Submitted by Demi Harvey Denver Denver Metro As a woman, why is it so hard to believe you’re beautiful? In interviews conducted by Dove, women were asked what they think is their worst physical feature. Their responses were rapid and almost passive as they poked at their bellies, frowned at their backsides, and pulled at their hair. However, when questioned on what they thought was their best feature–the women took a lot longer to respond. Some blankly stared off while others, bewildered, eventually managed to come up with one or two features. This is our norm. I challenge you: go stand in front of your mirror and pick out more than five physical features that make you beautiful… It’s hard, isn’t it? It starts when we’re young—whether it’s from body shaming by peers and family or from your childhood Barbies or that beautiful celebrity in a movie you saw or even the dreaded changing rooms in school. All it takes is one remark, one side comment, to tear down a girl’s confidence and negatively affect her for years to come. This is where Free Being Me comes in. It’s a program created by Dove and the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) that encourages body positivity and aids in the development of self-confidence in a safe space for girls all across the world. Girl Scouts of Colorado will have an opportunity to partake in the first class of the year Saturday, April 23rd from 9am-12pm during the Travel Training Event. During the session we will discuss tough topics pertaining to beauty standards set both in our society and around the world, work in groups and individually to complete activities, and girls will be given the resources to teach Free Being Me to younger girls in their community. Not only is Free Being Me an opportunity for girls to reach their fullest potential through body positivity and inner strength, it can also become a money earning opportunity. We will coach the older girls to create their own curriculum and teach the class to the ones who look up to them, who relate to them the most, and can instruct the class in their own creative way. Registration & Details: http://www.girlscoutsofcolorado.org/en/events-repository/2016/travel_training_even.html Or email demi.harvey@gscolorado.org #Dove #training #WAGGGS

Submitted by Cricket Hawkins Steamboat Springs Mountain Communities Girls from Troop 54313 received National Leadership Awards and their Silver Award during the Service Unit’s annual World Thinking Day event on April 9. Samantha Kucera also received the Prudential Spirit of Community Award and a letter of congratulations signed by President Obama. Way to go, girls! This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too. #nationalleadershipaward #PrudentialSpiritofCommunity #SilverAward #WorldThinkingDay

Submitted by Brandiy Blair Broomfield Denver Metro On Sunday, our troop delivered 180 packages to Children’s Hospital North Campus. The staff was so thankful for the donation. This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too. #Broomfield #ChildrensHospital

Submitted by Cricket Hawkins Steamboat Springs Mountain Communities Senior Girl Scout Katelyn Ibarra was honored on April 9 at a Girl Scout event in Steamboat for her heroic assistance to victims of a bus crash on March 29. Katelyn was surprised at the event and received a “Courageous and Strong” coin and certificate for her bravery. Katelyn and her family stopped to assist a serious head on crash between a bus and car on the road to Craig. Both windshields of the bus were knocked completely out and the door could not be opened. Katelyn climbed through the bus windshield and over broken glass and began attending to the injured along with her dad. She brought her family’s emergency kit from the car with her and gave people gauze to apply pressure on their wounds. Folks who stopped to help filled baggies with snow and passed them into the bus to Katelyn for people to hold on their injuries. While waiting for the ambulances to arrive, she helped passengers find their belongings and kept them calm. Katelyn has demonstrated what it means to be a Girl Scout– a girl of Courage, Confidence, and Character. She was a very brave young lady who did not hesitate to help and will be nominated for the Girl Scout Medal of Honor. Thank you Katelyn for all that you did, and for being a Girl Scout! #SteamboatSprings

Submitted by Cindy Opong Colorado Springs Pikes Peak Daisy troop 43483 in Colorado Springs chose the El Paso County Sheriff’s office as their Hometown Hero. 14 Daisies, joined by 3 Juniors from sister troop 45228 delivered 129 boxes of cookies to the Emergency Services department on April 13th. After delivering the cookies, the girls received a tour of the Mobile Command Center, the SWAT truck, and the wildland firefighter’s bus. They also enjoyed meeting K9 Axel. #ColoradoSprings #ElPasoCountySherriffs #HometownHeroes

