The GSCO Highest Awards program is offering virtual trainings, workshops, and Q & A sessions while we are at home! Join us for one of our upcoming virtual options. Highest Awards & Take Action – Tuesday, April 28, 2020 from 11 a.m. – Noon This training is for troop leaders who are interested in supporting their girls to earn their Bronze, Silver, and/or Gold Awards. Gold Award Training – Tuesday, April 28, 2020 from 2 – 4 p.m. This training is for Senior or Ambassador level Girl Scouts who are interested in pursuing their Gold Award. It is also appropriate for any troop leaders or parents who will be in a supporting role during the Gold Award process. Highest Awards Q & A Session for Leaders – Wednesday, April 29, 2020  from 10 – 11 a.m. The Q & A Session is for troop leaders who have already taken Highest Awards & Take Action training and have questions. Gold Award Brainstorming Session – Wednesday, April 29, 2020 from 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. The brainstorming session is for girls who have already taken the full Gold Award training and would like support in developing their project idea and proposal. For questions please email the Highest Awards Manager at highestawards@gscolorado.org. 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. #VolunteerNews #HighestAwardstrainings #HighestAwards #GirlScoutingatHome #training #trainings #GirlScoutsatHome

Girl Scouts of Colorado simply couldn’t achieve its mission of building girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place without the everyday heroism of our amazing volunteers. Every April, we celebrate the meaningful and inspiring contributions our volunteers make all year long. This year, in celebration of Volunteer Appreciation Month, Girl Scouts of Colorado will make a donation to the Restoring Colorado’s Forest Fund in honor of our tree-rific volunteers who change the world every day with their passion and hard work. This donation will provide much-needed seedlings for planting on lands throughout Colorado which have been most severely impacted by wildfire or other disasters. In addition to this gift to the Restoring Colorado’s Forest Fund, Girl Scouts of Colorado will also be issuing a special patch to troop leaders. Due to current health concerns, these patches will be handed out to leaders at a later date during service unit leader meetings. We hope that when you receive your patch that you wear or display it proudly, so it can serve as a reminder to you and others of the outstanding difference you make in both Colorado’s beautiful natural landscape and in our girls’ lives. Thank you so much to all of the volunteers who make Girl Scouting possible! There truly is no Girl Scouting without your commitment, and we are forever grateful for all that you do and give. #VolunteerNews #VolunteerAppreciationMonth #2020NationalVolunteerAppreciationMonth #NationalVolunteerAppreciationMonth #CouncilNews

Girl Scouts of Colorado is celebrating extraordinary volunteers throughout the state in honor of Volunteer Appreciation Month. Denise Krohn of Littleton in the Metro Denver region is a shining example of the wonderful role Girl Scout volunteers play in the lives of girls and our community. GSCO asked Denise 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? When my older daughter’s troop leader couldn’t continue, I decided to take over that role. It was important to me that the girls were given the opportunity to continue to learn and have fun together. Tell us about your different volunteer roles as a Girl Scout. Over my more than 20 years as a Girl Scout, there have been many roles. I was the troop leader for both my daughters’ troops and school coordinator at their elementary school. For product programs I’ve been troop fall product program manager, service unit fall product program manager, troop cookie manager, service unit cookie manager, area cookie manager, cookie cupboard manager, site delivery manager, and cookie committee member. As I gained experience and knowledge, I took on the next level of responsibility. What have you learned as a Girl Scout volunteer? Many changes have come to Girl Scouts during my volunteer years and thus, new skills: using email for communications, having eBudde for tracking cookie sales instead of recording everything on paper, social media, etc. Some I’ve mastered, but others I’m still learning. I’ve gained self-confidence and public speaking skills from training troop cookie managers. Mostly, I’ve learned that there is always more to learn. What do you hope girls have learned from you? I hope girls learn to persevere! Never give up – no matter the difficulties. Set goals and work hard to achieve them. And, remember that you will learn more from your mistakes and hardships then when everything is smooth-sailing. How has your experience as a volunteer helped you become a G.I.R.L. (go-getter, innovator, risk-taker, leader)? Since I’ve experienced so many volunteer positions, I feel I have a unique perspective of Girl Scouts and especially the product programs. By listening to others, it’s easier to lead others with best practices. I’ve learned to speak up with suggestions when I recognize something that could be improved. At the Waterstone delivery site the last two years, we’ve tried a couple new procedures to speed-up the pickup process for troops. And, we’ve asked troops to step-up with volunteers to make the day better for everyone, lessening everyone’s workload and stress level. It is important to me to evaluate and adapt quickly to changing policies and procedures, and to communicate information effectively to other volunteers, caregivers, and girls. 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 #2020NationalVolunteerAppreciationMonth #NationalVolunteerAppreciationMonth #VolunteerAppreciation #MetroDenver #Littleton

Submitted by Sidney B. Mountain Communities Steamboat Springs I have been a Girl Scout since I was in kindergarten and am currently working towards earning my Gold Award, which is the highest honor you can receive as a Girl Scout. My project is focused on state park waste diversion. However, a huge part of my project is focused on educating the public on the basics of recycling and waste diversion in hopes to inspire and empower future generations to make a difference and share their knowledge with the world! As you may know, April 22 is Earth Day! This is a chance to celebrate our planet and raise our voices for changing our environment for the better. As a piece of my Gold Award project, I have created a YouTube Channel called Project Greenify to share fun and educational videos for Girl Scouts across Routt Country and Colorado. I have created a series of three different videos along with attached resources. The first is a general overarching introduction to waste diversion and recycling and teaches the basics of environmental stewardship. The second video teaches how to do your very own waste sort at home and learn why our waste matters. The third video is a fun activity called “Birds and Worms” and is designed for Brownies and Daisies. By watching these videos and completing these activities, Girl Scouts are continuing the legacy of environmental stewardship, using resources wisely, and making the world a better place! In addition, Girl Scouts will be able to work towards earning their “eco” badges. Check out the Girl Scouts Badge Explorer to see what may be of interest to you. #GoldAward #2020EarlyBird #GirlScoutingatHome #GirlScoutsatHome #GirlScoutGoldAward #SteamboatSprings #GirlScoutGoldAwardcandidate #mountaincommunities #EarthDay

Earth Day is April 22 and Girl Scouts of Colorado’s Outreach Program team is helping Cadettes earn their Trees Badge. For Step One, we designed a treehouse. For Step Two, we want you to dig into the amazing science of trees. On your next neighborhood walk, see how many different types of trees you can identify. If you have a cellphone or camera, take a picture of four to five different trees. You can also sketch the trees in a notebook or on some scrap paper. Bring your images home and see if you can find out what type of tree each was. Check out this website for help identifying trees: https://www.arborday.org/trees/whattree/  Once you’ve identified your trees, pick your favorite one and make a detailed drawing of all its parts and the creatures that may live there or use it. 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. #GirlScoutCadetteTressbadge #GirlScoutCadette #GirlScoutingatHome #oldergirls #EarthDay2020 #Cadettebadges #GirlScoutsatHome #Cadettebadge #GirlScoutCadettes #CadetteTressbadge #GirlScoutCadettebadge #EarthDay #GirlScoutCadettebadges

Girl Scouts of Colorado is celebrating extraordinary volunteers throughout the state in honor of Volunteer Appreciation Month. Jody Clair 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 Jody 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? My Daisy daughter. We could not find a troop, so we started one. There were very few in our area. Tell us about your different volunteer roles as a Girl Scout. I have been a leader 17 years this Girl Scout year. I have also had the pleasure of being a council trainer many years, and a council delegate twice. Then, I have worked with girls on the Power Up program and PA training. I have worked for many years in our service unit and on our Region Four Cookie Committee. Whew! What have you learned as a Girl Scout volunteer? To not take everything for granted. I have had a Girl Scout lose her mom and we assisted in helping her work through it; Girl Scouts on my door step that had been abused; Girl Scouts from homes with no money; Girl Scouts from homes with drug addicted parents; and so much more in 17 years. To see any Girl Scout smile and to say “I have your back” has made me realize you just never know what someone needs in their life. It could be a simple smile! What do you hope girls have learned from you? To be great humans! I also hope they have learned to try something before they give up. How has your experience as a volunteer helped you become a G.I.R.L. (go-getter, innovator, risk-taker, leader)? I was outgoing before Girl Scouts, but now it is about me and the Girl Scouts and what that means in my heart, not “just” my daughter. She works year-round at Tomahawk Ranch and to see that makes me the proudest mom and leader out there! Seeing her thrive, reminds me every day to keep striving for those things in G.I.R.L and to share it with as many Girl Scouts as possible! Them becomeing better people makes my life full. 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 #VolunteerAppreciation #PikesPeak

Each April, during the presidentially proclaimed National Park Week, the National Park Service joins together with the National Park Foundation, to celebrate America’s treasures. National Park week is a time to explore amazing places, discover stories of history and culture, help out, and find your park (https://www.nps.gov/findapark/advanced-search.htm). Celebrate National Park Week 2020 from April 18 to 26, 2020. Parks across the country will host a variety of special programs and events with a focus on digital experiences in 2020. There are also special days during hte week to highlight the different ways everyone can enjoy national parks. Get involved in National Park Week on social media: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/npscelebrates/national-park-week.htm#CP_JUMP_6139956 Try to check off as many experiences on a list of 20 in ’20 virtual ideas for National Park Week: https://www.nps.gov/articles/national-park-week-inspired-20-virtual-ideas.htm #NationalParkWeek #NationalParkFoundation #Communitypartnerships #communitypartners #2020NationalParkWeek

