Girl Scouts of Colorado is celebrating extraordinary volunteers throughout the state. Nicole Niles in the Pikes Peak region was recently recognized for her outstanding work as a GSCO volunteer. She is also a shining example of the wonderful role Girl Scout volunteers play in the lives of girls and our community. GSCO asked Nicole to answer a few quick questions about her volunteer experience. We hope you find her as inspiring as we did. Why did you become a Girl Scout volunteer? My daughter of course! I didn’t get to go far on my Girl Scout journey due to an out-of-state move and family issues when I was young. When I became a mom to my beautiful girl, I knew I wanted to get her involved when she was old enough. 10 years later here I still am volunteering. Tell us about your different volunteer roles as a Girl Scout. The many roles I play just like the most of us 🙂 I am a troop leader and fall and cookie sale manager. I serve on our service unit’s board as secretary and I am a GPS advisor. GPS is “girl planning system, ” a group of girls who help plan various events around the Pikes Peak region. I help on the cookie committee and most importantly, I am the mother of a Girl Scout, so helping her on her journey to achieve her goals is my biggest role. What have you learned as a Girl Scout volunteer? What have I learned ? Well, I have learned a lot. Peer pressure is a big issue these girls face, along with the image factor. I have seen a lot of girls quit Girl Scouts because friends did not think it was cool and these girls wanted to protect their image and not be associated with the group. I have also learned that aside from the girls who give up, there are also those that stand taller because of being a Girl Scout and they are not bothered with the image and they want to go farther in their journey and help fellow girls around them succeed and reach their goals. What do you hope girls have learned from you? If the girls I encounter during Girl Scouts can take anything away from me, I hope that they take away the hard work and perseverance of their journey. I see and encounter such a strong group of girls, who aside from sports, school, work, social life, and family,  give just as much effort to Girl Scouts and I hope that they know how proud I am of their hard work and determination and know they will go far in life and can achieve anything they set their mind too! What is your favorite Girl Scout memory? I have so many over the last years, but the one that touched me the most was during the cookie sale two years ago. My entire troop sold for each other. I know all leaders divide cookies differently and we all have our own way. The way my troop divides puts it as what you sell is what you earn to include booths. Two years ago not a single girl in my troop just sold for herself. One sold for so and so trying to get the Build-A-Bear experience.  One sold for a girl to go to a Top Seller event and on and on the cycle went. I spent cookie: season in tears, amazed at the lessons my troop/girls have learned: Be a sister to every Girl Scout, friendly, and helpful. That has to be my most memorable memory that touched me in my Girl Scout journey. What words of advice do you have for other volunteers? Reach out for help. Take advantage of the trainings offered both online and in office. Seek out help from your service unit. Don’t be afraid to ask even if you are asking a girl 🙂 There are several girls who actually seek out to help and mentor new troops. Girl Scouts is thousands strong. Use your resources and use them wisely! Want to nominate a volunteer for Girl Scouts of Colorado to spotlight? Please email Public Relations Director AnneMarie Harper at annemarie.harper@gscolorado.org. #ColoradoSprings #PikesPeak #VolunteerAppreciation #volunteerspotlight

What did you do for your Gold Award project? In my project, Colorado Book Bank, I collected gently used children’s books from families in a local middle school. The middle school’s chapter of National Honor Society helped collect, sort, count, and box the books I collected.  I received even more books from an elementary school after their used book sale, which NJHS helped sort. After taking the books to the food bank I partnered with to give kids a lunch and a book over the summer, I received 1,360 books. How did you measure the impact your Gold Award project made on your target audience? By counting how many books I donated I determined that I could reach 1,360 kids as each kid got their own lunch and book. While I can’t see how my program affected their education level, I can impact kids right now by giving them a book to read. How is your project sustainable? How will your project continue to impact after your involvement? Colorado Book Bank collected books from several different schools. The largest donor was an elementary school who has an existing used book sale that has always searched for a good donor partner to gift