Submitted by Michelle Tellez Lakewood Denver Metro Troop 66460 delivered almost 4 dozen boxes of cookies to our heroes at West Metro Fire Station #10. We toured their station last fall and learned a lot about fire safety, types of trucks and what fire fighters do to help people who have emergencies. This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too. #Denvermetro #HometownHeroes #Lakewood

(Kyla Wolffe) (Katie Strickland) Two Colorado Girl Scouts are headed to Girl Scouts of Colorado summer camp after receiving the Mary Jo Jacobs, M.D. Memorial Girl Scout Adventure Fund. Katie Strickland, of Garfield County, will attend “Zip Life” at Sky High Ranch outside of Colorado Springs. Kyla Wolffe, of Eagle County, is going to “Pirate Splash Camp” at Tomahawk Ranch near Bailey. What is Kyla most looking forward to at camp? Celebrating her birthday the first night she is there, catching her own fish for dinner, and of course, making new friends! Mary Jo’s four children established the scholarship in December 2014 to honor their mother’s extraordinary legacy. As an 8-year-old girl growing up in 1937, Mary Jo wanted a new pair of roller skates. She wanted them more than anything in world— until she learned her Brownie troop was going to be able to go to summer camp. Mary Jo had to make a choice: spend the $8 she had worked so hard to earn on roller skates or Girl Scout camp? For Mary Jo, the decision was simple. She was going to Girl Scout camp. Mary Jo’s mother walked her to the local Girl Scout office, so she could be the first to register. A reporter for the Artesia Daily Press in New Mexico even wrote a story about Mary Jo and her decision. After returning home from camp, Mary Jo continued to participate in Girl Scout activities, including going to camp. Eventually, she became a doctor and worked tirelessly to serve the people of Eagle and Garfield Counties, Colorado. The Mary Jo Jacobs, M.D. Memorial Girl Scout Adventure Fund provides Girl Scouts from Eagle and Garfield counties in Colorado with a scholarship so they can experience the learning opportunities, joy, and camaraderie of attending Girl Scout Camp. “Our hope is that that many girls will have the same positive experience, education and adventure that mom had through her involvement in Girl Scouting and her opportunity to attend Girl Scout camp,” said Dr. Patricia VanDevander, daughter of Dr. Mary Jo Jacobs. Registration for Girl Scout Camp is now underway on the Girl Scouts of Colorado website at girlscoutsofcolorado.org. For summer 2016, girls can attend overnight camp sessions at Sky High Ranch near Manitou Lake and Woodland Park or perennial favorite Tomahawk Ranch near Bailey, southwest of Denver. Activities include archery, backpacking, photography, and rock climbing. Overnight camp runs from 3 to 12 days for girls ages 6 and up.  Girl Scouts of Colorado will continue to offer day camping adventures throughout the state. The summer camp schedule is live on the Girl Scouts of Colorado website (girlscoutsofcolorado.org). Girl Scout summer camp programs are open to all girls throughout Colorado, whether they’re in a troop or not, and new campers get a 10-percent discount. Girl Scouts has been helping girls shine for more than 100 years. Girl Scouts of Colorado is proud to serve more than 20,000 girls across the state with the help and support of 10,000 adult volunteers! Learn more how you can be part of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience by visiting girlscoutsofcolorado.org, calling 1-877-404-5708, or emailing inquiry@gscolorado.org. #SkyHighRanch #MDMemorialGirlScoutAdventureFund #EagleCounty #MaryJoJacobsMDMemorialGirlScoutAdventureFund #GarfieldCounty #GirlScoutCamp #TomahawkRanch #MaryJoJacobs #mountaincommunities

