How will you kick off another great Girl Scout year? The 2018 Girl Scouts of Colorado Fall Product Program begins September 22! In-person and Nut Promise sales end October 14. Any items ordered after October 14 will be shipped to the customer and the customer will be charged for shipping. Customers who want to avoid shipping charges must order their items before October 14. Online sales end October 29. GSCO’s annual Fall Product Program is a great way for troops to earn startup funds. More importantly, the Fall Product Program helps girls learn The 5 Skills: goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills, and business ethics. Girls can receive rewards for each different part of the program and all troops also receive 13% of their magazine orders as troop proceeds, plus $1/item for nuts and chocolates. Learn more about the 2018 Fall Product Program on the Girl Scouts of Colorado web-site: http://www.girlscoutsofcolorado.org/content/girlscoutsofcolorado/en/cookies/fall-product-program.html You can also check out our FAQ’s: https://girlscoutsofcolorado.desk.com/customer/portal/articles/2948304-fall-product-program-faqs Questions? Email us. #FallProductProgram #FallProductProgram2018 #ProductPrograms

From Girl Scouts of the USA A Girl Scout doesn’t need to be told twice to protect our planet—being green is in her DNA. Since 1912, Girl Scouts across the nation have accepted the charge to get outdoors, respect wildlife, and take care of our environment. And our commitment’s only growing. Yep, we’ve got the passion, the projects, and the new badges to prove it. We’re thrilled to announce that we’ve teamed up with the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics to expand our environmental conservation and stewardship offerings with five new badges! These badges are the first to specifically prepare girls to be environmental advocates who address problems, find solutions, and protect the natural world (our Junior Outdoor Eco Camper badge completes the lineup for all grade levels). Major thanks to the Elliott Wildlife Values Project, whose funding made these new badges possible. Without further ado, here’s a breakdown of all the badges. Drumroll, please! Daisy Eco Learner Earning this badge is as fun as it is informative! Daisies will learn how to keep plants and animals safe through games, prepare to go on an outdoor adventure of their choice, and remove trash that pollutes the environment. Brownie Eco Friend As Girl Scouts, Brownies already take care of the environment whenever they spend time outdoors, but with this badge, they’ll learn more ways to treat outdoor spaces and wildlife with kindness and teach others how they can too. Cadette Eco Trekker After earning this badge, Cadettes will understand the important role they play in nature and be able to plan an eco trek. The experience will show the girls how to minimize their impact on the environment and teach them ways to conserve, preserve, and protect it. Senior Eco Explorer With this badge, Seniors will examine different environmental issues—from plastic pollution to wildlife preservation to shoreline erosion—and plan a trip to explore a specific issue. They’ll also learn to work in a team to research and create solutions. Ambassador Eco Advocate Ambassadors have already learned about the importance of the environment, but by experiencing firsthand how to advocate for nature, they’ll take their skills a step further and have a greater impact. As they earn this badge, girls will hear from environmentalists about issues such as endangered species and the destruction of rain forests and work to explore challenges, create solutions, and advocate for their cause. By earning these badges, Girl Scouts are taking action in big and small ways to make the world a cleaner, healthier place for all. Now that’s a G.I.R.L. Agenda we can all get behind. Get out there and earn your new badge now! #GirlScoutsoftheUSA #outdoors #GSUSA #ElliottWildlifeValuesProject #environment #EnvironmentalStewardshipBadges #gsoutdoors #environmentalstewardship #badges

Cost is $8 for adults and children 4 and older. Girl Scouts can get a free ticket with each adult ticket purchased. Children under 4 are free. Tickets can be purchased at https://goo.gl/Hfpzig and the ticket deadline is August 8. Questions? Please contact Lori Thompson at lori.thompson@gscolorado.org. We hope to see you there! #GrandJunctionRockies #GSCOevents #GrandJunction #Communitypartnerships #communitypartners #WesternColorado

