Girl Guides in B.C. to receive equal high school credit as Cadets and Scouts

Girl Guides of Canada members reach for pieces of cardboard and markers at the Girl Empower Challenge activity during the 100th year celebration of Girl Guides of Canada on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on March 9, 2010. The organization announced Tuesday it's getting rid of the "Brownies" branch name. (Pawel Dwulit / The Canadian Press)

VANCOUVER - British Columbia's Ministry of Education has doubled the high school credits available to girl guides in the province after an inequity was discovered between the credits that guides received compared to participants in other youth-serving organizations, including Cadets and Scouts.

Guides working towards the Canada Cord for girls ages 12 to 14 and the Trailblazer Leadership Gold Award for girls ages 15 to 17 can now earn four credits per award -- the equivalent of one high school course -- up from two before.

The B.C. education ministry made the change as a result of advocacy from the provincial Girl Guides organization, following a suggestion from a long-time girl guide in Ladysmith.

Provincial Girl Guide commissioner Diamond Isinger says 12-year-old Kylar Tennert approached her with the idea that guides should receive more credit for their work, which involves weekly meetings, weekend trips, community service projects and many volunteer hours.

After some research, Isinger says they realized that participants of comparable youth-serving organizations were receiving greater credit for similar learning outcomes, effort and time commitments, and that the province was keen to rectify the inequity.

Tennert says Girl Guides is her "safe place" and she feels good knowing she's helped make a change that could encourage more girls to take part in the organization.