Sky High Night Ninjas are legends in their own right! These Juniors practice being stealthy at night by sleeping in during the day and practice their nocturnal skills when the sun goes down. At the end of their week, these girls will have mastered the art of “Glow in the Dark Archery”, navigating by the stars and learning basic self-defense moves. In addition to night hikes and wolf howling, girls will learn about nocturnal animals and how they are able to thrive without light. Campers will create their own “cat-eye vision” and hike through camp at night, experiencing what it is like to slip through the forest unseen by all! Campers will practice using all their senses. This may include team building with blind folds on the low ropes course, a scratch and sniff hike, or maybe even a Tasty Treat Challenge! Like nocturnal animals, Night Ninjas sleep in during the day and have a late breakfast as they readjust to life in the sun. Not everything can be done in the dark, so our sneaky stargazers will get a chance to play with the rest of the camp at the pond, the farm, and everything else Sky High has to offer. Their days (and nights) will be jam-packed with awesome activities designed to be FUN, and also, maybe a little educational. Campers interested in this camp should be comfortable in the dark (even though we will have flashlights!) and able to adjust to staying up late and sleeping in in the mornings. SH155 Night Ninjas 6/19-6/24, Junior: Our night ninjas are known for their camp stealth and adventure! Try your hand at Glow in the Dark Archery, Sleep-in Breakfasts, and Star Gazing. “You didn’t see anything…!” There will be time for general activities too. This camp does not include zip line. Register now for Girl Scout Camp! Review camp sessions. Reserve a Girl Scouts of Colorado Property for your troop/group! Check out Travel Opportunities for Girl Scouts! Pay camp balances with CampInTouch, with a Cookie Credit Card or a Gift Card prior to April 30 to lock in Early Bird Pricing! #camp #Juniors #overnightcamp #SkyHighRanch

What did you do for your Gold Award project? I created a presentation about suicide prevention for middle school aged students at two Catholic middle schools, Holy Trinity and St. Louis. Along with the presentation, I had the kids participate in a workshop where they put their sources of strength on a posterboard and we hung them around the school. I also created a website, http: wix.com/hope-strength to help spread my work to others. I also handed out stickers with the Sources of Strength wheel with my website domain on the back. The Sources of Strength wheel included family support, positive friends, mentors, healthy activities, generosity, spirituality, medical access, and mental health. Experts say if you have at least two of these sources of strength you will reduce your risk of experiencing depression and/or suicide. How did you measure the impact your Gold Award project made on your target audience? I gave the kids an evaluation sheet asking them specific questions about the project and how I can change it. Most of the responses were positive and indicated the kids learned new things from my project. How is your project sustainable? How will your project continue to impact after your involvement? The posters will continue to hang up around the schools. One of the teachers, Tate Hallahan at Holy Trinity, agreed to integrate an aspect of my project into a daily activity. The kids normally do a Life Balance Program called 4-7-40, Four Aspects of Human Awareness (Physical, Spiritual, Mental, Emotional) 7 – Seven Goals – Specific and Attainable / Pertain to the 4 Aspects. Before my project the activity was 3-7-40. He added the mental aspect after I came to the school. Also, he took the stickers I handed out with my website domain to handout to his students in the future. The kids will also continue to visit my website. What is your project’s global and/or national connection? I emailed four organizations: Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, National Association of France-Depression, European Depression Organization, and Mental Health of America. Lori Salgado from the Board of Directors with DBSA Colorado responded and encouraged me about my project. What did you learn about yourself? I learned I have the strength to persevere through any difficulties and I can finish anything I set my mind too. I discovered I am a good leader and I love working with middle school students. How will earning your Gold Award impact you in the future? Standing up in front of people and discussing a tough topic. I also learned to be brave and stand up for a topic I believe in even when others don’t see it as important . This will help me in the future when I have to give presentations in the business world and I’m comfortable with public speaking. I will also have the confidence to stand up for issues in the community and the world and address them. Why do you feel the Gold Award was an important part of your Girl Scout experience? It was the final project and endpoint of my journey as a younger Girl Scout. It has given me the helpful tools to continue Girl Scouts in the future. It helped me to achieve the final leadership tools I need to succeed in college, the business world, and as a future Girl Scout. Without these final tools I would not be as confident in myself before I enter the world. **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 #GoldAwardee #boulder #GoldAwardCentennial #NorthernandNortheasternCO #GoldAwardees

