Fulfills Step 3 of GSUSA Outside the Mirror badge requirements.
Info Needed: Beauty isn’t the same everywhere or every time. Beauty standards are shaped by society, media, and trends, but they don’t define genuine beauty. Different cultures and moments in history have their own standards and being yourself is always beautiful. Learn about beauty standards in other cultures to recognize that beauty is defined in many different ways. Being true to yourself is more powerful than fitting into any single idea of what’s “normal.”
Items Needed:
- Printed cards or posters showing beauty standards from different cultures (10–15 examples).
- You can find information for cards in Cultural Beauty Standards Around the World.
- Tape or clips to display cards around the room.
- (Optional) Timer or stopwatch.
- (Optional) Reflection slips or mini bios for note-taking.
Instructions (Estimated Total Time: 25–30 min):
- Set up the room with cultural beauty cards (5–7 min).
- Hang or lay out cards showing how beauty is expressed in different cultures.
- Include short descriptions, images, or quotes for each.
- Scouts explore and choose one card that interests them (5–6 min).
- Scouts walk around and read the cards.
- Each scout picks one that stands out to them or feels meaningful.
- Present a 30-second spotlight (10–12 min).
- Each scout gives a short summary of the beauty standard they chose.
- Include the culture or region.
- Describe what is admired or valued.
- Share why it caught their attention.
- Use a timer to keep it fun and focused.
- Each scout gives a short summary of the beauty standard they chose.
- Group reflection and wrap-up (5–6 min).
- Discuss how different cultures define beauty.
- Ask: “Did anything surprise you?” or “What do these standards say about what people value?”
- Reinforce that beauty is diverse and being authentic is always admired.
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