How to Earn the Girl Scout Junior Inside Government Badge

Updated April 2023

To be honest, this badge and the requirements look a bit boring for fourth and fifth graders. But in reality, this is such an important badge to earn as we are helping to create future leaders! 

If you are doing this badge during a local election year, it is even more relevant.

Photo from Pixabay

Step 1 Decide what Being an Active Citizen Means to You

This is an easy first step as girls love to talk! As them what being an active citizen means. If you like. you can also open with this free printable about local government sheet for the girls to fill out. See how much they do or do not know!

Step 2 Go Inside Government

See if you can arrange for an elected official to come to your meeting or talk to your girls via Skype. If that is not possible, then ask a PTA Board member to come and talk to your girls about how the school is governed and why it has by-laws.

Step 3 Look Into Laws

Ask the girls what the difference is between a rule and a law. Find some silly laws to talk about and why the girls think this law was created.

Have the girls think about a law they would want to create and have put into place. Would someone be upset with his la? How would the government deal with people who opposed it?

Step 4 Report on the Issues

Of the three choices, the one that seems to be the most interesting is to have someone come and talk to the girls about the town’s history. Most towns have a Historical Society and you can either visit the place or have someone come and speak to the girls about the different issues the town has had and if there was one that was around a long time before it was settled.

Step 5 Get Involved in Community Government

If your school is like the one my daughter attended, fifth graders get to run for Student Body. This would fulfill the requirement even if a girl is not running for office but is working on her friend’s campaign.

If this is not something your school does, then have each girl create a campaign poster with three things she would like to make into law.