Submitted by Aimee Rogers Metro Denver Centennial Friday March 16, 2018, Girl Scouts from the Juniper Trail and Tawasi service units celebrated World Thinking Day. This year, the girls learned about Japan. Cherry Blossom festivals, trying new food, making Koinobori, folding origami, and learning the Japanese Folk dance Odon from the dancers at DBT Minyou-kai are just some of the things the girls got to experience at this amazing event. Girl Scout Cadettes from Troop 64229 planned and helped run this event of 263 girls. The older Girl Scouts also practiced their leadership skills while working on internship hours for their Program Aid certification. This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments, too. #Centennial #MetroDenver #WorldThinkingDay

Submitted by Bella C. Metro Denver Parker Please join us on Friday, March 30, 2018 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. for a “Me & My Guy” masquerade dance at Sierra Middle School! Girl Scouts are invited to bring their fathers or father-figure male adult in their lives. Wear masks to coordinate with your party outfit, enjoy pizza and lemonade, strike a pose at the photo booth, and dance to your heart’s content! Girls will receive a fun patch at check-in. Cost: $20 per couple; $10 per additional girl Please RSVP by Friday, March 23 through this link: https://my.cheddarup.com/c/me-and-my-guy-masquerade-dance Questions may be emailed to gstroop62851@gmail.com. This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments, too. #masqueradedance #MeampMyGuy #MetroDenver #Parker

Submitted by Carrie Harding Metro Denver Parker Hosted by Girl Scout Troop 1068, Free Being Me is a partnership with Dove that focuses on body image and self confidence. It teaches girls, ages 7-10, to love and accept themselves for who they are. There are many fun and interactive activities for the girls in order to help them gain confidence and love themselves. Girls will also learn that there is not just one way to beautiful, as we see in the media, but many ways that make the world diverse with beauty. Girls will receive a fun patch after they complete all steps of the session. We will also provide a light snack during the event. March 31, 2018 at Joy Lutheran Church in Parker (7051 Parker Hills Ct, Parker, CO 80138) from 12 – 5:30 p.m. Register by March 28 through this link: https://free-being-me-workshop-13354.cheddarup.com April 29 at Bethany Lutheran Church (4500 E Hampden Ave, Cherry Hills Village, CO 80113) from 1 – 6:30 p.m. Register by April 22 through this link: https://free-being-me-workshop-denver.cheddarup.com This event costs $10 per girl. We will make sure to provide breaks to keep your girls happy and entertained. Adult volunteers and troop leaders are needed to maintain safety ratios, but we cannot accommodate additional siblings or other guests. If you have any questions or need additional information, email our troop at troop1068@hotmail.com or call (720) 253-7553. This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments, too. #Dove #Parker #GSCOevents #MetroDenver #FreeBeingMe

What did you do for your Gold Award project? The issue addressed by my project was unequal opportunity within my school for every student to learn Spanish. While traditional classroom style Spanish is offered, for differently abled students, there are not designated classrooms or hired staff to be able to offer these students the same opportunity to learn. My project created a coalition between Spanish Honor Society students and the ILC program (Independent Learning Communities), in order to provide ILC students the opportunity to learn Spanish within a one-on-one setting, and to allow Spanish Honor Society students the opportunity to share their accumulated knowledge. The root cause of this issue was a lack of human resources, specifically teachers, who have the time in their schedules to give ILC students a one-on-one teaching environment in order to enable ILC students to learn the nuances of a language. While the average class size in a public high school ranges from 20 to 30 students, classes at my high school can range upwards of 30 students due to its over 3,000 student population. For even the average student, these large class sizes can be challenging. ILC students face challenges with focus and in a large classroom, the noisy distracting environment inhibits their focus. The best learning environment for these students is a quiet room with only one or two other people. Unfortunately, most schools don’t have the means to accommodate this in terms of providing ILC students with private teachers, as foreign language is not a graduation requirement. My project addresses this issue by providing student teachers who are willing to spend the time to work one-on-one with these students. Since students have at least one free period, with the 100 members in Spanish Honor Society, it is easy to pair Spanish Honor Society members with ILC students in a way that fits both schedules. In order for ILC students to have equal opportunity to become bilingual and be set up for success in the job market after high school, it is imperative they are given individual attention to focus on becoming conversational in Spanish with this one on one teaching format. To accomplish this, I created an interactive Spanish curriculum unique