Patch Programs

Please bookmark this page! We regularly add new patch programs.

Patch programs provide unique learning opportunities that may not be available through traditional badge work.

They give troops and individual girls the chance to explore a wide range of topics, discover and cultivate their interests, expand their knowledge, and learn essential skills.

Certain patch programs:

Have level-specific requirements
May satisfy some badge prerequisites

SEASONAL PATCH PROGRAMS

NEW Pheno-Fun: Citizen Science Patch

Pheno-Fun is a four-part patch program for all Girl Scout levels!

Phenology (fee·naa·luh·jee) is the observation and measurement of events over time. While earning all four patches, girls will become citizen scientists and uncover the mysteries of Michigan's seasons.

Patch Program PDF

Each season, girls may earn a patch by:

Attending a virtual event -AND-
Doing an on-your-own activity -OR-
Attending a GSSEM-sponsored activity.

Pheno-Fun Seasonal Events:

Spring

Spring PDF »
Summer

Coming Soon!
Fall

Coming Soon!
Winter

Coming Soon!

All four, season-specific patches will be sold as a set and available for purchase at www.gssem.org/curbside in June 2022.

Pheno-Fun: Citizen Science Patch Program

Every Girl in a Tent Challenge Patch

We're celebrating Girl Scouts' 100-year-plus camping legacy and we want you to take part!

Challenge yourself to experience the outdoors by spending a night under the stars. Earn an exclusive glow-in-the-dark Every Girl in a Tent patch for any outdoor overnight stay in a non-permanent structure (think tent, hammock, or quinzhee) with your troop, family, or Girl Scout sisters.

Patch Program PDF »

Have you completed all the requirements?
Patches will be available at www.gssem.org/shop in winter 2022.

Every Girl in a Tent Challenge Patch Program

OUTDOOR PATCH PROGRAMS

Outdoor Skills Patches

We're making it even easier to gain outdoor skills and earn patches by bringing Outdoor Skills programming to a community near you.

Our GSSEM Outdoor Education Specialists are planning outdoor fun in your backyard—or pretty close to it—throughout the year. The Outdoor Skills Patch Program is designed to get girls outdoors more often. As long as a Girl Scout has learned about the topic and practiced the skills, she's earned the Outdoor Skills mini patch. Then, she can take action by getting outdoors and sharing her skills with others.

Girls can earn patches by attending Outdoor Skills Days, Outdoor Adventure Days, and Outdoor Round-Ups! Keep checking for the comprehensive list of programs and events on the event calendar.

Download the Outdoor Skills Patch Program PDF >>

OUTDOOR SKILLS DAYS

Outdoor Skills 1
Enjoy a fun day of outdoor games! Girls will learn how to always be prepared, understand water conservation and how to leave our world a better place with Leave No Trace!

Outdoor Skills 2
Continue to develop amazing skills and up your outdoor game with team-building games! This level will cover packing for a day hike and navigating the trails with basic orienteering skills.

Outdoor Skills 3
Get prepared for a basic camping trip at a campground or in your backyard! Learn about setting up a campsite, basic knots to get you through the night, and how to build a fire for warmth and cooking.

Outdoor Skills 4
This is the ultimate Get Outdoors day! Eat your way through the day while learning to cook a meal using a stick, foil pack, and dutch oven techniques and enjoy the fruits (Starbursts) of your labors. Build a mini First Aid kit to have in your back pocket before a basic lesson on backpack fitting, packing, and trip prep.

OUTDOOR ADVENTURE DAYS

Discover hidden gems in your community with Outdoor Adventure Days! Earn mini patches for the Outdoor Skills Patch at these themed events that offer the opportunity to learn and practice new skills in the outdoors. Offerings include canoeing at a state park, horseback riding workshops, fly fishing, archery, snow-shoeing, and bicycle tour events. There are different Outdoor Adventure Days for each Girl Scout level! Check the event calendar for new adventure listings all year long.

OUTDOOR ROUND-UPS

Experience Council-wide events that offer a variety of outdoor adventures with sister Girl Scouts from around the area! Keep checking the event calendar for more 2019 Outdoor Round-Ups!

