Submitted by Brooke Gibbs Northern & Northeastern CO Loveland Loveland Girl Scout Troop 74394 spent Veterans Day in service to our American heroes. We rose early to serve breakfast at the VFW in Loveland. Then, we continued our day by walking in the Veterans Day parade in historical Girl Scout uniforms. We had such a good time we plan on returning again next year. This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too. #Loveland #VeteransDayParade #NorthernampNortheasternCO #VeteransDay #Veterans

Girl Scouts had a great time at Girl Scout Day of Dance with Colorado Ballet in Denver earlier this month! 74 girls learned how to do swing dance, contemporary expressive dance, ballet with Colorado Ballet instructors, and enjoyed a tour of the costume closet at the ballet’s studio. Cadettes also learned ballet techniques. It was great to see so many older girls at the event! Here’s a video of Cadettes practicing their ballet moves: Daisy dancers had fun learning different dance moves. What awesome energy! Here’s a fun video of Daisies learning their dance: http://https://youtu.be/acm7C-oGK9A A BIG THANK YOU to our volunteer event coordinator, Brandy Schauppner, and the Sunset Hills Service Unit for hosing this great annual event! Brandy and her team did a great job and our hosts at the Colorado Ballet appreciated the outstanding job they did this year! Upcoming Events Intellectual Property Patch Junior Girl Scout Event, Dec. 3, Denver The Intellectual Property Owners Education Foundation is hosting an Intellectual Property Patch for Junior Girl Scouts on Dec. 3 at the Rocky Mountain Region US Patent Office in Denver. Girl Scouts will learn about trademarks and patents from Intellectual Property lawyers and earn requirements towards their Junior Product Designer badge. Great Russian Nutcracker Ballet, Dec. 8, Grand Junction and Dec. 9, Denver Moscow Ballet presents this great holiday classic. All Girl Scouts, GSCO staff, friends, and family can get the Girl Scout group rate. For Denver tickets check here. For Grand Junction tickets, please contact Lori Thompson at lori.thompson@gscolorado.org #ColoradoBallet #Communitypartnerships #GirlScoutDayofDance

Mark your calendars! Registration for Girl Scout Camp 2017 begins Jan. 19 at 9 a.m. on the Girl Scouts of Colorado website at girlscoutsofcolorado.org. GSCO is proud to offer a variety of sessions designed for girls entering first grade through seniors in high school at both Sky High Ranch near Colorado Springs or Tomahawk Ranch southwest of Denver. Overnight camp sessions are 3 days, 6 days, 9 days, or 12 days. For summer 2017, your girl can rough-it survivor-style, summon the courage to zip down the zip line, sing and dance with new friends, or even paint a chicken’s toe nails! Sessions begin June 7 and include themes such as: Pioneers at Tomahawk Ranch- Girls will travel back in time to the 1800’s! They’ll learn to cook over a fire, prepare food as their ancestors did, track animals, and make their own soaps and lotion. Oopy Goopy Science at Sky High Ranch – Girls will learn how to launch pop and tea bag rockets, explode watermelons, and make fizzy lemonade to drink. On Target at Tomahawk Ranch – Girls can become skilled archers while practicing on the range and field course and learning a new target activity called FLU-FLU (archery golf)! They’ll also get to whittle their own arrows and fashion them with arrowheads and fletching! Water Fillies at Sky High Ranch – Cool off from a day at the barn with a dip in the pond! Girls will split their time between the pond and barn. They’ll canoe, kayak, and stand-up paddle board, as well as groom, feed and play with the animals. Dream Team at Tomahawk Ranch – This is the ultimate girl-led adventure! Girls will design their own session by choosing from a variety of activities including: horseback riding, archery, outdoor cooking, hiking, crafts, stargazing, roasting marshmallows around a campfire, and spa nights! Girl Scouts of Colorado will also continue to offer day camp, family camp, and troop camp adventures throughout the state. A new Girl Scouts of Colorado summer camp website will launch in early December (www.girlscoutsofcolorado.org/camp). You’ll find all the session listings, information about camp properties, and more. Remember to register early. Some sessions fill in just a few hours! This holiday season, give your girl the gift of Girl Scout Camp! Girl Scout Camp is the experience of a lifetime and there are so many reasons to send your girl to Girl Scout Camp! When friends or family ask what your girl might want this holiday season, suggest the gift of Girl Scout Camp! Grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. can order a Girl Scout Gift Card online or purchase one in person at the Girl Scouts of Colorado Shop. Questions? Please email inquiry@gscolorado.org. #overnightcamp #residentcamp #SkyHighRanch #GirlScoutCamp #TomahawkRanch #GirlScoutCamp2017 #camp

