American Heritage Girls troops are divided into five age-appropriate unit levels: Pathfinder (Kindergarten), Tenderheart (1st-3rd grade), Explorer (4th-6th grade), Pioneer (7th and 8th grades), and Patriot (9th-12th grades).
Each girl’s journey in American Heritage Girls begins with the Joining Award.
AHG Joining Award Requirements
Pathfinder
(Ages 5-6 and in Kindergarten)
A Pathfinder earns necklace beads for attendance, participation, and Bible verse memorization while learning the four parts of the AHG Oath. She receives the Fanny Crosby Award for completion of this level.
Fanny Crosby Award Requirements
Pathfinder Uniform:
Tenderheart
(Ages 6-9 and in Grades 1-3)
A Tenderheart earns achievement badges in any of the six frontiers of skill and receives activity patches for participating in troop activities or special events. She earns the Sacagawea Award for achieving the highest level of skill and service at this level. Service stars are awarded for every 5 hours of community service.
Tenderheart Uniform:
Explorer
(Ages 9-12 and in Grades 4-6)
An Explorer earns achievement badges in any of the six frontiers of skill and receives activity patches for participating in troop activities or special events. She receives service stars for every 10 hours of community service. The Ida Scudder Award is earned by those girls who achieve the highest level of skill and service in this age group. Explorers are allowed to participate in overnight camping events as well.
Ida Scudder Award Requirements
Explorer Uniform:
Pioneer
(Ages 12-14 and in Grades 7 or 8)
A Pioneer continues to earn achievement badges, service stars, and activity patches. The highest award level for Pioneers is the Harriet Tubman Award. These girls may also become camp and event aides. 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.
Harriet Tubman Award Requirements
Pioneer Uniform:
Patriot
(Ages 14-18 and in Grades 9-12)
The Patriot is the highest program level in AHG. These girls plan and carry out activities with Unit Leaders who function as “facilitators,” allowing girls to make decisions on a regular basis. As with lower levels, they too earn achievement Badges, service stars, and activity patches. Since the girls are older, they are required to demonstrate the highest level of skill in all areas. The level award for the Patriots is the Abigail Adams Award.
Patriot level girls may also go above and beyond to earn the highest award for American Heritage Girls, the Stars & Stripes Award.
Patriot Uniform:
