Girl Scouts of Colorado is excited to announce The Carla Montana – Distinguished Military Veteran – Memorial Girl Scout Adventure Fund honoring its namesake, Girl Scouts, military service, and adventures through travel. Carla grew up in a military family where service to one’s country and friendship to sister Girl Scouts were important values. Carla traveled extensively and had notable experiences both personally and professionally, but her Girl Scout memories were among her most cherished. We are inviting Girl Scout supporters to participate in a challenge to raise a minimum of $10,000 by April 4, 2020, allowing GSCO to complete the endowment started with a generous donation from Carla’s family.  Click here for more information and  to make your donation online. Distributions from the endowment will provide Colorado Girl Scouts with scholarships enabling them to experience the learning, joy, and camaraderie acquired through travel and adventure. Additional details of the scholarship process will be made available once the endowment has been established. The timing of this announcement coincides with the Month of the Military Child, which was established in 1986 and has been celebrated every April since. Girl Scouts of Colorado is proud of our commitment to military families and will be joining Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) by supporting local events in honor of the Month of the Military Child throughout April 2020. We look forward to sharing with you the success of this campaign and the stories of the adventure it brings! #TheCarlaMontanaDistinguishedMilitaryVeteranMemorialGirlScoutAdventureFund #2020MonthoftheMilitaryChild #MonthoftheMilitaryChild #military #CouncilNews

Submitted by Kelsey Boone Metro Denver Littleton Girls from Troop 63227 invited Metro Denver firefighters to take a picture with them at their cookie booth! These Girl Scouts also earned the Uniform to Uniform patch! Learn how to earn yours: http://gscoblog.org/2020/01/uniform-to-uniform-patch-for-the-2020-girl-scout-cookie-program/ #UniformtoUniformpatch #2020GirlScoutCookieProgram #2020UniformtoUniformPatch #UniformtoUniform #cookies #GirlScoutCookies #GirlScoutCookieProgram #MetroDenver #Littleton #firefighters

This event is cancelled as of March 13, 2020. On Wednesday, March 18, 2020, the Girl Scouts of Colorado regional office in Colorado Springs will host its annual open house at its office, 5353 N. Union Blvd., Suite 101. The event takes place from 5:30 to 7 p.m., and hors d’oeuvres and beverages will be served. This is open to the public and is meant for people who are not affiliated with Girl Scouts to see and hear first-hand what Girl Scouts are doing in the region. Guests will hear about our local events and activities, hear from a Gold Award Girl Scouts, and more! You won’t want to miss this chance to introduce your friends to Girl Scouts in a community-friendly event. #GSCOevents #ColoradoSprings #openhouse #PikesPeak #CouncilNews

What did you do for your Gold Award project? After asking my old middle school counselor what I could do to help the bullying issue in the school, I decided to put in a few question boxes. I placed one in each of the grade hallways so students could have a safe and anonymous method of asking questions and reporting bullying. Questions are answered on the student produced news show. How did you measure the impact your Gold Award project made on your target audience? I went in to the school once a week so I could count how many questions were asked and what type they were. How is your project sustainable? How will your project continue to impact after your involvement? The principal and counselor have agreed to continue this project in the coming years. They will become responsible for the maintenance of the boxes, as well as going through the questions. What is your project’s global and/or national connection? This project is connected to bullying, as well as self confidence. These boxes will help shy students build up their confidence enough to ask questions in classes, and of their peers. What did you learn about yourself? I learned how to be confident in my choices and decisions through all projects that I lead. How will earning your Gold Award impact you in the future? Earning my Gold Award will help me get jobs in the future, and help me take action when I see an issue I want to fix. Why do you feel the Gold Award was an important part of your Girl Scout experience? Getting the Gold Award is my greatest Girl Scout-related accomplishment. When looking back upon what I did as a Girl Scout when I’m older, I’m certain I will think about my Gold Award first. How did earning your Gold Award help you become a G.I.R.L. (go-getter, innovator, risk-taker, leader)? I had a hard time taking the risk of reaching out to the school in the first place. I was also nervous to accept the risk of rejection when I presented to the council at the beginning of this project. In that way, I improved my risk taking capabilities. **IMPORTANT NOTE: This blog represents only a small fraction of the hard work, dedication, and requirements that go into earning a Girl Scout Gold Award. It is simply a brief summary, which is meant to inspire Girl Scouts to Go Gold in the future. For more information on earning your Gold Award, please email highestawards@gscolorado.org. #GoldAward #HighestAwards #BerthoudHighSchool #NorthernampNortheasternCO #GoldAwardGirlScout #GirlScoutGoldAward #bullying #TakeAction #Berthoud

