Every day, thousands of Girl Scout volunteers mentor girls, organize activities, teach life skills, build confidence, and create opportunities for young women to discover their potential.
While they spend countless hours developing the next generation of leaders, they rarely have opportunities to invest in their own leadership growth.
The Forward Leadership Institute was created to change that.
Developed through a partnership between AJLI and GSUSA, the Forward Leadership Institute provides practical, human-centered leadership development designed specifically for Girl Scout volunteers. Participants strengthen their confidence, expand their leadership toolkit, and gain skills they can immediately apply in their volunteer roles, workplaces, families, and communities.
The missions of Girl Scouts and the Junior League naturally complement one another.
Girl Scouts develops girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place.
For more than 125 years, the Junior League has developed women leaders who create meaningful community impact through volunteer action, collaboration, and training.
Together, these organizations are strengthening the entire leadership pipeline–from girls discovering their voices to women expanding theirs.
These findings demonstrate that mental well-being is shaped by the cumulative pressure women experience across work, caregiving, and volunteer responsibilities. Emotional, physical, social, and behavioral consequences frequently emerged when demands intensified. The data show that strain and connection operate simultaneously, meaning volunteer environments can either compound stress or buffer it.
The program has been successfully piloted and refined. Participating councils and Junior Leagues receive a ready-to-use program that minimizes planning time and administrative burden.
Resources include complete curriculum, facilitator guides, presentation slides, participant materials, marketing resources, communication templates, evaluation tools, implementation guidance, and ongoing AJLI support.
Girl Scout Councils and local Junior Leagues work together to determine the timing, audience, and implementation approach that best fits their community.
Every community is different. Some organizations are ready to launch immediately, while others prefer to begin planning for a future program year. We welcome conversations whenever the timing is right for both partners.
Whether you’re representing a Girl Scout Council or a Junior League, we’d love to learn more about your interest.
What is the Forward Leadership Institute?
A leadership development program created through a partnership between GSUSA and AJLI that provides practical leadership training for Girl Scout volunteers.
Who is the program designed for?
Primarily Girl Scout volunteers, including troop leaders and other volunteer leaders.
What makes this program different?
It focuses on developing the volunteer herself—not troop operations—building skills applicable in volunteering, work, family, and community leadership.
What leadership topics are covered?
Leadership style, self-awareness, leadership presence, sustainable leadership, communication, active listening, trust, relational empathy, difficult conversations, collaboration, delegation, leading change, and inclusive leadership.
Is the curriculum complete?
Yes! The curriculum has been piloted and refined, and facilitator materials, participant resources, presentations, marketing materials, and implementation tools are complete.
How much work is required?
The Institute is designed to be turnkey. AJLI provides the curriculum and implementation resources while local partners focus on recruitment, logistics, and delivery. We recommend at least eight weeks of planning and recruitment for participants before launching the program.
Does every council need a local Junior League partner to participate?
Yes. AJLI can help facilitate introductions where partnerships do not yet exist.
Who facilitates the program?
Facilitation is coordinated in partnership with AJLI and participating Junior Leagues using the established curriculum.
Is there a cost?
Implementation details and any future costs will be discussed during planning conversations. There is no cost for the curriculum and facilitation. The potential cost depends on agreed scope for program deployment.
How long is the program?
A multi-session leadership development experience that can be scheduled to meet local needs. The sessions are set to be delivered in five 90-minute sessions but your Council and League can find the best way to deliver the program to your audiences, in-person, virtually or a combination.
Do we need to launch immediately?
No. We encourage organizations to connect early and identify a timeline that aligns with the capacity and priorities of both partners.
We already have volunteer training. Why add this?
It complements existing training by focusing on leadership development rather than troop management.
Why partner with the Junior League?
AJLI brings 125 years of expertise in developing women leaders through experiential learning and community engagement.
What happens after we submit the Interest Form?
Either an AJLI Community Impact & Initiatives team member or a local Junior League will contact you to discuss goals, partnerships, implementation options, and timelines.