The sale of Girl Scouts of Colorado’s Magic Sky Ranch to the University of Denver in September 2021 was much more than a land transaction. As like-minded institutions committed to the advancement of youth, the sale was also the impetus for conversations about how GSCO and DU could collaborate to the benefit of Girl Scouts of Colorado’s 15,000 statewide girl members and DU’s 17,000 students.
These conversations are ongoing with faculty at DU and Girl Scouts of Colorado staff, volunteers, and members. We want to ensure all friends of Girl Scouts of Colorado are up-to-date, so we will post updates here. Check back frequently for the latest news, opportunities to get involved, ways to provide feedback and more.
While we are still in the process of identifying mutually beneficial ways in which to engage, we are excited to have the following activities in the planning stages. These programs are just the beginning, as we fully anticipate that additional opportunities will emerge as we continue to evolve our relationship. We plan for these activities to be sustained over time and become part of the fabric of both organizations into the future.
Currently, partnership ideas focus on DU’s Denver campus as the university works to get its new James C. Kennedy Mountain Campus at the site of GSCO’s former Magic Sky Ranch up and running. Girl Scouts will continue to access the mountain campus each summer for a minimum of the next six years beginning next summer, and GSCO and DU plan to expand their collaboration to encompass joint outdoor programming and opportunities at the mountain campus in the future.
DU Scavenger Hunt for Girl Scouts of Colorado
Girl Scouts of Colorado and the DU Admissions office are creating an interactive opportunity for girls designed to increase their comfort and familiarity with being on a college campus and aid in their college-readiness in the future.
Due to current safety protocols, we have created two on-campus scavenger hunts: one that can be activated now adhering to COVID restrictions, and one for the future when girls are more likely to be able to enter buildings and interact with the DU community. Plans are to have the first scavenger hunt in late March 2022 with a more robust experience planned for May 2022.
Upon completion of the scavenger hunt, Girl Scouts will receive a newly designed DU patch related to leadership, discovery, and college readiness.
The scavenger hunt will challenge girls to:
Navigate light rail/public transportation under the supervision of an adult to get to the DU campus.
Find a dorm for first-year students.
Greet a DU student. Ask if they were a Girl Scout. Find out their hometown and major/area of study.
Find a sorority house. Discuss what the Greek letters represent, find out the name of its president. Take a photo/selfie with a sorority sister, signage, or building.
Identify one student activity/organization that you would be interested in.
Find the Josef Korbel School of International Studies. Identify at least one notable female alumna from Korbel. Hint: One was the 66thS. Secretary of State.
DU’s campus is home to more than 150 species of trees. Find at least five species of trees, and identify two “historic” trees on campus.
Find two outdoor sculptures; take photos and name the sculptures.
Gold Award Girl Scouts and DU’s Inclusive Global Leadership Initiative
DU’s Inclusive Global Leadership Initiative (IGLI) will invite Gold Award Girl Scouts to its annual summer conference, which brings women-identified frontline activists from around the world to the university to have important conversations about social change.
The partnership with IGLI will also involve the creation of a special session on “Intergenerational Storytelling” to help the girls understand how to use their voices and stories as powerful tools to enact social change. Girl Scouts will also have the opportunity to work directly with and be mentored by renowned activists from around the world through DU’s global women’s network.
Mentoring Girls with Morgridge College of Education Graduate Students
The Morgridge College of Education (MCE) at DU trains the educators of tomorrow. MCE has plans to build a buddy mentoring framework pairing older Girl Scouts with graduate students to support them through various life challenges and provide guidance to help them navigate through adolescent years. During summer sessions, MCE would like to host campus tours and sessions for Girl Scouts who are interested in careers in education.
Girl Scouts of Colorado Property Analysis by DU Hospitality and Real Estate Students
Even after the sale of Magic Sky Ranch, Girl Scouts of Colorado maintains a robust property portfolio, with seven camp and ranch properties across the state totaling more than 1,600 acres. GSCO would like to analyze the amenities offered at these properties to ensure they advance girls’ leadership development and foster self-sufficiency and confidence in the outdoor environment. Girl Scouts also plans to tap DU’s expertise to determine potential to attract outside users to its properties when not in use by girls to create new revenue streams in support of its girl-focused mission.
DU’s Franklin L. Burns School of Real Estate and Construction Management and its Fritz Knoebel School of Hospitality Management are exploring cross-collaborative ways to help GSCO analyze its properties to ensure they deliver on GSCO’s mission for its girls. Potential partnership opportunities include physical/capital assets assessment and analysis of existing facilities from both a real estate and construction perspective and kitchen/dining facility design.
In addition, the Burns School is looking to engage Girl Scouts in MAGIC Camp (Mentor a Girl in Construction) in partnership with NAWIC (National Association of Women in Construction) in the hopes that a national model could result for other schools and Girl Scout councils around the country. The school is also planning to host and facilitate field trips for girls to construction sites, construction companies, and large development projects. In addition, the school would like to host an introductory workshop for girls about investing in real estate, utilizing a game approach to teach the concepts of real estate investing.
Graduate School of Professional Psychology
DU’s Graduate School of Professional Psychology trains the mental health practitioners and scholars of tomorrow. The school is planning to partner with GSCO to provide programming on health and wellness for girls, especially through sport and physical activity.