Girl Scouts of Nassau County Hosts Clinic to Teach Daisies Safety Skills

Girl Scouts of Nassau County recently hosted its Stuffie Care Clinic where Girl Scout Daisies learned important safety skills and earned their Daisy Safety Award Pin. Experts from the Trauma Center at NYU Langone Hospital—Long Island guided the hands-on program that taught the council’s youngest Girl Scouts how to stay safe through games and interactive activities, then invited them to play doctor and nurse for their very own stuffed animal patients.

“The Stuffie Care Clinic gave our Daisies a fun, hands-on way to learn how to stay safe and help others,” said Rande Bynum, CEO of Girl Scouts of Nassau County. “By practicing basic safety skills and caring for their stuffed animal patients, the girls built confidence, explored their curiosity and took their first steps toward understanding the importance of looking out for themselves and those around them.”

During the program, Daisies stepped into the role of doctors and nurses in a pretend clinic, giving their stuffed animal patients checkups and practicing basic first aid like applying bandages. They also learned about the basics of wearing a bicycle helmet and car-passenger safety. Each Girl Scout received a stuffed animal to care for and take home.

“As a level one trauma center, we see every day how simple safety habits like buckling up and wearing a helmet can prevent serious injuries,” said Josephine Peterson, MPH, injury prevention specialist at NYU Langone Hospital—Long Island. “Watching these girls learn those lessons, and have so much fun doing it, is exactly why we start early. We’re proud to partner with Girl Scouts of Nassau County to give them a head start on staying safe.”

Every participating Daisy earned the Girl Scout Daisy Safety Award Pin. The pin is part of the national Girl Scout Safety Awards, which follow girls from kindergarten through 12th grade, with each level building on the last. For Daisies, the award focuses on the basics, including knowing what to do in an emergency and how to get help. Worn on her uniform, the pin is a visible sign that a girl has learned how to keep herself and others safe, and it marks the first step in a safety journey she can continue at every Girl Scout level.

Programs like the Stuffie Care Clinic give young girls the chance to try something new, ask questions and build confidence alongside their fellow Girl Scouts. Learning safety skills at an early age prepares girls to make smart choices on their own, and hands-on activities like the simulated clinic give them an early look at careers in health care and science.

Girl Scouts of Nassau County offers STEM and life skills programs for girls at every level throughout the year. For more information about Girl Scouts of Nassau County, upcoming events and ways to get involved, visit www.gsnc.org.