the GSUSA Foundations 1 thru 4 and Managing Group Finances.
Outdoor Core is designed to prepare you to take your group on overnight outdoor adventures. You will learn how to safely take girls on camping trips to developed campgrounds, with a focus on strategies to allow girls to learn and practice basic hiking and camping skills. Outdoor Core is required to become certified to lead an overnight camping trip. This course is required before sleeping outdoors, building campfires, and preparing food in a camp-style setting with Girl Scouts. There are in-person skill sessions available to review/teach specific skills that are part of other outdoor events or stand-alone skill sessions.
Volunteer Toolkit Usage for a variety of roles, including leaders, treasurers, parents, and parents of Juliette Girl Scouts.
Brand Training for Volunteers covers how to correctly design fliers and use the Girl Scout logo correctly.
Level Training to help you understand how Girl Scouts at different ages are developing and find activities suited for their age group.
Product Program Training for Cookies and Magnuts is available for volunteers organizing those programs for their troops and Service Units
And much more

If you cannot find a course on gsLearn, please call (505-343-1040) or email ([email protected]) the office to request access.

Volunteer Essentials for Returning Leaders

This is condensed training for veteran Volunteers. It is a requirement to maintain your Troop Leader or Assistant Leader role. You must be a registered Girl Scouts, have an approved background check on file, and must have taken your last Volunteer Essentials training within the past two years in order to register.

This is an adult only learning environment. Volunteer Essential trainings available are listed on our council calendar.

First Aid/CPR

Emergencies require prompt action and quick judgment. For many activities, Girl Scouts recommends that at least one adult volunteer be first-aid/CPR-certified. For that reason, if you have the opportunity to get trained in council-approved first-aid/CPR, do it! You can take advantage of first-aid/CPR training offered by chapters of the American Red Cross, National Safety Council, EMP America, American Heart Association or other sponsoring organizations approved by our council.

Girl Scouts of the USA and the American Red Cross have a national agreement that allows our Girl Scouts of New Mexico Trails members 20% off of all American Red Cross courses. Likewise, we have a handful of volunteers who have completed American Red Cross Instructor Certification in order to teach emergency preparedness courses for us at an even lower cost in-house. These instructors schedule courses on a volunteer basis to provide their time for free, allowing GSNMT members to pay the at-cost price of the training. First Aid/CPR courses can be attended by participants 12 years and older.

Council-offered First-Aid & CPR courses are listed on our council calendar.

Travel Training

Everything you need to know to travel for an extended period of time (more than 2 consecutive nights). Get acquainted with basic travel rules and paperwork; learn some tips and tricks for traveling far and wide with girls. This training does not fulfill camping requirements.

Volunteer Expo

Volunteer Expo

Volunteer Expos are offered at various times, virtually and in person. Check our council calendar for upcoming Expos.

Girl Scouts of New Mexico Trails is always expanding our training opportunities. Please send training ideas and requests to Customer Care.

Registering for a Training

Girl Scouts of New Mexico Trails reserves the right to require individuals to retake a course that is incomplete, attended late/left early, and/or attended by children without prior explicit permission.

Girl Scouts of New Mexico Trails further reserves the right to pass/fail individuals from a course based on their comprehension of the materials and fit for the volunteer role for which they are training.