to the learning needs of differently abled students, that can be used as a basis for all tutoring sessions. This curriculum covers a vast array of subjects including: time, seasons, family, food, school, classroom, conversation, activities, sports, colors, numbers, clothing, feelings, body parts, geography, animals, holidays, jobs and transportation. These subjects were chosen based on working with a Spanish teacher at my school to develop a holistic curriculum, comparable to that of a traditional Spanish 1 curriculum. This curriculum uses a plethora of media, including: presentations, videos, games, music, flashcards and worksheets, in order to reinforce the learning goals. How did you measure the impact your Gold Award project made on your target audience? I gauged the impact of my project on my target audience by administering surveys to tutors and ILC students alike to measure how members rated the programs as well as what could be improved and how much Spanish had been learned. Furthermore, because three additional schools have already adopted this program and the number of participants from first semester to second semester has tripled, the impact of my project is exponential. How is your project sustainable? How will your project continue to impact after your involvement? My project will be sustained beyond my involvement through Spanish Honor Society. I created a Google Sites page with all the curriculum loaded on the page in order to make the curriculum readily available after my departure. Additionally, my school uses a site named “Schoology” in order to allow students to view content teachers have posted. I utilized this same site, and created a course name “Unified Spanish,” in which I uploaded all of the curriculum for the course. In this way, after my involvement, both the Google Site, and the Schoology page will still exist independently. The Google site was developed to share more globally for those outside of the Cherry Creek School District, and the Schoology page was developed for those within the District. Students in Spanish Honor Society all have access to these pages, and are able to continually upload new content and use the material for future tutoring. I also set up an independent email associated with the project, to use as a login for the Google sites, and created a manual for next year’s students to use to continue the program. This is now an established program at my school, and the Spanish Honor Society sponsor, Ms. Wisler, will continue to sponsor this program and guide future students in their endeavors. Each year, Ms. Wisler will allow any student interested to lead the program and incentivize new membership to the program through rewarding participants with service hours that are required by Spanish Honor Society. Additionally, a printed manual, which is also available online, has been created to guide the new head of the program in their endeavors. All of these materials are meant to be continually refined. What is your project’s global and/or national connection? The other national/global link to my project is the Twitter page I have created to promote my project to others. Social media is the best way to reach millennials these days, and even businesses and schools have joined this movement so that almost everyone is digitally connected. Through this Twitter page, I have followed accounts of other schools and programs dealing with differently abled students. I have also posted a link to my Google sites website in order to provide universal access to the curriculum and program, in the hopes of growing this program. Furthermore, I have emailed other Spanish Honor Society sponsors (teachers) and ILC teachers within the district to promote this program. They have all received a link to the Google Sites page and have access to all course materials and guides to begin the program within their schools. What did you learn about yourself? I learned from this project that being a leader is not an easy task. Leading requires constant communication with those you’re leading as well as those who are helping you. Some methods I learned that helped me lead this program is finding the easiest way for my peers to participate in this program. One of these ways was connecting digitally. Instead of sending them emails or requiring them to meet twice a week, I would send out group texts as reminders to sign up for tutoring or of updates with the program. Also, I learned the importance of touching base with the teachers I was working with. Even though I led the program, Ms. Wisler, the head of Spanish Honor Society, and Ms. Linda, the head of ILC, both needed regular updates from me in order to offer me tips or suggestions, so constant follow up with them has been key. I also learned that sometimes you need to try different methods in order to succeed. Last year, when I first started tutoring for ILC, I quickly learned that in order to reinforce a concept, using a variety of different methods is useful. I applied this same knowledge in the creation of this program. From finding the best meeting place to figuring out the best way to communicate with tutors, all proved to be tasks that required looking at the issue from more than one perspective. Concerning myself, I learned that I am a people person. I love making new connections and learning about