"Opening the Way"

Women's History Patch
Requirements, Links & Patch Order Form

REQUIREMENTS TO EARNING THE "OPENING THE WAY" PATCH

There are two ways to earn the "Opening the Way" Patch.

1. Participate in the "Opening the Way" Women's History Walk. More details about this 90 minute walking tour of the Lower Manhattan stopping at sites of historical importance related to women's history can be found at: www.womensenews.org/openingtheway. A guided tour is $6 per girl and free for adults and can be scheduled by contacting, Charlotte Cooper at 212-244-1744 or charlotte@womensenews.org. You can also download the walking tour guide and go on a self-directed tour for free.
2. Learn about important women in New York City's history during your troop meetings. Go online as a troop and/or download the information from www.womensenews.org/openingtheway. There are three categories of famous women to study: Seven who Rebelled, Seven who Led Battles, and Seven who Insisted on Better Futures.

• Have the girls read about or listen to the recorded readings of at least one woman in each of these three groups.
• Discuss how these women's efforts have affected our lives today.
• Have them choose current prominent women who are also positively affecting the world today (i.e. based on news they have heard or articles they can find in the newspaperor online) and share how these women are making the world a better place.
• In small groups, have the girls decide on an issue that is important to them and then draft a letter to a local paper or online news source or to a political representative stating their position on the issue and what should be done to address the issue.

LINKS TO OTHER BADGES

Information from the "Opening the Way" Walkand website can be used by girls to complete activities or inspire projects fromthe "It's Your Story: Tell It! Journey as well as the following badges:

Brownie: Celebrating Community, Brownie Girl Scout Way, and My Family Story

Junior: Inside Government, Junior GirlScout Way, and Scribe

Cadette: Finding CommonGround, Cadette Girl Scout Way and Screenwriter

Senior: Behind the Ballot, Senior Girl Scout Way and Novelist

Ambassador: Public Policy, Ambassador Girl Scout Way

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PATCH ORDER FORM

Leader's Name: _____________________________________________________________________

Address: ___________________________________________________________________________

City: ____________________________ State: ___________ Zip Code:_________________________

Phone Number: _________________________ Email: ______________________________________