About Our Hostels
Oregon
HI-USA
Travel Workshops just for Girl Scouts
Empowering Girls!
Cultural Kitchen for Girl Scouts (Overnight Program)
Hostelling International’s wildly successful Cultural Kitchen program has been adapted for Girl Scouts. The program's exciting curriculum empowers girls to study a foreign country's culture, culminating in a meal prepared by the group that is shared with travelers during an overnight stay at the hostel. Girls can complete the Cultural Kitchen program with guidance from their advisor, homework and cultural learning activities at the hostel.Learn more about our Cultural Kitchen for Girl Scouts program
Travel Adventure in Portland (Day Program)
A fun afternoon of discovering the world of travel. Learn about Hostelling, tour two international hostels, explore Portland from a traveler's point of view, and use public transportation. Girls start at one Portland hostel, plan a trip on public transportation to the other hostel, and participate in a travel focused scavenger hunt using the bus, MAX train, and streetcar. The afternoon adventure right here in Portland gives them the experience they will need as they journey off to explore cities in the US or abroad. Every girl will receive a free youth membership for Hostelling International.
Travel Adventure in Portland/Sharing Meals (Overnight Program)
Participate in the Travel Adventure in Portland day program (see above) and spend the night at the HI-Portland, Northwest hostel. Like travel, food has always been something that brings people together. Sharing Meals offers troops the chance to prepare a meal on their own to share with travelers. Whether you are cooking a pancake breakfast or a spaghetti dinner, we are excited that you and your troop have decided to share a meal with our other hostellers. Not only is it a great opportunity for the girls to interact with travelers from all over the world, but it’s also a chance for the girls to be ambassadors for their hometown, the USA and Girl Scouts. Meeting real, live American teens is always a special treat for our hostellers and a memorable experience for any traveler!
Get Ready to Explore the World (workshop)
Learn what and how to pack for travel, what it is like to meet folks from other cultures, how to take care of your health and travel safely, how to exchange US $ into foreign currency, and how hostelling can help you travel on a budget. Four fun interactive and informational sessions presented at the workshops are: - "Brief Encounter" intercultural game - learn about meeting folks from other cultures and get a taste for how it feels. - Pack Light, Pack Right - learn what and how to pack, try out backpacks and other travel accessories. - Health and Safety - Learn how to take care of your health, while traveling safely. Keys to an enjoyable and fun trip! - Hostelling around the World and International Currency - Learn how hostelling can help you travel on a budget and how to exchange US dollars for foreign currency.
"Around the World in One Night" Slumber Party (Overnight Program)
Are you thinking about applying for a Destination in the fall? Are you interested in travel? A destination is your chance to go somewhere new, do something different, and meet people from everywhere you can imagine. This slumber party invites girls that have been on Destinations and those interested in going on a Destination to have fun and celebrate what the world has to offer. We will be experiencing food, watching movies and playing games from around the globe, and spend a night at the HI-Portland, Northwest hostel.
Not ready to spend the night yet?
We also offer great day programs as first steps to prepare for travel - contact us!For questions or to schedule a workshop for your troop, please contact our Girl Scout coordinator or call 503-827-0405.
Want to lead this workshop? We are interested in well-traveled, articulate travelers who have a story to share. NOTE: Background checks are required for any volunteer participating in Girl Scout or other youth programs. Contact our volunteer coordinator to make arrangements, and check out our volunteer opportunities.
The Oregon Council of Hostelling International USA provides travel education to help promote HI-USA’s mission to “gain a greater understanding of the world and its people through hostelling.”