their leftover books to each year. I also worked with a local middle school to kick off the project. They are considering the project into another food bank they work with for an existing food drive they already conduct. The elementary school, Peakview, plans to continue donating books to JFS to support the lunchbox program. For the past decade, they have held a spring used book sale with a large number of books left over. The librarian has agreed to donate all leftover children’s book after each book sale to JFS to continue the project. JFS has agreed to pick up the books from the school since that has been the main stumbling block for book donations in the past. Peakview’s librarian also plans to share about the option to donate book sale leftovers to JFS. What is your project’s global and/or national connection? During my project, the chapter of National Honor Society at my school agreed to help move the books to JFS. They also helped me get in touch with the organization as a whole to get my project open on a wider scale. I connected several parts of my project by working with different National Honor Society (NHS) groups. One of the membership requirements of NHS is to provide community service. In support of this work, NHS has a national website that includes a searchable database of project ideas. Club sponsors and student members use the database to find new projects for their club. My project is being listed on that database with a link to my website so other chapters of NHS can create their own Book Bank in their community. In addition, NHS publishes an e-newsletter and have expressed interest in promoting Colorado Book Bank through that publication. Finally, I have created a website to provide supporting documents for other groups who would like to replicate the project. What did you learn about yourself? I learned a lot about planning and how while it’s challenging, it has to be done. I also learned that leading a team of other people can be very tricky because you have to pull together the best parts of everyone and make sure all the parts you have work together seamlessly.  I’ve always known I like doing things, but during my project I learned how important it was to delegate tasks to my team to get everything done.  One of the biggest things I learned was that good communication played a key role in my project.  It’s important to ask for help because that is the only way people know you need it and it is important to be clear in written emails and phone calls. How will earning your Gold Award impact you in the future? In the future, I want to be able to lead my own team of scientists and study the formation of planets. I need to be able to work with multiple teams to do this and pull together many different resources to achieve top-notch results from my team. Because of my project, I know how to contact different organizations and pull together people who wouldn’t have worked together otherwise. Why do you feel the Gold Award was an important part of your Girl Scout experience? I learned so much about myself and how to help others. I wouldn’t have been able to learn the same skills I did if I hadn’t done my Gold Award. I could learn how I could help my community and make a difference beyond what I thought possible. How did earning your Gold Award help you become a G.I.R.L. (go-getter, innovator, risk-taker, leader)? I became a go-getter because I saw a problem in my community that I wanted to solve, so I found a way that I could start solving it. I was an innovator because I found a new way to try to start lowering rates of poverty while including people in my community. A risk-taker meant being able to start something and talk to people that could have become a lot less popular than it actually did. But I wanted to try my project and it paid off in the end. I became a leader because I created a team of people I relied on as they simultaneously relied on me. I took their strongest skills and combined them to form an amazing project and amazing team. **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 #TakeActionHighestAwards #NationalHonorSociety #Aurora #ColoradoBookBank #MetroDenver #TakeAction

Written by Penny Roberts of Estes Park and AnneMarie Harper, Girl Scouts of Colorado Public Relations Director We have exciting news from the Department of Revenue! The Colorado Girl Scout license plate will never be retired! Earlier this year, the Department of Revenue informed GSCO if 3,000 people had not registered for the plate by July 1, 2018, it would be retired. However, they have since decided that the Colorado Girl Scout license plate will remain whether or not 3,000 people register for it by July 2018. The cost is $50 above the regular license plate fees and the plate can be registered to any type of vehicle, including motorcycles. Put them on your motorhome, scooter, new car gotten with the https://completeautoloans.com/ method, or vintage classic. Even Dad’s Plumbing Co. can put Girl Scout plates on his entire fleet of vehicles!  