For her Girl Scout Gold Award, Amy Nelson created a cookbook that teaches the basics of a healthy, nutritious diet while on a small budget. Her book includes many recipes for incorporating inexpensive and healthy foods into one’s diet. Amy’s cookbook can now be yours! Amy has generously shared a copy of her cookbook with Girl Scouts of Colorado so that it can be shared with others across the country. Download the ABC’s of Healthy Eating now. Throughout the hard work it took to accomplish her Gold Award Amy realized she is capable of achieving whatever she sets her mind to! Questions? Email highestawards@gscolorado.org #GoldAward

Trying to find an activity that can bring kids together and help them to learn team work and communication skills can be hard. Some teachers or group leaders may think it is necessary to go to a place that specializes in “Team Building”. With my girls, I like to play Peanut Butter Swamp.  This activity is great for all ages.  For the younger girls, I find that it helps them with focusing and working on processing items step by step. For older girls, middle school and up, this is a great way to help break the barriers of cliques within the groups. The goal of the game is to get everyone in the group from one side of the room to the other without talking. The game can vary in difficulty based on how old the group is, and by how much they need to work together. By taking away verbal communication, game participants have to learn to not only pay attention to what they are doing but also see how others are working together. This activity is a great way to see who has leadership skills, or who has leadership potential but is not sure of his/her own ability. I decided to play this game with a group of girls who weren’t always enthusiastic about the activities we planned. At first, I wasn’t sure how they would react to Peanut Butter Swamp. When they first tried the game, they weren’t playing together as a team.  After a few tries, I started to see them working together. Prior to starting a new game, they started talking about how to try things differently before they began and weren’t allowed to talk. Half-way through the activity, I had them take a break to discuss how the game was going.  I asked some simple questions:  Why was this game hard? Why would someone call this a team building game? What are we learning from it? I was really impressed with the way the girls talked about the more frustrating aspects of the game. One girl told her friend that she was indeed frustrated, not at her group, but at the game. She said she was aware of her frustration and didn’t want her teammates to think it was directly related to them, especially as during the game they were not allowed to talk to each other.  The development of their communication skills was great to see in the group and seeing them being able to talk about what they were feeling while not subjecting the group to their individual frustration. I love seeing this type of communication within groups and seeing how we can build on that and make even more progress with later activities. With this particular group, I have seen a lot of growth in communication and the group demonic sense the game. The girls have worked together better and have demonstrated better communication with us and their peers. I have also seen respect with in the group that wasn’t fully there before. #Outreach