Girl Scout Daisies, Brownies, Juniors, and Cadettes are invited to spend the morning with Xcel Energy employees to unravel energy mysteries and earn an energy patch on September 8, 2018. Learn about windmills and how it’s important to call Xcel before you do any digging or construction on your property. In the morning, you will also participate in a service project to help others in your community by making cards to share with veterans. It will be a special day of learning and caring, designed just for Girl Scouts, during Xcel Energy’s annual Day of Service! The event is planned for Saturday, September 8 from 8 – 11 a.m. at Xcel Energy’s Service Center in Lakewood. There’s no cost for the event and Girl Scouts can register at http://xcelenergydos.ivolunteer.com/girlscouts18. Questions? Please contact Lori Warner at lori.a.warner@xcelenergy.com. We hope to see you there! #GSCOevents #Communitypartnerships #Denver #communitypartners #XcelEnergy #MetroDenver

Submitted by Ariella Wells Northern & Northeastern CO Fort Collins Fort Collins Girl Scouts are keeping it real and trying to enjoy some more outdoor time while it’s warm and sunny! This week, they went on a 13-mile bike ride combined with some wading in the Poudre River. It was a great day to play and connect and get outdoors. This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments, too. #outdoors #PoudreRiver #NorthernampNortheasternCO #gsoutdoors #FortCollins

Submitted by Amy Jo Martinson Northern & Northeastern CO Fort Collins The Veterans Plaza in Northern Colorado is in need of help! 1. They would like a permanent flag recycling box for the public to properly dispose of their torn and unusable flags. 2. There are painting projects. 3. Looking for a regular group that would be willing to clean and repair anything in the area. The recycling flag box was going to be a Boy Scout Eagle Scout project, but it fell apart and they haven’t had anyone step up to fill the need. If a girl or troop(s) are interested in one or more of these projects they should contact Major Diggs Brown. MAJ Diggs Brown, (ret), MBA (970) 980-1080 www.majordiggsbrown.com Also, because the property is part of the City of Fort Collins, you would need to contact the city regarding any changes before placing anything new (flag disposal box) on the property. Eventually the veterans want a proper flag retirement ceremony with these flags at the Veterans Plaza Northern Colorado at least once a year, twice a year would be even better. I’m looking into doing a flag etiquette and flag retirement ceremony badge that would also incorporate the Veterans Plaza Northern Colorado too. These projects are great opportunities for Bronze, Silver, and maybe even Gold Award projects! Of course, you can contact me also and I can help as needed! Amy Jo Martinson Gold Award Girl Scout (1991) (719) 293-5313 This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments, too. #HighestAwards #GSCOevents #NorthernampNortheasternCO #TakeAction #VeteransPlaza #FortCollins

Submitted by Sarah D. Pueblo & Southeastern CO Beulah My daughter was thrilled to be able to participate in high-adventure programs through Girl Scouts of Colorado now that she has bridged to Cadettes. She had an amazing experience at Sky High Ranch this summer. She had already done some rock climbing, both indoors and out, before attending the “Rock It!” session. While there, she learned more about climbing and safety, and she learned to belay. Thank you Sky High Ranch! My daughter learned how to safely belay. When we took our kids to an indoor climbing gym this week, she was able to pass the belaying test and belayed her brothers. She was so proud of herself, and they were amazed. Thanks for helping build my girl’s confidence! This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments, too. #summercamp #SkyHighRanch #GirlScoutCamp #Beulah #PuebloampSoutheasternCO #camp