new people and communicating with different people. In a school of over 3,000, most don’t even know every person in their own class let alone other classes. Through this program, I was able to meet and get to know students of all classes and demographics who came together for one purpose, to help others. I truly enjoyed getting to know teachers, staff, and students whom I never met before. Currently about 20 tutors are participating to teach all ILC students capable of participating. How will earning your Gold Award impact you in the future? I firmly believe that as a result of this project, I will be able to take on even more strenuous challenges in all facets of my life. Knowing that there are a multitude of ways to solve any given issue has also enabled me to look at perspectives other than my own and try a variety of methods to surmount any given obstacle. In turn, this has developed my communication and leadership skills and taught me how to work as a unified front with those on a team. I was amazed that while I can accomplish a lot as an individual, with the help of others, so much more can be accomplished. It takes more than one person to solve an issue like the one I’ve identified in my project. Without the help of others this project would not have reached the magnitude of strength it did. Leadership is more than about the individual, it’s about how an individual can unite and influence others to work together for a common cause. It’s certainly true that there’s strength in numbers, and my sharing my passion and hard work with others who value the Spanish language, I was able to inspire my colleagues and now friends to take action with me. I will continue to grow and learn from others I encounter in my life, and apply both the knowledge I’ve gained from this project, and future knowledge acquisition to grow as both a person and a leader. Why do you feel the Gold Award was an important part of your Girl Scout experience? I believe that my Gold Award was an important part of my Girl Scout experience because I was able to apply the values of the organization in a sustainable way. From when I started Girl Scouts in first grade, I began to develop the sense of what being a Girl Scout really means, being part of a larger community and developing ways to better that community as a whole.  Furthermore, through completing my Gold Award I feel as though I have gained a greater sense of independence as an individual, because of the strenuous nature of all the requirements of the award. How did earning your Gold Award help you become a G.I.R.L. (go-getter, innovator, risk-taker, leader)? Attaining my Gold Award has helped me become a G.I.R.L. by allowing me to identify a challenge within my community and giving me the opportunity to be a go-getter by formulating a plan and putting it into action. The project has helped me become an innovator by applying non-traditional methods to reach desired results.  Not everything works the first time, sometimes it’s necessary to be creative and approach a challenge in a different manner.  I’ve developed my risk-taking skills by reaching out to people I hadn’t known previously and taking the chance that they would reject my ideas or project as a whole.  But by doing so, I’ve realized that the answer is always no unless you ask.  Risks are a necessary part of life to achieve success.  Finally, I’ve developed myself as a leader by working with students, faculty, and community members alike to unite for a common goal.  This was no easy feat.  I had to adapt my communication skills for my target audience and work in conjunction with an agglomeration of schedules to achieve success. **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 #Centennial #Spanish #MetroDenver #TakeAction #GrandviewHighSchool

What did you do for your Gold Award project? I created a cookbook for FoCo Cafe in Fort Collins to help educate people about community cafes and how they positively impact their community. Not only did I include information and recipes from FoCo Cafe, but I also included a recipe and information from 13 other community cafes around the United States. I also did a presentation at a club at my school to further educate people in my community about community cafes. How did you measure the impact your Gold Award project made on your target audience? One way I measured impact was by handing out surveys to the people I presented to. Before the presentation, they answered the questions, “Do you know what a community cafe is?” and “Do you know why community cafes are important?” on the survey. Most people did not know the answers to these questions. However, the majority of people were able to answer both of the questions after the presentation, showing improvement and that my goal of educating people about community cafes was reached. How is your project sustainable? How will your project continue to impact after your involvement? I have given the template for FoCo Cafe’s cookbook to FoCo Cafe so they can continue to print the cookbooks and change information if needed. I have also given the template of the cookbook to the 13 other community cafes so that they can print the cookbooks for their cafes as well. What is your project’s global and/or national connection? In the cookbook, I have included a recipe, photo, and information from 13 other