From Girl Scouts of the USA After an extremely contentious election season, filled with hostile words and news broadcasts that you may have had to turn off when kids were in the room, it’s time for our country to move forward together. However, as we enter a period of transition, it can be confusing for our children, who might not understand what’s happening around them. Your girl might be anxious, scared, or just have questions about what she’s seeing and hearing, and as a parent you want to help. So where do you start? “Now more than ever, we have to stand together as one people, one nation—regardless of our opinions, race, religion or beliefs, gender, who we love, what language we speak, or where we come from,” says Girl Scouts’ developmental psychologist, Dr. Andrea Bastiani Archibald. “But unity doesn’t mean abandoning the things that make us different from one another, and it doesn’t mean standing by or looking the other way in the face of bigotry and hatred. Real unity is what you get when a lot of very diverse people come together to form one complex yet seamless whole. It’s about equality, inclusiveness, and dignity—values I think we as parents all hope to instill in our children.” Your inclination might be to avoid the topic, but it’s incredibly important to take her concerns seriously. Address them in an age-appropriate way. It’s even okay to share that you’re feeling uncertain as well—both adults and kids often do during times of transition and change. Moving forward together takes leadership, and not just from one person. We all have a role to play. Here are a few ways you and your girl can lead: 1.     Practice Empathy and Promote Inclusion Because of who you are, what you look like, where you come from, and what you believe, you might not have a problem being accepted in your town or community. But that’s not true for everyone. Put yourself in someone else’s shoes—perhaps the neighbor who practices a religion different from yours or the new girl at your girl’s school who moved here from a different country. Are they made to feel welcome in your community? Do they have the same sense of belonging that you do? If you don’t think so or aren’t sure, reach out in kindness. Encourage your daughter to invite a classmate who gets picked on to eat with her at lunch. Knock on your neighbor’s door and invite them to an upcoming block party or holiday event. It’s about being big-hearted, and it’s easier than you might think. 2.     Be a Friend or Advocate to Those Who Need One You or your girl might feel alone in wanting to bring people together, but chances are, there are many people around you who feel the same. So be brave and challenge yourself to speak up when you witness an act of injustice or hear people speaking disrespectfully of others. Let your girl see you doing so. Chances are, once you’ve vocally supported what’s right, others will quiet or perhaps even join you in speaking up. And you’ll feel good about having stood up for your beliefs. 3.     Sign Up to Help Everyday acts of kindness go a long way toward making unity a reality, but there’s a lot more we can do. With your girl, find an organization that supports the rights and wellbeing of a group that might be marginalized. Donating money is a great way to contribute if your family has room in the budget—but giving your time and presence can be just as, if not more, meaningful. It’s also a tangible demonstration of your values to your daughter. You and your girl will feel empowered knowing you’re supporting change and addressing a crucial need, with the added pluses of making new friends and learning about your community. And the group you volunteer with will certainly appreciate having you on its team. 4.     Don’t Get Discouraged Remember, doing the right thing is rarely synonymous with doing the easy thing, and taking a stand for unity will be hard at times. There are people who feel threatened by those who are different from themselves. There are individuals who think only their way matters, or that some people should be valued over others. Tell your girl that it’s absolutely okay and understandable to feel fearful, anxious, and sad when faced with hateful, exclusionary language and ideas. Those emotions are what make us human, and she shouldn’t be embarrassed to let people know she’s feeling them. Encourage your girl to own her feelings and channel them into courageous and compassionate action—for action, both small and large, brings real change. Remind her how much courage her favorite heroines from books and movies had to have in order to create a better world. For example, in Harry Potter Hermione was afraid—the Death Eaters specifically hated people like her—but even in the darkest of times, she never stopped fighting for others who were also being treated badly. If your girl needs a little motivational boost, pick a book or movie to share with her that demonstrates the everyday or historic courage and heroism of its characters. Seeing how others have overcome challenges will help your daughter see that she can do the same. While none of us can snap our fingers to create instant unity, we can—we must—take action and stand together for what’s right. It will take time and a lot of work to bring people together, but we can and must start today. Small changes and gestures add up, bridging divides and strengthening communities. We all have voices, and now is the time for us to raise them—together. #2016election #GirlScoutsoftheUSA