Submitted by Heather Wade Colorado Springs Pikes Peak Troop 40452 donated our Hometown Heroes cookies to the El Paso County Sheriffs Office on March 28th. This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too. #ColoradoSprings #HometownHeroes #PikesPeak

What did you do for your Gold Award project? I founded Project Generation Connection (“PGC”), to provide the elderly in nursing homes the opportunity to connect with their families in town, or even miles away, through the use of video conferencing with iPad technology and assistance from volunteers.  PGC provides the plan, training, and volunteers to nursing homes.  As the need arises, PGC also provides iPads for the elderly to borrow through their facility.  Sunrise Senior Living at University Park (Sunrise) is successfully piloting the program. How did you measure the impact your Gold Award project made on your target audience? Project Generation Connection is currently reaching out to 78 residents at Sunrise and their families.  And the target audience for the program is growing in numbers and distance as the interest from other senior living facilities has increased from the media coverage I received.  The value of this project was made much more prominent recently when I learned that a gentleman that I helped reach out to his family had passed away only a few weeks after we spent time together. As sad as it was to lose him, I remember the opportunity he had beforehand to reach out. It was especially fun to see that one of his children was out shopping when she took the video call! Family members were grateful that he had this opportunity to reach out. How is your project sustainable? How will your  project continue to impact after your involvement? My project, PGC, has been well received by Sunrise at University Park.  Sarah Rubin, the Activities Director at Sunrise, has expressed great interest in seeing PGC continue at her facility. Through the training materials that I have provided, she will be able to educate new volunteers on how the program functions.  Mark Pimentel, an Apple Products Consultant, has also expressed an interest in seeing this program grow.  Due to the nature of PGC, I am able to continue to maintain and improve the program over time and wherever I reside. What is your project’s global and/or national connection? We live in a global society that is connected to each other via the internet.  Through the Facebook page for “The Catalyst Conference” sponsored by Girls In Tech, I received positive feedback from women in South Korea and Australia.  As a result of my interview with Fox 21 News, in Colorado Springs, I received communication from a senior living facility representative in Arizona who is interested in seeing this program established in facilities she represents through Arizona and Chicago.  In addition, I have been informed that Sarah Rubin, at Sunrise at University Park, intends to share this program with other Sunrise facilities throughout the nation and in Canada and Great Britain. What did you learn about yourself? Project Generation Connection has taught me how to face challenges.  I learned to be more of a go-getter and get back up again after being knocked down. Spending time with the elderly helped me realize a new-found deep respect and a genuine interest in making sure they experience a good quality of life. How will earning your Gold Award impact you in the future? Earning my Gold Award is validation that I can do whatever I put my mind to. If I’m ever feeling less than optimistic about my abilities, I will remember the challenges I faced and the determination I experienced towards completing my Gold Award. Why do you feel the Gold Award was an important part of your Girl Scout experience? The prospect of earning my Gold Award is what kept me in Girl Scouts. I had earned my Bronze and Silver and decided that I had to reach for Gold. Going for the highest award in Girl Scouts has given me invaluable experience in dealing with “real world” issues, which I will never forget.  In addition, serving the elderly of my community and their families is a culmination of all my volunteer experiences through the years in Girl Scouts. The Gold Award truly made my years of Girl Scouts worth 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 #GoldAward #GoldAwardee #ColoradoSprings #GoldAwardCentennial #GoldAwardees #PikesPeak

