In 2014, Magic Sky Ranch was put up for sale, after months of research into the best way to provide outdoor programs to Girl Scouts in Colorado. This was a hard decision, and we understand Magic Sky holds a place in the hearts of many of our girls, leaders, and alumnae. We made the decision to focus resources on other properties across the state, and our overnight camp programs at Sky High Ranch and Tomahawk Ranch. For more information on this decision, visit http://gscoblog.org/2014/09/girl-scouts-of-colorado-to-sell-magic-sky-ranch-and-dedicate-resources-to-outdoor-programs/. While Magic Sky Ranch has been listed for sale, we have continued to take reservations for troops and service units, as well as some non-Girl Scout groups. During the summer of 2017 we temporarily removed Magic Sky Ranch from our booking website, while our council evaluated the status of the sale of the property. We have now returned Magic Sky Ranch to our booking website, but due to the nature of the real estate process, we are only able to take reservations six months in advance. If your troop or service unit makes a reservation at Magic Sky Ranch within six months, and the property is sold before the date of your reservation, Girl Scouts of Colorado will work with your troop to reschedule your reservation at another property or at another date, depending on availability at our other properties. You can make your booking at http://girlscoutsofcolorado.checkfront.com/reserve/. Thank you for your support of Outdoor Programs with Girl Scouts of Colorado. #camp #MagicSkyRanch

Submitted by Ariella Wells Northern & Northeastern CO Fort Collins Troop 720 went to the forensics lab at the local sheriff’s department and got to hear and see some of how it all works. It was a very cool and inspirational trip and definitely sounds like a very neat career. This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too. #forensics #FortCollins #NorthernampNortheasternCO #STEM

What did you do for your Gold Award project? For my Gold Award, I hosted an event, called Operation Occupation, to teach high school students how to get a job. There were employers, speakers, and lots of information and research that they interacted with. They learned things like how to fill out a resume, how to dress and behave properly at interviews and on the job, and went through a mock interview. How did you measure the impact your Gold Award project made on your target audience? I measured the impact on my target audience with two different surveys. The first one was given to them at the event as they were leaving. This one had questions pertaining to the short-term affects they got from the event. Some questions included, “Did you learn something new?” and similar questions to judge their initial thoughts of the event. The second one was emailed to them at the end of the summer to see how they used the information over the two months after the event. Some of these questions were, “Did you get a job?”, “If you did get a job, where?”, “Do you feel confident when applying for jobs now?”, and so on. How is your project sustainable? How will your project continue to impact after your involvement? My project is sustainable through the FBLA Club at Douglas County High School. I received a letter of commitment from the FBLA Adviser, that was signed by him, the principal of the school, and the school district. A couple of officers from the club attended my event to make sure that theirs is as close to mine as it can be, while changing what needs to be changed to make it better. What is your project’s global and/or national connection? My project had both a global and national connection. The national connection is a website in Florida that shared my website with their company. I also contacted Gap Outlet and asked them to put the links to all of my social media on their national page. This will take a while to go through the system, but I am hopeful it will get through. The global connection was mainly through my YouTube channel, I have reached three different countries with my video, United States, Canada, and The Philippines. I am hoping to expand this outreach even further. What did you learn about yourself? A couple of things that I learned about myself through this project is that I am very organized when I want to be, and I am great at running events in a short period of time. I started working on my event way too late, and realized that with the amount of compliments I got about how smooth my event was, that I am good at pulling together at the end. Also, I stayed organized throughout the entire project to keep from missing anything. How will earning your Gold Award impact you in the future? The Gold Award has taught me many things. It has given me a lot of leadership qualities and skills that I will use for the rest of my life. It has also taught me to not procrastinate, and to work in a timely fashion. I will never put off something until the last minute again, because I do not like the feeling that I might be forgetting something important. Why do you feel the Gold Award was an important part of your Girl Scout experience? I feel that the Gold Award was a big part of my Girl Scouting experience because it put all of the things I learned throughout the program all together. It’s almost like it tied off my Girl Scouting years (as a girl) with a bow. How did earning your Gold Award help you become a G.I.R.L. (go-getter, innovator, risk-taker, leader)? The Gold Award taught me to be G.I.R.L. by making me be a go-getter. I have always had a passion for helping others my age, and this project made me take a step to helping them. Seeing progress was being made by the people who attended, showed me that I made a difference in their lives. I became a risk-taker by learning how to speak in front of an audience, and how to talk to adults and tell them that I need help. I became a leader by learning how to find a problem in the community, what I can do to fix it, and stepping out of my comfort zone, to get it done. Also, I learned how much the world needs people to step up and be the leader for causes that don’t get enough attention. **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 #MetroDenver #TakeAction #CastleRock #DouglasCountyHighSchool