This spring 48 Colorado Girl Scouts will receive the Gold Award, the highest honor in Girl Scouts. These young women have demonstrated exceptional commitment to taking action to make the world a better place through their community service. The accomplishments of Gold Award recipients reflect extraordinary leadership and citizenship skills that mark them as valuable contributors to their communities and world. This year’s Colorado Gold Award projects benefited communities across the state. Topics varied from protecting the environment to helping low-resource children develop a love of reading to encouraging more people to participate in unified sports teams and clubs. Inspired by her twin brother who has an Autism Spectrum Disorder, Sarah Greichen from Centennial started Score A Friend, Inc., a new non-profit organization, which encourages schools to offer and have students participate in unified sports clubs and teams. Three other Gold Awardees from the Denver metro-area, Emma Hesse, Grace Dorgan and Meredith Greer, are in the same troop. Emma and Meredith’s projects focused on helping The Action Center in Jefferson County. Grace worked with low-resource children to teach them about nature and foster a love for the environment. Brittany Jaros from Boulder developed a program to educate middle school students about the importance of mental health and suicide prevention. Amy Nelson from Colorado Springs created a cookbook that teaches the basics of a healthy, nutritious diet while on a small budget. While on a diet, it would be best to continue doing exercise, especially with the Best Kettlebells and gallbladder supplement to maintain a balanced and healthy lifestyle for yourself. The following Colorado Girl Scouts are among the 48 statewide who will be receiving the prestigious Gold Award for the 2015-16 Girl Scout awards year: Katelyn Abbott from Cañon City, Cañon City High School, renovated the courtyard outside of Progressive Care Center, which offers nursing care, rehabilitation therapies, and Alzheimer’s care. After learning a local school was wasting money on trash disposal and recyclable items were being thrown away, Tristina Altman from Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs Christian School, developed a recycling program for the school. Belle Bashaw from Parker, Douglas County High School, developed a curriculum to teach elementary school students about the importance of bees, which bees they might see, and how they can help the bee population thrive. To expand homeowners’ knowledge of crevice gardens and reduce outdoor water use, Carrie Bishop from Golden, Ralston Valley High School, added an educational aspect to the Apex Community Heroes Crevice Garden in Arvada. Madison Block from Colorado Springs, Liberty High School, engaged elementary school students in science and other STEM-related topics through a fair attended by more than 300 people. Hadley Bowles from Denver, Saint Mary’s Academy, worked with Metro Caring, one of Denver’s largest food assistance programs, to teach low-resource children where healthy food comes from and about eating healthy. Allison Caperton from Littleton, Dakota Ridge High School, coordinated a gymnastics camp for children with special needs. Her camp was four weeks long and open to children of all ages with special needs. Inspired by her own passion for music, Tierra Carter from Castle Rock, Colorado Springs Early Colleges, brought music to children in the hospital. She visited with more than 300 patients under the age of 8 and offered to teach them simple songs on a keyboard or play for them. Hannah Clair from Colorado Springs, Springs Studio for Academic Excellence, worked to give students at her school a place to discover new friends. She designed and built a weatherproof bench that also stores many toys and games to play while making a new friend. Kellyn Dassler from Parker, Chapparal High School, increased students’ respect for teachers and educators. She also worked to encourage teachers throughout the year and made working conditions better for staff by taking items off their “to-do” lists. Sarah Depew from Colorado Springs, The George Washington University: Online High School, wrote an almost 80-page booklet that included original chemistry experiments for homeschool students, along with a parent manual for educators. Grace Dorgan from Golden, Colorado Academy, designed a free, hands-on natural science curriculum and taught it to low-resource elementary school students in Denver, through a program called Horizons. Katelyn Eaman from Broomfield, Broomfield High School, designed raised garden beds so students at her school could learn about gardening and the impact it can have on communities worldwide. Delaney Fitzsimmons from Highlands Ranch, Mountain Vista High School, created a list of books intended for 5th to 8th grade readers with the purpose of providing a resource for students to find engaging books they will enjoy and finish. Cailin Foster from Colorado Springs, Palmer Ridge High School, encouraged more girls to get interested in STEM by creating a robotics team at her school and helping other school districts with their robotics teams. Martina Gilbert from Castle Pines, Rock Canyon High School, created a more welcoming, aesthetically pleasing, wheelchair-accessible outdoor area for Fisher House, a home for veterans and their families. Jenni Golbuff from Fort Collins, Windsor High School, designed and built tables for a local summer camp. Her project started at Sky Ranch, but has expanded to camps around the nation. Ashlin Gray from Colorado Springs, Palmer Ridge High School, created a learning and play area specifically for children at the new Family Day Center, which helps low-resource families. Meredith Greer from Golden, Lakewood High School, worked to provide personal hygiene items to clients of The Action Center in Jefferson County. Inspired by her twin brother who has an Autism Spectrum Disorder, Sarah Greichen from Centennial, Front Range Christian School, started a new non-profit organization to encourage more schools to offer and have students participate in unified sports teams and clubs. Maniyah Hart from Colorado Springs, Cornado High School, partnered with Zach’s Place and the Manitou Art Center to develop an opportunity for children with autism to experience ceramics. After noticing the garden at Black Rock Elementary School