Different Shoe Day

Agreement to Value Differences
To those of you who are
different from me,
I promise:
To learn about you,
To understand you,
To befriend you,
To value you and your differences,
And to appreciate that our
similarities are larger
than our differences.

Program Guidelines

Participation is easy! Simply follow the steps below and have fun celebrating the diversity of people.

1. Complete at least two activities from the list below prior to February 22nd, Thinking Day.
   • Create a diversity quilt: have each member of the troop create a section of the quilt that focuses on what makes her special and unique. When all the pieces are completed, sew the quilt together. This is a great opportunity to talk about the purposes of quilt making in various cultures. You may want to contact your local library or community center to display the quilt.
   • Create a culture collage: girls can work on this collage either about one culture they have studied or about various cultures. The collage should demonstrate the similarities and differences of the culture(s) to their own. It would be a good idea to have a discussion about similarities and differences in cultures around the world and talk about tolerance, understanding, and appreciation.
   • Hold a cultural game day. Girls can either bring games that they play from their own culture or study a specific game from a country in which they are interested. As each game is being played, the significance of it should also be discussed. This is a great way for girls to have fun while learning about other people!
   • Learn about women who have dedicated their lives to promoting diversity. Discuss: What are women's contributions to diversity? What factors might make someone committed to promoting diversity?
   • Plan and hold a Girl Scouts' Own with a theme of international understanding or a theme that focuses on appreciating peoples' differences and celebrating their similarities.
   • Host an international food festival. Cook dishes from around the world. This event could be a community event or held for just Girl Scouts.
   • Visit a local museum or cultural center. This will allow girls to learn the history, customs, traditions, and practices of another culture.
   • Plan and implement an international understanding ceremony which focuses on accepting the differences in all of us.
   • Learn different dances from around the world. You could ask each child to bring in music they like to listen to and then listen to music from other countries. It would be great to talk about the different musical sounds the girls hear.
2. Ask school principals in your area for their permission for children to wear two different shoes on February 22nd.
3. Girls and adults sign their own Agreement to Value Differences card (a pocket-sized card or piece of paper with the Agreement to Value Differences, shown at the top of this page, printed on it).
4. Using the Agreement Sheet (available in both English and Spanish), girls and adults collect as many signatures as possible from friends, family members, and fellow Girl Scouts and encourage others to participate. Persons who sign should be given their own Agreement to Value Differences card to carry on February 22nd. Girls and adults turn in their agreement sheets so troop leaders can tally number of participants.
5. To assist in our efforts to publicize this event, please contact the Pines of Carolina Girl Scout Council Director of Communications to inform her of your plans for Different Shoe Day. We want to hear all the wonderful things you are doing to celebrate diversity!
6. Each participant should wear two different shoes on February 22nd.
7. Sign and date your personal agreement card and carry it with you on February 22nd.
8. Use the information from completed agreement sheets to provide the following information: Troop number and level, area/county, total number of troop participants, total number of participants (including family, friends, community, etc.), (if your school participated) list name of school, and any comments you may have. Add the leader's signature and the co-leader's signature and mail to:
   

   Different Shoe Day
   Pines of Carolina Girl Scout Council, Inc.
   P.O. Box 52294
   Raleigh, NC 27612-0294

9. Different Shoe Day patches are available through the Pines of Carolina Girl Scout Council Store. A patch may be purchased for each troop participant. For those who have participated in previous years, there is a "2nd year," "3rd year," "4th year," "5th year," "6th year" and "7th year" strip that goes below the patch. Contact the Pines of Carolina Girl Scout Council Store for ordering information.