Girl Scouts of Colorado is excited to launch a new feature in gsLearn, live sessions! A live session is a webinar you can register for through your gsLearn profile. These will be hosted live on the date specified in the course. Watch this video to walk you through the steps for how to sign up for these sessions in your gsLearn account. The sessions you will find available are: Virtual Troop Programming: Learn more and connect with peers about Virtual Troop Programming. Come if you’ve had virtual success, come if you are seeking guidance on how to, or you just need ideas! Tuesday, May 12, 2020 12:30 – 1 p.m. Thursday, May 14, 2020 6:30 – 7 p.m. Community Service in the Time of COVID: Girl Scouts give back to their communities through Highest Awards and Take Action Projects, but let’s talk and learn more about how community service looks in this virtual age! Tuesday, May 19, 2020 12:30 – 1 p.m. Thursday, May 21, 2020 6:30 – 7 p.m. Parent/Guardian/Family Involvement: Looking for ways to keep troop parents, guardians, and families engaged during this time of Zoom calls, webinars, and virtual events? Learn tips and tricks and discuss with volunteer peers! Tuesday, May 26, 2020 12:30 – 1 p.m. Thursday, May 28, 2020 6:30 – 7 p.m. Support in a Time of Grief: Connect with peers who are willing to talk about their struggles and how they have been affected by COVID-19. Tuesday, June 2, 2020 12:30 – 1 p.m. Thursday, June 4, 2020 6:30 – 7 p.m. If you have any questions or concerns please contact Kendy Doolen, instructional design manger, at Kendy.Doolen@gscolorado.org. #gsLearn #VolunteerNews #volunteertraining

Despite current challenges Girl Scouting is here for girls. Our mission of building leaders—who can navigate good times as well as uncertain ones—is critical. The way we live has changed, but Girl Scouts can continue to discover, connect, and take action. In fact, we’ve taken this crisis and turned it into an opportunity. An opportunity to try new things! Webinars to connect girls directly to professional women. Explore a career path, meet badge requirements, and try something new! All webinars will be listed on the GSCO Events Calendar. Advance registration is required. We will use Zoom to host each webinar and capacity is limited to 100 participants. Meet a . . . District Judge! Thursday, April 30, 2020 at 4 p.m. Register by April 29 Junior Inside Government Badge (partial requirements) Meet a . . . Musician & Performer! Monday, May 4 at 4 p.m. Register by May 1 Junior Musician Badge (partial requirements) Questions? Email aimee.artzer@gscolorado.org Junior Musician badge series Explore music and earn the Junior Musician Badge at home. Register for the series to receive information on how to complete the activities. The first meeting will be  Friday, May 1 at 4 p.m. and our last meeting will be on Friday, May 15 at 4 p.m. The deadline to register is April 30. Register for the Badge Series Letter-writing service project We also proud to be a part of the larger Girl Scout Movement, which is serving our country and our world. Join us on a Movement-wide letter writing campaign to support those in our community who need us most. The idea is simple: Girls write letters to people in nursing homes, senior residences, and assisted living facilities, including the dedicated staff and caregivers. This long-distance hug is a way to share your good thoughts with these vulnerable and loved community members. Learn more Earn Girl Scout badges at home, on your own schedule. Check out the new,interactive Girl Scouts at Home website and Girl Scouts of Colorado’s web page highlighting council patches that can be done at home. Stay tuned to the GSCO Blog and Facebook page for the upcoming badges/activities, including: Week of April 27: Brownie Painting badge Week of May 4: Junior Staying Fit badge Week of May 11: Think Like an Engineer Challenges (not level-specific) Every Friday: Book Craft or other literature-related activity (These are perfect for younger Girl Scouts or younger siblings). Also, be sure to check our previous badge series: Brownie Pets, Junior Animal Habitats, and Cadette Trees. Follow Tomahawk Ranch and Sky High Ranch on social media for fun camp crafts, recipes, and games that you and your family can do at home or share with your Girl Scout sisters. Listen Now- Girl Scout webinar with the U.S. Census Bureau Did you miss the call with the U.S. Census Bureau – Denver Region? Good news! It is now available online! Don’t forget to check out GSCO’s Stand and Be Counted patch program! Listening to this webinar satisfies the requirement for Step One of the Stand and Be Counted patch. LEARN MORE Virtual Celebrations Virtual Statewide Bridging Celebration We want to honor girls’ achievements through the year and celebrate their “crossing the bridge” to the next Girl Scout level. GSCO staff will guide Girl Scouts of all levels through a virtual bridging ceremony from the comfort of your own home. Prepare to bridge at home by making your own bridge out of pillows, stuffed animals, or anything else you can safely walk across. To join, visit our Facebook page Wednesday, May 6 at 4:30 p.m. You can also celebrate bridging this year by contributing to our Statewide Bridging video! Fill out this online form by Sunday, May 10 (end of day) to share your