From Girl Scouts of the USA Girl Scouts releases new badges in environmental stewardship, space science, robotics, and more to help girls create positive change in their communities—and beyond. Today, Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) rolled out 30 new badges and 2 new Journeys (available now!) exclusively for girls ages 5–18—enhancing the time tested, one-of-a-kind leadership experience that has prepared countless women and girls to excel in life. The new programming will prepare girls to address some of society’s most pressing needs through hands-on learning in cybersecurity, environmental advocacy, mechanical engineering, robotics, computer science, and space exploration. The new programming for girls in grades 6–12 includes: Think Like a Programmer Journey, funded by Raytheon and providing a strong foundation in computational thinking and the framework for Girl Scouts’ first ever national Cyber Challenge, coming in 2019. The programming will prepare girls to pursue careers in fields such as cybersecurity, computer science, and robotics. Learn more. Environmental Stewardship badges, funded by the Elliott Wildlife Values Project and expanding on GSUSA’s current Environmental Stewardship badge offerings. Girls in grades K–12 are encouraged to prepare for outdoor experiences and take action on environmental issues they care about. Although Girl Scouts have been advocating for the environment since the organization’s founding 106 years ago, the new badges are the first to specifically mobilize girls to be environmental advocates who address problems, find solutions, and take the lead to protect the natural world. Learn more. Robotics badges that teach girls how to program, design, and showcase robots, completing the suite of Robotics badges that GSUSA introduced for girls in grades K–5 last year. Now, every Girl Scout can develop robotics skills and earn badges while she’s at it! Learn more. The College Knowledge badge for Girl Scouts in grades 11 and 12—the first badge dedicated to college exploration. By showing girls how to research the admissions process, financial aid, and other key factors, our College Knowledge badge meets a specific need and addresses the life skills girls have told us they’re interested in—and that many don’t find support for outside Girl Scouts. Learn more. Think Like an Engineer Journey, which helps girls understand how engineers address and solve problems. As with all Girl Scout Leadership Journeys, girls complete hands-on activities and use their newly honed skills to take action on a problem in their community. Learn more. Girls in grades K–5 can now earn badges in: Cybersecurity. Funded by Palo Alto Networks, our new Cybersecurity badges introduce girls to age-appropriate online safety and privacy principles, how the internet works, and spotting and investigating cybercrime. Learn more. Space Science. Funded by NASA’s Science Mission Directorate and led by the SETI Institute, these badges let girls channel their inner NASA scientist as they learn about objects in space and how astronomers conduct investigations. Learn more. Mechanical Engineering. Girl Scout Juniors—girls in grades 4 and 5—design paddle boats, cranes, and balloon-powered cars; and learn about buoyancy, potential and kinetic energy, machines, and jet propulsion. Following last year’s introduction of Mechanical Engineering badges for girls in grades K–3, the addition of these badges means that ALL Girl Scouts in elementary school now have access to hands-on engineering experiences. Learn more. Enhancing Girl Scouts’ proven girl-led programming, these new badges and Journeys will set girls up for a lifetime of leadership and success, and prepare them to take action to make the world a better—including greener and more equitable—place for us all. Today’s youth are increasingly vocal about the change they want to see—and Girl Scouts are the best equipped with the skills needed to make a real impact. In fact, girls who participate in Girl Scouting are more than twice as likelyto exhibit community problem-solving skills than girls who don’t (57 percent versus 28 percent). The important soft skills like confidence and perseverance that Girl Scouts promotes, coupled with the hard skills linked with our standout, 21st-century programming definitely set Girl Scouts apart. There’s just no doubt about it: Girl Scouts is the single BEST place for girls. Delivering a one-of-a-kind leadership development program (and the largest in the world for girls!), Girl Scouts provides girls with unlimited girl-led adventures found nowhere else. Troops are forming now—join Girl Scouts today. GSUSA works with top organizations and specialists in fields that interest today’s girls. These entities advise us and collaborate with us to develop cutting-edge programming for girls. Recent content collaborators include Code.org, the Cyber Innovation Center, robotics educator and author Kathy Ceceri, the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics, the Museum of Science in Boston, and Design Squad Global. Girl Scouts themselves also rigorously tested select new program offerings, including the Think Like a Programmer activities and Space Science and Cybersecurity badges announced last year and available for girls nationwide to earn. #outdoors #ChampionGirls #GirlScoutLeaders #GSUSA #STEM #GirlScoutbadges #NewBadges #science #GirlScoutLeadershipExperience #InvestinGirls #Journeys #LetGirlLearn #GirlScouts #environmentalstewardship #leadership #badges