community cafes in the USA. The 13 cafes are Oakwood Soul Cafe (NY), Tulsa’s Table (OK), Take Root (MO), One Bistro (OH), SAME Cafe (CO), CAFE 180 (CO), Mustard Seed Cafe (TX), Stone Soup Cafe (MA), One Acre Cafe (TN), Grace Cafe (KY), Knead Community Cafe (PA), Fair Trade Cafe (AZ), and Table Grace Cafe (NE). I sent the cookbook template to the cafes as well so that they will be able to print them for their own cafe. What did you learn about yourself? I definitely learned from my poor time management skills in the duration of this project and improved my organization skills because I had to manage all of the information and recipes from multiple cafes. One thing I really learned about myself during this project was how I handled panic. Once the community cafe I was originally working with closed, I started to panic because I thought that I would have to create a whole new project, but I just had to breathe and reflect upon what I had done so far in order to move forward. How will earning your Gold Award impact you in the future? This project will impact me in the future because of the confidence I have gained in myself as a person and my abilities as a leader. I now know that I can persevere through a big project that I planned myself, and I believe I will be more confident in leading other people and projects, whether they are big or small. In this project, I also learned how important it is to have the help of other people because it is difficult to go through life and achieve your goals all by yourself. I am thankful that I have experienced planning and executing a big project like this now because I can learn from the mistakes I made and utilize my new skills in future projects in college and beyond. Why do you feel the Gold Award was an important part of your Girl Scout experience? The Gold Award is important to me, not just because it is the highest award Girl Scouts can earn, but because of the experience I gained. I got to put together all of my leadership skills I had gained until this point and plan, organize, and execute a project. Not only did I succeed with this project, but I also helped my community in ways I never knew I could. I will always remember this project and the things I learned from it. How did earning your Gold Award help you become a G.I.R.L. (go-getter, innovator, risk-taker, leader)? Earning the Gold Award helped me to become a go-getter because I had to dive right into this project. When the community cafe I was originally working with closed, I didn’t think about quitting, but wanted to continue the project because I had already put forth so much effort. Now that I know I can execute projects, I will be more willing to take them on in the future. **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 #ColoradoSprings #NorthernampNortheasternCO #FoCoCafe #DiscoveryCanyonCampusHighSchool #TakeAction #FortCollins #PikesPeak

What did you do for your Gold Award project? I partnered with the Colorado Haiti Project and developed a youth entrepreneurial program for the eighth-grade class at St. Paul’s Episcopal School in Petit Trou, Haiti. The three-day hands-on business workshop was an opportunity for eighth-grade students to “start” small businesses or Ti Biznis. The students learned the five fundamentals of business beginning with creating a business plan, gathering a loan, creating a product, advertising it, and creating a profit to be sustainable. How did you measure the impact your Gold Award project made on your target audience? Following the three-day workshop, the students took a business survey, as well as demonstrated their proficiency by all earning a profit. Even more so, following the workshop, the students went home and created more products with the materials they were able to purchase with their profit and began selling their products for real money. How is your project sustainable? How will your project continue to impact your involvement? Following my workshop, the Colorado Haiti Project will continue to use my curriculum and the design of my workshop for five years. Along with the Colorado Haiti Project, I have also been in contact with other Haitian schools as well as a non-profit that works in Honduras where my curriculum could be of value. What is your project’s global and/or national connection? As my Gold Award is already internationally focused, I have presented to several local groups to expand the impact of my Gold Award within Summit County. I have presented to the French Honors Society at my school, to my leadership class, and to Interact, the youth version of Rotary International. I also reached out to  9News several times through email, call, text, and video and did not receive a response. Through my local outreach, The Summit Foundation, an organization in Summit County that promotes philanthropy, awarded me with 2017 Most Outstanding and Philanthropic Youth at a community-wide ceremony held in November 2017. I will continue my impact through speaking to local troops about the value of the Gold Award and Girl Scouts as well as promoting education in other third world countries such as Honduras. What did you learn about yourself? Through my Gold Award, I learned to truly step into my leadership potential. This started with being comfortable talking on the phone, to organizing huge fundraising events, organizing