Submitted by Gabi Scott Northern & Northeastern CO Longmont What: Wonder with a capital WOW! STEAM Fest 2020 When: Saturday and Sunday, March 7 and 8, 2020 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Where: Boulder County Fairgrounds Tickets: www.GOSTEAMFest.com Use CODE: Scout2020 for 20% off tickets for the whole family! Girl Scouts, please wear your uniform to the event! Earn STEM badge Requirements* at one awesome event! Pick up a badge scavenger hunt sheet at the tables near the north gate, listing the types of exhibitor activities and the linked badge requirement by level. Bring your own badge requirement sheets to hunt for more activities. *Not all requirements can be completed at the event. This is perfect for Juliettes! Questions? Email Girl Scout event Liaison Gabi at gabi@makerbolder.com Maker Bolder is the producer of Rocky Mountain STEAM Fest and is indeed a 501(c)(3). We do all of this exclusively for charitable, educational, and scientific purposes. This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments, too. #GSCOevents #NorthernampNortheasternCO #Longmont #Communitypartnerships #RockyMountainSTEAMFest #communitypartners #STEAM #STEMFest

Submitted by Danielle Wilson Northern & Northeastern CO Evans Tearyn (Girl Scout Junior) was at a King Soopers site. It was cold, but she pushed on. A group of firefighters came in to do some shopping for their fire station. She didn’t know they actually lived in the station for several days at a time, because they’re ALWAYS on call. Day or night they’re ready to help anyone in need. It could be a serious fire or a minor injury, it doesn’t matter, they’re ready in an instant. About Tearyn: I am a go-getter because I reached out and asked for a picture. I am an innovator because I designed my booth, made a reversible tablecloth, and I am always thinking of new ways to make more sales. I am a risk-taker because I’m willing to try new things to see if they will work. Challenges motovate me! I AM A LEADER! I encourage other booths that set up after mine. In my troop, I love helping others with projects and in school I help classmates. I even won the principals award (again) at school for being “open minded” this time. These Girl Scouts also earned the Uniform to Uniform patch! Learn how to earn yours: http://gscoblog.org/2020/01/uniform-to-uniform-patch-for-the-2020-girl-scout-cookie-program/ #UniformtoUniformpatch #NorthernampNortheasternCO #Greeley #2020GirlScoutCookieProgram #2020UniformtoUniformPatch #UniformtoUniform #cookies #GirlScoutCookies #GirlScoutCookieProgram

Submitted by Kristi Martinez Pueblo & Southeastern CO Pueblo Audrey and Ashley from Troop 31920 had the most incredibly generous customer at their Girl Scout Cookies booth at Lowe’s! A customer purchased the entire table of cookies, and was nice enough to take a photo with the girls! The girls were so excited! This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments, too. #2020GirlScoutCookieProgram #cookies #GirlScoutCookies #GirlScoutCookieProgram #Pueblo #PuebloampSoutheasternCO

Submitted by Christine Kucera Mountain Communities Steamboat Springs A police officer visited our cookie booth. She wanted to purchase a package of cookies. We had just had a customer donate 19 Hometown Hero packages!!! We tried to give her one, but she insisted on purchasing a package to support us. We were so thrilled. We discussed with her about running an event to visit the police station and doing any activities we want to earn an award. We are so excited for this opportunity and can’t wait to make it a reality. Our Hometown Heroes really are our heroes! These Girl Scouts also earned the Uniform to Uniform patch! Learn how to earn yours: http://gscoblog.org/2020/01/uniform-to-uniform-patch-for-the-2020-girl-scout-cookie-program/ #UniformtoUniformpatch #HometownHeroProgram #2020GirlScoutCookieProgram #2020UniformtoUniformPatch #UniformtoUniform #HometownHero #cookies #GirlScoutCookies #GirlScoutCookieProgram #SteamboatSprings #HometownHeroes #HometownHeroGiftofCaring #mountaincommunities

Submitted by Alicia Doolin Mountain Communities Hayden We invited Routt County K-9 unit Deputy Doolin and K-9 Murray to our booth sales at the airport. K-9 Murray is a good dog and brought even more attention to our booth. These Girl Scouts also earned the Uniform to Uniform patch! Learn how to earn yours: http://gscoblog.org/2020/01/uniform-to-uniform-patch-for-the-2020-girl-scout-cookie-program/ #RouttCounty #Hayden #UniformtoUniformpatch #2020GirlScoutCookieProgram #2020UniformtoUniformPatch #UniformtoUniform #cookies #GirlScoutCookies #GirlScoutCookieProgram #mountaincommunities

Submitted by Arianna M. Western Colorado Rifle These wonderful military men came in to City Market on Valentine’s Day night dressed in full uniform to do shopping. They were kind enough to pose with me to earn my Uniform to Uniform patch. I love the adventure of being a Girl Scout, meeting new people, and trying new things. These Girl Scouts also earned the Uniform to Uniform patch! Learn how to earn yours: http://gscoblog.org/2020/01/uniform-to-uniform-patch-for-the-2020-girl-scout-cookie-program/ #UniformtoUniformpatch #Rifle #2020GirlScoutCookieProgram #2020UniformtoUniformPatch #UniformtoUniform #cookies #GirlScoutCookies #GirlScoutCookieProgram #WesternColorado

