As a Co-Leader, you're the consistent adult presence the girls count on at every meeting. You'll attend all girl meetings, help manage behavior, and serve as a point of contact for parents. You're not planning everything -- every family leads a badge, and other committee members handle cookies, events, camping, and finances. Your job is to be there, be steady, and help the meetings run smoothly.
Co-Leaders have the most training of any role because you're working directly with the girls at every meeting. Log into MyGS, navigate to gsLearn, and look for the following
New Leader Onboarding / Volunteer Basics Learning Path - Most councils bundle their required leader courses into a single learning path that appears on your gsLearn dashboard automatically when you register as a Troop Leader. This typically includes modules on the Girl Scout Leadership Experience, troop safety fundamentals, and how to plan meetings. Your council may call this something different — look for any courses flagged as “required” on your dashboard.
Child Abuse & Neglect Prevention - This course prepares you to recognize, respond to, and report concerns. Most councils require it for all adults working directly with girls. Some councils require renewal every 2–3 years.
Grade Level Courses - Look for a course specific to your troop’s level (Daisy, Brownie, Junior, etc.). These cover badges, meeting plans, program activities, and age-appropriate troop government. When your troop bridges to a new level, you’ll take the next level’s course.
Ask your Council: "What trainings are required for a new troop leader?" Your council's volunteer training page will have the most current list. Some councils require additional courses not listed here. You can do this by emailing Customer Care from your council's website.
You'll need to complete a background check and select the "Troop Leader" registration option so you'll get the right training access.
Check with your council for required trainings. Some councils require Youth Protection Training in addition to leader-specific courses.
If your council uses a Volunteer Driver Form, completing it early is worth the effort -- even if you're not sure you'll drive girls to field trips.
You don't need to be an expert in Girl Scouts. Showing up consistently matters more than knowing everything.
Download the Co-Leader role sample letter.
This is a customizable Word document that your co-leader can fill in with your Council's specific training links and hand to you.