volunteers, gathering community support, improving on being adaptable, to my most important and improved skill of public speaking. All of these skills are vitally important to growing up and becoming a female leader of tomorrow. My Gold Award has allowed me to be a source of leadership and philanthropy in my community, which will lead to scholarships, colleges, and so much more. I can not thank Girl Scouts enough for not only providing me with this opportunity, but for encouraging me to reach for the stars. How will earning your Gold Award impact you in the future? My leadership skills will absolutely continue to grow and strengthen because of my Gold Award. We all set our own limitations, whatever they may be, and throughout my Gold Award journey, I have truly surpassed many of the limits I had set. My public speaking, ability to smoothly and comfortably speak on the phone, organize, direct, and leverage influence was all cultivated in my Gold Award and is now propelling me to new heights. My main fundraiser for my Gold Award was a Haitian Gala dinner. It was my first time ever attempting to organize an event of this nature and capacity and it was beyond successful. It was so successful, fun, and I learned so much from it that I will be doing another gala dinner this year on March 17, 2018, to support education in Honduras. Not only has Girl Scouts and my Gold Award developed my leadership, but it has developed my philanthropic spirit. All the work and efforts put forth through my Silver Award which turned into me starting my own philanthropic bakery, to my Gold Award and promoting education in third world countries was never done for fame but because I truly find joy in doing so. However, in 2017 the Summit Foundation honored me as Summit County’s Most Outstanding Philanthropic Youth of the year. This recognition was so heartwarming and humbling. I was able to shed light on Girl Scouts and the character development it provides and how “worth it” it is to stay involved in the program. Why do you feel the Gold Award was an important part of your Girl Scout experience? For me, the Gold Award journey was the bow on the present. It tied everything together, the Journeys, cookie program, various events, and service were all brought together in one package with completing the Gold Award. It’s all about the process from whenever a girl joins Girl Scouts to when they finish. And with it being such a long, yet rewarding journey, completing the Gold Award makes all the time, energy, and effort worth it. It’s such a  rewarding process that I hope all girls strive for! How did earning your Gold Award help you become a G.I.R.L. (go-getter, innovator, risk-taker, leader)? My Gold Award forced me to be a go-getter. Without that characteristic of being a G.I.R.L, my Gold Award would not have been what it is. I have always had a “bossy” personality and once I got older I became ashamed of that characteristic and felt that it made me seem aggressive or mean. But through my Gold Award journey, it was put into perspective that being “bossy” doesn’t have to be a bad thing. I am proud that I can shape my characteristic of taking charge into a positive light of being a go-getter because, without strong girls and women who harness their go-getter mentality, we wouldn’t be heading into the groundbreaking future we are. **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. #Haiti #GoldAward #HighestAwards #Breckenridge #ColoradoHaitiProject #SummitHighSchool #TheSummitFoundation #GirlScoutGoldAward #TakeAction #mountaincommunities #SummitCounty

Troop 76134 from Erie hosted a Girl Scout Cookies booth at Pepsi Center! The troop was one of the winners of the ticket referral contest for Girl Scout Night with the Avalanche. The girls and their families had a great time at the game. In particular, many of the dads enjoyed watching the girls run their booth because they don’t usually get to see their daughters earning and learning the 5 Skills. The troop sold more than 500 packages of cookies—and is still counting the Hometown Hero donations. One of the leaders told GSCO, “People were giving $20 bills for one package and said to keep the rest! Our troop’s Hometown Hero is the Weld County Sheriff’s Office this year, so they will be loaded up!” #ColoradoAvalanche #NorthernampNortheasternCO #PepsiCenter #Denver #GirlScoutCookies #communitypartners #erie #GirlScoutCookieProgram #2018GirlScoutCookieProgram #MetroDenver #GirlScoutNightwiththeAvalanche #hockey

From Girl Scouts of the USA It’s Girl Scout Week! Calling all Girl Scouts, volunteers, alums, and supporters to help us celebrate by taking action! There are just three weeks remaining in the Georgia legislative session, and we need your help to urge the state legislature to name the Savannah River bridge for Girl Scout founder Juliette Gordon Low. Last fall, Girl Scouts launched a Movement-wide effort to name a bridge in Savannah after our legendary founder. At G.I.R.L. 2017, Girl Scouts from across the country signed a banner and petition in support of the Juliette Gordon Low Bridge. Georgia Girl Scouts wrote their legislators to ask for their support, and on February 6, more than 400 girls visited the state capitol to lobby their representatives in person. Now we need your help! As the state’s legislative session comes to a close, we must show the members of the Georgia General Assembly the strength of our Movement nationwide. Take action today: Click here to tell Georgia lawmakers to support the Juliette Gordon Low Bridge. Reach out to fellow Girl Scout supporters near and far in this campaign to name the Savannah bridge after Juliette Gordon Low. Please share our link, advocate.girlscouts.org, and ask others to take action. Thank you for your support. #GirlScoutsoftheUSA #Savannah #GirlScoutWee #JGLBridge #GSUSA #Georgia #JulietteGordonLow #Girlagenda #advocacy