11 Girl Scouts from across Colorado have earned the Gold Award, the highest award in Girl Scouts. Emma Albertoni from Arvada, Ralston Valley High School, took action after noticing that many of her peers lacked financial literacy. She wrote a curriculum that will be implemented in her school and proposed to the Jefferson County School Board to add a required Financial Literacy class. Megan Beaudoin from Monument, St. Mary’s High School, created a ten-minute video for middle school students to help ease the transition to high school. Topics covered included: academics, social interactions, and self-esteem. Megan Burnett from Colorado Springs, James Irwin Charter High School,worked with community leaders and businesses to build a softball practice field at the school. The project would have cost the school $25,000. Michayla Cassano from Colorado Springs, Pine Creek High School, created a memorial to recognize the sacrifices made by women who have served in the military. Kelsey Collins from Aurora, Grandview High School, created a curriculum to teach preschool and elementary school children about park safety and Colorado history. Carissa Flores from Westminster, Broomfield High School, shared her knowledge and passion for Taekwondo by creating, coordinating, and leading self-defense seminars for children, teens, and adults. Baily Holsinger from Larkspur, Castle View High School, not only crocheted hundreds of beanies for newborn babies at Denver Health Medical Center and Baby Haven in Fort Collins, she also held classes to teach people of all ages how to make the beanies. Kathleen Otto from Fort Collins, Fossil Ridge High School, worked to increase awareness for dyslexia by hosting a viewing of “The Big Picture: Rethinking Dyslexia” and leading a panel discussion afterwards. Daniell Plomodon from Erie, Niwot High School, organized several “Disability for a Day” presentations to educate others about living with a disability. Activities included: trying to button a shirt while wearing mittens, playing patty cake while wearing Vaseline covered glasses, and using person first language. Anastasia Rosen from Fort Collins, Rocky Mountain High School, created a workshop to educate others about human trafficking, tactics recruiters use, and how to prevent it. Debra Zerr from Arvada addressed the problem of the lack of connection between the military and general public. Through a series of events, she worked to educate the public about the importance of the military and the men and women who serve. These young women have demonstrated exceptional commitment to taking action to make their world a better place. By earning their Gold Award now, these Girl Scouts will also be part of this spring’s celebration of Girl Scouts’ highest honor. Since 1916, Girl Scouts have been making meaningful, sustainable change in their communities and around the world. The Girl Scout Gold Award culminates with a project led by one young woman between 9th and 12th grades who builds a purpose-based team to work with the larger community to meet a need. The focus of a Gold Award project is identifying and researching a community issue she is passionate about, developing a plan to address it in cooperation with her team and community members, establishing a global connection with others and providing sustainability for the project. #GoldAward #Arvada #Larkspur #Westminster #ColoradoSprings #NorthernampNortheasternCO #Aurora #erie #Monument #MetroDenver #FortCollins #PikesPeak

Thursday, Nov. 3, Girl Scouts of Colorado honored the 2016 inductees into the esteemed Women of Distinction program on the Western Slope during a breakfast at Two Rivers Convention Center in Grand Junction. A group of nearly 200 gathered at the event, which raised more than $19,000 for local Girl Scout programs. This year’s three honorees are: Christy Whitney Borchard, President and CEO, HopeWest Paula Reece, Marketing Director, Crossroads Fitness Ruth Trowbridge, Community Volunteer These extraordinary women were selected by a committee of their peers led by Selection Chair Betsy Bair, Woman of Distinction 2014, and chosen based on their contributions to the community, both professionally and personally. They are shining examples of corporate, civic and philanthropic leadership and serve as role models for our female leaders of tomorrow. The morning’s keynote speaker was Dr. Carrie Hauser, President of Colorado Mountain College. Girl Scout Gold Award Recipient and Girl Scouts of the USA National Young Woman of Distinction, Sarah Greichen shared her journey to earn her Gold Award. Girl Scout Silver Award Recipient Anela Cronk shared the story of her Silver Award project. Karen Troester, Woman of Distinction 2015, was this year’s event chair and emcee. The Women of Distinction program began on the Western Slope in 2013. Including this year’s honorees, Girl Scouts of Colorado has recognized nine other women on the Western Slope with this honor. Thank you to our Gold Presenting Sponsor: USBank and Silver Presenting Sponsor: Chevron. To see photos from the event, go to our Flickr page: https://www.flickr.com/photos/gscolorado/sets/72157676357200705 To read Anela Cronk’s speech, use this link: http://www.girlscoutsofcolorado.org/content/dam/girlscoutsofcolorado/documents/Speech%20Final%20Draft%20Anela.pdf #funddevelopment #GrandJunction #WesternSlope #WomenofDistinction