Join us for Girl Scout Day with DU Women’s Soccer on Sunday, October 1, 2017. Cheer on the Pioneers as they take on North Dakota State. All Girl Scouts, friends, and family are invited! The game will start at noon and will be held at the University of Denver Athletic Fields. Cost is $7/person. Purchase tickets at https://goo.gl/Rch9vQ using the promo code GIRLSCOUT. A portion of ticket sales is donated back to Girl Scouts of Colorado. Questions? Please contact Trent Dunn at 303-871-3682. We hope to see you there! #UniversityofDenver #GSCOevents #Communitypartnerships #Denver #DUWomensSoccer #MetroDenver #soccer

Girl Scouts are invited to Girl Scout Night with DU Women’s Volleyball on Friday, Nov. 3, 2017! Come cheer on the Pioneers as they take on Oral Roberts University. All Girl Scouts, friends, and family are welcome. The match starts at 7 p.m. Cost is $9/person. Tickets can be purchased at https://goo.gl/Rch9vQ with promo code GIRLSCOUT. A portion of ticket sales will be donated back to Girl Scouts of Colorado. Girl Scouts attending will get a fun event patch. Questions? Please contact Trent Dunn at 303-871-3682. We hope to see you there! #DUWomensVolleyball #UniversityofDenver #GSCOevents #Denver #MetroDenver #volleyball

What did you do for your Gold Award project? Being from Boulder, I am someone who is very environmentally friendly, and a tree hugger at heart. Therefore, for my Gold Award project, I wanted to address an environmental issue. I decided to go with the problem of the bee population declining. For my Gold Award project, I created a lesson plan to fit the common core curriculum of second grade. This was important because I made my lesson plan accessible to teachers via the internet, and because it fits the common core standards, it is easier for teachers to use.  I then presented my own PowerPoint presentation, that was based off of my lesson plan, to a few groups in the community to get my message across. My overall goal was to educate people about the importance of bees and how we can help them. How did you measure the impact your Gold Award project made on your target audience? I measured my impact by asking the kids I presented to, at the end of my presentation, what they had learned from my presentation.  The kids responded with several answers such as “bees are not the same as wasps”, “the bee population is going down,” “we need to help save the bees,” “pesticides kill bees,” “planting plants helps bees.”  I also realized the impact I was making when one of the kids came up to me full of emotion, in tears, and said she was very sad about the bees and really wanted to help them. We use mississauga Mice removal sometimes, but this is a different thing, they can be very dangerous for the kids. How is your project sustainable? How will your project continue to impact after your involvement? I have made sure that my project is sustainable.  First, Sammie Reynolds, a teacher at Mt. Saint Vincent in Denver, has promised to continue this lesson plan and committed to use it in the future.  Additionally, I made my lesson plan accessible online to teachers, by sharing my lesson plan and presentation with Kristin Reynolds who is putting it on the Earth Guardian website.  Hopefully, people other than Ms. Reynolds will access my lesson plan and use it in their classrooms. What is your project’s global and/or national connection? Bees are not just a species that roam around in my town of Boulder. Bees are all over the world, and globally, bees are the number one pollinator. This problem affects the whole world.  My project starts in this little corner of the world in Boulder, but will longterm affect the whole world.  Also, by sharing my lesson plan with Ms. Reynolds, I am making my lesson plan accessible for teachers all over the nation. What did you learn about yourself? From my project, I have learned so much more about bees. I started with only basic knowledge about bees, and then began my research. I also learned how to work with people, and how to pick the correct people for my team.  I learned that sometimes certain people are a little more of procrastinators than I am, and they can be hard to work with. Additionally, I learned an extremely valuable skill: how to speak well in front of people.  All these skills will help me in my future in going to college, and then, hopefully, medical school. How will earning your Gold Award impact you in the future? This project not only opens up doors because it shows how dedicated I can be and  thus, people will hopefully be more likely to hire or accept me into a position, but this project also opens the door to presenting more often. It shows me that if I can accomplish my Gold Award,  then I can do any presentation.  It encourages me to feel more and more comfortable when collaborating with others and talking to a big group. Why do you feel the Gold Award was an important part of your Girl Scout experience? I have been a Girl Scout since I was a little Daisy. Throughout my Girl Scout career, I had been doing fun activities that involved learning and helping the community.  Each of these activities, however, were fabulous, I didn’t feel as though I, myself was making a difference.  I would work with a group of roughly 10-15 girls in completing an activity that my great troop leader had come up with for us do.  Yes, we earned badges and I felt accomplished with every badge, none of them made me feel as good as I felt when I completed my Gold Award.  I had not only felt that I had made a difference, but I had measured and proved that I actually had made a difference.  On my own, I came up with an idea, executed it, and made an impact. How did earning your Gold Award help you become a G.I.R.L. (go-getter, innovator, risk-taker, leader)? My project made me a go-getter because although it took me over a year to complete my project, I kept with it and pushed until I succeeded.  I knew some girls that started their project, but never finished it.  I also had some times of self doubt, but I decided that I wanted to get my Gold Award, make a difference, and continue on.  I proved to myself that I had true dedication, along with leadership.  I learned how to be a leader and inspire others to take action.  Every kid I presented to showed great excitement in wanting to help the bees. **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 #NorthernampNortheasternCO #boulder #bees #TakeAction