Girl Scout plates can be put on a currently registered vehicle after a transfer.  Also, Girl Scout plates can be transferred from one vehicle to another under the same ownership. Get started at the Department of Revenue’s website: https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/dmv/node/40131/ You can also request Girl Scout plates at your County Clerk’s office, and they will be shipped directly to you from the State in just a few days. The Girl Scout license plate was created in 2010 and 2011 by a Promise Partners alumnae task force as part of the 100th Anniversary celebration of Girl Scouts of the USA. It has since been available for purchase by anyone who wishes to celebrate and publicize the legacy and continuing efforts of Girl Scouts of Colorado. Get your Colorado Girl Scout license plates today and we promise to wave at you when we see you go by! Questions? Contact Penny Roberts at probertscolo@gmail.com or (970) 586-1775 for additional information. #ColoradoGirlScoutlicenseplates #DepartmentofRevenue #Licenseplates #PromisePartners

Written by Penny Roberts of Estes Park and AnneMarie Harper, Girl Scouts of Colorado Public Relations Director Update as of June 28, 2017: We have exciting news from the Department of Revenue! The Colorado Girl Scout license plate will never be retired! Earlier this year, the Department of Revenue informed GSCO if 3,000 people had not registered for the plate by July 1, 2018, it would be retired. However, they have since decided that the Colorado Girl Scout license plate will remain whether or not 3,000 people register for it by July 2018. Learn more. Time may be running out to get your Colorado Girl Scout license plates! According to the Department of Revenue, 3,000 people must register for the plate by July 1, 2018 or it will be retired. At last check, less than 300 Colorado Girl Scout license plates had been issued. That means if more than 2,700 people don’t register for this special plate before July of 2018, it will become extinct. The cost is $50 above the regular license plate fees and the plate can be registered to any type of vehicle, including motorcycles. Put them on your motorhome, scooter, new car, or vintage classic. Even Dad’s Plumbing Co. can put Girl Scout plates on his entire fleet of vehicles! Girl Scout plates can be put on a currently registered vehicle after a transfer.  Also, Girl Scout plates can be transferred from one vehicle to another under the same ownership. Get your Colorado Girl Scout license plates before time runs out! Get started at the Department of Revenue’s website: https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/dmv/node/40131/ You can also request Girl Scout plates at your County Clerk’s office, and they will be shipped directly to you from the State in just a few days. Also, do you wonder, what should I do with an expired driving license? check it out here. The Girl Scout license plate was created in 2010 and 2011 by a Promise Partners alumnae task force as part of the 100th Anniversary celebration of Girl Scouts of the USA. It has since been available for purchase by anyone who wishes to celebrate and publicize the legacy and continuing efforts of Girl Scouts of Colorado. Get your Colorado Girl Scout license plates today and we promise to wave at you when we see you go by! Contact Penny Roberts at probertscolo@gmail.com or (970) 586-1775 for additional information. #ColoradoGirlScoutlicenseplates #DepartmentofRevenue #GirlScoutLicenseplates #PromisePartners

What did you do for your Gold Award project? The Feline Family Fix-Up project was designed to draw greater attention to, and promote adoption, of the adoptable cats at the Denver Animal Shelter. Every year approximately 6-8 million animals are brought into shelters. Of those, about 25% will be adopted, but about 70% of the cats will be euthanized. Of those euthanized, approximately 80% are healthy, treatable, and could have been adopted into new homes. (Source: American Humane Society, 2013) By highlighting the cat rooms with bright decorations, I will be able get more people to notice and look closer at the cat rooms. Some people will choose a cat quickly based on looks alone. Color can be attractive and can greatly affect people’s moods and actions. By creating inviting and happy environments, I could help potential adopters fall in love. The playful decorations will allow people to visualize the cats in a more positive light, and even imagine the cat in their own home. This helps more cats find their forever home by increasing the number cat adoptions and ultimately save more cats lives. How did you measure the impact your Gold Award project made on your target audience? I looked at the adoption data reports from the Denver Animal Shelter over the course of three years. Each report showed how many cats were adopted out of