at-home bridging photo and reflections. Virtual Highest Awards Celebration Join us on May 16 at 2 p.m. for a virtual, statewide Highest Awards Celebration honoring all of the Bronze, Silver, and Gold Award Girl Scoutsfrom the past year. If your troop or girl earned a Highest Award between March 1, 2019 through February 29, 2020, you should have received an email about contributing photos to the celebration A link to join the live virtual celebration will be sent to all Highest Awards troop leaders to share with their families. Additionally, we will send out a recording of the celebration that can be watched at any time. Highest Awards Now is also the perfect time to start working on requirements for your Bronze, Silver, or Gold Award! The Highest Awards program has added a few additional virtual trainings. Gold Award Project Workshop Wednesday, April 29  from 3:30-4:30 p.m. Gold Award Training Webinar Tuesday, June 2 from 5-7 p.m. Also, the award project completion deadline for bridging girls has been extended to Dec. 31. LEARN MORE #GirlScoutingatHome #GirlScoutsatHome

Submitted by Cricket Hawkins Mountain Communities Winter Park I first met Kayla Davis when she was a Girl Scout Junior in fourth grade and was excited when she received her Gold Award in May of 2019. Kayla’s Gold Award, “NCSD Moves in the Mountains,” involved designing, building, and installing an adaptive, comprehensive obstacle course for statewide use by members of the National Sports Center for the Disabled. This transportable project is stored in a trailer in Grand County. Kayla is graduating from high school this summer and will be headed to Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. Her choice of university and Aerospace Engineering major with a minor in Space Studies, was a wonderful surprise for many of us. I asked her what influenced her decisions and she said: “the movie Hidden Figures.” Kayla first saw the movie at the end of her freshman year in high school and realized veterinary school was not going to be the right fit for her. Kayla was inspired by the African American women in the movie, all mathematicians, who helped develop NASA’s space program in the 1960’s. Kayla and her family also visited the Kennedy Space Center in Florida later that year and the rest is history! I am proud to share that Kayla received two significant scholarships this year: The PEO STAR Scholarship, which is awarded to 880 recipients across the United States and Canada and focuses on leadership, academic achievement, extracurricular participation, and community service; and a substantial scholarship from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University that is directly tied to her Gold Award and high school career achievements. We are so proud of you Kayla; you exemplify what a Gold Award Girl Scout can achieve! #NationalSportsCenterfortheDisabled #GoldAward #HighestAwards #WinterPark #GrandCounty #GoldAwardGirlScout #GirlScoutGoldAward #TakeAction #mountaincommunities

Submitted by Debbie Swanson Pikes Peak Colorado Springs Noreen Landis-Tyson is President and CEO of CPCD…giving children a head start since 2002, one of the largest and most complex nonprofits in GSCO’s Pikes Peak region. She is nationally recognized by her peers for her leadership, knowledge, and expertise, serving as a mentor through UCLA’s New Director Mentor Program, supporting the development of new Head Start directors, and is regularly asked for advice and support to other programs throughout the country. She brings her expertise and innovation to managing El Paso County’s Head Start program, and is an expert in building partnerships, having nurtured collaborations with six school districts to blend Head Start services with the state-funded Colorado Preschool Program to serve almost 1,800 of the county’s most vulnerable young children and their families. Noreen has created partnerships with three early care and education programs to offer Head Start services in their centers, supporting increased quality for all children in those centers. As if that wasn’t enough, Noreen is also an internationally-ranked bicycle race official, one of only 50 women in the world to hold that rank, and frequently officiates bike races around the world. She was the first female president of the commissaire’s panel at the UCI Track World Championship this year in Berlin, and was to be the first woman to hold that same position at the Tokyo Olympics this year before they were cancelled. Noreen has participated as a leader of a Conversation Stations at Secrets to Success for the past two years. In this role, Noreen talks to more than 100 girls about her work, why she loves it, and how she is changing the world with it. She does this with more than 20 other professional women who network with girls to have them learn the myriad options open to them for their own future work. She also serves as a board member to the Girl Scouts of Colorado Board of Directors. Noreen truly appreciates how Girl Scouts are preparing girls to be our future leaders and innovators, and leads the way by her own example. Want to nominate a volunteer for Girl Scouts of Colorado to spotlight? Please email Public Relations Director AnneMarie Harper at annemarie.harper@gscolorado.org. The nomination deadline for 2020 Volunteer Recognition Awards is April 30. GSCO invites members statewide to take this opportunity to recognize an outstanding volunteer by nominating them for a Volunteer Recognition Award. Nominators are responsible for ensuring enough endorsements are submitted to support their nomination of a volunteer for an award. Your volunteer support specialist can check nomination and endorsement submissions for you. Learn more. #NationalVolunteerAppreciation #VolunteerNews #VolunteerAppreciationMonth #ColoradoSprings #CPCDgivingchildrenaheadstart #2020NationalVolunteerAppreciationMonth #PikesPeak