Submitted by Trails 2000 Southwestern CO Durango Trails 2000 is pleased to invite Girl Scouts of all ages to join us for Trailwork at Overend Mountain Park near Durango on Saturday, September 23, 2017 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Volunteers will meet at the Leyden Street trailhead, with lunch to follow at 12:30 p.m. No experience is necessary for Trailwork, and Trails 2000 will provide the necessary instruction and safety tool talk, all tools, gloves, and water and snacks for the entire crew. Waivers can be found on local service unit Facebook pages. If you are not part of these pages, please contact GSCO Volunteer Support Specialist Amy Moscowitz at amy.moscowitz@gscolorado.org for a waiver. Please complete one waiver for each participant; parent or guardian must sign for participants under the age of 18. For directions to the worksite, meet at Leyden Street Trailhead; from Durango, take Main Street to Montview. Turn right on Forest Ave to Leyden St; take a left on Leyden and park at the end of the cul de sac. Directions. Volunteers should wear closed toe shoes or boots, long pants, shirt (long or short sleeved), sun hat, sunscreen, and bring a water bottle and rain jacket (optional). Trails 2000 will provide all tools, instruction, water, and snacks. Questions? Please contact Amy Moscowitz at amy.moscowitz@gscolorado.org. This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too. #Trails2000 #Trailwork #Durango #Communitypartnerships #SouthwesternCO #OverendMountainPark

Submitted by Staci Calderon Pikes Peak Colorado Springs It was an awesome weekend for Girl Scout Cadettes in Troop 4636! The girls escaped to the trees in gorgeous Hartsel, Colorado where they learned all about the BREATHE journey and loving our planet. Our Cadettes had an amazing time! This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too. #Journey #Breathe #ColoradoSprings #GirlScoutCadettes #TakeAction #PikesPeak