Christina Bear, a Girl Scout Gold Award recipient and senior at Colorado Academy, has been selected as a recipient of the Boettcher Foundation Scholarship. Boettcher Scholarships recognize Colorado’s top students by providing them with the funds to attain an excellent in-state education and access to additional opportunities to enrich their time in college and beyond. Boettcher Scholars become part of a vast network of alumni and community leaders who will support and engage them throughout their lifetimes. The list of Boettcher Scholars includes some of the most promising young people from across the state, noted Tim Schultz, president and executive director of the Boettcher Foundation. “The Boettcher family sought to keep Colorado’s best talent in the state by connecting them with the outstanding opportunities offered by our in-state institutions,” Schultz said. “Doing so helps ensure that our dynamic thinkers and leaders attend Colorado schools, build Colorado networks and use their immense talents to improve our communities right here at home.” Established in 1952, the Boettcher Scholarship program awards 42 scholarships each year and has established a network of more than 2,400 Boettcher Scholars. This places the program among the largest merit-based scholarship programs in the nation. The scholarship Christina has been awarded includes virtually all expenses to attend the Colorado school of her choice: full tuition, fees, a book allowance and an annual stipend for living expenses. The award is granted for eight semesters at either a public or private four-year college or university in the state. “The Boettcher Foundation’s scholarship selection process is competitive and rigorous” said Tiffany Anderson, director of the scholarship program. “More than 1,400 of Colorado’s top students apply each year. Christina really stood out with her accomplishments both in and out of the classroom. We’re proud to have her representing the Boettcher community.” About the Boettcher Foundation: At Boettcher, we believe in the promise of Colorado and the potential of Coloradans. Every day we champion excellence across our state by investing in our most talented citizens and high-potential organizations, because supporting their hard work and leadership will enable them to give back for years to come. For more information, visit BoettcherFoundation.org. #BoettcherFoundationScholarship #Denvermetro #GoldAward #GoldAwardee

What did you do for your Gold Award project? For my Gold Award project I created a used book fair and instructed Bristol Elementary School staff and volunteers on the basics of producing a successful and sustainable used book fair for their students and community. To support Bristol’s used book fair, I created a relationship where the Scott Elementary School community could provide used books for the Bristol Elementary School used book fair. This relationship originated with my successful completion of Scott Elementary School’s first-ever book drive. How did you measure the impact your Gold Award project made on your target audience? As a result of my Gold Award project, 5,000 books are now in the hands of children associated with Bristol Elementary School and its community. In addition, the success of my instruction in producing their used book fair allowed Bristol Elementary School to raise $600 towards the purchase of new books for their library. I measured the impact made on the community by the 5,000 books that children now have, the $600 made towards getting new books in the library, and all of the smiles of appreciation from the kids, their families, and the staff. How is your project sustainable? How will your project continue to impact after your involvement? I set up an annual book drive at Scott Elementary School to provide books to Bristol for their continuation of the fair. The librarian at Bristol Elementary School has also agreed to run it in future years.  I also created and produced a manual that outlines the process that I made to establish a book drive and instruct school staff and volunteers on how to run a used book fair. What is your project’s global and/or national connection? I believe that around the world a large number of children don’t have books or can’t afford any of their own. I hope that other schools in our community will refer to my manual to run a used book fair and the word will just continue to spread as teachers and families move throughout the country and world. I expect the success of this project will spread through the positive media attention already received as well as word of mouth from the many people who benefited from this program. What did you learn about yourself? I have developed many leadership and social skills as a result of my project.  I learned how to express my ideas, develop a plan, and then use that as a starting point to create a very successful event.  During the course of the project I had to make changes to and expand on my original plan as more challenging issues came up. I also became more comfortable working with adults and presenting my ideas to groups of people. How will earning your Gold Award impact you in the future? Earning my Gold Award will allow me to use the leadership, organizational, and public speaking skills I learned to help other people. It also showed me the importance of community service. Why do you feel the Gold Award was an important part of your Girl Scout experience? The Gold Award was a very important part of my Girl Scout experience because it allowed me to use all of the skills I had learned during my nine years of Girl Scouts to create my own community service project. It has created lifelong experiences and memories. **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 #GoldAwardee #ColoradoSprings #GoldAwardCentennial #GoldAwardees #PikesPeak