was incomplete and neglected, Emma Hassman from Erie, Erie High School, revitalized the space and got the community involved in the process and maintenance. Emma Hesse from Golden, Lakewood High School, revitalized the clothing area of The Action Center in Jefferson County, specifically the area for teens. Her work helped raise the self-confidence of teens served by the center. Courtney Howell from Niwot, Silver Creek High School, organized a science, math, and engineering exploration day for middle and elementary school to show them that science can be fun. Stephanie Huisingh from Colorado Springs, Discovery Canyon Campus High School, wrote a detailed guide that lays out the specific steps for how to throw a high school party and include students with special needs. Brittany Jaros from Boulder, Holy Family High School, developed a program to educate middle school students about the importance of mental health and suicide prevention. Cassidy Klein from Highlands Ranch, ThunderRidge High School, collected more than 2,900 children’s books, which she used to create a library for Joshua Station, a transitional housing facility for families. Helen Landwehr from Colorado Springs, Air Academy High School, refurbished and redecorated the Severe Special Needs room at Air Academy High School to make it a safe, welcoming, and effective learning environment. Kimberly Levine from Longmont, Niwot High School, created a food drive tutorial, which was geared toward English and Spanish-speaking communities who are interested in making a difference. Ashley Marttila from Colorado Springs, Doherty High School, created a choir at her church to bring children together and give them the confidence to perform in front of a large audience. Lauren McBeth from Aurora, Cherokee Trail High School, built “House of Words,” a little free library, in newly renovated Tierra Park in northern Aurora. Kelsey McKenna from Colorado Springs, Air Academy High School, spread publicity for non-profit junior golf organizations by organizing a junior golf scramble where high school golfers came as mentors for younger girls. Jessica Mills from Colorado Springs, Air Academy High School, introduced basic engineering design skills to middle school students to spark an interest in STEM. Emily Mohlis from Elizabeth, Elizabeth High School, organized the music, school-owned instruments, and accessories scattered throughout the band room and director’s office at her school. Lauren Moran from Colorado Springs, Cheyenne Mountain High School, started a music program at a local retirement community, where high school musicians performed monthly and visited with residents. Amy Nelson from Colorado Springs, Cheyenne Mountain High School, created a cookbook that teaches the basics of a healthy, nutritious diet while on a small budget. Olivia Noakes from Thornton, Thornton High School, developed a multi-media presentation about opportunities in middle and high school music that was geared toward 4th and 5th grade students. Angel Potter from Cañon City, Cañon City High School, worked with local non-profits to collect books so children from low-resource families could discover the joy of reading. Meagan Prewitt from Colorado Springs, Coronado High School, created a mobile chest of activities for children with special needs who attend Sunrise United Methodist Church. Nieca Robinson from Aurora, Eaglecrest High School, worked to make it easier for teenagers, specifically those at her school, to find help and resources specifically for them regarding domestic violence. Sanskriti Saxena from Highlands Ranch, Douglas County High School, founded a youth chapter for a non-profit organization that works for the cause of underprivileged children around the world. Alyssa Scaduto from Colorado Springs, Doherty High School, brought books to low-resource families by teaching schools how to hold a used book fair, which can be supported by a book drive. Alessandra Smith from Colorado Springs, Liberty High School, created a program that provides residents of care facilities access to iPads and resources to Skype and use other apps to stay in touch with loved ones. Emily Walker from Castle Rock, Castle Rock High School, created a project that provides teddy bears and handmade no-sew blankets to first responders in order to comfort people involved in traumatic situations. Catherine Welch from Highlands Ranch, Highlands Ranch High School, helped senior citizens at a local retirement center stay in touch with loved ones by teaching them how to use iPads and other technology. This year Girl Scouts across the country are celebrating the 100th anniversary of Girl Scouts’ highest award. The 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. Of the skills learned through Girl Scouts’ Highest Awards, leadership, organization and critical thinking are the fundamentals of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience. Some universities and colleges offer scholarships unique to Gold Award recipients, and girls who enlist in the U.S. Armed Forces may receive advanced rank in recognition of their achievements. “Earning the Girl Scout Gold Award designation is truly a remarkable achievement, and these young women exemplify leadership in all its forms,” said Stephanie Foote, Chief Executive Officer of Girl Scouts of Colorado. “They saw a need and took ownership of helping to develop a solution and took action to make it happen. Their extraordinary dedication, perseverance and leadership are making the world a better place.” Girl Scouts of Colorado will honor this year’s Gold Award recipients as well as recipients of Girl Scouts other two Highest Awards, the Silver (the Highest Award a Girl Scout Cadette can earn) and Bronze (the Highest Award a Girl Scout Junior can earn), at upcoming ceremonies around the state. These events include: April 17th at 2 p.m. at Fort Collins Marriott., 350 E. Horsetooth Rd., Fort Collins April 22nd at 6 p.m. at Center for American Values, 101 S. Main St. #100, Pueblo April 24th at 2 p.m. Mountain View Methodist, 355 Ponca Pl., Boulder April 24th at 2 p.m. Colorado Mesa University, 1100 North Ave., Grand Junction May 1st at 2 p.m. at the Denver Marriott Tech Center, 4900 S. Syracuse St., Denver May 6 at 6 p.m. at the Penrose House Garden Pavilion 1661 Mesa Ave., Colorado Springs #GoldAward #ColoradoSprings #Denver #GoldAwardCentennial #GoldAwardees #PikesPeak