What did you do for your Gold Award project? For my Gold Award, I focused on encouraging girls to pursue STEM careers by providing middle school and high school girls with role models. My research showed that STEM is primarily dominated by males with ratio being around ¾ male and ¼ females. Women in STEM is a complex issue that is caused by numerous problems. I decided to focus on role models since studies have shown that by providing successful female role models, more women are willing to put in the effort for these careers. In order to achieve this, I developed a panel consisting of engineers from many different fields within engineering. They came and talked about the challenges within the STEM field and how to overcome them. The panelists also discussed what employers are looking for both in academics and internships. How did you measure the impact your Gold Award project made on your target audience? I measured the impact of my project through a survey given at the end of my panel event. The survey contained questions about how to improve the event for the future and if the girls who attended had learned anything new. I also talked to many of the girls after my event to hear what they had thought about the event. How is your project sustainable? How will your project continue to impact after your involvement? My project will be sustained through my high school. My school has been divided up into four different academies: STEM, BHS, VPA, and LGC. As I had already done my event at the school and had numerous teachers and administers involved, my advisor/teacher is willing to sponsor another girl to run the event with the guidance of my manual, so all they must do is choose a date that works with them, find panelists, and advertise to the middle schools. One of my panelists is a member of the Denver chapter of Business and Professional Women. When she heard that a component of the Gold Award project was that it needed to be sustained in some way, her chapter agreed to also put on this event in the future as part of their programming. What is your project’s global and/or national connection? The imbalance between the genders within STEM careers is a national issue. For my project to reach a wider audience nationally, I created a website. The website depicts the issue of women in STEM and highlights some of the reasons behind the difference between the genders.  I sent letters to 50 schools within Colorado, ranging from Fort Collins to Colorado Springs, with the information about my event and what girls learned, why they should do it, and where they could get the manual and visit my website for more information. What did you learn about yourself? The most important aspect that I learned about myself was discovering what I was most passionate about and discovered my voice for it. It has enabled me to stand for what I believe in and develop solutions for the problems. It also showed me that I am able to successfully put on events as a leader. How will earning your Gold Award impact you in the future? My Gold Award has provided me with numerous professional skills and the ability to put on a major event. I know it will have a major impact on my ability within my own career. My Gold Award taught me invaluable tools that I need for my future career, both in acting professional and the ability to lead and develop a major event. Why do you feel the Gold Award was an important part of your Girl Scout experience? I have been a Girl Scout since I was in kindergarten. The Gold Award was the final award that I could complete within the program after finishing the Bronze and Silver. But, it was more than that. The Gold Award took all my leadership and event planning skills I had obtained through the program and pushed them to their limits, and expanded past what I already had. It showed me what I was able to achieve with the skills I had learned through my 13 years of being a Girl Scout. How did earning your Gold Award help you become a G.I.R.L. (go-getter, innovator, risk-taker, leader)? G:  The Gold Award made me find an issue that occurred within my community and forced me to find a solution, or in the case of my project be a part of the solution. It made me develop a plan in order to achieve the solution of providing role models so that I could pursue a component of the entire problem of the unbalanced genders within the STEM field. **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 #STEM #CastleViewHighSchool #MetroDenver #TakeAction #CastleRock

What did you do for your Gold Award project? For my Gold Award, I built a library and put together welcome baskets for a shelter (Avanti House) that houses girls 12-17 that have been victims of sex trafficking.  The issue I wanted to address with my project is the negative aftermath of sex trafficking as well as the continued prevalence of sex trafficking in our community. I wanted to improve lives of sex trafficking victims that need distractions and added normalcy to their lives after sex trafficking. While I cannot eliminate trafficking, by doing my project I spread awareness about sex trafficking and its continuing prevalence in our state, country, and world. I made presentations on my project to raise awareness to the Green Hat Society and teachers at my school which subsequently lead to book donations. I presented to teachers at my school to spread awareness about the problem and help them identify the signs of sex trafficking as they see their students on a daily basis and would most easily be able to identify the problem. In all, I was able to collect 670 books through donations and the purchase of a couple of books I thought were must haves, which are now in the main living space and classroom for the girls, while the adults have one with their books in the office. I also supplied each girl a bookmark in their welcome basket to get them introduced to the library. The welcome baskets also included blankets, journals, coloring books, socks, water bottles, candy, and a couple of other items I felt were important that they have. How did you measure the impact your Gold Award project made on your target audience? I measured the impact of my Gold Award project from the feedback on the books and items in the welcome baskets and also from the persons who heard my presentations. How is your project sustainable? How will your project continue to impact after your involvement? Kristen Harness from Avanti house has agreed to continue to make the welcome baskets for the home and other women they come across. What is your project’s global and/or national connection? I have e-mailed several similar shelters that do similar work in other states in hopes that they might adopt the same projects. What did you learn about yourself? I learned about my ability to be independent and take charge. From this project, I learned how to bear ALL of the responsibilities for my work. From organizing donation pick-ups and moving in the library and welcome bags, I learned a lot about myself, including my drive and passion for a cause I believe in. How will earning your Gold Award impact you in the future? Earning my Gold Award will make me more confident in being a leader as well as doing large projects and tasks on my own. Why do you feel the Gold Award was an important part of your Girl Scout experience? The Gold Award allowed me to finish off my 12 years of Girl Scouting with one last impactful project that made a change. How did earning your Gold Award help you become a G.I.R.L. (go-getter, innovator, risk-taker, leader)? This helped me become a better leader as I have exposed myself to situations that require independence. **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 #Aurora #AvantiHouse #MetroDenver #TakeAction #GreenHatSociety #GrandviewHighSchool

