Young leader development programme
These 12 modules will help develop your skills so you can become the leader you want to be
Take the next step on your leadership journey and grow your skills with the young leader development programme.
If you’re aged between 14-17 and volunteering in a unit, you may have used our welcome leaflet to get started in your role. Now, you can continue discovering and exploring your leadership skills with the young leader development programme; a personalised journey that empowers you to become the leader you want to be.
Want to become a young leader?
If you're a Guide or a Ranger, talk to your leader or local commissioner. If you're new to Girlguiding, register to volunteer using the link below.
The young leader development programme has been created by young leaders, for young leaders. Check out our young leader working group explaining the programme and what you need to do in the video below.
Ready to get started? Great! All the modules are listed below, so have a look at the name and description of each one and choose what you’d like to do.
You might want to have a chat with another leader in your unit first, to help you decide. You could choose something you’re already confident in to get you going, or look at an area you’d like to develop further. Or you might want to choose a module that links with something you’re already doing – it’s completely up to you!
Remember, you can complete the modules in any order and build your own journey throughout the whole time you’re a young leader.
Each module has a task sheet with tasks for you to complete, along with a video and a discovery sheet. These give you some background information to help you complete the tasks, if you need it.
If you're looking for modules that link directly with the leader development programme, check out delivering activities, giving girls a voice, planning your activities, running activities safely or supporting inclusive spaces.
Modules
Step outside of your unit, be part of your local community and meet other Girlguiding members.
- Discovery sheet: learn more about the topics covered in this module with the connecting your community discovery sheet.
- Task sheet: ready to complete the module? Fill in the connecting your community task sheet.
Lead a variety of games, unit meeting activities, skills builders and activities beyond our programme, and bring Girlguiding to life.
This module, together with giving girls a voice, links with the involving girls in decisions and planning course in the becoming a leader training.
- Discovery sheet: learn more about the topics covered in this module with the delivering activites discovery sheet.
- Task sheet: ready to complete the module? Fill in the delivering activities task sheet.
Look at how you can spot problems and solve them like a pro!
- Discovery sheet: learn more about the topics covered in this module with the finding solutions discovery sheet.
- Task sheet: ready to complete the module? Fill in the finding solutions task sheet.
Help to plan and go on some amazing adventures with your unit.
- Discovery sheet: learn more about the topics covered in this module with the getting out and about discovery sheet.
- Task sheet: ready to complete the module? Fill in the getting out and about task sheet.
Lift up girls’ voices and help them be heard so they have a say in what they do in guiding.
This module, together with delivering activities links with the involving girls in decisions and planning course in the becoming a leader training.
- Discovery sheet: learn more about the topics covered in this module with the giving girls a voice discovery sheet.
- Task sheet: ready to complete the module? Fill in the giving girls a voice task sheet.
Find out the different ways you can deal with tricky behaviour and encourage positive behaviour in your unit.
- Discovery sheet: learn more about the topics covered in this module with the keeping it kind discovery sheet.
- Task sheet: ready to complete the module? Fill in the keeping it kind task sheet.
Explore Girlguiding’s story and traditions and celebrate being part of a global movement.
- Discovery sheet: learn more about the topics covered in this module with the knowing Girlguiding discovery sheet.
- Task sheet: ready to complete the module? Fill in the knowing Girlguiding task sheet.
These resources reference mental health and wellbeing, including poor mental health.
Take care of your own wellbeing and the wellbeing of the others in your unit and set goals for your future self.
- Discovery sheet: learn more about the topics covered in this module with the looking after you discovery sheet.
- Task sheet: ready to complete the module? Fill in the looking after you task sheet.
Discover how to plan amazing activities for your unit.
This module links with the planning for good guiding course in the becoming a leader training.
- Discovery sheet: learn more about the topics covered in this module with the planning your activities discovery sheet.
- Task sheet: ready to complete the module? Fill in the planning your activities task sheet.
These resources reference the types of physical harm someone might experience during activities.
Make sure you can safely run the activities your unit wants, through planning and responding to risks as they happen.
- Discovery sheet: learn more about the topics covered in this module with the running activities safely discovery sheet.
This module links with the managing safety and risk course in the becoming a leader training.
- Task sheet: ready to complete the module? Fill in the running activities safely task sheet.
These resources reference discrimination, bias and microaggressions.
How you can make sure your unit is a place where everyone feels welcome and can join in.
- Discovery sheet: learn more about the topics covered in this module with the supporting inclusive spaces discovery sheet.
This module links with the celebrating every member course in the becoming a leader training.
- Task sheet: ready to complete the module? Fill in the supporting inclusive spaces task sheet.
Explore how you and the other amazing volunteers in your unit can work together to be a dream team.
- Discovery sheet: learn more about the topics covered in this module with the working with others discovery sheet.
- Task sheet: ready to complete the module? Fill in the working with others task sheet.
What happens when I’ve completed a module?
When you’ve done all the tasks and had a chance to reflect on how it went, then your leader can mark the module as completed for you on GO. Leaders, check out the GO help files for more information on how to do this.
Then you can choose whether you want to do another module or take a break.
For every 4 modules you complete you’ll get a badge.
Discovering leadership badge – complete 4 modules.
Exploring leadership badge -complete 8 modules.
Empowering leadership badge – complete all 12 modules.
Your leader can buy the badges from the Girlguiding shop.
What can I do next?
All the skills you develop while completing the young leader development programme will be incredibly useful for whatever you want to do in future. Each module explains the skills you’ve gained- make sure you shout about these in job or university applications!
Help girls have amazing guiding experiences
If you’ve enjoyed being a young leader then you might like to think about becoming a unit helper or an adult leader when you’re 18. We’ve created the leader development programme, which you can start working on from your 16th birthday on our learning platform.
When you start the leader development programme, you’ll find that some of the modules from the young leader development programme link directly to some of the becoming a leader courses in the leader development programme. If you’ve already completed these modules as a young leader, you won’t have to do the courses again for the becoming a leader training, unless you’d like to refresh your knowledge.