the shelter over the course of three years since I did my project. For example, in the first year the adoption rate increased 12.38%. While the following year it increased by 33.89%. There seemed to be a more positive view on cats. How is your project sustainable? How will your project continue to impact after your involvement? Other volunteers and interested community members learned how to continue to decorate and brighten up other rooms/areas of the shelter to increase adoptions. By sharing information and pictures on how to improve other rooms, there have been increased animal adoptions at the Denver Animal Shelter. I extended my reach out to a wider community by sharing my project, including information on how to create rooms in other facilities. Community education and inspiration was done during a presentation at school during Academic Showcase. I created tri-fold display board, included pictures, and prepared and delivered a speech about my project, needs, and the good work of the DAS. I created a detailed instruction sheet on how to apply the decals.  Also, the volunteer coordinator at the shelter helped spread the word via social media and other methods. What is your project’s global and/or national connection? Homeless animals exist in every community, every city, every state, and every country in the world. Homeless animals are uncared for and do not receive the medical care they need to live healthy lives. They are also freely able to breed at will, creating and multiplying the problem exponentially. If more people are made aware of adoptable animals at neighborhood shelters, they are less likely to buy pets. As people are made aware, they will look to do the right thing and adopt. This will decrease the sheer numbers of homeless and sickly animals. It also helped to increase personal wellness in the owners as it has been proven that pets decrease stress and increase happiness and content feelings in people. I also connected my project to other shelters with the help of the volunteer coordinator at DAS. What did you learn about yourself? From this project, I have learned that when I set out to help someone, I will not stop until it is done. If what I am doing is meaningful to me, then chances are the cause will be meaningful to others. Because of this project, I have learned that I am a strong leader. I advocated for myself and I can get a task done on my own, as well as being able to talk to other people and tell them my ideas. How will earning your Gold Award impact you in the future? Because of this project, I can talk with more confidence when speaking publicly.  While leading a project, I learned how to be more adaptable and work within changing time frames and demands from complete strangers. I discovered a new determination within myself that I did not know I had. Why do you feel the Gold Award was an important part of your Girl Scout experience? I feel like the Gold Award was an important part of this journey because it not only had me step out of my comfort zone on multiple occasions, but it also helped me find who I am as a person and know what my role is not only in Girl Scouts but in other parts of my life as well. How did earning your Gold Award help you become a G.I.R.L. (go-getter, innovator, risk-taker, leader)? Earning the Gold Award has helped me to become a go- getter. I had to become persistent when talking to people to get the permission that I needed to start the project. Learning to become a go-getter has taught me that I can get anything done if I put my mind to it. **IMPORTANT NOTE: This blog represents only a small fraction of the hard work, dedication and requirements that go into earning a Girl Scout Gold Award. It is simply a brief summary, which is meant to inspire Girl Scouts to Go Gold in the future. For more information on earning your Gold Award, please email highestawards@gscolorado.org #Denver #DenverAnimalShelter #GoldAward #MetroDenver

Submitted by Girl Scouts of Colorado Recruitment Specialist Sarah Scalise Metro Denver Evergreen Blue Spruce volunteers worked together to create an amazing entry in the Evergreen Rodeo Parade! The float was a birthday theme, celebrating 100 years of Girl Scouting in Colorado. In addition to a spectacular float, more than 50 girls and adults dressed in historical uniforms dating back to the 1940’s. Girl Scouts are thrilled to have won first place in their division. Thank you Blue Spruce Girl Scouts for your energy, spirit, and dedication! Thank you to the GSCO Archives Committee for lending girls and volunteers the uniforms! Link to pics: https://pix.sfly.com/yArjoK Media coverage: http://www.canyoncourier.com/content/rodeo-parade-displays-best-americana This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too. #Evergreeen #EvergreenRodeoParade #GSCOArchivesCommittee #MetroDenver