What did you do for your Gold Award project? My project is called, “A Week in Our Lives.” Imagine living a week in another person’s “world.” What kind of things do they like to do? What are their challenges? What makes them happy? I created my project to answer these basic questions and more. Webster defines tolerance as, “the willingness to accept feelings, habits, or beliefs that are different from your own.” Throughout my life I have witnessed a lack of understanding and acceptance of people who are different, including my brother who has a disability. Our news is filled with stories of intolerance and clashes over immigration, equal rights, and refugees. We live in a global community, and my project encourages people to embrace each other’s differences and live in harmony. Through my love of photography, I wanted to develop cultural understanding by showing how people around the world live day to day. Photography is a powerful communication tool that needs no translation. The medium doesn’t deceive.  It can show pure joy or the stark reality of a situation. In turn, an image can inspire people to take action and create positive change. To get participants from other countries and diverse backgrounds, I formed partnerships with various international organizations. I sent out 170 kits to people from all over the world who generously opened their homes, hearts, and minds to boldly display their lives through photographs and answers to my questions. Through my partners, I donated digital cameras to places where people may not have access to the technology. The profiles and photos of 53 people from 6 continents, 23 nations, and 9 different states within the USA are displayed on my Facebook page. Working with Compassion International, I learned that there are children around the world who live in extreme poverty; however, they can grow to be successful and independent with local and global community involvement. I was also able to visit the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, deliver cameras, and teach kids about the project. These events inspired me to further develop my project as a book and a short film, also called “A Week in Our Lives.” I hope you will check out my Facebook page at facebook.com/aweekinourlives, be inspired by the beautiful photographs and heartwarming stories, and learn how you can take action in to create positive change your community! How did you measure the impact your Gold Award project made on your target audience? In the year and a half of work on my project, I sent out 170 AWIOL Kits, including 35 cameras, to people on six Continents.  Participants ranged from five-months to 81-years-old and were from 23 different Nations and nine U.S. states. One of my participants is now in Antarctica, so I hope to make it seven Continents soon. 250 books were published and distributed to participants, partners and communities around the world. I shared my project with over 6,000 people at multiple community events and presentations including the Maker’s Faire and youth groups. In addition, I held and film and book premiere event for the community at the 21C Library. At each event, I provided hands-on educational activities and Take-Action opportunities to help developing communities around the world. Over $1500 in items were donated for Camera Kits and Take Action Projects. How is your project sustainable? How will your project continue to impact after your involvement? The Facebook Page will remain up after the project so other people can see and learn from it. At the end of July, Kate Vogt, an editor of international poetry books, will take over the page. Every participant received a book, as well as local community organizations and schools.  The book has pages with Take Action ideas and information on the United Nation’s Global Goals for Sustainable Development for readers. The book and movie are to be used as tools so that people can learn from each other and enhance their world view. The donated cameras that were delivered to kids in developing countries will continue to be used as a unique method of storytelling and a way of highlighting challenges and issues in their community. I encourage every person that learns from my project to make a difference in their communities. What is your project’s global and/or national connection? My whole project was designed to make national and global connections through partners and participants thanks to the use of photography and social media. What did you learn about yourself? I have learned so much about myself over the course of this project. The most important thing for me personally is that I am capable of more than I ever even imagined. This project has taught me how to work with adults and lead them. I also learned that I am similar to other people all over the world; as I never thought I would find so many commonalities with the people who participated in this project. It seems that we all have similar interests and beliefs on what makes a person happy, and so much more. For instance, nearly all participants (78%), said that being with family and friends made them happy. Many of the participants also love to travel and have lived all over the world. 