Girl Scouts of Colorado is celebrating extraordinary volunteers throughout the state in honor of Volunteer Appreciation Month. Danielle Malott of Fruita in the Western Colorado region is a shining example of the wonderful role Girl Scout volunteers play in the lives of girls and our community. GSCO asked Danielle to answer a few quick questions about her volunteer experience. We hope you find her as inspiring as we did. Why did you become a Girl Scout volunteer? I became a leader because there was not space in a troop for my daughter to join. I have fond memories of Girl Scouts from my youth and I wanted my daughter to have those as well Tell us about your different volunteer roles as a Girl Scout. I have been a troop leader and volunteered on the service unit leadership team. As a troop leader, I have worked with Daisies, Brownies, and Juniors. Having a multi-level troop is amazing. You get to see the older girls help the younger girls. When this happens, the girls gain confidence and leadership skills by leaps and bounds. My favorite troop event has been all of the camping trips! On the service unit leadership team, I focused on events. Living on the Western Slope, we don’t get many council events. My goal was to bring similar events to the Western Slope, but on a smaller scale. My favorite event was an art day with a local pottery shop. I am most looking forward to a astronomy lock in once COVID-19 is over. What have you learned as a Girl Scout volunteer? The biggest skill I have learned is how to teach things I have no clue about.  My girls always pick a few badges that are way out of my wheelhouse. Figuring out how to teach those has been an adventure. What do you hope girls have learned from you? How to be inclusive and determined. We have a wide range of abilities and challenges in my troop. I hope that the girls have learned how to accept others and over come the challenge that come along while having FUN!! How has your experience as a volunteer helped you become a G.I.R.L. (go-getter, innovator, risk-taker, leader)? My girls pick new and exciting activities that constantly push me and them. By helping them grow, I get to grow with them. Want to nominate a volunteer for Girl Scouts of Colorado to spotlight? Please email Public Relations Director AnneMarie Harper at annemarie.harper@gscolorado.org. The nomination deadline for 2020 Volunteer Recognition Awards is April 30. GSCO invites members statewide to take this opportunity to recognize an outstanding volunteer by nominating them for a Volunteer Recognition Award. Nominators are responsible for ensuring enough endorsements are submitted to support their nomination of a volunteer for an award. Your volunteer support specialist can check nomination and endorsement submissions for you. Learn more. #2020VolunteerSpotlight #VolunteerNews #volunteerspotlight #VolunteerAppreciationMonth #Fruita #2020NationalVolunteerAppreciationMonth #NationalVolunteerAppreciationMonth #VolunteerAppreciation #WesternColorado

Girl Scouts of Colorado is celebrating extraordinary volunteers throughout the state in honor of Volunteer Appreciation Month. Shana Barbera of Colorado Springs in the Pikes Peak region is a shining example of the wonderful role Girl Scout volunteers play in the lives of girls and our community. GSCO asked Shana to answer a few quick questions about her volunteer experience. We hope you find her as inspiring as we did. Why did you become a Girl Scout volunteer? I became a Girl Scout volunteer when I signed my daughter up when she was entering Kindergarten. There was a table set up at her ice cream social at her school with a volunteer talking about all the opportunities in Girl Scouts. My daughter is now in sixth grade and about to finish up her seventh year in Girl Scouts. Tell us about your different volunteer roles as a Girl Scout. I started out as a assistant leader. Then, I quickly took over the group of Daisy girls as the other leader moved away. At year three, I housed Girl Scout Cookies for our troop cookie mom and learned about the process of being the TCM. The following year I took over as our troop TCM and I just completed my fourth year being the TCM for our troop. Then, two years ago I took over as the fall product manager for my troop. I recently took on another role this past year as service unit fall product manager and service unit cookie manager for two different service units in the Pikes Peak region, as well as continuing in all my other roles. I think I’m going to do it again next year. What have you learned as a Girl Scout volunteer? I have learned so much by being a Girl Scout volunteer. I was only a Girl Scout for one year when I was in fifth grade. So, I have learned about all the badges, songs, and traditions. Now, that my daughter is competing in Reach for the Peak, I have been learning all the same skills we are teaching them for the competition, such as fire building, nature identification, proper ways to set up camp, etc.