You’re more than a Girl Scout. You’re a G.I.R.L. We believe there’s no such thing as too much. That there’s no excuse for making excuses. Our strength doesn’t come from how much we can lift, but from how often we can lift ourselves back up. We are everyday optimists. Adventure seekers. Problem solvers. We are girls, troop leaders, mentors, advocates, parents, Girl Scouts. We are G.I.R.L.s (Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-taker, and Leader). We will not stop. In fact, we’re just getting started. If your troop is able to host a recruitment event in your area, please contact your VSS. Renew today Outdoor Adventure Club Passports for the 2018-2019 Outdoor Adventure Club season are available through August 8. Purchase your older Girl Scout’s passport now to attend year-round high adventure events across the state. Learn more Outdoor Programs Sign up now for the Summer Heat Taster on Wednesday, July 25, 9 a.m – 5 p.m. at the Colorado Springs Fire Department Tower! Female firefighters volunteer their time to teach girls firefighting and leadership skills. Girls wear real firefighting gear while learning and working through a series of fire-related challenges. This event is open to Cadette girls going into 8th grade in fall 2018 and Seniors and Ambassadors. Troops can attend together, but girls will register individually. Additional adults for supervision are not required at this event, but if interested can register as a volunteer. Register today Inside Scoop: Coming summer 2019, a week long summer heat fire camp! Want more than the taster? A full week of fun activities such as: an aerial ladder climb; search and rescue techniques; vehicle extrication; and working with hose lines while suited up in protective firefighting gear and breathing apparatus. The highlight of the week is a live fire exercise where the Summer Heat participants will extinguish a real propane fire! There is no physical requirement to participate in this camp. Highest Awards All girls who have bridged to Cadettes or Seniors have until Sept. 30 to notify GSCO they have earned their Bronze or Silver Award, respectively. Fill out the online Bronze or Silver Award notification form to let us know that your girls have earned a highest award. Gold Award rubrics Girl Scouts of Colorado is thrilled to publish new Gold Award rubrics for girls around the state to use to make their Gold Award journey successful and rewarding. The document includes a rubric for initial proposal approval and final approval, so girls can understand exactly what is expected of them throughout their Gold Award journey. eLearning Enrichment Want to feel confident about handling conflict situations in your troop? Log in to our online learning site to access our Conflict Fluency training. The class offers guided instruction on managing and resolving disagreements, along with a workbook you can download, which offers a variety of situations and solutions to handle issues as they arise. Want to make managing troop funds easier? Cheddar Up partnered with Girl Scouts of Colorado to create a custom collecting platform, and a class to show you how to use it! The platform helps troops move money collecting online, and you can use it for troop dues, payment for field trips, or to collect payment for troop special events. Having an online payment option makes the task of collecting payment significantly easier and more secure for troop leaders. Plus, there’s a built-in tool to send out payment reminders! Go to our eLearning site today and check out the Cheddar Up Financial Literacy in a Digital World training video. Be sure to also take a look at the troop budgeting spreadsheets, found in the “resources” section of the course! Questions about GSCO eLearning or the Volunteer Toolkit? Please contact Shannon Weaver, Adult Experience Manager. Leadership Summits and Super Saturday events Networking opportunities, a variety of volunteer training, and enrichment classes will be offered for new and experienced leaders, along with classes for Girl Scout Cadettes, Seniors, and Ambassadors. Get energized for the new membership year by meeting other volunteers and enhancing your skills by taking classes that support your experience as a volunteer! Volunteers are welcome to register and attend any of the Leadership Summits and Super Saturday training events. Leadership Summits Aug. 25: Colorado Springs Sept. 8: Loveland Sept. 29: Denver Registration and full details coming soon! Super Saturdays Sept. 29: Durango Oct. 13: La Junta Oct. 20: Grand Junction MCC will be at all Leadership Summits and select other training events to conduct Voices 2018 while surveying members on a range of topics designed to provide feedback to the Girl Scouts of Colorado Board of Directors and senior council leadership. Your feedback is valued and important, please plan to stop by and visit with us and express your opinion! Older Girl Journey Weekend Ready for some outdoor fun?! Older Girl Journey Weekend is September 21-23 at Sky High Ranch. Cadettes, Seniors and Ambassadors will strengthen their outdoor skills and ignite their passion for environmental stewardship as they earn components of the new Outdoor Journey. Cost is $90/girl and $40/adult chaperone. There are a  limited number of Program Aide (must have completed internship) spots at $50/girl. This is a drop-off event, registered adults will be expected to assist in supervision of girls. Register today before spots fill up! Apply for the Older Girl Advisory Board Looking for a way to grow your leadership skills? Older Girl Advisory Board (OGAB) applications are open! OGAB members play an integral role in the enrichment of girl experience across Colorado through planning retreats and monthly virtual meetings with council staff. Check out what graduating Seniors Bailey and Emma said about their experience in OGAB, then apply with two references are due by September 18. Safety Checkpoints updated The 2018 Safety Activity Checkpoints are now available on our website. Please check this resource before planning activities with your girls. Read more about changes this year on the blog. Upcoming events July 27-29 – Girl Scout Days at Elitch Gardens, Denver. Join us for our annual weekend at the park for our best Girl Scout ticket price. Cost is $25.99/person. Aug. 4 – Girl Scout Night with Colorado Switchbacks Soccer, Colorado Springs.  Girl Scouts, friends, and family can enjoy discounted tickets and cheer on the Switchbacks as they take on the OKC Energy. Aug. 12 – Girl Scout Night with the Grand Junction Rockies Baseball, Grand Junction. Cheer on the Grand Junction Rockies as they take on the Helena Brewers! Registration information is coming soon! August 26 – Scout Day with the Colorado Rockies, Denver.  Cost: Tickets range in price depending on seat location. Come cheer on the Rockies as they take on the St. Louis Cardinals. Girl Scouts can participate in a pre-game parade and get a special event patch. Last year tickets sold out before the game, so get your tickets early this year here and use promo code GS2018. A portion of ticket sales will be donated back to GSCO. #VolunteerNews #volunteerview