Do hands-on fieldwork, engage in original research in marine science, expand your leadership potential, and earn a full semester of academic credit while living on the beautiful coast of Maine. “Coastal Studies for Girls” is a science and leadership semester school for 10th grade girls located in Freeport, Maine that attracts students from across the country. At CSG, students are immersed in experiential courses that draw inspiration from the beauty and intrigue of the Maine coast. At CSG, girls learn about the power of observation, what makes a community thrive, and how to use their passion to create change in the world. We are accepting applications from 10th grade girls for the remaining spots in our Spring 2017 semester and from current 9th grade girls interested in next year’s semesters. Financial aid is available for qualified students with demonstrated need. www.coastalstudiesforgirls.org #STEM #oldergirls #Maine #travel #CoastalStudiesforGirls #marinescience

Starting in 2017, Girl Scouts of Colorado is implementing a May 1st deadline for graduating seniors to submit their Gold Award project proposals. This means that any girl who is graduating from high school has until May 1st (annually) to submit her Gold Award project proposal via the Go Gold website. After May 1st, girls who are graduating from high school will no longer be eligible to earn their Gold Award if they have not already submitted a project proposal. Questions? Contact highestawards@gscolorado.org #GoldAward #graduatingseniors #highschoolseniors

Connie is one of our Gold Award Mentors who is strongly committed to successfully guiding girls through the Gold Award in our Denver Metro region. Learn more about Connie below and stay tuned for more “Meet Our Mentor” blog posts over the next few months! Go Gold! Region 6 – Metro Denver Castle Rock, CO 24 Years as a Girl Scout Volunteer One Year as a Gold Award Mentor Why did you become a Gold Award Mentor? Because I want to work directly with older girls. What words of advice do you have for girls about the Gold Award? Persevere! About Connie: I have two children, both in their thirties. I had the great opportunity to work with my daughter as her troop leader for all 13 years of her Girl Scout experience. I have also been involved with Girl Scouts for approximately 15 years at the board level, serving as the Board Chair for 2011-2014. I look forward in my new Girl Scout volunteer chapter as a Gold Award mentor. I worked for thirty years in the cable TV and telecomm industries, almost exclusively in finance functions. I miss the people I worked with but am blessed to be able to now work exclusively in volunteer assignments and travel with my husband. #CastleRock #GoldAward #GoldAwardmentors #MetroDenver

What did you do for your Gold Award project? I created, coordinated, and led three separate age-related self-defense seminars: children, teens, and adults each with individual curriculum an average of 30 people, 90 people total and started the Women’s Self-Defense Club at Broomfield High School which currently meets once month for an hour with a different focus area of self-defense each month. At the children’s seminar, I taught for about an hour and 15 minutes then presented a five-minute video to the kids so they could respond to real life situations. At the teen’s and adult’s seminar, I had the Blue Bench present for the first 15 minutes then taught for about an hour. The curriculum, in general, was the same but used different scenarios. My club empowers and teaches women how to protect themselves against sexual assault; I develop curriculum, run meetings, teach self-defense. The Broomfield High School Family and Consumer Science department is implementing my curriculum into their courses and having me or another instructor from my Taekwondo school come teach self-defense to their classes. How did you measure the impact your Gold Award project made on your target audience? I had an entry and exit survey for each seminar age group which all displayed a positive trend of the attendee’s knowledge and self-confidence of self-defense growing. I have the most recent data for the City and County of Broomfield from 2014 and 2013 that shows a decline in the rate of rape in Broomfield. How is your project sustainable? How will your project continue to impact after your involvement? The creation of my Women’s Self-Defense Club at Broomfield High School was the most successful part of my project. It is the one thing that will keep on going after I graduate from Broomfield High School. I have a letter of commitment from my two club sponsors and principal stating that the club will continue and sponsor an annual self-defense seminar and that my sponsor from the Family and Consumer Science department will implement my curriculum into her courses and have me or another instructor from my Taekwondo school, once I graduate come teach self-defense to her classes. At my seminar, I gave two-week free passes to my Taekwondo school or gave people the option to join my club to further their knowledge. My legacy at Broomfield High School will be left in the club I created that will be able to ensure the safety of women at Broomfield High School after I graduate. What is your project’s global and/or national connection? At my self-defense seminar in April, I had the Blue Bench come in and talk about setting boundaries (verbal and physical), listening to your instincts, common responses to sexual assault (fight, flight, freeze), how to support a survivor, statistics, and a success story. I integrated parts of ATA martial arts Krav Maga training, self-defense I learn in class on a daily basis, and tips and tricks I think important into my curriculum. What did you learn about yourself? I love teaching. It is the greatest feeling watching people’s knowledge grow when they have an “ah-ha” moment while I am teaching something to them and to know that I have made an impact in their lives, something they can utilize later in their lives. How will earning your Gold Award impact you in the future? It has given me skills I will be able to utilize in the future. I learned how to effectively communicate, bring a diverse team together to achieve a goal, utilize social media to reach the masses, organize, plan, and host a large event, manage money, lead, improvise with what I am given, and much more that now just seems natural to me. This directly helped me with the creation of another club at my school in which I had to go through all the same steps I did with the creation of my Women’s Self-Defense club; this time, of course, it was much smoother and I could tell my leadership was much more natural. Why do you feel the Gold Award was an important part of your Girl Scout experience? It allowed me to grow in ways that can’t be taught and that can’t be seen until reflection is done. I was able to execute a project that made a difference in my community addressing a topic that was important to me and doing it in a way that utilized talents I already had and formed new ones. I was able to see all of the things I had learned in Girl Scouts come together giving me the tools I needed to accomplish my Gold Award. I was able to see the impact that Girl Scouts had on my life that I never realized. **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 #Westminster #MetroDenver #selfdefense #BroomfieldHighSchool