Questions?
Please feel free to contact our Lead Outdoor Education Specialist, Liz Bruer, if you have more outdoor education questions at lbruer@gssem.org or at 800-482-6734 x2511.

Audubon Great Lakes: Wild Indigo Patch

This program is a collaboration between GSSEM and Audubon Great Lakes to create opportunities for exploration in backyards across Michigan.

Many amazing things can be found in a simple square foot of nature. We encourage girls to look around at the many plants, birds, bugs, or even microbes around them and share the wonder of their world with us.

Download the Patch Program PDF »

Audubon Great Lakes: Wild Indigo Patch Program

Beekeeper Patch

To earn the Beekeeper patch, Girl Scouts will need to complete a three-part process. They need to Discover, Explore/Connect, and then Take Action.

Download the Patch Program PDF »

Belle Isle Patch

How lucky are we to have the largest city-owned island park in the United States in our backyard! Belle Isle has so much to offer to everyone who visits, including a rich history. Whether it's your first time, or you frequent the park, make the most of your Belle Isle Adventure by following along in this activity booklet. You'll walk away learning more than you ever knew before.

Download the Belle Isle Patch Program PDF >>

Bike Pro Patch

Learn all about biking before you GO! explore!

After earning every patch in this progressive patch program, Girl Scouts will be able to safely and confidently ride a bike for better health, having fun, and getting from one place to another.

Download the Bike Pro Patch Program Flyer (PDF) »

Have you completed all the requirements for your level?
You may purchase your patch via our curbside service order form or in person at the Clinton Twp Council Shop.

Great Lakes Patch

Living in this specific council means that you get the opportunity to live near the Great Lakes of Michigan. While completing this patch program, you will engage in fun activities that allow you to learn more and gain a new perspective for these bodies of water!

Download the Great Lakes Patch Program PDF >>

Junior Hawkwatcher Patch

The Junior Hawkwatcher patch is a collaboration between GSSEM and the Hawk Migration Association of North America (HMANA). Girls will learn about raptor identification, behavior, and how to make migration observations.

Download the Junior Hawkwatcher Patch Program PDF >>

BOOKLETS:

Younger Girls - Daisies, Brownies, Juniors
Older Girls - Cadettes, Seniors, Ambassadors

Metroparks Explorer Patch

This patch program connects girls with the Huron-Clinton Metroparks and introduces them to different activities they can participate in within the organization.

Patch Program PDF

Urban Explorer Patch

This patch focuses on getting girls outside by introducing them to outdoor spaces in their area as well as suggesting things they can do in their own backyard!

Download the Urban Explorer Patch Program PDF >>

OTHER PATCH PROGRAMS

Automotive History Patch

Our area is so rich in automotive history and provides careers for many residents; this patch was created to further your knowledge.

The auto industry has had a great impact on our community. Long recognized as the historic heart of the American automotive industry, Detroit took on the nickname "Motor City." In the late 1800s, Flint was home to a booming carriage-making industry for horse-drawn buggies—which some say was the biggest in the entire world. Hence, Flint became known as "Vehicle City." Henry Ford pioneered the use of the assembly line in manufacturing automobiles and provided the model for mass production that other industries later adopted.

Download the Discover Automotive History Patch Program Flyer (PDF) >>

Black History Month

February is Black History Month! Let's honor the extraordinary African American women and men who shaped U.S. and Girl Scout history.

This patch program is designed to help Girl Scouts of all backgrounds learn about and engage with the history of African Americans in the United States.

Patch Program PDF »

Have you completed all the requirements for your level?
In early to mid-February, patches will be available for purchase at the Clinton Twp Council Shop or via curbside service at www.gssem.org/curbside.

GSSEM Celebrates Black History Month Patch Program

Discover Detroit Patch

Detroit is the largest city in the state of Michigan and the largest American city on the United States/Canadian border—and there are so many things to see and do there!

Detroit is a major port located on the Detroit River, one of the four major straits that connect the Great Lakes system to the Saint Lawrence Seaway. It has a diverse population and culture. New hotels, scenic and social parks, public transit, bike lanes, and the walkable riverfront are redefining Detroit.