This is a fun project that can be done at home with mostly recycled materials. You will need: Scraps of paper (can be construction paper, copy paper, newspaper, or a combination of all-  the  more colorful the  better) Water Seeds of any kind  (could be flowers or easy to grow vegetables or even grass seed) Silicone molds or cupcake pans Directions Tear paper into small pieces and soak in a small bowl for about ten minutes until paper is pretty saturated. One full sheet of paper will make two small bombs. Remove paper from bowls and squeeze out excess water. Place paper in a blender or food processer and blend until it forms a pulp.  Remove and again squeeze out extra water. Push a small amount of the pulp into the mold filling about ½ way. Add a sprinkle of seeds and then fill the mold the rest of the way.  Make sure to pack tightly. Put in a warm place to dry.  They will usually dry overnight. You can now pop them out of the mold and give as a gift or plant directly outside where you want them to grow. You can also make paper the same way by placing the pulp on a piece of wax paper or cookie sheet and allowing to dry flat. This paper can be used as an Earth friendly card that can be planted directly outside. GSCO Media Stars Myla and Bianca made a “how to” videos for this project. Watch Myla’s video here. Watch Bianca’s video here. 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. #GirlScoutingatHome #GirlScoutsatHome #EarthDaySeedBombs #2020EarthDay #EarthDay

Girl Scouts of Colorado is celebrating extraordinary volunteers throughout the state in honor of Volunteer Appreciation Month. Liz Duke of Greenwood Village in the Metro Denver region is a shining example of the wonderful role Girl Scout volunteers play in the lives of girls and our community. GSCO asked Liz 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? The honest truth is that my sons were doing Cub Scouts, and my daughter wanted to do Girl Scouts. There wasn’t a troop at her school and I knew that if a troop was going to get started, I would have to be a big part of making that happen. SO, it comes down to not wanting to tell my daughter “no.” Tell us about your different volunteer roles as a Girl Scout. I have been a troop leader for the past four years. I have been a cupboard manager for the past two years. This is my first year as service unit cookie manager. What have you learned as a Girl Scout volunteer? I have learned to step outside my comfort zone on issues that are important to me and my troop. What do you hope girls have learned from you? I hope they have learned that they need to be the positive change they want to see in their community. How has your experience as a volunteer helped you become a G.I.R.L. (go-getter, innovator, risk-taker, leader)? Risk-taker: I have met a lot of positive role models in the Girl Scout community. I try to take their ideas and attitudes back to the troop and show the girls that it is okay to try something new and fail at it, so long as you learn from the process. 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 #2020NationalVolunteerAppreciationMonth #NationalVolunteerAppreciationMonth #greenwoodvillage #VolunteerAppreciation #MetroDenver

Times are different now and Girl Scouts of Colorado is here support you! Use our online training platform, gsLearn, to stay engaged. Take courses at your leisure and check the library for new content. For New Leaders The Daisy, Brownie, and Junior Leader Training courses are temporarily available on gsLearn to meet the needs of leaders who are starting a new Daisy troop or preparing for their bridging troop. Older Girl and Multi Level courses are coming soon! The discussion boards are open, so you can post messages and get feedback from other volunteers and our training manager. Leading Through Crisis The Leading Through Crisis learning path was created especially for this time. Here you will find additional resources and courses about providing support for your troop and troop families, as well as courses for looking forward. We suggest starting with the Change Starts Here course, as it offers an overview of the entire learning path. In “Mental Health in Times of Crisis,” you will find resources to help you manage your mental health and to support your troop and troop families. “Running Virtual Troop Meetings” features resources to teach and support you in setting up and implementing virtual troop meetings. You’ll find information about Zoom Calls and Google Hangouts and Google Duo, as well as tips and tricks for running successful virtual meetings. There are also courses you can take now, so you can hit the ground running when we can meet in-person again. The courses are optional and can be taken in any order. They include: The Successful Leader Learning Series Field and Day Trips Overnights We are working to create more courses, so check back soon! Log into gsLearn through the MY GS tab on the GSCO website. If you are having issues please reach out to your volunteer support specialist or to Kendy Doolen, instructional design manager, for support. #onlinetraining #VolunteerNews #GirlScoutingatHome #training #GirlScoutsatHome #gsLearn

