Submitted by Jody Clair Pikes Peak Colorado Springs I love Girl Scouts. I am starting my 15th year and love to find fun and cool ways to show I am a Girl Scout. I recently met someone from the Wilderness Explorers. We had a blast practicing our signs! This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too. #adultvolunteers #ColoradoSprings #PikesPeak #VolunteerNews

How long have you been a Girl Scout volunteer? Six years How long have you been a member of the MCC? Three years What inspired you to join MCC? I joined MCC to bring the concerns of rural troops to the council and to help the council’s message reach out to our area. What have you learned through being a part of this committee? I learned how much our staff and board put into making Girl Scouts of Colorado work. Why would you recommend being a member of MCC to other GSCO volunteers? MCC helps volunteers see how diverse the needs and offerings of other areas of the state are. Tell us about yourself. When I was a girl, I was raised with the ideal that I could do or become anything and that there were more opportunities out there beyond what I could see. This is what I want to instill in my daughter and her friends, and through Girl Scouts I’ve found a way to help them explore their world and find their passions. Girl Scouts of Colorado is lucky to have a unique governance system with the Membership Connection Committee as the centerpiece of our democratic process and a way to give our members a strong voice in the issues they care most about. Would you like to be a voice for Girl Scouts of Colorado? Speak up and contribute our success together! To reach the MCC, e-mail GSCO.MCC@gscolorado.org #MCC #MembershipConnectionCommittee #volunteerspotlight #volunteers

We’re excited for Girl Scout Days at Elitch Gardens this weekend! All Girl Scouts, friends, and family are invited. Come enjoy the park and the last days of summer! Date: Friday, Aug. 11- Sunday, Aug. 13, 2017 Cost: $25.99/person. Purchase tickets here. Special Girl Scout activities are planned for Saturday morning from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Come learn about Girl Scout traditions and pick up your free Girl Scout event patch! Not able to make it?  Enjoy a season-long discount of $29.99/person for a park daily pass through the end of October. Cost is $29.99/ticket. Purchase tickets here and select the daily pass option. GSCO gets a donation back on each ticket sold throughout the season, so thank you for your support! Enjoy these special Girl Scout deals before summer ends! Adventure Golf and Raceway, Federal Heights All Girl Scouts, friends, and family can enjoy a discounted entry fee of $21.95 off the regular rate of $29.95. Purchase tickets here and enter “Girl Scouts” (case and space sensitive) for the store name. Water World, Federal Heights Water World is offering a generous discount for all Girl Scouts, friends, and family for the 2017 Summer Season. Purchase a daily pass for $30.99/person through our Girl Scout link, an $11 savings from the park’s regular daily rate of $41.99. Purchase tickets here and enter “Girl Scouts” (case and space sensitive) for the store name. Discounted meal vouchers are also available. Upcoming Girl Scout Events Aug. 27 – Girl Scout Night with the Grand Junction Rockies, Grand Junction. 5 p.m. game start. Girl Scouts in uniform get into the game free! Adults and other children can purchase tickets at the gate. Come cheer on the Rockies as they take on the Orem Owlz! To help us set aside enough seats for our Girl Scout section, please let us know if you are interested here. Sept. 9 – CU Football Scout Day, Boulder. 12 p.m. game start. Tickets are $25. Come cheer on the Buffs as they take on the Texas State San Marcos Bobcats. Purchase tickets here and use the promo code GirlScouts17. A portion of ticket sales will be donated back to GSCO. Both Boy and Girl Scout families are invited, so purchase your tickets early to get your seat! Sept. 16 – Scout Day with the Colorado Rockies, Denver. 6:10pm game start. Tickets range from $16-$25. Come cheer on the Colorado Rockies as they take on the San Diego Padres! Scouts get a fun event patch. A portion of each ticket sold through our GSCO promo code will be donated back to GSCO. The Rockies are having a great season, so tickets may go fast. Get yours today! Purchase tickets here and look for our GSCO promo code/link at the bottom of the page. #GirlScoutevents #Denver #ElitchGardens #communitypartners #MetroDenver