– thanks to some wonderful knowledgeable volunteers in my troop. I am now CPR and First Aid certified. I have always loved giving back. But, I have a newfound hobby. I love mentoring these young ladies and providing them with once in a lifetime opportunities, liking sleeping under the shark tank at the Denver Aquarium, and so much more! I will probably continue to volunteer even after my daughter graduates high school. What do you hope girls have learned from you? I hope that the girls I lead are learning some value life skills. I hope they have fun and make life long friends. Hopefully they will continue Girl Scouts through high school and one day become a volunteer or find other ways to give back to their community. How has your experience as a volunteer helped you become a G.I.R.L. (go-getter, innovator, risk-taker, leader)? Thank you to Girl Scouts of Colorado, all your volunteers,  and all the wonderful leaders I have worked with over the years. You have shaped me into the volunteer I am today. I have gained more confidence in myself and I have the courage to try things I wouldn’t normally do. Want to nominate a volunteer for Girl Scouts of Colorado to spotlight? Please email Public Relations Director AnneMarie Harper at annemarie.harper@gscolorado.org. The nomination deadline for 2020 Volunteer Recognition Awards is April 30. GSCO invites members statewide to take this opportunity to recognize an outstanding volunteer by nominating them for a Volunteer Recognition Award. Nominators are responsible for ensuring enough endorsements are submitted to support their nomination of a volunteer for an award. Your volunteer support specialist can check nomination and endorsement submissions for you. Learn more. #2020VolunteerSpotlight #VolunteerNews #volunteerspotlight #VolunteerAppreciationMonth #ColoradoSprings #2020NationalVolunteerAppreciationMonth #NationalVolunteerAppreciationMonth #PikesPeak

Submitted by Erin J. Colorado Springs Pikes Peak I learned that layers of security are important. I layer for weather. I layer to keep ourselves safe from things like COVID-19. My castle has layers including ninjas to towers. By completing this activity, the girls will earn this special cybersecurity patch. Learn how to earn yours. #ColoradoSprings #cybersecurity #PikesPeak #STEM

Girl Scouts of Colorado is celebrating extraordinary volunteers throughout the state in honor of Volunteer Appreciation Month. Shawnda Staten of Fort Lupton in the Northern & Northeastern CO region is a shining example of the wonderful role Girl Scout volunteers play in the lives of girls and our community. GSCO asked Shawnda to answer a few quick questions about her volunteer experience. We hope you find her as inspiring as we did. Why did you become a Girl Scout volunteer? I became a Girl Scout volunteer at 18, so I could work at a resident camp after I graduated high school and then it just worked out that I was needed for my little cousins troop as a co-leader, so she could do all the “cool stuff” (her words not mine) that I got to do growing up. Then, a very short time later my daughter was old enough and wanted to be in Girl Scouts and of course, we had no leaders, so it just happened and then I had another daughter ten years later who wanted to be a Girl Scout too. I had to start a new troop for her and when I thought I was going to take some other roles in council, I was blessed with a granddaughter, so I haven’t changed roles just yet because now I am honored to be her leader. Tell us about your different volunteer roles as a Girl Scout. Different volunteer roles as a Girl Scout started for me as a Girl Scout member: helping Brownie leaders that needed help, and at the local nature centers doing educational tours for scouts and the community. I wasn’t working on a Program Aide or any awards or badges, but for fun and the experience. Then, as a legal adult, I volunteered as a camp counselor a couple times, co-leader/leader from early 1990’s til now in a couple states, special events manager/coordinator a couple times, and in a couple states, service unit registrar, service unit and troop product program manager/coordinator a couple times (even back when we had calendars/candies and of course cookie season), service unit co-manager/ manger. I have been secretary on the service unit team, mentor for leaders and various other positions on the team, and helped in adult training. I think for about three months in the very beginning I was just a registered parent. LOL. They have all been an experience to remember and most I enjoyed for the terms they were assigned because of the fellow volunteers I had on the team with me. What have you learned as a Girl Scout volunteer? Being a Girl Scout volunteer, I have learned I’m only human, I am flawed, and I make mistakes, but it’s how you handle them that makes you a better leader and person. I have learned that I have lots still to learn from a program aspect, from the parents and fellow volunteers, and most importantly ,to me is learning from the girls. Its great to let the