Girl Scouts of Colorado is celebrating extraordinary volunteers throughout the state. Lifetime Girl Scout Theresa Szczurek of Boulder recently received the Volunteer Service Award from GSCO for decades of service. She is also a shining example of the wonderful role Girl Scout volunteers play in the lives of girls and our community. GSCO asked Theresa to answer a few quick questions about her volunteer experience. We hope you find her as inspiring as we did. How long have you been a Girl Scout? I joined Girl Scouts as a 4th grader in Cicero, IL and participated through high school.  Now, I am a Lifetime Girl Scout. Why did you become a Girl Scout volunteer? I love being a Girl Scout. Girl Scouts builds girls with courage, character, and confidence and prepares girls to be leaders. Over 64% percent of today’s women leaders in the United States in civic, corporate, political, and entrepreneurial arenas were once Girl Scouts including Hillary Clinton, Laura Bush, and many others. At first in New Jersey in the late 1980’s even before I had children, I was a Girl Scout Cadette leader for a few years to help build strong girls. After returning to Colorado and when my daughter entered first grade, I helped organize her Brownie troop at her elementary school. I wanted my daughter to grow strong, make friends, learn new skills, build her confidence and courage, strengthen her core values and character, and see the world through the experience of this powerful, world-wide organization.  Being a Girl Scout volunteer is for me a pursuit of passionate purpose — it is in line with my values and gifts (or passion), helps me work toward the purpose of growing girls with courage, confidence, an character, presents many opportunities to pursue this purpose and assess progress along the way. Tell us about your different volunteer roles as a Girl Scout. I have been a Brownie, Junior, and Cadette leader in Boulder. I currently am and have been since 2010 a Senior and Ambassador Girl Scout troop co-advisor for super Troop 70007, which has Girl Scouts from throughout Boulder County.  I enjoy being the Gold Advisor, among other things, helping our Girl Scouts earn the highest award. I have been a member of the Zephyr Service Unit leadership team since 2013. It supports Girl Scout troops throughout Boulder and beyond. I help coordinate the program and calendar and serve as the Highest Award advisor to the SU. I was the Keynote speaker at the Leadership Summit in Boulder in Fall 2016. What have you learned as a Girl Scout volunteer? What do you hope girls have learned from you? One of the most important lessons for me to learn, was to let go of being the Troop Leader and instead become the Troop Advisor by letting the Girl Scouts lead.  This role as an adult volunteer evolves as a troop moves from Brownies to Ambassadors and the Girl Scouts grow in their abilities.  It means that sometimes the girls will do things differently then I envision.  I recall when our troop was running Outdoor Skills Day Camps. My daughter Annie was the overall Camp Coordinator that year.  A big snowstorm was forecast for the Saturday of one of our camps. GSCO decided to cancel all activities that day, but let our troop make its own decision on running our camp or not. While I would have decided to go along with GSCO and cancel the camp, Annie made the courageous decision to run the camp. It was a huge learning and leadership experience for her. The storm was not as bad as forecast and 70 younger pre-registered Girl Scouts had a fabulous time rather than being stuck at home.  Annie also decided to give parents an option to pull their girl out and get a refund. It means letting them fail and learn from it, if they don’t step up to lead.  One year our Senior / Ambassador troop decided it wanted to go on a Caribbean cruise leaving from Florida. The girls did not step up to do the research and make the decision in time. That trip did not happen, but instead they were able to get organized and go on a Colorado camping trip. Here are a few other lessons learned: Four Practical Pointers from Girl Scout Travel. Open and Be Flexible. Annie had been raising money for two years to go to the India Centre, Sangam. She sold 1000’s of packages of Girl Scout Cookies and wrapping paper, led outdoor skills day camps as fundraisers, and even applied for (and won) a Look Wider International Travel Scholarship from Girl Scouts of Colorado. This council-wide trip to Sangam, for high school age Girl Scouts from across the State of Colorado, did not come together as it should have.  So in February, Annie and I regrouped, assessed the situation, and concluded – Why not go as a mother / daughter team to Our Chalet, the oldest WAGGGS Centre located in Switzerland, and Pax Lodge in UK?  By being flexible with a broader vision, we pivoted and took action to go to Europe.  We are glad we did! Here was the Attraction Strategy at work –hold a broad intention and open to opportunities that are everywhere, while thinking, feeling passionately, and taking action to get what you want.  