1. The Girl Scout/Dove Self-Esteem program
uniquely ME!
guide for facilitators
look
you can change the way you
world looks at girls
or you can change the way the
uniquely me / turnkey curriculum
INTRO GUIDE / paGE 1

2. uniquely ME! The Girl Scout/Dove Self-Esteem program
Guide for facilitators
what is uniquely me?
Created by Girl Scouts of the USA and Unilever to address the critical nationwide problem of low self-esteem
among adolescent and pre-adolescent girls, the uniquely ME! program is designed to foster positive self-
esteem among girls, ages 8 to 17, in the United States and Puerto Rico. The program was launched in 2002
with a goal of reaching thousands of girls of diverse backgrounds within the first three years. In 2005, The
Dove Self- Esteem Fund, which supports initiatives that help educate and inspire girls to embrace a wider
definition of beauty, began to work through the Unilever Foundation to sponsor uniquely ME! directly. The
program aims to address the challenges girls face in their daily lives, in addition to helping girls build a strong
sense of self, develop healthy relationships and take care of their bodies and minds.
how does uniquely me! foster positive
self-esteem?
uniquely ME! consists of a curriculum that integrates the latest research from the Girl Scout Research Institute
(GSRI) and learning by doing. Four activity booklets, available in English and bilingual English/Spanish, guide
girls through simple, but meaningful exercises which lead them to understand and build their self-confidence.
The booklets target three developmental levels: uniquely ME! The Way To Be/Nadie Como yo! Una manera de
ser for 8 to 10 year-olds, uniquely ME! Inside & Out and uniquely ME! The Real Deal for 11 to 14 year-olds,
and Mirror, Mirror: Discover Your Inner Beauty for 14 to 17 year-olds. Uniquely ME! sessions are led by caring
adult volunteers and include exercises about recognizing one’s strengths and best attributes, handling peer
pressure, developing a positive body image, thinking critically about the influence of the media, developing
healthy habits to take care of the body and mind, and identifying personal interests and core values.
THIS UNIQUELY ME! GUIDE
FOR FACILITATORS
has been created for Girl Scout volunteers and staff in a variety of settings as well as school personnel and
other adults interested in facilitating uniquely ME! sessions. The session design includes step-by-step activities
based on uniquely ME! print resources and the outcomes of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience - they were
developed from field-tested uniquely ME! exercises run at councils across the country.
The activities in this guide can be used in troop meetings, to create a series of events, or provide a focus for
Special Interest groups. The goal of uniquely ME! is to provide girls with opportunities to strengthen their self-
esteem. Along the way, the exercises will help girls find their voice, challenge themselves, make friends, and
have fun.
uniquely me! turnkey curriculum
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3. GUIDE
TaBLE OF CONTENTS
intro guide
T
heGirlScouT
research leaderShipexperience GettinG started
4 What is Self-Esteem? 7 Three Keys to 11 Session Overview
4 What Causes Low Self-Esteem?
Leadership Experience
12 Meeting Format
5 Self-Esteem and Girls
8 Processes that Support
a Leadership Experience 13 Building a “Tool Box”
6 Self-Esteem and Leadership
9 Outcomes: Benefits to Girls 14 Facilitator’s Tips
the sessions
Girl scout Girl scout Girl scout senior/
Junior sessions cadette sessions ambassador sessions
(Grades 4-5) (Grades 6-8) (Grades 9-12)
session one session one session one
all about me! me, myself and i the real me
session tWo session tWo session tWo
me and the media the “me” in the mind over media
session three media session three
me inside and out session three dare to shine
session Four Serene Scene session Four
me and you session Four uniquely me / turnkey curriculum
my relationships,
truth and myself GUIDE / paGE 3
INTRO
consequences

4. GUIDE
research
what is self-esteem?
According to the National Association for Self-Esteem*,
someone who possesses self-esteem feels capable of
meeting life’s challenges and also feels worthy of experiencing
happiness. Individuals with high self-esteem can be what causes low
characterized by the following traits: self-esteem?
• Tolerance and respect for others There are many potential causes for low-esteem**
• Ability to accept responsibility for their actions - the following are a few of the more common
reasons that people develop low self-esteem:
• Having integrity
• Believing the negative and hurtful words and
• Taking pride in their accomplishments
actions of others
• Being self-motivated
• Living with people who did not or do not love
• Willingness to take risks and respect themselves
• Being capable of handling criticism • Having negative thoughts about performance,
• Being loving and lovable looks, family income level and I.Q.