girls explore and grow in their own time and in there own way. Not all girls are created equal and that is perfect! Be flexible, open minded, non-judgmental and easy going as much as possible. That not all Girl Scouts; girls and adults will like everyone else, look at their troop the same way, or with the same dedication level, which can be frustrating, but its always good to accept for the sake of being a mentor/ role model and living by the Promise and Law. I have learned basic things like how to live by the Promise and Law, not just say the words. I think a lot of volunteers miss that when they sign up for a volunteer role, and cookies is not a competition between girls/troops, it’s a learning tool. How to hike and camp correctly with a bunch of rambunctious and social young ladies. How to cook with a solar oven and better at dutch oven. How to make better knots and teach girls edible knots and campfires, so they get it at a young age. How to have a cleaner camping kitchen. How to canoe down a river and in the lake without swamping it, as well as archery and gun safety. How to use badge requirements to benefit the girls and how to use their everyday experiences to fulfill badge requirements without double dipping.  How to track paperwork. What do you hope girls have learned from you? What I hope my girls have learned from me is emotional for me when I think about it. Being a Girl Scout, growing up when we had basically no guideline rules other than Susie Safety and having a lifetime of lasting memories and friends. I want that for all of my girls too, but it goes deeper. I want them to accept others for who they are, not what society expects them to be. To accept everyone with or without disabilities because it doesn’t define them as a person. To love themselves and know they have worth. That because I was open and honest with my girls that they will be as well. That they learned to give back to themselves, their families, their communities, and this country. To accept their accomplishments and defeats equally and with pride and humility. To be independent, responsible, take charge, role models. To be good mommies or not, spouses or not, businesswomen or house wives, and Girl Scout leaders if that is what they want in their journeys. That I will always support them, that I am here for them throughout Girl Scouts and beyond. That they touched my heart even if they were only mine for a short time and I am proud of them and the growth I see within them. That when I say at the beginning of the year that our troop is a family not just a bunch of people who get together once a week that I meant it and their sisters in scouts are their friends for life. How has your experience as a volunteer helped you become a G.I.R.L. (go-getter, innovator, risk-taker, leader)? My experience as a volunteer helped me become a G.I.R.L. (go-getter, innovator, risk-taker, leader) through my personal growth and experiences with the girls and the good friends I have made through the years. Its all been trial and error and preconceived notions of what is right or wrong and how to accomplish a task. How you deal with the unknown events and the gratitude you have from the mistakes as well as the accomplishments. To always be the girls safe heaven and their biggest cheerleader because sometimes that is all they need from you. To show them that you care and are dedicated to their success makes you a success. Be their friend even when they drive you crazy because it helps you grow. For me, it meant looking for a bigger picture and getting outside my comfort zone and moving my family across country for a chance at something different, and then again for a better long term future goal. To set goals and not give up until you have no other option and even then keep moving forward with your head high, to take the necessary risks in life to achieve your journeys goal. Over the years I am now blessed with being a Girl Scout grandma several times and It has given me a sense of pride I didn’t know I would get from being a leader. I step outside myself and what I think I know to help myself grow and move out of the way of my own ego. I always am willing to try something new and push boundaries and stereotypes. That is how I became a G.I.R.L. Want to nominate a volunteer for Girl Scouts of Colorado to spotlight? Please email Public Relations Director AnneMarie Harper at annemarie.harper@gscolorado.org. The nomination deadline for 2020 Volunteer Recognition Awards is April 30. GSCO invites members statewide to take this opportunity to recognize an outstanding volunteer by nominating them for a Volunteer Recognition Award. Nominators are responsible for ensuring enough endorsements are submitted to support their nomination of a volunteer for an award. Your volunteer support specialist can check nomination and endorsement submissions for you. Learn more. #2020VolunteerSpotlight #VolunteerNews #volunteerspotlight #VolunteerAppreciationMonth #NorthernampNortheasternCO #2020NationalVolunteerAppreciationMonth #NationalVolunteerAppreciationMonth #VolunteerAppreciation #FortLupton