52% said that they wear jeans, and 6 of the girls have brothers with Autism. I have discovered a new passion for helping people and even a possible career path working with Non-Profit organizations that are making a difference in the world. How will earning your Gold Award impact you in the future? Earning my Gold Award has opened so many doors for my future. I have established strong connections with many adults over the duration of the project, along with my participants. I am now interested in pursuing a career where I can help others who are facing horrible situations, like the Yazidi IDP’s, who most people would call refugees. IDP stands for Internally Displaced Peoples, and when one of my partner organizations, Global Hope Network, visits a camp, they take seeds to help the people sustain their food supply. They also train leaders to identify the needs and challenges in their community and solve the problems with local and sustainable resources. Why do you feel the Gold Award was an important part of your Girl Scout experience? The Gold Award has been important in my time as a Girl Scout because I have been able to talk to so many younger Girl Scouts about what it means to earn the Gold Award. Many of the people I talked to were working on one of the highest awards in Girl Scouts, and they told me about their wonderful ideas for their projects. It was so cool to see that my project might inspire other girls as they begin their journey towards earning their Gold Award. How did earning your Gold Award help you become a G.I.R.L. (go-getter, innovator, risk-taker, leader)? I think my Gold Award has helped me in becoming a G.I.R.L. mostly by helping me become a go-getter. When I first proposed my project to the committee, they thought the project was over laden with challenges and that I would not come close to meeting my impact goals, although they didn’t tell me this at the time. After giving my final report a year and a half later, every one of them told me how touched they were by it, and that I went above and beyond what even they thought was possible. I was determined to make this project as big and the best that it could be, and I couldn’t be happier with the results. **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 #VanguardHighSchool #ColoradoSprings #GoldAwardGirlScout #TakeAction #PikesPeak

What did you do for your Gold Award project? I wanted to give back to the veteran community. For my project, I provided emblem veteran grave markers to all of the veterans who were laid to rest in the Elizabeth Cemetery. In the cemetery, there were over 150 veterans. I was able to provide every single one with a plastic marker. For the oldest 24 veterans as well as the KIA. How did you measure the impact your Gold Award project made on your target audience? At first, I measured it by how many emblem markers I was able to provide for these veterans. After getting them all, it was about who showed up. I wanted not only for the families to feel like someone cares about what their loved one did, but also for the veterans to feel like there was actually someone there to support them. After my ceremony, I had the opportunity to talk to different veterans. They all talked about where they served and for how long. Some of them ended up thanking me. This baffled me since I should be the ones thanking them for their service to our country. They did something that not everyone could do. How is your project sustainable? How will your project continue to impact after your involvement? I have developed a how-to guide to be able to continue my project in any cemetery. This project guide is a step-by-step guide to how I was able to provide emblems to the veterans. The guide explains what I did as well as what they can do. Each community is different. If one of my events doesn’t work, they can always conduct a similar event. As for the Elizabeth Cemetery, the American Legion will take on my project. In the cemetery, each veteran has an emblem, the 24 oldest ones have bronze markers while the rest have plastic. Each year, some of the plastic ones will be replaced with bronze ones. What is your project’s global and/or national connection? Veterans have been serving our country since our ancestors claimed independence from England. Everyone knows, is, or has known a veteran. There is an abundance of people who are serving our country. Once they come home, they have a hard time connecting with people and some don’t feel as if they are supported in their community. Our soldiers are fighting overseas, so other people don’t have too. No one forced them to join. They are doing this willingly. My manual was sent out to people in different parts of the states so that they can recreate the project there if they would like too. I want my project to spread as far as it can go. Veterans are a big part of our society, and they deserve to feel like they are recognized even after they