• Seeking the challenge and stimulation of worthwhile goals • Being under or over-protected as a child
• Wanting to take control of their lives • Not being taught “I am good and of value and
loved no matter what”
Self-esteem can reveal itself many ways – through creative • Doubting the love of one or both parents (the
esteem, athletic esteem, personality esteem, relationship absence of parents also hurts)
esteem and of course, body esteem. Self-esteem means • Being punished without ever being taught to
having confidence in oneself, in addition to being capable of separate self from bad behaviors
feeling self-satisfaction. It is important to note that a strong • Being compared to others or to perfect standards
sense of self esteem is based on values and self awareness that cannot be met
with regard to others as opposed to a “false bravado” that • Thinking that “you” are your possessions,
often contributes to bullying behaviors. clothes, car, grades, job, looks, or I.Q.
“The True Meaning of Self-Esteem,” Robert Reasoner, National Association **“Empowering Teens To Build Self-Esteem,” Suzanne E.
for Self-Esteem 2000. Harrill, M.Ed. 1993.
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5. self-esteem and girls
Low self-esteem is pervasive among pre-adolescent and adolescent girls in the United States.
Research conducted by organizations including the Girl Scout Research Institute (GSRI) and The
Dove Self-Esteem Fund (DSEF) demonstrates that eating disorders and risky behaviors such as
smoking and drinking are often associated with low self-esteem.
This research also reveals the alarming reality that self-esteem issues
affect every aspect of a girl’s life:
reality vs. perception
Low self-esteem significantly impacts girls’ overall feelings about their
own beauty:
• 71% of girls with low self-esteem feel their appearance does not measure up – they report not
feeling pretty enough, thin enough or stylish/trendy enough (compared to 29% of girls with high self-
esteem).
• 78% of girls with low self-esteem admit that it is hard to feel good in school when you do not feel
good about how you look (compared to 54% of girls with high self-esteem).
• A girl’s self-esteem is more strongly related to how she views her body shape and weight, than to
how much she actually weighs.
7 in 10 girls believe they are not good enough or do not measure up in
some way, including based on their looks, performance in school and
in their relationships with friends and family members.
• 62% of all girls feel insecure or not sure of themselves.
• 57% of all girls have a mother who criticizes her own looks.
• The top wish among girls is that their parents would communicate better with them – including
more frequent and more open conversations about what is happening in their own lives.
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6. Girls with low self-esteem are significantly more likely to engage in
negative behaviors:
• 75% of girls with low self-esteem reported engaging in negative activities such as disordered eating,
cutting, bullying, smoking, or drinking when feeling badly about themselves (compared to 25% of girls
with high self-esteem).
• 25% of teen girls with low self-esteem practice disordered eating, such as starving themselves,
refusing to eat, or over-eating and throwing up when they are feeling badly about themselves (compared
to 7% of girls with high self-esteem).
• 25% of teen girls with low self-esteem resort to injuring themselves on purpose or cutting when they
are feeling badly about themselves (compared to 4% of girls with high self-esteem).
• 61% of teen girls with low self-esteem admit to talking badly about themselves (compared to 15%
of girls with high self-esteem).
“Real Girls, Real Pressure: A National Report on the State of Self-Esteem” commissioned by the
Dove Self-Esteem Fund, 2008. they are not good enough or do not measure up in some way, including based on their
looks, performance in school and in their relationships with friends and family members.
Self-Esteem and Leadership
According to research done by the Girl Scout Research Institute (GSRI), self-esteem and self confidence
are fundamental elements girls need to become leaders. Based on data from a GSRI online survey
done in 2007, girls overwhelming agree that good leaders possess the following three qualities:
1 A positive attitude (86%)
2 The ability to listen (85%)
3 Confidence (84%)
These qualities will help girls navigate and cope with a range of personal and social situations, as well
as enhancing their overall Girl Scout Leadership Experience.
In Change It Up! What Girls Say About Redefining Leadership, (GSRI 2008), research indicates that
the most influential factor in a girl’s desire to actively pursue leadership is confidence in her skills and
competencies. Interestingly, it is not only what skills youth rate themselves highly on that impact their
leadership aspirations, but how much confidence they have in general. The greatest single barrier to
leadership seems to be low self-regard about skills and qualities. Overall, there is a strong relationship
between a girl’s self-regard and her leadership capabilities - youth who report high self-regard of their
skills and qualities and have a strong sense of self-esteem are more likely to aspire to leadership.
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7. the girl scout leadership experience
The Girl Scout Leadership Experience enables girls to develop the values and skills they need to
become leaders in their lives right now and in the future.