Submitted by Cassidy C., G.I.R.L.  Media Star Metro Denver Highlands Ranch This year will be my 11th year as a Girl Scout. Throughout my Girl Scouting career, I have learned how to be a respectful, honest, and confident individual. Even though I’m an outspoken person now, I used to be shy. I would never share my opinions during class or talk about my day once I got home. When my mom told me I had to sell Girl Scout Cookies to complete strangers, I almost lost it!  Even though I was frightened, my mom did the right thing.  I was able to gain confidence by just asking “Would you like to buy some Girl Scout Cookies?” By gaining this needed skill, I have become more talkative and outgoing. I would consider myself to be a risk taker. When I was younger, I didn’t like trying new things. Now, I love going on exciting adventures. In seventh grade, I took the risk of trying out to be a local Girl Scout Media Star. I was nervous for my interview, but I was able to memorize all the information. Once I got there, I knew I was well-prepared and ready to take on the challenge. Now, three years later, I have been selected to be one of the six older Girl Scouts across the country to be on the G.I.R.L. Media Team for the Convention in October 2017. I’m excited to see where my next risk-taking adventure goes. How has Girl Scouts helped you become a G.I.R.L. (go-getter, innovator, risk-taker, or leader)? Share your Girl Scout story and photos using the Share Your Stories form. #HighlandsRanch #GirlScoutCookieProgram #risktaker #MetroDenver #GIRLstories

What did you do for your Gold Award project? For my Gold Award, I worked with the Adams County Elections Department to create VOTE (Voter Outreach Through Education). VOTE takes education about the elections department into high school government classes. The education includes the “behind the scenes” of a ballot, what happens during an election, security measures taken, and many other important aspects of the Elections Department. We also put on a student government to give students of all grade levels the experience of a “true” election. How did you measure the impact your Gold Award project made on your target audience? I measured the impact of my Gold Award by the number of students reached, 28 with education, and the feedback they gave on a survey. 26/28 felt they learned something they didn’t already know and better understood the Elections Department and what they do. VOTE will be continued through the Adams County Elections Department, which means that students will continue to be educated on the importance of voting, and the work the Elections Department does. Through feedback my team and I received from the students and the teacher, we revised the program to make it stronger for next year. How is your project sustainable? How will your project continue to impact after your involvement? My project will continue through the Adams County Elections Department and will grow to reach more students. The current goal is to have VOTE in every high school in Adams County boundaries, then looking for further growth options. We are hoping to reach four high schools next year and continue to expand after that. Our thoughts and goals for expansion include reaching beyond Adams County at the state level. What is your project’s global and/or national connection? Elections are a hot button topic for many people, especially after the 2016 General Election. VOTE addresses concerns that were seen at the national level. As a team, we are starting small with our education, but that will also grow to incorporate what is happening. High school government students learn about elections in the United States but may also look at elections abroad and the systems used, this helps to give them a deeper understanding and better connection to relate the electoral system to. What did you learn about yourself? During my Gold Award, I learned that I can work through obstacles. I hit several spots in my project where I could’ve easily given up. I had to change my project late in the year and then put a lot of work into making sure the VOTE program went into classrooms before the school year was over. Hard work pays off, and there is always another option when something seems impossible. How will earning your Gold Award impact you in the future? Earning my Gold Award has given me more confidence in myself and what I am capable of accomplishing. I will now look at projects with a different perspective knowing that I can push myself further than I thought was possible and overcome any obstacle put in my way. If you work hard enough, you can accomplish anything you put your mind to. As I am heading into college, this will be an especially important reminder that I will carry with me. Why do you feel the Gold Award was an important part of your Girl Scout experience? Earning my Gold Award was an important part of my Girl Scout Experience because it was a good way to wrap up my time as a Girl Scout before moving to an adult member. I have been in Girl Scouts since Daisy’s and have grown up watching girls earn their Gold Awards. Watching my older Girl Scout sisters earning these awards and positively impacting the community around them was an inspiration to me. It taught me that I could one day have a similar impact on those around me, and it drove me to continue my Girl Scout journey even when I was busy with school and sports. I looked up to my Girl Scout sisters, and want to be that inspiration for other younger girls. 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 learn to become a go-getter because of the challenges I faced. Changing my project in the middle of the year was not something I had planned on doing. I wanted to give up, but I knew there was still a difference I could make in my community. I had to look at the problem I had in a different way and see another issue that needed to be addressed. I, then, worked with the elections team to gain high school support. This project made me step outside my comfort zone and prove to many people that I am not just another high school student, I am a professional in this area. There was an obstacle proving this to my teachers and peers alike, as they have only ever seen me as a student. **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 #MetroDenver #TakeAction #Brighton