passed. The veterans who are still alive should know that there are people out there who do still thank them for what they’ve done. This also helps the families feel like they are not alone. No one wants to feel like they are alone. What did you learn about yourself? I learned that this community bettered my view of the world. There are more veterans out there and I want all of them to be remembered. Veterans aren’t always going to tell you who they are. They are humble and it has taught me to be more humble as well. The veterans that I met, want to make other people’s lives better even after they are done serving our country. This project connected deeper than I ever thought it would. At first it was for my grandparents and to pass on their tradition, but after it was for all the veterans out there. I have connected with the veterans and I know I want to continue to stay involved. How will earning your Gold Award impact you in the future? My Gold Award helped me gain a perspective on what is actually happening to our veterans as well as how the little things may not make a big change, but someone will notice a small change. The Gold Award can help me in the future to inspire others to make a change no matter how small. The Gold Award has also connected me to the veteran community. I know that if I need support I can look to them for it. Why do you feel the Gold Award was an important part of your Girl Scout experience? I have been in Girl Scouts since I was five-years-old. When I first heard about them forming a troop in our school, I got so excited that I told my mom to sign me up that night. The Gold Award was my final goal of Girl Scouts. In previous years, I have seen others get their Gold Awards and make changes and I wanted to do the same. The Gold Award wasn’t just another award, it was a project that made a big difference. How did earning your Gold Award help you become a G.I.R.L. (go-getter, innovator, risk-taker, leader)? After this project, I have become a go-getter. There were multiple times where I was told, that I would never be able to do what I want. When I first started, I did not have a lot of support from some people in my community. After being told in one cemetery that, “[I am] never going to be able to do this anywhere, in any cemetery, ever.” I decided to switch cemeteries. I connected with the Elizabeth Cemetery. Some people also told me that I would not be able to achieve my Gold Award in such a short time period. I put all my effort into it and proved them wrong. My project has spread across the veteran community and in fourth months, I hosted multiple events to provide emblem markers for over 150 veterans. I placed all of those emblem markers as well with the help of a supportive community. **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 #GoldAwardGirlScout #Veterans #HighlandsRanch #MetroDenver #TakeAction #AmericanLegion #MountainVistaHighSchool

Thank you to all the Girl Scouts who entered this year’s contest for Best Cookie Video. We received nearly  a dozen entries from across Colorado and are so impressed by your creativity and enthusiasm. Third Place- $50 in Cookie Credits Hailey from Arvada is a second-year Brownie. Last year, she sold 800 packages and this year (at last check), she is only 50 packages away from her goal of 1,000 packages. She plans to use the Cookie Credits she won to go to “Dusty Boots” at Tomahawk Ranch this summer. Second Place- $100 in Cookie Credits Ashla F. is from GSCO’s Northern & Northeastern CO region. She also plans to use the Cookie Credits she won to go to Tomahawk Ranch this summer. First Place- $200 in Cookie Credits Mia from Fort Carson is a gifted, STEM-loving Brownie who loves crafting stories. She plans to use the Cookie Credits she earned to go to a “Me & My Gal” camp. #MeampMyGalcamp #NorthernampNortheasternCO #BestCookieVideocontest #cookies #FtCarson #GirlScoutCookies #TomahawkRanch #GirlScoutCookieProgram #2018GirlScoutCookieProgram #cookiecontests #PikesPeak #camp

Submitted by Abigail and Genevieve R. Metro Denver Castle Rock I am glad to have a great dad who is there to help us sell cookies. Being a Girl Scout Cookie Dad in February (a.k.a. cookie month) is not easy! It is even trickier if you are a dad to two Girl Scouts, who set some high cookie goals! I have been selling cookies for four years and my little sister, Genevieve, just started selling cookies this year. My dad has been there for both of us during this busy cookie season. He helped us sell cookies by taking my sister and I to small businesses in town. He stayed with us at the booths and held a “Cookies For Sale” sign with us and helped us count money. He also had to pick up extra chores around the house when our mom would take us to sell cookies door-to-door or at booths. We would not be able to reach and surpass our goals if it was not for our wonderful dad! My sister and I learned that earning money through cookie sales would give us an opportunity to attend Girl Scout events and classes. We both like being a part of the big Girl Scout family! This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form and is part of the 2018 contest for Best Cookie Dad. #cookiesvolunteers #cookies #GirlScoutCookies #GirlScoutCookieProgram #2018GirlScoutCookieProgram #MetroDenver #CastleRock #cookiecontests #BestCookieDadcontest