Girl Scouts of Western Ohio has a brand-new travel group, the Travel Bugs, and we’re inviting all Cadette, Seniors and Ambassadors to come along with us. We’ve partnered with EF Tours, who are celebrated for their expertise in travel, specifically with students and Girl Scouts. They even have an entire branch of their company dedicated to Girl Scout Travel!

Panama 2020

Our trip in the summer of 2020 will be to Panama! Now, I don’t want to sound too excited, but I’M SO EXCITED! This will be an 8-day trip where we’ll get to explore ancient ruins, canoe on the amazing Rio Chagres and visit an indigenous village to learn about traditional dances, crafts, and food. One day, we’ll also be taking a boat ride to tour Monkey Island to see, well, monkeys! This trip will be a really fun mix of city and outdoors with the fun excitement that only South America can provide.

Now, at this point, you might be thinking… “Wow, that sounds like so much fun. My daughter/niece/troop/neighbor would love this! But there’s no way we could make this work!”

We’ve been working on putting this opportunity together for girls for a while now, and one of the main reasons is to give girls a perfect step in between troop trips and Destinations trips where girls travel all over the globe by themselves. Have you ever heard Girl Scouts talk about progression? These trips are specifically for girls in our council and will be chaperoned by approved adults from our council. Once the group is set, we’ll have virtual and in person meetings to help prepare girls and their families and, of course, get to know each other before we leave.

FAQs on Money

The most asked questions we get pertaining to travel have to do with money. Since these are big, exciting opportunities, it comes with a bigger than usual investment. However, it’s very feasible if girls plan properly. We are planning far in advance (1-2 years) so that girls have plenty of time to set goals, work hard, and experience success.

Some notes:

• The fee covers just about everything (airfare, hotels and lodging, all ground transportation, a bilingual Tour Director, guided tours and activity fees, breakfast and dinner daily, and more).
• Money earning is best when goals are set in small, attainable increments. EF Tours has great money earning resources. After registering, you’ll have an online profile where you’ll be able to access these resources and track your progress.
• Use the Girl Scout Cookie Program! Some of the girls already registered were able to use big cookie booths to jumpstart their earning.

If you’re interested in travelling, but don’t think you’ll be ready for the trip in 2020 or are just looking for a different kind of adventure, check out what we’re planning for 2021! Europe!

Registration for both trips are open now! Contact Elizabeth Vessell, our council’s volunteer coordinator for the Travel Bugs, at elizabeth.vessell@gmail.com with any questions.