Congratulations to Gold Award Girl Scout and National Young Woman of Distinction Sarah Greichen! She has been named a 2020 Truman Scholar and is among 62 outstanding college students chosen from 55 institutions nationwide. The Truman Scholarship is the premier graduate scholarship for aspiring public service leaders in the United States. Sarah, a. current student at Colorado State University, is the founder, board chair, and CEO of Score A Friend. The Denver native founded the organization to help her twin brother, who has an autism spectrum disorder, find a friend. In addition to honors from Girl Scouts of Colorado and Girl Scouts of the USA, Sarah was also given the 2016 Outstanding Youth Award for National Philanthropy Day in Colorado. She was a speaker at both the 2019 PEAK Parent Center National Conference on Inclusive Education and the 2018 Colorado Social and Emotional Learning Forum. Alongside rock band NEEDTOBREATHE, Sarah is featured in the Pass It On campaign, highlighting the value of inclusion. She majors in corporate finance, investment analysis, and marketing, with a minor in entrepreneurship. She serves on the CSU College of Business Dean’s Student Leadership Council, as an ambassador for the Entrepreneurship Institute, and is an honors student. She earned first place in both the national Startup Summer Pitch Competition and the OtterBox Ethics Challenge. Sarah is an aspiring public policy attorney and social entrepreneur with a lifelong passion for making the world a more inclusive place for people of all abilities. For 2020, the Truman Foundation reviewed 773 files from 316 institutions. Students were nominated by their institution based on their records of leadership, public service, and academic achievement. Read more about the 2020 Truman Scholarship Finalists here. Each new Truman Scholar receives up to $30,000 for graduate study. Scholars also receive priority admission and supplemental financial aid at some premier graduate institutions, leadership training, career and graduate school counseling, and special internship opportunities within the federal government. Recipients must be U.S. citizens, have outstanding leadership potential and communication skills, demonstrate academic excellence, and be committed to careers in government or the nonprofit sector. The Truman Foundation was created by Congress in 1975 as the living memorial to President Truman and the presidential monument to public service. The Foundation’s mission is premised on the belief that a better future relies on attracting to public service the commitment and sound judgment of bright, outstanding Americans. In fact, it was this belief that led President Truman, when approached by a bipartisan group of admirers near the end of his life, to encourage Congress to create a living memorial devoted to this purpose, rather than a traditional brick-and-mortar monument. For more than forty years, the Truman Foundation has fulfilled that mission: inspiring and supporting Americans from diverse backgrounds and from across the United States to public service. For more information, please contact Truman Foundation Executive Secretary Terry Babcock-Lumish at (202)656-6386 or terrybl@truman.gov. #GoldAward #ColoradoStateUniversity #TrumanScholarship #NorthernampNortheasternCO #2020TrumanScholar #GoldAwardGirlScout #SarahGreichen #Denver #GirlScoutGoldAward #TrumanScholar #scoreafriend #alumnews #TrumanFoundation #MetroDenver #FortCollins #2020TrumanScholarship

Girl Scouts of Colorado is celebrating extraordinary volunteers throughout the state in honor of Volunteer Appreciation Month. Silvia Santana of Rifle 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 Silvia 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? While attending a kindergarten roundup event, there was a table with some Girl Scout volunteers. I had heard a little about it and having a daughter, I loved the idea of empowering girls. We attended our first meeting, and I thought to myself that I could see myself do that. After the second meeting, I signed up to assist the Daisy leader. I wanted to be part of an organization that provided opportunities for all girls regardless of their background and help in their development to become strong, confident, and independent girls. Tell us about your different volunteer roles as a Girl Scout. Well, I started just helping the Daisy leader a little over six years ago. When that troop closed, I started my own Brownie troop. I have served as Daisy leader, Brownie leader, Junior leader, cookie mom, treasurer, planner,  you name it. Anything the troop needs, I have stepped up to help. What have you learned as a Girl Scout volunteer? We definitely learn to love each girl in our troop. Each one of them has a special part in my heart. I have seen many of them grow and will be bridging to Cadettes this next year. I have leaned that no matter how much time we can volunteer, we can all make a difference in these girls’ lives. I see the sisterhood they have developed and I am very proud of all of them. What do you hope girls have learned from you? I like to lead by example, so I hope that each one of them learns to be strong, independent, and confident. I want them to know that they can be anything they put their minds to. They have learned to set goals and create plans to achieve them. They have learned responsibility, how to use their resources, and be kind and caring for others. How has your experience as a volunteer helped you become a G.I.R.L. (go-getter, innovator, risk-taker, leader)? I feel I have always been a leader since young age, however I was not a go-getter or risk-taker. Being a volunteer has helped me set goal for my personal growth, just like we set goals with the girls. I took a risk and went back to school a year ago. I knew there would be a possibility I would not be able to handle work, school, home, and volunteering. I was determined not to let that get in the way, and in May I will be graduating. I am glad I can teach the girls that all things are possible. 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 #Rifle #2020NationalVolunteerAppreciationMonth #NationalVolunteerAppreciationMonth #VolunteerAppreciation #WesternColorado