Join Daisy’s Circle today and get a $5 NEW MEMBER COUPON to use at the Girl Scouts of Colorado Shop! This coupon is good for Girl Scout uniforms, books, holiday gifts, and more.  The shop has more than 1,600 items in-stock and inventory changes daily. This coupon applies to transactions completed in-person at the GSCO Shop in Denver or via phone and email.  It expires 10/15/2017.  This deal cannot be transferred or copied.  Offer limited to in-stock merchandise only. #Statewide #GSCOShop #Denver #MetroDenver #DaisysCircle

What did you do for your Gold Award project? I taught people who could hear how to interact with the Deaf community. To do this, I created a website/Facebook page, conducted two community presentations, placed flyers and brochures in different locations around the area, and wrote letters to local high schools about my project. My presentations can be seen on YouTube as well! How did you measure the impact your Gold Award project made on your target audience? I had people who could hear fill out a survey at the beginning and end of my presentations, asking participants if they knew/learned anything about the Deaf culture. From there, I had a volunteer compile the results, and show that 85% of people in attendance learned something about being deaf. I also was able to track where in the world the Facebook page had been seen. How is your project sustainable? How will your project continue to impact after your involvement? My project will be sustainable beyond my involvement because those who attended the seminars/visited my website will retain the information and are be able to pass it on to others. In addition, my website will be updated by my project advisor’s 7th grade class next year (She teaches English and American Sign Language). After I asked her, she replied with “Yes, I can have my 7th graders keep your website going!! That will be fun for them!!” They will continue the upkeep of the website. What is your project’s global and/or national connection? The national and global link for my project is my website, Facebook page, and YouTube posts. People in other countries who want to study sign language cultures in other countries can use the website to learn about the Deaf culture here. The Facebook page was seen by over 1,000 people in eight other states and nine other countries. Letters have also been sent to local high schools with the information about the project and how to access the web elements so they will have the tools to continue sharing the information. What did you learn about yourself? By doing this project, I learned I can take the lead in a project and delegate tasks to others. I can not complete an entire project of this scale alone. When I did ask for help, the pieces fell into place and I became less stressed. In addition, I learned that event planning is something that was not difficult for me and I could easily/happily do it again for others. How will earning your Gold Award impact you in the future? My Gold Award will impact me in the future because employers will see that I have the tools to not only be a successful as part of a team, but also move up in managerial status and lead others with little guidance on how to lead/delegate. In addition, the Gold Award process gave me more confidence in public speaking, which will ultimately help me when I give presentations to an office full of business women and men. Why do you feel the Gold Award was an important part of your Girl Scout experience? Since I was a Brownie, I have been talking about earning my Gold Award. Once I became a Senior in Girl Scouting, I quickly began coming up with ideas for my project. However, I had to put it on the back-burner in high school because of sports and my troop being very active in planning events for the unit. Once that all settled and I was able to start my project and at the end of senior year I focused all of my attention on it and completed it with only a few minor glitches. My Gold Award was like my senior capstone credit; it took all the leadership and event planning skills I have gained over the last eight years and amplified it three times. Without this experience my Girl Scout career would have ended with a hole. 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 to become a G.I.R.L. because…. G- I was a go-getter because I reached out to the community without any help from my parents or friends. I completed my project by picking my goal and reaching for it! I- I was an innovator because I saw an issue that not many other people could see, and used social media and the community to help solve it. R- I was a risk-taker because I talked to my community about an issue that was not important or known to them. Instead of thinking that no one would care about my project, I continued to share it and by showing people that I cared they began to care too. L- I was a leader because I had to take initiative in the project and delegated tasks to others. **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 #deaf

Submitted by Sarah Scalise, GSCO Recruitment Specialist Metro Denver Denver The last days of summer are bittersweet for girls and volunteers. There is so much to be done before the school year, and not enough days spent in the Colorado sunshine. However, recruitment specialists in the Denver office are racing along to help interested girls and families learn about Girl Scout opportunities in their community. We depend on experienced Girl Scouts and volunteers to attend Back to School Nights and invite interested girls and families to information meetings.  If you’d like to represent Girl Scouts in your community please, reach out to us at inquiry@girlscoutsofcolorado.org Let us know your name, local school, and how we can best get in touch! This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too. #Denver #MetroDenver #recruitment

