Animal Adventurer Program
Become an Animal Adventurer! Through The Animal Alliance’s Animal Adventurer Program, Girl Scouts ages 5–12 explore how compassion, leadership, and service can make a real difference for animals and their communities. Girls participate in a fun, self-paced experience that combines humane education, hands-on activities, creativity, and community service while working toward their Animal Adventurer patch. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeDLNKeP1ao
Girls complete five engaging experiences: reading Once Upon a Paw Print by young author and Girl Scout Rose Moreland and completing reflection activities; exploring animal habitats; learning about responsible pet care while completing a craft project; participating in a live, interactive virtual animal welfare course with The Animal Alliance; and creating a meaningful animal welfare service or advocacy project.
Along the way, girls strengthen leadership, teamwork, communication, empathy, problem-solving, decision-making, and civic engagement skills. The service component gives girls the opportunity to turn what they learn into action. Depending on their interests, projects might include supporting a pet pantry, visiting an animal shelter or wildlife center, learning from veterinary or animal welfare professionals, or developing another creative way to help animals in their community.
What makes Animal Adventurer especially exciting is that girls aren’t just learning about animal welfare—they’re empowered to become advocates and young community leaders. The program gives girls the freedom to use their own ideas and interests to create positive change while discovering how helping animals can also strengthen communities.
Enrollment is open on a rolling basis; year-round. The Animal Adventurer Program is self-paced and may be completed by Girl Scout troops or individual Girl Scouts participating through the Juliette model throughout the year. Scheduling for the live virtual education component is coordinated with participating families or troop/group leaders.
Scheduling is flexible; weekdays, weeknights, and weekends are available by arrangement. The program is self-paced, and the live virtual Animal Welfare Course is scheduled in coordination with participating Girl Scout troops, group leaders, or Juliette families.
This community opportunity is hybrid – online and community-based. Program materials are boxed and shipped directly to participating Girl Scout troops, group leaders, or individual Girl Scouts for completion in their local communities. Activities may be completed at troop meeting locations, homes, or other appropriate community settings. The Animal Welfare Course is offered virtually and led by The Animal Alliance team.
Cost: $60 per participant. The participation fee covers the complete Animal Adventurer Program experience, including credit to the youth author of Once Upon a Paw Print, program materials and supplies, shipping of the program materials, the live virtual education course, and support for animal welfare projects such as pet pantries and spay/neuter initiatives. There is a lite version offered at $20/Girl Scout and the Juliette option is $40/Girl Scout. Register using this link: https://forms.gle/zkhgK2PHxS596pX97.
Adult participation/supervision is encouraged and may be required depending on the participant’s age and participation format. Girl Scouts participating with a troop should participate under the supervision of their troop leaders/adult volunteers. Individual Girl Scouts participating through the Juliette model should have a parent, caregiver, or responsible adult available to support age-appropriate activities and community service experiences.
Adults do not need to complete the activities for the girls; their role is to provide appropriate supervision and support while allowing girls to lead, make decisions, and build independence. The program emphasizes youth leadership, collaboration, problem-solving, and decision-making.
No specific clothing is required for the general Animal Adventurer Program. Girls should wear comfortable, activity-appropriate clothing. For optional community service activities or visits to animal shelters, wildlife centers, zoos, veterinary clinics, or other animal-related locations, additional requirements such as closed-toe shoes or weather-appropriate clothing may apply based on the location and activity.
Girls should have basic supplies available, such as a pen or pencil and coloring/writing materials, to complete the reading, reflection, drawing, and habitat activities. Most program-specific materials and supplies are provided in the Animal Adventurer program box and shipped to participants or group leaders.
For the community service portion, any additional items needed will depend on the service project selected by the Girl Scout or troop and will be communicated or planned as part of the project.