The Girl Scout Leadership Experience is built on the three Girl Scout
Keys to leadership, which advocate that girls become leaders by:
DisCovering Understanding themselves and their values, and using both their knowledge
and skills to explore the world.
ConneCTing Caring about, inspiring, and teaming up with others, both locally and globally.
TAking ACTion Acting to make the world a better place.
Self-esteem is an integral part of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience. All of the uniquely ME! activities
in this facilitator guide are built on the first two Keys to Leadership: Discover and Connect. Girls
may choose to go on to experience other Girl Scout programs that engage them in the third key to
leadership: Take Action.
To ensure that the Girl Scout Leadership Experience is meaningful and beneficial for girls, all of
the proposed activities are tied to a core set of national leadership outcomes, and are infused with
processes of girl-led, learning by doing, and cooperative learning.
The activities are designed to help raise girls confidence, while also encouraging them to develop
positive attitudes toward learning. By taking time to reflect during pivotal points throughout the
experience - specifically in the “Wrap Up” and “Reflection/Discussion” sections - girls will see how
to apply new concepts and skills to their own lives. This learning will help them feel more confident
in themselves, their skills, and their ability to achieve their goals. Finally, through their participation in
the group activities described in this guide, girls will recognize the value of working together, and will
ultimately feel more connected to their friends, to you, to other adults, and to their communities.
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8. processes that support
a leadership experience
It is not just “what” girls do, but also “how” they do it that will make their experiences in the uniquely
ME! program beneficial. It is for this reason that the three Girl Scout processes of girl-led, learning by
doing and cooperative learning are integrated into all of the activities. Making sure that the girls are
invested in the activities helps create an environment of fun and friendship, as well as enabling them
to further develop their leadership skills. To ensure that your group of girls has a high-quality and fun
learning experience, make sure to integrate all three processes into activities! You’ll notice that the
session designs are built around these processes. Here are some additional tips.
GIRL-LED
Being “girl-led” is just what it sounds like - coaching the girls to take charge of the planning, decision
making, learning, and fun as much as possible. Depending on when and where meetings take place,
and how much time girls have, consider the following:
• Asking for a few volunteers each session to assist you in preparing for the next session – this can
include the volunteers making choices about what discussion questions you will focus on, what
materials you will use and any special “add ons” the girls might think of.
• Taking ten minutes at the conclusion of each session to gather and describe the next session design
– you may also want to solicit ideas and input from the group.
• Inviting any girls who are able to arrive 15 minutes early to help you prepare/set up.
• Encouraging girls to volunteer as facilitators and try their hand at “leading” the sessions.
• Inviting girls to decide a way to conclude the session and celebrate what they have learned about
their unique selves.
• Checking the girls interest in creating a phone, online or even texting time between meetings to keep
the connections going.
• Encouraging girls to think about what other activities they might like to do. Do they want to take a
trip? Meet a professional? You can easily mix and match the sequence of activities based upon the
interests of the girls!
By standing back and letting the girls drive the conversation and create their own experiences, as
much as possible, you will give them the opportunity to feel more ownership of the group and their
shared experiences – which is bound to be more fun!“
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9. LEARNING BY DOING
In addition to doing activities, the girls will also need time to reflect on what they have done - reflection
and critical thinking will help them absorb a deeper meaning from each of their experiences. So, after
every experience, allow time for talking, sharing and reflecting – encourage the girls to envision how
they’ll apply their new insights to their lives. Articulating their thoughts and feelings is a natural way for
them to consolidate all that they are discovering about themselves and their potential as leaders.
COOPERATIvE LEARNING (OR ExPERIENTIAL LEARNING)
When girls work toward shared goals in an atmosphere of respect and collaboration, they learn a lot
from each other. Girls will especially value having a team atmosphere that makes them feel safe and
supported while they work to build their relationship skills.
To support their cooperative learning experience, partner with the girls and create a team agreement.
Encourage them to speak openly and often about how they are functioning as a team. Also,
whenever possible, encourage girls to do activities in pairs or small groups - it is simply more fun to
do things with friends!
outcomes: benefits to girls
You may be wondering, How will I know if the girls are having a good experience, and whether they
are benefiting from the self-esteem activities? Each activity in this guide is tied to a specific outcome.
Checking the outcomes is like noting road signs during a trip – both let you know you are getting closer
to your destination! Use the age-appropriate outcomes to help you gauge whether the girls are on their
way to achieving uniquely ME! session goals.