Submitted by Suzanne Mahan Pueblo & Southeastern CO Pueblo I work for American Councils and place foreign exchange students, who come on State Dept. scholarships. I have a Ukrainian girl, who will be a sophomore in high school and needs a host home for the school year. She enjoys camping, swimming, volunteering, and pets and wants to be a pharmacist. She has good grades and speaks English. If you would be interested in hosting, please email me at s.e.mahan@hotmail.com. This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too. #Ukraine #Pueblo #PuebloampSoutheasternCO #foreignexchangestudent #AmericanCouncils

What did you do for your Gold Award project? For my Gold Award, I worked with Hope House to target lower literacy levels found in teen mothers and their children. I created book templates for each child to bring home so that they feel more comfortable in class and to promote the joy of reading. I also installed a Free Little Library at Hope House’s new location to make books easily accessible. How did you measure the impact your Gold Award project made on your target audience? My impact will be noticed as the children become more excited to go to class and the mothers begin to feel more comfortable leaving their kids in the daycare. I also hope to see the children have more of a desire to interact with books and learn to love reading. One night I was at Hope House in the daycare, there was a little boy who was in tears when his mom left, so my volunteer and I showed him the book, some extra paper, and crayons and he was back to normal in seconds. It turned out that he loved coloring and he spent the whole night at the table working on his book. How is your project sustainable? How will your project continue to impact after your involvement? My project will be sustained beyond my involvement by a few different people. I had 70 copies of the books printed (50 toddler & 20 infant) and gave them to Hope House so they can start this project with my assistance. Hope House has been given the template for the books with instructions. They have a printer and plan on continuing to print books as needed and work on the books with new children that come to Hope House. My Free Little Library is meant to be self-sustainable, but that is not something that I am going to ask of low income mothers. Instead, I have partnered with the 8th grade girls Bible class at Faith Christian Middle School and their teacher. They do fundraising for Hope House every year and then visit the home to see the campus and learn about their programs. Along with that work, they will be adding a book drive and Library upkeep so that the house will not be left empty or with rundown books. I completed the first book drive this year and it ran for a week. I made postcards to address the mission of the book drive and hand out during my presentation of my Gold Award project to my Bible class. As a result, I collected 206 adult and children’s books for the Little Library. I involved classmates and teachers in the drive and was able to share more about what Hope House does and how they can be involved. The extra books will be given to Hope House to either restock between upkeep visits or to use with their own discretion. What is your project’s global and/or national connection? To create a national and/or global link for my project, I created a blog. Lauren Hasz helped me to create a blog and make posts. I have discussed my journey with Girl Scouts and Hope House in this project with all the ups and downs, so younger girls reading it may take away something to help them with their future Gold projects. My blog is hopehousegoldproject.wordpress.com and I plan on keeping it updated even after my project is over. I have shared my blog on multiple social media sites and had my friends and family shared it so that I can get more views. I have shared it with my team members, Hope House, my old Girl Scout troop in Maryland, and Step by Step. Hope House also has contacts with organizations like themselves around the country. So far, I have reached out to Step by Step in Seattle and I plan on talking to all of the connections Hope House has shared with me. Hope House has awarded me with “Volunteer of the Month” and they also are setting up a date to interview me for their blog. They have also shared my work on their Facebook page. I decided to purchase a book house with The Free Little Library that will require finishing construction. I made this decision based on the fact that once my library is installed it will be registered on their website. This means that it will be put on their map with a blurb about my location/project once Hope House is ready for instillation. This is a free service that can help me spread the word even further about my works. What did you learn about yourself? In this project, I really learned how to communicate. Having to involve so many people in the process at times was a pain, but I learned how to contact people that had skills that I needed, set up a coffee date, and come with an agenda so that I could use our time wisely. Having conversations on the phone has never been something that I have been awesome at, I’ve always opted for emails, but with this project I had to call many people and I had to learn how to become comfortable with that. I learned that I am a personable person and that I can adapt to different situations well. My experience with my first contact at Hope House going on maternity leave reinforced these skills. I’ve also had to learn how to recover from rejection which has opened my eyes to the fact that I am more resilient and stronger than I knew. It was a humbling experience to have your ideas turned down. It taught me to push through and keep my eye on my goals. Having to work with a team was a new challenge since I am usually one that likes to work on things alone. I do think it was definitely beneficial to have them helping me out and teaching me how to do new things. How will earning your Gold Award impact you in the future? Earning my Gold Award will impact my future because I will always be able to say that I accomplished my goal of completing it. I had so many bumps along the way that taught me how to deal with changes in plans. Knowing that I completed my project has boosted my self confidence in so many ways. It will also help me in the future with my communication skills. I hope to work in a field that involves a lot of vital communication and planning. Having completed this project, I can confidently say that those skills have grown exponentially. 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. I earned my Bronze and Silver Awards, so it felt natural to finish up strong. That wasn’t the easiest decision, but I have no regrets. It has helped to validate my being in Girl Scouts still. Most girls drop out after fourth grade, and at times I wondered what I was still doing here. But during my Gold process, I realized that my work in Girl Scouts was not finished yet and I still had an impact to be made. 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 to become a go-getter. I have always been a very driven person, but I felt pretty beat down for the first half of my project. I was honestly ready to quit multiple times, but I realized that I needed to finish my work with Girl Scouts for more than just myself. I also had to learn perseverance and how to become a go-getter while working with Hope House. Trying to bring a big team into a small non-profit is impossible, but by working with Girl Scouts and Hope House, we found a way to make it work. **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 #Arvada #HighestAwards #MetroDenver #TakeAction