Download the Discover Detroit Program Patch Flyer (PDF) >>

Diversity Patch

The values and behaviors of any one group are only different, not superior, to those of any other group of people.

Remember, this is a sensitive issue, and discussions on this subject can be uncomfortable. When you're a Girl Scout, you do great things. You believe in taking action and righting wrongs.

Download the Diversity Patch Program Flyer (PDF) »

Donate Life Patch

The Donate Life patch program was created by Gift of Life Michigan and is intended for all Girl Scout levels.

While earning the patch, girls will learn how to make a difference in their communities by advocating for organ, eye, and tissue donation.

There are more than 100,000 people awaiting a lifesaving organ transplant and hundreds of thousands in need of corneal and tissue transplants. Girl Scouts across the country show a commitment to make the world a better place every day. Learning about and promoting donation education is just another way for Girl Scouts to do what they do best—change the world.

Download the Donate Life Patch Program PDF »

DTE Electric Hazard Awareness Patch

During this patch program, Girl Scouts will learn about electricity and how to recognize energy risks.

Electricity is amazing and plays a significant role in our lives. However, it's important to learn how to be safe and aware of energy hazards indoors and outside.

To earn the patch:

Have you completed the requirements?
You may purchase a hard copy of the activity book and your patch via our curbside service order form or in person at the Clinton Twp Council Shop.

DTE Electric Hazard Awareness Patch Program

GSSEM History Patch

Much of the history of GSSEM and all Girl Scouts exists in the memories of our elders or lies hidden between the pages of family albums, historical documents, museums, and diaries.

By exploring these buried treasures, girls can gain a greater appreciation and understanding of our history and take these lessons to connect the past with the present through shared experiences. Our sisterhood is full of traditions!

Download the GSSEM History Patch Program PDF >>

GSSEM Perseveres: Mars Rover Patch

NASA has sent a spacecraft carrying a new rover, named Perseverance, to Mars.

Perseverance will land in February and will roam around Mars, collecting samples and sending information back to scientific teams on Earth.

Download the 2021 Mars Rover Patch Program Flyer (PDF) »

Complete the number of points to earn our limited-edition 2021 Mars Rover patch!

Have you completed all the requirements for your level?
You may purchase your patch at a council shop near you via curbside pickup.

GSSEM Perseveres: 2021 Mars Rover Patch Program

Hispanic Heritage Patch

During this patch program, you'll discover Hispanic heritage, culture, and diversity!

"Hispanic" refers to people, cultures, or countries related to the Spanish language, Spanish culture, Spanish people, or to Spain in general. The term commonly applies to countries that were once colonized by Spain in the Americas.

Download the Hispanic Heritage Patch Program PDF »

People Mover Patch

Patch requirements are to ride the People Mover and follow the requirements.

The Detroit People Mover (DPM) is a fully automated light rail system that operates on an elevated single-track loop in Detroit’s central business district. Launched in 1987, the system’s 13 stations provide quick connections between the courts and administrative offices of several levels of government, sports arenas, exhibition centers, major hotels, and commercial, banking, and retail districts. Service is frequent and unencumbered by vehicle or pedestrian traffic, and at just 75 cents per ride (as of 7/19), it’s the best bargain in town!

Download the People Mover Patch Program PDF >>

Precious Medals P.I. Patch

Become a Precious Medals Private Eye!

Discover and explore some of the mysteries regarding the Girl Scout High Awards, Bronze, Silver, and Gold.

Download the Precious Medals P.I. Patch Program PDF »

Troop CFO Patch

CFO stands for Chief Financial Officer. Girl Scouts learn skills and earn money through the Product Program sale of candy/nuts and cookies.

In a girl-led environment, your troop makes decisions on how money is spent. This money can be used for supplies, badges, field trips, or other things you may need. Your troop should set goals for a possible camp experience, traveling, or other opportunities you decide on for the future. Your troop leader—or another designated adult—oversees the money by keeping it an approved bank account. Each year, she/he is responsible for reporting on how much money your troop earned, how much was spent, and how much is left.

Download the Troop CFO Patch Program PDF >>