What did you do for your Gold Award project? For my Gold Award project, I created and hosted a half day therapeutic horseback riding camp for kids with disabilities in my community, focusing on kids from low-resource families who would not otherwise have an opportunity to try horseback riding as a therapy option. I partnered with two existing schools, Bal Swan and Twice Exceptional, to identify kids that fit the audience I wanted to target, and then invited them to participate in this camp. I solicited donations from area businesses for camp day snacks and T-shirts for all participants. 2BG Equestrian School in Broomfield donated the use of their arena and horses to host my camp. I gathered and trained many volunteers who donated their time assisting the kids to be safe in the saddle. Everyone worked together to ensure this camp was a success! How did you measure the impact your Gold Award project made on your target audience? I measured the impact of my Gold Award project by having each rider fill out a before and after camp survey. I asked if they had any experience with horses and how comfortable they felt around horses and to rate their experience at camp. I also asked for feedback, their favorite and least favorite part of camp, and what I can do differently next time. How is your project sustainable? How will your project continue to impact after your involvement? My project is sustainable as I have created a How-To Guide with directions and guidance on how to replicate my camp and shared this with several other riding barns throughout the Denver Metro Area. My project Advisor, Michelle L., has signed a Letter of Commitment agreeing to continue hosting this camp in the future. I have also created a Facebook page for my project, I Can Ride, to give it a platform on social media. Additionally, I shared my project at a recruitment event in my service unit as well as on Band, a leader discussion app. What is your project’s global and/or national connection? My project’s global and national connection is not only evident in my Facebook page, but also by sharing my project with No Barriers Summit. This is a summer camp held every year in Colorado for participants with various disabilities to try new events. It is my hope they will add some aspect of therapeutic riding to their program. It is also not unrealistic to hope that GSUSA will hear about the ability to address the needs of kids with disabilities and begin implementing changes to Girl Scout summer camps to enable Girl Scouts with limitations to participate safely in riding programs. What did you learn about yourself? Throughout my project, I learned that I can persevere. Three years is a long time to keep working at something, trying to see it to completion, and I did it. I also learned that I am capable of talking to many different people, organizing and training volunteers, and most of all, overcoming obstacles. For example, I had to change the date of my camp twice due to uncontrolled circumstances! Although this was frustrating and delayed my project, keeping a positive attitude helped and everything worked out in the end. How will earning your Gold Award impact you in the future? I believe earning my Gold Award will impact my future by serving as a talking point on college, scholarship, and employment applications. I recently toured the University of Wyoming and discussed my project with the Equine Science Department and was excited to receive positive praise from them! Schools and potential employers will know that I can promote and host a big event and that I care about positively impacting those with disabilities, that I can create happiness and provide a challenge in their lives. I want to continue to connect with kids in my community at future camps and hopefully see them around the barn or hear about them continuing to pursue riding as a therapy option in their lives. Why do you feel the Gold Award was an important part of your Girl Scout experience? The Gold Award was an important part of my Girl Scouting experience as it required all of the skills I have learned in the past 11 years: teamwork, leadership, initiative, goal setting, planning, and project implementation. So many of the community service projects I have been involved in because of Girl Scouting involved giving back to the community I live in, to serve others, and make the world a better place. The Gold Award is the capstone of all abilities and skills that Girl Scouting tries to teach a girl. I know I can achieve anything I put my mind to in the future because I earned the Gold Award. How did earning your Gold Award help you become a G.I.R.L. (go-getter, innovator, risk-taker, leader)? Earning my Gold Award helped me become a risk-taker because it forced me out of my comfort zone. I had to coordinate volunteers for an event, speak in public with confidence, and trust that this big idea was going to have a positive impact on my participants. I’ve been riding horses for 12 years, I take some of the hard skills of riding and caring for horses for granted. Breaking it down to my audience and focusing on the fun to be had was a risk to me, as I didn’t want my riders to be nervous or scared from lack of experience. Undertaking any large project is risky, but so worth it! **IMPORTANT NOTE: This blog represents only a small fraction of the hard work, dedication, and requirements that go into earning a Girl Scout Gold Award. It is simply a brief summary, which is meant to inspire Girl Scouts to Go Gold in the future. For more information on earning your Gold Award, please email highestawards@gscolorado.org. #GoldAward #HighestAwards #HorizonHighSchool #GoldAwardGirlScout #Horsebackriding #GirlScoutGoldAward #horses #Thornton #MetroDenver #TakeAction

Submitted by Liz Meggett Pikes Peak Monument These ladies set up a Valentine’s Day cookie booth and invited local fire departments to come visit and enjoy a package of sweet treats! These Girl Scouts also earned the Uniform to Uniform patch! Learn how to earn yours: http://gscoblog.org/2020/01/uniform-to-uniform-patch-for-the-2020-girl-scout-cookie-program/ #WestcottFireDepartment #UniformtoUniformpatch #2020GirlScoutCookieProgram #2020UniformtoUniformPatch #UniformtoUniform #cookies #GirlScoutCookies #GirlScoutCookieProgram #Monument #PikesPeak #firefighters