As girls practice the self-esteem building concepts within the activities, they are working toward the
following Girl Scout Leadership Outcomes:
• DisCover: Develop a strong sense of self
• DisCover: Gain practical life skills
• ConneCT: Develop healthy relationships
Each session includes a prompt called “Towards Leadership Outcomes” which will explain the National
Leadership Outcome focus of the session, the grade level-specific aim of the session, and signs that
can be used to confirm whether the girls are on their way to achieving session goals.
The accompanying chart provides a few examples of how “Towards Leadership Outcomes” defines
each session. It is important to note that a girl isn’t likely to fully achieve the intended outcome/benefit
after participating in only one activity. Instead of focusing on a single experience yielding a particular
outcome, prioritize the girls’ repeated exposure to the activities – the outcomes will be met over a
period of time and throughout the Girl Scouting experience. It is also important to remember that not
all girls will demonstrate the same sign at the same time - these are only indicators and should not be
used to judge girls or their abilities.
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10. Towards Leadership
Outcomes
sAmple session
exAmple: inDiCATors:
nATionAl grADe level- “signs” ThAT girls
leADership speCifiC Are working TowArDs
session ouTCome DefiniTion AChieving ouTComes
Discover: Girls Develop Junior Example: girls gain Girls name and recognize their
session a Strong Sense of Self a clearer sense of their values, the qualities that make
one individual identities in them unique, and some of the
relation to, and apart from, differences between the way
outside influences. they see themselves and the way
others see them.
Discover: Girls Develop Junior Example: Girls are Girls will be able to identify ways
session a Strong Sense of Self better able to recognize that advertising, the media and
two how situations, attitudes peer pressure influence their
and the behaviors of others sense of self.
affect their sense of self.
Junior Example: Girls Girls will be able to identify
session Discover: Girls Gain
will increase their choices that are healthy for their
Practical Life Skills
three understanding of what it bodies and their minds, and
means to be physically and recognize ways they can defuse
emotionally healthy. stress in their every day lives.
Girls will be able to identify
session Connect: Girls Develop
Healthy Relationships
Junior Example: Girls
strengthen communication communicate strategies that
four skills for maintaining can be used to strengthen the
healthy relationship qualities of their relationships.
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11. GETTING STaRTED
session Overview
The uniquely ME! sessions in this facilitator guide are based on two of the three Keys to Leadership - Discover and Connect – and
are organized by grade level: Junior, Cadette and Senior/Ambassador. Notice that the Senior/Ambassador session emphasize
activities for Seniors but provide tips about modifying the session for Ambassadors based on outcomes for this higher grade level.
the sessions:
Girl scout Girl scout Girl scout senior/
Junior sessions cadette sessions ambassador sessions
(Grades 4-5) (Grades 6-8) (Grades 9-12)
session one session one session one
all about me! me, myself and i the real me
session tWo session tWo session tWo
me and the media the “me” in the mind over media
session three media session three
me inside and out session three dare to shine
session Four Serene Scene session Four
me and you session Four my relationships,
truth and myself
consequences
Sessions have been adapted from activities in uniquely ME! print resources and include handouts from the materials listed below.
uniquely ME! Resources:
uniquely ME! The Way To Be
Girls 8-10 years old discover their unique qualities, the importance of challenging themselves, coping skills, and what makes
a person a good friend. Activities include how to evaluate media influences and finding ways to make a difference.
uniquely ME! Inside and Out
Girls 11-14 years old learn to love the ski n their in! Topics include the power of body language, developing healthy eating habits
and physical activity routines, and discovering one’s unique style.
uniquely ME! The Real Deal
Girls 11-14 years old lead activities that focus on recognizing what matters most to them, coping with feelings, dealing with social
pressures, and enjoying relationships with family and friends.
uniquely ME! Mirror, Mirror: Discover Your Inner Beauty
Girls 14 years and older participate and lead activities that ask them to think critically about their concepts of beauty, reflect on
their individual style and sense of self, embrace their strengths, and take care of their bodies and minds.
additional resources
SuChin Pak PSA: “It’s A Girl Thing” at www.girlscouts.org/uniquelyme uniquely me / turnkey curriculum
Dove Evolution Video www.dove.com INTRO GUIDE / paGE 11

12. Sample SeSSion
Each activity in this guide is designed for a
60-75 minute meeting. If your group meets
for a shorter time, consider condensing
activities, or spreading an activity over two
meetings. Always try to leave a little time at
the end of the session for girls to reflect.
a typical meetinG miGht look like this:
10 minutes: Welcome (ice-breaker,
opening ceremony, business)
Session Format 45–55 minutes: Activity (introduction,
hands-on activity, reflection/discussion)
Each activity in this guide follows a
5–10 minutes: Clean-up/Closing (Wrap Up,
similar format: journaling)
• Objective:
Snapshot of what girls will do during the session and the
overall goals of their activity.