What did you do for your Gold Award project? For my Gold Award project, I volunteered at Children’s Hospital Central in music therapy. This involved playing songs for the patients as well as, in some cases, teaching them how to play a few simple songs on the keyboard. My goal for this project was to make patients not feel hopeless, and to make sure that they knew that they were not alone. I understand this feeling because of my experience with being in the hospital a lot. How did you measure the impact your Gold Award project made on your target audience? I measured the impact my Gold Award made on my target audience by getting positive feedback from the patients, the parents/families of the patients, and from the staff as well. I really hoped to make such a big impact on the community because Music Therapy is a creative and relaxing outlet for people to use when going through medical issues. How is your project sustainable? How will your project continue to impact after your involvement? My project will be sustained because the materials that I used (the keyboard, and the sheet music, online music, and my music therapy guide) will still be remaining at the hospital so that other volunteers can use this when seeing patients. I am currently working on getting my project to other hospitals as well, for patients and volunteers to use. I created the guide, and the volunteer services coordinator is going to have it available. It is important to me that my guide is going to be available for other volunteers, patients, and staff to use. Lastly, I plan to give my guide to my piano teacher to encourage others to volunteer. What is your project’s global and/or national connection? My patient’s global and/or national connection is getting my Music Therapy Guide to other hospitals, so that I can spread my message of Music Therapy and how it helps patients and people to cope with their medical issues. I will try to get my guide to the campus in Denver. I will also be creating another page for nursing homes. What did you learn about yourself? While working on my Gold Award project I developed better people skills, as well as self-confidence and self-esteem, and I learned how to be more intelligent in the things that I do. Although I do have medical issues, I learned that other people may have it worse than I do. I learned not to take anything for granted, and not to complain about my life. How will earning your Gold Award impact you in the future? I think that earning my Gold Award will positively impact me in the future. I think that earning my Gold Award will open many doors for me. I think that I will have some special opportunities when I grow up. I am extremely grateful and proud to have gone so far in Girl Scouts, and to have achieved the highest award. I feel like I can do anything that I want to do, to better myself and my family. Why do you feel the Gold Award was an important part of your Girl Scout experience? I believe that earning my Gold Award was an important part of my experience because it teaches you so many things in life. By helping out with the community. Helping out with the community teaches you responsibility, and you learn things about yourself that you never knew. I think that it is also important because by earning this Gold Award, it shows that you are growing into an adult, and that you are capable of doing anything that you set your mind to. **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 #GoldAwardee #ColoradoSprings #GoldAwardCentennial #GoldAwardees #PikesPeak

Submitted by Christina Martinez Alamosa Pueblo and Southeastern Colorado Our troop donated cookies to the National Guard. They were thankful for us being there and we are thankful for their service. This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too. #NationalGuard

This essay was written by Anna “Sunshine” Danila, the Outdoor Volunteer Programs Manager with Girl Scouts of Colorado. She oversees statewide Travel programs, volunteer led day camps, troop camps, equipment checkout and more! If you or your troop has any questions about earning money by providing outdoor programs, she is the one to connect with! Email her with your questions! Here is Anna’s story about camp: I grew up as a “camp kid”. Every summer, I looked forward to my childhood camp in Minnesota where I could see the same counselors, friends and directors who made camp so special. Every summer I left behind the worries of school and home life to spend my days canoeing, rock climbing, singing songs, getting dirty and generally having a special place to just be a kid. I looked up to the same counselors I saw each summer, and many continue to be mentors in my life today. Camp gave me a safe place to develop the leadership and interpersonal skills that I most value in myself today. After working with Girl Scouts of Colorado for a year now, Girl Scout Camp means so many things to me. It is a safe place for kids to be themselves away from the pressures of school and home. Girl Scout Camp is a space for troops to connect with each other and other troops in an outdoor setting, where they build the foundations of a strong group that will take them through the year together. Camp is a space to be silly and sing crazy camp songs at the top of your lungs and eat s’mores. But, most importantly, I hope that camp gives a future generation of Girl Scouts the chance to become “camp kids” and find their own special place in the world at one of our camps. I’m now lucky enough to have turned my love of being a “camp kid” into a career with Girl Scouts, and I’m proud to be part of the Outdoor Programs team working to offer high quality and unique summer camp programs. I hope you will join us at one of our camps this summer where we continue an over 80 year tradition of building woman of confidence, courage and character at summer camp! Register now for Girl Scout Camp! Review camp sessions. Reserve a Girl Scouts of Colorado Property for your troop/group! Check out Travel Opportunities for Girl Scouts! Pay camp balances with CampInTouch, with a Cookie Credit Card or a Gift Card or a Program Credit Card prior to April 30 to lock in Early Bird Pricing! #camp #overnightcamp #travel #troopcamp