Gold Award Girl Scout Zoi Johns of Golden was honored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars as the Colorado Scout of the Year in June 2018. VFW recognizes the impact scouting has on not only the nation but the world. Zoi told Girl Scouts of Colorado, “Thank you for being a part of my story and my success. THIS is why we do what we do.” Learn more about Zoi’s Gold Award project on GSCO blog: http://gscoblog.org/2017/10/girl-scout-gold-award-project-zoi-johns-golden-project-waterwise/ #Golden #GoldAward #HighestAwards #VeteransofForeignWars #GoldAwardGirlScout #MetroDenver #TakeAction

Attention Girl Scout volunteers and families: Safety Activity Checkpoints has been updated. The revised version is available on our website at www.girlscoutsofcolorado.org under “Forms,” or click here to go directly to the guidebook. This resource provides instructions and recommendations for girls and adults to stay safe while participating in various activities. Two new guidelines to be aware of regarding travel with girls are: Transportation Uber, Lyft, Curb, and similar ridesharing companies are not permitted to transport girls because the safety, credibility, and insurance of the drivers is far more difficult to qualify than that of traditional or well-known charter and rental companies. Complete auto insurance coverage is often not available or not sufficient for the majority of rideshare drivers. (SAC, Page 10) Overnight Accommodations The use of Airbnb and other private rentals is not permitted. The safety, credibility, and insurance requirements of private rentals are difficult to qualify compared to traditional commercial properties. For these reasons, the guideline is to stay away from private rentals such as Airbnb, VRBO, Flipkey, Romana, Homeaway, VayStays, Tripping, Wimdu, and Couchsurfing. (SAC, Page 11) Read pages one-three in Safety Activity Checkpoints, to see which activities are included in the guide. It’s a good way to get ideas about different options for your troop or group. Once you decide what you are going to do, you can then consult the relevant section, and share the instructions with the other adults and the girls in your group before planning and engaging in the activity. For an overview of general safety rules for all Girl Scouts activities, review pages 4-15 in SAC. #SafetyActivityCheckpoints #travel #VolunteerNews

Join us for Girl Scout Night with the Colorado Switchbacks Soccer on August 4, 2018! Cheer on the Switchbacks as they take on the Oklahoma City Energy. All Girl Scouts attending will receive a special event patch. Enjoy discounted tickets and get ready for a fun night! All Girl Scouts, friends, and family are invited! The game will start at 5 p.m. and will be hosted at Weidner Field in Colorado Springs. Cost is $12 a person and tickets can be purchased at https://goo.gl/Z6Sc3e. The ticket deadline is Monday, July 30. Questions? Please contact Lori Thompson at lori.thompson@gscolorado.org. We hope to see you there! #GSCOevents #ColoradoSprings #Communitypartnerships #ColoradoSwitchbacksSoccer #communitypartners #PikesPeak