Girl Scouts of Colorado is celebrating extraordinary volunteers throughout the state in honor of Volunteer Appreciation Month. Jo Anne Busch of Fort Collins in the Northern & Northeastern CO region is a shining example of the wonderful role Girl Scout volunteers play in the lives of girls and our community. GSCO asked Jo Anne to answer a few quick questions about her volunteer experience. We hope you find her as inspiring as we did. Why did you become a Girl Scout volunteer? It became apparent at an organizational meeting for Brownies at my daughter’s school, there needed to be a group of mothers to come forward to be leaders. I offered to help.  I wanted to share with the girls the values, life skills and unique experiences I had as a Girl Scout. Tell us about your different volunteer roles as a Girl Scout. My first role as a volunteer was when I was in college.  As a requirement for an Outdoor Ed. class I chose to contact the local Girl Scout council to help with a troop hoping to share with them my earlier Girl Scout Camping experiences. My time with them ended with a camp out. I still remember.  We cooked chicken, potatoes, carrots, onions as a foil dinner ad then sat on logs around the fire eating. Most people have heard me say “I am a Jack of all trades, but a master of none”  as I have been a volunteer for many years and held a variety of positions in both Mountain Prairie Council, but now in Girl Scouts of Colorado. I have been fortunate to have been a volunteer at several levels of the Girl Scout organization- local, national, and international. Having had three daughters, I have been a troop leaders for Brownie, Junior, and Cadette levels. My longest leader experience was at the Cadette level. Local level positions positions have included trainer, service unit manager, service unit product program coordinator, day camp committee, special events (Guys and Dolls) committee, as well as area delegate to council annual meeting. Most long lasting has been a member of the International Festival  Committee and a member of the Holiday Gift Wrap committee both for more than 40 years. Council level volunteer positions have given me the opportunity to serve on the training operating unit as a trainer and presenter at several training conferences, leader summits, and enrichment trainings.  In addition, I have served on council task forces, product program team, recognition committee, outdoor education team and a delegate to Girl Scout National Conventions. Some of the highlights have been as a member of the program operating team where we developed opportunities for girls to travel not only in the United States, but the world. Council-sponsored trips to Our Chalet, Pax Lodge, and  Our Cabana,  and Wider Opportunities –now Destinations for girls to come to Colorado and explore the wonders of the state. More recently, I spend a good deal of my time with activities of the Girl Scouts of Colorado  (GSCO) Global Action Team and with the various opportunities  the GSCO History Center in Loveland have on their schedule. It is always an honor to be involved on the national level.  My first experience as a volunteer at the national level was to be chosen as a co-leader for a group of girls from all across the United States to travel to Sangam the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) World Center in India, and then to the Golden Triangle (Delhi, Agra, Jaipur). Since then, opportunities have led to being a Liaison for GSUSA for participants attending International events. Becoming a member of the World Foundation of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts- Friends of Sangam – USA Committee has given me the opportunity to attend Girl Scout National Conventions in various Cities to promote the World Center.   At present, my volunteer positions include being a GSUSA National Volunteer Partner with the responsibility of working with national on specific projects that have included trainings, review of Young Women of Distinction Scholarship, the Forever Green Initiative, as well as being a Teller at National Conventions.  I am also the GSUSA-GSCO’s Global Action Volunteer. Several of my activities have led me to participate as a volunteer on the International level. I have been able to be a representative from the Friends of Sangam committee – USA to an International Friends of Sangam Triennial meeting at Sangam in India a few years ago. I am currently a member of the WAGGGS volunteer pool and available for opportunities that arise.  I enjoy getting the almost daily emails from the World Bureau with invitations for initiatives for young women. What have you learned as a Girl Scout volunteer? All of my experiences have enhanced my life and made me appreciative of what the organization offers the girls and young women of today. I learned there was a challenge in every position I had as a volunteer. The best part of the challenge was that I learned a new skill, had the satisfaction of accomplishment of creating something new and exciting, helping to fulfill a council need, as well as helping girls to make the world a better place. I have learned there are three qualities that are essential in being a volunteer. They are flexibility and patience and to have fun. I am a reflective person. I need to gather as much information as I can before going forth with a project. I my not have all the answers but hope I have the ability to do research when necessary. What do you hope girls have learned from you? I hope girls have learned that Girl Scouts can offer new and exciting experiences throughout their life. As I have shared with them my unique and memorable times as a girl, leader, council committee member and even as Girl Scouts of the USA representative. The world is out there for them to explore, where they can have new adventures, challenges, travel, meeting new friends, and fun. I have had all these in my many years and levels of Girl Scouting. How has your experience as a volunteer helped you become a G.I.R.L (go-getter, innovator, risk-taker, leader)? My experience as a volunteer has truly helped me to become a G.I.R.L..  