Program Levels

Any girl age 5-18 can be an American Heritage Girl. Girls of all different backgrounds are welcome and are encouraged to join at any age! You don't have to start as a Pathfinder (age 5) in order to gain the benefits from participating in the AHG Program.

AHG’s multi-Level structure means that girls from all Program Levels meet together as a single Troop at the same time, though they split into Levels for activities.

** The Badges and Service Stars for American Heritage Girls are progressive in nature. A Tenderheart will require a very basic skill level while a much older Patriot will have progressed to a much higher skill level to complete a Badge.

*** Age requirements must be met by October 31st, of the program year in which the girl is registering.

	Pathfinders Ages 5-6 (Kindergarten, must be age 5 before Oct 31) The Pathfinder Level is intended to give a girl a chance to try out the AHG Program and learn more about it. A Pathfinder girl earns necklace beads for attendance, participation and Bible verse memorization while learning the four parts of the AHG Oath. She may earn the Fanny Crosby Award upon completion of this Level. *Pathfinder program requires a parent/ guardian to participate with them during all troop activities & is only offered when there are 5 or more registered girls & Unit Leader availability
	Tenderhearts Ages 6-9 (1^st to 3^rd grade, must be age 6 before Oct 31) A Tenderheart earns Badges and Sports Pins in any of the six Frontiers of Skill and receives activity patches for participating in Troop activities or special events. She may earn the Sacagawea Award for achieving the highest level of skill and service at this Level. Blue Service Stars are awarded for every 5 hours of community service.
	Explorers Ages 9-12 (4^th to 6^th grade, must be age 9 before Oct 31) An Explorer earns Badges and Sports Pins in any of the six Frontiers of Skill and receives activity patches for participating in Troop activities or special events. She may earn the Lewis and Clark Award for achieving the highest level of skill and service at this Level. Red Service Stars are awarded for every 10 hours of community service. Explorers are allowed to participate in overnight camping events.
	Pioneers Ages 12-14 (7^th to 8^th grade, must be age 12 before Oct 31) A Pioneer continues to earn Badges, Sports Pins, Service Stars and activity patches. She may earn the Harriet Tubman Award for achieving the highest level of skill and service at this Level. White Service Stars are awarded for every 15 hours of community service. A Pioneer is also eligible for the roles of Camp or Event Aide. The Pioneer Level is where girls really begin to show leadership skills by assisting their leaders with planning, organizing and staffing special events for AHG in the community or within their Troop.
	Patriots Ages 14-18 (9^th to 12^th grade, must be age 14 before Oct 31) Patriot is the highest Program Level in AHG. A Patriot still earns Badges, Sports Pins, Service Stars and activity patches. She may earn the Dolley Madison Award for achieving the highest level of skill and service at this Level. Yellow Service Stars are awarded for every 20 hours of community service. Patriot girls plan and carry out activities with Unit Leaders who function as “facilitators”, allowing girls to make decisions on a regular basis. Patriot Level girls may go above and beyond to earn the highest award for American Heritage Girls, The Stars & Stripes Award. This is the most prestigious of awards, and it requires a great deal of time, sacrifice and devotion to achieve this award.