How can you attract an alternative solution when you are stuck? Pack Lightly. Note, packing includes your attitude as well as your bag. Once you have packed your bag, evaluate if you really need each item, and reduce by at least one third. Pack even lighter. Oh how we wish we would have done this on our Europe trip. We arrived at 7 p.m. by train into Bern, Switzerland, the lovely capital, after a long traveling day that started in Iceland at 6 a.m. We could not find the information booth to get a map.  With the hotel address in hand, we started walking burdened with our backpacks – it is not far, people  said.  45 minutes later, tired and hungry, we searched for a taxi.  Finally, we found one.  As we were about to put our heavy bags into the cab, the driver pointed,  “Just walk that way 100 meters.” Finally 300 meters later, as despair was about to set in, we saw our hotel.  While indeed we had packed many positive items, next time we will come without as much gear. Here was the Pack Strategy – when embarking on a path of passionate purpose, pack energizers that encourage you along the way and unpack hindrances that discourage you.  How can you lighten your personal or professional load? Are You Ready? Are You Prepared?  Finnish Girl Guides respond to these questions, “Born ready!  Always prepared!”  Part of our adventure included reaching the summit of three peaks.  Our goal was to summit Bunderspitz.  We prepared through the week with increasingly longer hikes day by day.  Using the divide-and-conquer strategy, we started hiking around 7:30 p.m. on the first segment and arrived at the Cheesemaker’s Hut at 9:30 p.m. where we got a few hours sleep.  At 2:30 a.m. in total darkness and silence, we were ready for the assault.  We accomplished the overall goal piece by piece – first to the highest barn on the mountain where we ate an early breakfast, then through the fog to the saddle, and then on through the final stretch to the summit for sunrise at 5:35 a.m.  While the clear, panoramic view we yearned for never appeared, we did catch glimpses of the majestic mountains.  Then slowly we descended five hours back to Our Chalet feeling exhilarated. Here was the Persistence Strategy in action:  mindfully persevere with focused determination using a divide-and-conquer tactic. Try tackling your next big project using the divide and conquer approach of the Persistence Strategy. Make New Friends, But Keep the Old. With ten million Girl Guides and Girl Scouts from 145 countries across the world, the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) is the largest voluntary movement dedicated to girls and young women in the world.  We share common values of building girls with courage, character, and confidence and taking action.  Recently WAGGGS launched a Global Action Theme whereby girls worldwide say “together we can change our world.” This awareness raising programme is directly linked to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (https://www.wagggs.org/en/what-we-do/sustainable-development-goals-and-global-action-theme/).  One SDG is:  promote gender equality and empower women. 70 percent of the world’s 1.2 billion people living in poverty are women, and 45 million girls around the world are being denied an education. WAGGGS believes that ‘empowering girls will change our world.’ At Our Chalet and Pax Lodge we made new international friends, reaffirmed our values, had fun singing songs, challenged ourselves physically and mentally, built a new skill by taking lots of photos, rejuvenated, and much more.  In addition to precious mother / daughter together time before Annie left for college, we even met the WAGGGS commissioner from Taiwan. Here was the Connections Strategy at work – build relationships with and bring along on life’s journey the proper people and support network and lessen the impact of improper ones.    Who is or should be part of your support network? What is your favorite Girl Scout memory? There are so many memories from seeing two Girl Scouts helping each other in a magical moment learn to fish, recognizing the scouts grow in their abilities to run their own cookie business,  the younger girls progress in outdoor skills from short hike to backyard camping to lodge overnights to tent camping to backpacking, working with other leaders and parents, traveling domestically such as canoeing on the Buffalo River in Arkansas and internationally such as a 10-day adventure and service trip to Costa Rica, and helping scouts establish a plan and execute on it to earn their Highest Awards.   I have been so honored to be the troop advisor to nine (9) scouts who have earned their Gold Award with three more now at the Gold Candidate stage — WOW! My favorite memory, if I had to choose just one, is the mother / daughter trip to Our Chalet, the oldest WAGGGS Centre located in Switzerland, and Pax Lodge in UK.  