• Introduction to Facilitator:
Introduction to the activity, placing it in the context of the Girl
Scout Leadership Experience. materials
Supplies
• materials and supplies:
additional items needed to facilitate activity and to be gathered
in advance of session. Make sure to bring your uniquely ME!
“Tool Box” to every session.
• hands-on activities: 1 inTroDuCe
Step-by-step instructions for facilitating activity - each activity
is designed to help girls build a stronger sense of self, and to 2 Ask
bolster their self-esteem in an engaging and fun way. 3 engAge
• Wrap Up:
rapup
An opportunity for girls to think about and celebrate what
they have learned during the session
• reflection/discussion:
w
A list of questions and talking points designed to help girls
explore and discuss how the activity’s skills and themes can
reflection
help in their school world and be applied to their real lives.
Questions can also be used as prompts for any journal writing
girls do outside of meetings. DISCUSSION QU
ESTIONS
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13. Building a uniquely ME!
“Tool Box”
To help prepare you to lead sessions,
you’ll need to bring a little tool box to every
session that includes:
White Board, blackboard or large piece of paper
Markers
Pens and pencils
Scratch paper
Example of images of girls in the media
Girl magazines (Seventeen, Discovery Girls,
Girl’s Life, etc.)
Clippings of advertisements
Scissors
Glue
For journ
aling and
would be collage a
helpful to ctivities,
• Old scr have: it
aps of fabric
• Recycle
d greetin
g cards
• Assortm
ent of ma
gazines (
travel, sp
• Ribbon orts, hea
s, stickers lth, etc.)
and misc
ellaneous
Why not decorativ
ask girls, e items
library an families,
d commu teachers
nity for s , your loc
items? Ke ome help al
ep all of collecting
ready for your sup these
every ses plies in a
sion - no box so yo
Also, rem thing fan u are
ember to cy is nec
construc recycle! In essary.
tion pape stead of
r, try cutt using wh
using the ing cardb ite or
backs of oard from
paper ma file folder boxes,
terials. s, and re
-using oth
er
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14. facilitator tips
Dealing with Tweens and Teens
The facilitator’s role is to help girls achieve a level of comfort with and among themselves, feel good about their
bodies and minds, and to encourage them to set and achieve reasonable goals. volunteers need not be experts
in psychology – instead, ideal volunteers will just be caring and sensitive.
Here are some general tips for creating an open and positive atmosphere:
• Open up and share your own experiences – this will help the girls feel more comfortable and engaged.
• Focus on each girl’s special abilities and characteristics - use positive reinforcement.
• Be sensitive to cultural issues and parental values.
• Suggest, don’t dictate.
• Help each girl develop a sense of belonging within the group; encourage girls to participate in all of the activities
and projects.
• Listen seriously to what girls say, and encourage them to listen to and respect each other. Make a habit of soliciting
answers from the group.
• To keep from influencing the girls, don’t be too quick to express your own opinions. However, when only one side
of an issue is presented during discussion, be sure to offer other points of view.
• Handle rebellious behavior calmly - engage girls in setting behavior standards and consequences by making a
“Group Pact” in the initial session.
• Encourage girls to express their values and opinions. Also let girls know that it’s important to be fully informed –
encourage them to research issues and always listen to other points of view.
remember...
• Reviewing this guide will give you confidence! • If a girl seems bored, consider asking her to take the
• When preparing, make sure to review each session in lead on an activity.
full before going through the activities with the girls. • Be flexible. If an activity is not working, ask girls what
• It is OK not to know everything - you and the girls can they want to change or what other activity they would
explore answers together. rather do.
• Be enthusiastic – it’s contagious! • Know when to assert yourself – show confidence!
• Get to know the girls by inquiring about each • Be consistent and fair - treat everyone alike.
individually - know their likes, dislikes, and so forth. • As often as possible, let the girls lead.
• Have fun!
when preparing, make sure to review each session in
full before going through the activities with the girls.
if you have any additional questions or would like more information on the uniquely me! program,
uniquely me! turnkey curriculum
please go to www.girlscouts.org/uniquelyme or email uniquelyme@girlscouts.org.
INTRO GUIDE / paGE 14