What did you do for your Gold Award project? For my Gold Award project, I organized a children’s choir at Sunrise United Methodist Church.  The choir was for all children three-years through ten-years-old.  The choir was teen-led and we were able to provide children with older teens to talk to.  We also sang during the services and that allowed the entire church to see how many children were involved at Sunrise.  The weekends that we sing are the most attended weekends. How did you measure the impact your Gold Award project made on your target audience? I measured the impact of my Gold Award project by seeing how many children enjoyed the choir, how many volunteers wanted to help with the choir, how many parents came to practice to listen, and how many people enjoyed the children’s choir performances. How is your project sustainable? How will your project continue to impact after your involvement? First, I assembled a group of teens to continue the children’s choir at our church after I leave for college.  Second, I sent information to other churches on how to start their own youth led choir.  These other churches now have the tools to start a low cost project that motivates children. What is your project’s global and/or national connection? My hope is that other children are inspired to lead.  The kids in my choir really enjoyed seeing that other teens could be leaders.  Hopefully, these kids will inspire themselves and others to lead in the future. What did you learn about yourself? I learned that I can be a leader.  I am really good with kids and enjoy helping them and being a role model in their life.  I also learned that I have a lot of patience and that sometimes flexibility and the willingness to listen to others –all others- can make a good project a great project. How will earning your Gold Award impact you in the future? My Gold Award will help with my college scholarship and application processes.  Earning my Gold Award helped me to go out of my comfort zone and enjoy leading. Why do you feel the Gold Award was an important part of your Girl Scout experience? For one, not many people go all the way through with the Gold Award. I am very proud of myself for sticking with it and putting in many hours of service and preparation  to secure my award.  I actually have continued helping with the choir-I really loved my project and the people that have come into my life as a result of earning this award. **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 #GoldAwardee #ColoradoSprin #GoldAwardCentennial #GoldAwardees #PikesPeak

Submitted by Leanne Coker Longmont Northern and Northeastern Colorado This year, Troop 71724 picked the teachers and staff at their school as their Hometown Hero.  Each year, we try to have the girls pick a different group of people that do things for the community but that are overlooked sometimes.  They came up with a lot of great ideas and we talked about each one of them. When it came time to make a decision, it was unanimous that the teachers and staff would be their Hometown Hero.  But to make it a little more fun, it was decided to keep it a secret until it was time to make their delivery.  The school principal was contacted to make sure it was okay and to let her know we wanted to keep it under wraps.  Then as the girls sold cookies and customers would donate their change or just give the girls money, it was added to an ever-growing tally. Some girls came up with just a cute little smile and jazz hands that made customers turn around and either purchase cookies or make a donation.  One girl even used her own money to help purchase cookies for the Hometown Heroes.  By the time our cookie sales were all over, we had 256 boxes of cookies to deliver to our Hometown Heroes! On March 16th, the teachers were asked to meet over in Benedict Hall.  The cookies were on a table and we joked about purchasing cookies.  Once everyone that could attend had arrived, we explained that the girls had selected them as their Hometown Hero for this year’s cookie season.  The teachers were given a bag and told to pick out 6 boxes of cookies to take home.  These girls did an amazing job and I am extremely proud of all of them and their parents! This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too. #HometownHeroes #Longmont

Submitted by Annie Sachs Steamboat Springs Mountain Communities Steamboat Springs Brownies, Juniors, and Cadettes recently spent a no-school-day Friday learning STEM concepts in fun, hands-on sessions led by local science professionals (nearly all of them women). Girls donned lab coats to learn forensics from local police, designed marble runs as a way to explore engineering basics, and filtered water in learning about our water treatment plant. They also explored electricity and used paper circuits to create a light-up journal, and produced projects using 3D printers. Girls Rule, Science is Cool! This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too. #mountaincommunities #SteamboatSprings #STEM