As a girl I was a shy, soft-spoken person tending to my own tasks to produce a quality end product. Once I became a troop leader, I learned and perfected my skills —-   as a Listener —-   showing my Enthusiasm for the girls’ ideas and plans, —-   being Adaptable and flexible, —-   being Dependable, —-   being Energetic, creative, with a positive attitude and   —-   Responsible for what I say and do I learned there was no challenge “too big.”   Each opportunity I has given me the chance to be that to be that   go-getter, innovator, risk taker, and leader.  It has been a joy to be able to have these experiences. Want to nominate a volunteer for Girl Scouts of Colorado to spotlight? Please email Public Relations Director AnneMarie Harper at annemarie.harper@gscolorado.org. The nomination deadline for 2020 Volunteer Recognition Awards is April 30. GSCO invites members statewide to take this opportunity to recognize an outstanding volunteer by nominating them for a Volunteer Recognition Award. Nominators are responsible for ensuring enough endorsements are submitted to support their nomination of a volunteer for an award. Your volunteer support specialist can check nomination and endorsement submissions for you. Learn more. #2020VolunteerSpotlight #NationalVolunteerAppreciation #VolunteerNews #volunteerspotlight #NorthernampNortheasternCO #2020NationalVolunteerAppreciationMonth #NationalVolunteerAppreciationMonth #VolunteerAppreciation #FortCollins #alumnaenews

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the cancellation of this summer’s camp programs. Our hearts break knowing the disappointment this will cause girls, staff, and volunteers looking forward to their summer camp experience. However, the safety and well-being of girls, volunteers, and staff are always our No. 1 priority, and we feel we must take the smart and safe course. We have been following closely the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic in our state. We have consulted with medical experts, our Board of Directors, GSUSA, and other Colorado camps. All of the information points to our community being a long way away from recovery and a sort of “new normal” defining activities moving forward. Given the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, we cannot risk having girls in close group settings in the early part of this summer. All staff-led overnight camps, family camps, and troop camps, as well as all volunteer-run day camps and troop camps are canceled through July 31. All families registered for summer camp will receive a 100% refund processed to the original form of payment. GSCO’s registration team will begin processing refunds today and during the next two weeks will be working hard to process refunds for all camp sessions. You will be notified via email once your refund is initiated. We also acknowledge the hard work many Girl Scouts put in to sell cookies to help fund their Girl Scout camp experience. Cookie Credits used for 2020 camp programs will be reissued and mailed to the camper. Cookie Credits can be used toward camp in 2021, for other activities, or in the GSCO retail shop. It will take a minimum of three weeks for Cookie Credits to be reissued and received in the mail. Volume discounts earned by girls during this year’s Girl Scout Cookie Program will be honored for the 2021 summer camp season. If your girl is registered for a volunteer-run camp (with registration handled outside of CampInTouch), the volunteer camp director will reach out to you within a week with more information on a refund. Thank you for your patience as these camps are run by volunteers who will need time to communicate and process refunds. We believe strongly in the importance of getting outdoors and the power of the summer camp experience. For our Outdoor Programs team, camp is not just a job, it’s a way of life. We are working on contingency plans and coming up with other fun, exciting ways to bring that experience to girls. A big reason we are making this decision now is that we want to reduce some of the uncertainty in your lives. We know this whole situation is incredibly trying for families. While we do have hope that we will be able to run some sort of outdoor programming in the latter half of the summer, we don’t know for sure what that will look like. We will be sending a survey to families soon to assess what type of programming might work best for you. At this time, Girl Scouts of Colorado has not made a decision to cancel other in-person programming beyond May 31, including service unit camps and individual troop camping experiences. We will continue to listen to the medical and public health experts and use that information to guide our ongoing decisions. As always, we’re focused on doing what’s best for the well-being of girls, volunteers, and staff. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work through this painful and difficult time for all of us. If you have questions, please check out our Frequently Asked Questions or reach out to inquiry@gscolorado.org. #summercamp #SkyHighRanch #TomahawkRanch #summercamp2020 #COVID19 #CouncilNews