Welcome to the first Girl Scouts of Colorado older girl newsletter! This newsletter will go out to Girl Scout Cadettes, Seniors, and Ambassadors and their parents four times a year and will keep you up to date on older girl news, events, and leadership and adventure opportunities. Would your girl like to receive this newsletter directly in her inbox? Fill out this form to sign her up! (Girls must be 13 or older to receive GSCO communications) New STEM and Outdoor Journeys and badges Kick off your next Girl Scout year with access to brand new, girl-tested and approved programming! Combined with existing STEM and outdoor programs, as well as programming in life skills and entrepreneurship, these new Journeys and badges are designed to help you unleash your inner G.I.R.L. (Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-taker, Leader)™. Learn more. Attend a Leadership Summit A Leadership Summit is a fun-filled learning conference that will get you energized for the new Girl Scout year and enhance your leadership skills! A variety of leadership development and enrichment sessions will be offered for Cadettes, Seniors, and Ambassadors. Grab a friend and come to the Leadership Summit nearest to you to get ready for the coming year. Sessions include: Gold Award Training: Gold Award Training is required for any girl interested in pursuing her Gold Award; parents and troop leaders are encouraged to attend as well. This training thoroughly reviews the Gold Award process in Colorado and gets girls to start brainstorming next steps for their own Gold Award project. Extended Trips: Learn the ins, outs, and special considerations for extended travel in this interactive class. This training is appropriate for two to three girl representatives per troop and is required for domestic and international travel three or more nights in length. Leadership Summit Dates: August 26: Colorado Springs (register now!) September 16: Highlands Ranch (register now!) September 23:Longmont (register now!) September 30: Grand Junction October 14: Pueblo October 15: Denver Travel the world with Girl Scouts Girl Scouts can whisk you to the far corners of the earth! Learn more about all the ways you can travel as an older Girl Scout in our upcoming travel webinars! Can’t make it? We will record and post to the GSCO blog and send out links in the next older girl newsletter! General Travel Webinar- Tuesday, October 3, 2017, 6-7 p.m. Learn about where you can find travel resources (money earning, trip planning, forms) and ways you can travel (travel companies, World Centers) through Girl Scouts either individually or with your troop. This presentation is intended for girls or troop travel ambassadors. Destinations Webinar – Thursday, October 5, 2017, 6-7 p.m. Destinations are trips sponsored by councils across the country and are for all Girl Scouts ages 11 to 17. Learn more about destinations options available, hear from past destinations participants about their experience, money-earning strategies, and council application timelines. Plan your year Outdoor Adventure Club single-event passes Get outside, explore, and meet other older girls interested in the outdoors! Single event passes for the Outdoor Adventure Club are $75 per event. This fall we are hiking a 13-er, going to a high ropes course, and more. Learn more about Outdoor Adventure Club. Jump into your next Girl Scout adventure This is the perfect time to start planning your Girl Scout year and preparing for your next awesome adventure! Here are a couple resources to help you along your way. Events Calendar: This is a great starting point to find opportunities in your area. From babysitting workshops to Gold Award Training to camp weekends -you’ll find it on the events calendar. GSCO Blog: Learn about upcoming events, volunteer opportunities, and more through the GSCO blog. Sign up to have blog updates sent right to your email so you never miss out, and share your G.I.R.L. story with us! #oldergirls