I highly recommend going to the international centres. What words of advice do you have for other volunteers? Being a Girl Scout volunteer is for me a pursuit of passionate purpose — it is in line with my values and gifts (or passion), helps me work toward the purpose of growing strong leaders, presents many opportunities to pursue this purpose, and give a chance to assess progress and learn along the way. Volunteers, recognize the important work you are doing in helping girls pursue their passions and grow with courage, confidence, and character.  I hope you agree, there is nothing more meaningful and important.  That is why I love being a Girl Scout! Want to nominate a volunteer for Girl Scouts of Colorado to spotlight? Please email Public Relations Director AnneMarie Harper at annemarie.harper@gscolorado.org. #VolunteerServiceAward #NorthernampNortheasternCO #boulder #ZephyrServiceUnit #VolunteerAppreciation #TheresaSzczurek

The GSCO Product Sales Team is currently preparing for the 2018 Girl Scout Cookie Sale Program. We want to give girls and volunteers a chance to cast their vote on rewards for the sale. Please click on this  link to access our online voting tool. The survey will only be open until Monday, July 10, 2017 so vote now! #2018cookiesale #cookierewards #GirlScoutCookieSaleProgram #GSCOProductSales

From Girl Scouts of the USA During the last year, Girl Scouts has reclaimed its ownership of and legacy in the leadership space for girls, showing the world that there is no better program to ignite the power of every girl. In addition to continuing to invest in technology to better deliver and influence new programming, Girl Scouts welcomed a new leader, CEO Sylvia Acevedo, who brings to the organization a background in entrepreneurship; science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM); and innovation, as well as a lifelong commitment to advancing opportunities for girls. Under Sylvia’s leadership, the Girl Scout Movement has expanded its reach to populations that need it most and is enhancing its research-proven program offerings so more girls can develop leadership skills that aren’t cultivated in traditional school settings. When the results of the World Value Index were released last week—showing Girl Scouts second out of 150 organizations ranked according to how audiences perceive and value the purpose and mission of the brand—it was apparent that Girl Scouts’ dedication to girls’ healthy development and education is being noticed in a BIG way. In fact, Girl Scouts scored at the top of four key areas: high awareness, relevance and resonance, a strong motivator in garnering active support, and an influential factor in spending. “GSUSA is honored to be recognized on the 2017 World Value Index as the second most valued brand in the world,” said GSUSA CEO Sylvia Acevedo. “For more than a century, we have been cultivating girls to serve as female leaders poised to smash glass ceilings and stereotypes across all industries around the globe. We are proud of Girl Scouts who are making a difference in their communities and who have, thanks to the Girl Scout Leadership Experience and our caring adult volunteers, gone on to assume leadership positions in the United States and around the world. It’s time to invest in girls—the future of female leadership.” #GirlScoutLeadershipExperience #GirlScoutsoftheUSA #SylviaAcevedo #WorldValueIndex

Submitted by Jen Rotar Northern & Northeastern CO Berthoud The Berthoud Service Unit was well-represented in the annual Berthoud Day Parade with girls from six different troops participating on the Girl Scout float. Daisies, Brownies, Juniors, and Cadettes rode and marched in the 63rd Annual Berthoud Day parade, a local community celebration. This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too. #NorthernampNortheasternCO #BerthoudDayParade #BerthoudServiceUnit #Parade #Berthoud

Girl Scouts of Colorado is celebrating extraordinary volunteers throughout the state. Tara Szabo Maxson of Troop 65477 in the Denver Metro region was recently recognized for her outstanding work as a GSCO volunteer. She is also a shining example of the wonderful role Girl Scout volunteers play in the lives of girls and our community. GSCO asked Tara to answer a few quick questions about her volunteer experience. We hope you find her as inspiring as we did. How long have you been a Girl Scout? I was a Daisy and a Brownie as a child.  I have been a volunteer since 2015. Why did you become a Girl Scout volunteer? I wanted to get to know other families in our school community. Tell us about your different volunteer roles as a Girl Scout. I lead a second grade Brownie troop and am starting a kindergarten Daisy troop in the fall. What have you learned as a Girl Scout volunteer? I have learned that every girl is truly different and special.  It is amazing to see that even the little ones are already quite diverse in their strengths and talents.  