In honor of Earth Day on April 22, Girl Scouts of Colorado’s Outreach Program team is helping Cadettes earn their Trees Badge. For Step One, we designed a treehouse. In Step Two, we dug into the amazing science of trees. We made a creative project starring trees for Step Three. We’re now going to explore the connection between people and trees for Step Four. We’ll start by doing a little research! With your caregiver’s permission and after taking the Girl Scout Internet Safety Pledge, go online and pick a topic. You could choose to learn about logging, clear-cutting, or deforestation. Why do humans cut down trees? What are the pros and cons for people? For the trees? Prepare as if you were planning to debate both sides. Get started with these resources: https://onetreeplanted.org/blogs/stories/deforestation-facts-kids https://www.activewild.com/what-is-deforestation-for-kids-information-and-facts/ https://kids.britannica.com/kids/article/deforestation/443116 https://kids.mongabay.com/lesson_plans/lisa_algee/logging.html Or, you could choose to research trees and gardening. What trees work well in gardens and why? Think about your dream garden. What trees would you include? Check out these websites for ideas on how to design a tree garden layout, and get to work designing your own garden: https://www.landscapingnetwork.com/landscape-design/layouts.html https://www.landscapingnetwork.com/landscape-design/plans.html Here’s our example of a dream tree garden! We want to hear how your girl is using her Girl Scout skills by taking initiative, caring for the community, and Girl Scouting at home. She can send in her story here. #GirlScoutCadetteTreesbadge #GirlScoutCadette #GirlScoutingatHome #oldergirls #Treesbadge #GirlScoutsatHome #GirlScoutCadettes #badge #2020EarthDay #GirlScoutCadettebadge #EarthDay #badges #GirlScoutCadettebadges

Girl Scouts of Colorado is celebrating extraordinary volunteers throughout the state in honor of Volunteer Appreciation Month. Jen Vaughn of Fountain in the Pikes Peak region is a shining example of the wonderful role Girl Scout volunteers play in the lives of girls and our community. GSCO asked Jen to answer a few quick questions about her volunteer experience. We hope you find her as inspiring as we did. Why did you become a Girl Scout volunteer? I became a volunteer because my daughter asked me to join Girl Scouts with her. She heard about it from friends at school, but didn’t want to join alone. I am so glad that she did, because I think I have had more fun than she did, and I have stayed around through all four of my daughters now. Tell us about your different volunteer roles as a Girl Scout. I am currently a Girl Scout leader for a Junior/Cadette troop, as well as the service unit leader for Ft. Carson Service Unit 417. What have you learned as a Girl Scout volunteer? I have learned that there is always something new to learn, and always multiple ways to get something done. I have also learned that friends you make through Girl Scouts are forever friends. A lot like GORP, there are a lot of different kinds of people in the world, and once you mix them all together you learn things about yourself that you never knew. What do you hope girls have learned from you? I hope that they have learned that you can be yourself, and will never be judged. I hope that my girls have learned that we learn things together and I will never expect anything out of them that I will not try myself. They have taught me better ways of doing many things, and if we didn’t work together, we would never learn as much. How has your experience as a volunteer helped you become a G.I.R.L. (go-getter, innovator, risk-taker, leader)? I think that Girl Scouting has given me a voice that I didn’t know was in there before. I have learned things that I would not have necessarily tried before, and loved them. I have pushed myself to be a better person so that my girls can know that I believe in them and that they can be anything they want to be. I have realized that without risks we would never get to our full potential. Want to nominate a volunteer for Girl Scouts of Colorado to spotlight? Please email Public Relations Director AnneMarie Harper at annemarie.harper@gscolorado.org. The nomination deadline for 2020 Volunteer Recognition Awards is April 30. GSCO invites members statewide to take this opportunity to recognize an outstanding volunteer by nominating them for a Volunteer Recognition Award. Nominators are responsible for ensuring enough endorsements are submitted to support their nomination of a volunteer for an award. Your volunteer support specialist can check nomination and endorsement submissions for you. Learn more. #2020VolunteerSpotlight #VolunteerNews #volunteerspotlight #VolunteerAppreciationMonth #Fountain #2020NationalVolunteerAppreciationMonth #NationalVolunteerAppreciationMonth #VolunteerAppreciation #PikesPeak