Submitted by Sharon Manning Northern & Northeastern CO Longmont Despite overcast skies and a few rain drops, Troop 73392 enjoyed sharing their love of kayaking and paddleboarding with Cadette, Ambassador, and Senior Girl Scouts from Longmont, Brighton, and Thornton. Girls had the opportunity to try several different kayaks and paddleboards and then paddle across McIntosh Lake. If you’re interested in joining the fun please contact Sharon Manning at sharon_colorado@msn.com. Currently, a few spaces are available for the August 12, 2017 workshop. This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too. #outdoors #GirlScoutevents #oldergirls #NorthernampNortheasternCO #Longmont #paddleboarding #kayak

Girl Scout merchandise continues to honor its commitment to U.S.-made products and strives to keep its carbon footprint as small as possible.  Girl Scout vests, sashes, tunics, and insignia are all currently produced in the USA. As of July 2017, we are pleased to announce that Daisy, Brownie, Junior, and Cadette badge production started in the United States.  In order to offer the USA made products, there was an increase to the pricing structure. The new retail price on Daisy, Brownie, Junior, and Cadette badges began July 1. All badges from the previous vendor have been discontinued and can no longer be returned. The GSCO retail staff encourages troop leaders to do swaps at their service unit meetings, or utilize the “Classifieds” section on the GSCO blog. On to the more exciting news!  “Back to Troop” is not too far away, and it will soon be time for the GSCO Shop to extend our hours to accommodate our volunteers and troop leaders.  Our fall store hours will begin September 5, 2017.   September 9 will be our first Saturday of the season to be open. The store will be open 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Tuesday – Thursday and 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Saturday.   The store will be stocked starting in August for all your back to troop needs, along with some fun Girl Scout swag. Remember, Cookie Credits and GSCO gift cards are welcome in the store. If you are unable to stop by, give us a call or send an email (retail@gscolorado.org) with your questions or order.  We are more than happy to assist you. #GirlScoutsofColoradoshop #GirlScoutsoftheUSA

Congratulations to our Elitch Gardens Patch Contest Winner, Gianna G., from Aurora! Gianna’s design will be on our event patch that each participating Girl Scout will receive. Gianna also won two daily park passes, two VIP passes, and two special ride passes. A special thanks to Elitch Gardens for the generous prize pack for Gianna! We had 18 great entries, so thank you to everyone who participated. Join us for our annual Girl Scout Days at Elitch Gardens! All Girl Scouts, friends, and families are invited. Date: Friday, Aug.11 – Sunday, Aug. 13, 2017 Cost: $25.99/person. Tickets can be purchased here. A donation will be given back to GSCO for each ticket sold. Not able to make it during the weekend? No problem! We have a great season-long deal offering a daily park ticket for $29.99/person that’s good through the end of October. We hope to see you there! #Communitypartnerships #Aurora #Denver #ElitchGardens #GirlScoutDaysatElitchGardens #MetroDenver #patchcontest