From Girl Scouts of the USA See them in action, and catch them on Disney Channel and Disney Junior! One thing’s for sure: right now, more than ever, is an exciting time to be a Girl Scout. For more than 100 years, Girl Scouts has prepared every G.I.R.L. (Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-taker, Leader)™ to practice a lifetime of leadership, enabling her to take the lead in creating positive change in lives and communities across the map—much like Disney’s Elena of Avalor! That’s what we call impact the Girl Scout way, and we get stronger and bolder every day. What can we say? Giving back is in our DNA. And now, we’re taking our legacy of leadership to a whole new level by collaborating with Disney Channel and Disney Junior to encourage every girl to discover their inner leader. Because at Girl Scouts and Disney Channel, we know that leadership isn’t just about who you are, but about what you do. Much like your girl, Elena may be young, but she’s still learning to be a collaborative, communicative, and confident leader—like every girl can. We hope you’ll join us in changing the conversation around leadership, and helping girls see that everyone has the potential to lead and make amazing things happen. In fact, you can start now, by grabbing a sneak peek at two all-new spots airing on Disney Channel and Disney Junior, featuring Girl Scouts and their inspiring Take Action projects. You’ll hear the girls’ stories and see some behind-the-scenes action at the Disney video shoot, showcasing how Girl Scouts has helped these incredible girls become leaders, as well as how they lead like Elena—with compassion, critical thinking, collaboration, and courage. Which is to say, the same awesome traits of a Girl Scout! You’ll meet cousins Maria and Alexa from Philadelphia, who organized and ran a “block building day” to encourage girls to play with building blocks, which are traditionally seen as “boys’ toys.” The girls brought together both girls and boys from their community to build, experiment, and discover—together. So cool! In the sneak peek, you’ll also meet Olivia from New Jersey, who, with a little help from her mom, sent a letter to the mayor requesting, for the good of her community, the rebuilding of a playground that had burned down. (Hint: She got it done!) We think you’ll agree—these girls are truly a force to be reckoned with. Leadership is possible and important at every life stage, and girls are no exception. Girl Scouts and Disney Chanel are on a mission to make sure the world knows it. #Disney #DisneyChannel #ElenaofAvalor #GirlScoutsoftheUSA

Submitted by Sarah Greichen Metro Denver Centennial On Friday, November 11, 2016,  join Girl Scout Gold Award Recipient Sarah Greichen at Snooze at The Streets of SouthGlenn to celebrate Score A Friend as Snooze’s new Community Partner! Sarah started the nonprofit organization, Score A Friend, to promote and support youth to lead school-based unified clubs for students of all abilities to build inclusion. Today, there are Score A Friend Clubs in schools and universities across the country. Snooze recently invited Score A Friend, Inc. to become their new community partner. The mission of Score A Friend is to promote and support youth to lead school-based Unified Clubs for students of all abilities; connecting schools with community providers and resources; and creating access and opportunities for Unified Friendships, inclusive sports and clubs, parent-to-parent connections, and the education and activation of youth leaders to build inclusion in the world. November 11 is the sixth anniversary of Snooze at SouthGlen.  Snooze is celebrating the day by introducing their new partner to the community. Snooze will donate a portion of their proceeds of the day to Score A Friend, Inc.  Sarah and other board members will be there to meet and greet and share Score A Friend information and merchandise.  Come to Snooze, meet Sarah, and support the new Snooze/Score A Friend partnership! This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too. #GoldAward #MetroDenver #scoreafriend #Snooze