It can be hard with a large troop, but I try to capitalize on this as much as possible. I have also learned that your team of parents is invaluable.  I have three awesome co-leaders and an amazing cookie mom who make my life easier for sure!  We are surrounded by a fantastic group of parents.  We have had a waiting list to join our troop for the past two years and I attribute that to having a great group of parents who work hard to provide a positive experience for our kids and who also network on our behalf in the neighborhood and at school. What do you hope girls have learned from you? I hope that girls live by (not just memorize) the Girl Scout Promise and Law.  We have focused a lot on learning how to take care of the earth and all of its inhabitants and also the importance of taking care of one another by being a sister to every Girl Scout.  I hope my girls do this outside of Girl Scouts throughout their whole lives. What is your favorite Girl Scout memory? As a child, I grew up in Aurora, so I camped at both Tomahawk Ranch and Sky High Ranch.  I recall the summer between second and third grade, walking back in the dark to our bunks after our evening campfire, holding hands with my life-long best friend and feeling a little scared of the dark woods, but safe with my camp buddy and my troop.  It was a special feeling of bravery and independence, but achieved in a safe setting, which is what I think Girl Scouts strives to provide all girls. As an adult, it has been special to me to share Girl Scout activities with my daughter.  I cried a little when she was inducted into Girl Scouts during a ceremony led by a neighboring middle school troop.  I also recall fondly holding my own daughter’s hand while we hiked the trails behind the Morrison Nature Center at Star K Ranch for our troop’s second year Daisy Earth and Sky Journey.  Also, our troop brainstormed ideas for our Take Action plan this past spring and then voted on each other’s ideas.  My daughter suggested we take care packages to Children’s Hospital and her idea had the winning vote.  I was so proud of her thought process, as she really considered how we could use our cookie funds to “make the world a better place.”  I am proud of all that my older daughter has accomplished in Girl Scouts and I look forward to seeing what both of my kids do in in the future. What words of advice do you have for other volunteers? Seek help if you need it.  The staff at council doesn’t always know what you need, so you must ask!  They will help you if they know the answer or find the answer if they don’t.  Also, attend your Service Unit meetings at least periodically to network. Leaders of older girl troops have already walked in your shoes and can give you the best practical advice.  You can also go to them if you have issues with girls or parents to ask how they handled similar things in their troop in the past. Plan your calendar out in advance for the school year.  I plan our troop’s events around our school’s master calendar when it comes out each May and then we can hit the ground running in September.  Even if you don’t know exactly what you might do on a given day, at least get it on the calendar for your families to plan ahead.  This will help with attendance and parent participation. Don’t be afraid to do things your own way.  Girl Scouts provides enough leeway that you can build your own curriculum and let your girls lead the way to do what they want to do. Build your village.  Keep asking parents if they will sign up as support volunteers and encourage them to renew each year.  Get to know the people who manage the buildings where you host your meetings (and give them a few HTH packages each year for thanks for all they do for you!).  Recruit at your school’s “Back to School” night. Most importantly, find awesome partner leaders and cookie managers!  The more adult support you have, the better your experience will be and the richer the experience will be for the girls in your troop! Want to nominate a volunteer for Girl Scouts of Colorado to spotlight? Please email Public Relations Director AnneMarie Harper at annemarie.harper@gscolorado.org. #Denvermetro #VolunteerRecognition #volunteerspotlight

Submitted by Sharon Manning Northern & Northeastern CO Longmont The girls from Troop 73392 are learning to conduct and lead kayak and paddleboard workshops for Girl Scout Cadettes and older. The girls have learned about different types of paddle boards and kayaks and some of the pros and cons of each type. Now, they are putting their knowledge into action by teaching others the skills necessary to enjoy this fun sport. In June, the girls hosted their first workshop with a group of leaders and Girl Scout staff. They look forward to hosting their fellow Girl Scout Cadettes later this month. This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too. #NorthernampNortheasternCO #Longmont #paddleboard #GirlScoutCadettes #kayak