When we think about Girl Scouts we smile! How can we not? Thanks to our dedicated volunteers, girls all across Colorado are building courage, confidence and character—all while making the world a better place. That’s why Girl Scouts of Colorado is asking you to join us in participating in Amazon Smile’s #StartWithaSmile campaign. Launched in March, thousands of charities have already tweeted pictures of their organizations in action. Here’s how it works: Tweet a photo or video incorporating the #StartWithaSmile sign (download it here) and the following text: When you #StartWithaSmile we can ______________________ #AmazonSmile smile.amazon.com/ch/84-0410630 Be sure to tag @AmazonSmile and @GSColo on Twitter. Also, make sure you’re following both, so we can send you a direct message requesting permission to share your tweet if your photo is selected. #AmazonSmile #socialmedia #Twitter

As the entire nation focuses on the policy ideas that will define our future, Girl Scouts of Colorado has released new data from a pulse poll of voting age Americans, which found that a vast majority of voters believe investing in girls’ education is the key to our country’s advancement. The poll, conducted in November, 2015, and sampling 1,693 registered adult voters, found that 81 percent of respondents believe that helping girls develop leadership skills should be a national priority. Americans are especially concerned about ensuring girls develop confidence and skills in the fields that are defining the 21st century economy. This includes making sure girls receive hands on experience and career exposure to fields like financial literacy, business, and STEM. In fact, 95 percent of respondents said that young girls would benefit from real world, hands-on experience handling, spending and saving money, and 88 percent felt that America should be doing more to encourage girls to follow their interest in STEM in order to close a projected 3 million shortfall in American scientists in the next 30 years. By a wide margin, Americans believe that girls would benefit most from government investments in non-profits and after-school activities that could bolster their academic gains in school. An 86 percent majority agreed that governments and non-profit organizations can work together to help girls sustain academic gains, and 76 percent said that nationwide investment in girl-specific educational after school programming should be a national priority. Another 93 percent believe America would benefit from having more after-school activities that provide a safe environment and help build healthy relationships and friendships – vital skills for future leaders. Building the next generation of female leaders and ensuring they have the skills they need to succeed in the 21st century is a vital component of ensuring that America maintains is role as a world leader. The American people recognize the importance of investing in girls is crucially important. As policy questions about the future direction of our country take center stage throughout 2016, the American people clearly believes that girls and their potential should be a serious part of the conversation, and that Girl Scouts has an important role to play in helping girls shape their future. #GirlScoutsoftheUSA #GirlScoutsRe #PulsePoll