Submitted by Jody Clair Colorado Springs Pikes Peak Calling all Cadettes! We are offering a Power Up for 6, 7 and 8th graders on February 27, 2016 9 AM-3 PM. Cost is $15 and will include a patch. Location: Vista Ridge High School. Power Up is an anti-bullying program ran by peers that are registered Girl Scouts. Must have 10 girls to make it a go, but can hold up to 25. Please message me or email me: girlscoutjody This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too. #ColoradoSprings #PowerUp

Submitted by Aimee Bianca Denver The Gold Award represents the highest achievement in Girl Scouting and this year marks the Gold Award Centennial! This prestigious Award challenges girls in high school to initiate meaningful, sustainable change locally, nationally, and/or globally through unique “Take Action” projects of their own creation. We know that many girls across Colorado a ready to take on this challenge and successfully earn their Gold Award, but they don’t have to do it alone. Girl Scouts of Colorado has six regional Gold Award Committees that meet once a month in order to support girls in successfully “going Gold”. Our Gold Award Committees are made up of volunteers who are experts on the Gold Award standards and requirements and dedicated to guiding girls through the process. Each Committee member is also a Gold Award Mentor, who works with girls individually through their journey toward the Gold. When girls start pursing their Gold Award they are assigned a Gold Award Mentor who will work with her to make sure her plan meets all the standards and guidelines, that she is well prepared for meetings and presentations, and that all her questions are answered. Mentors are also a girl’s biggest cheerleader, they are there to ensure girls are successful in earning their Gold Award. In light of the Gold Award Centennial we are thrilled to introduce our Gold Award Mentors to the community beyond the Gold! We currently have 30 Mentors across the state and will be introducing them to you over the next few months. We hope you enjoy getting to know our amazing Mentors and find their words as inspiring as we have. If you have any questions about what it takes to become a Gold Award Mentor with Girl Scouts of Colorado please email highestawards@gscolorado.org. [youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXbajcqdxl4] This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too. #GoldAward #MeetourMentors

Submitted by Heather Beasley Boulder Northern and Northeastern Colorado Vera Rubin is an astronomer, fascinated by the curious things she sees among the stars. In 1962, she came up with a thrilling idea that solved one of astrophysics’ biggest puzzles: the concept of dark matter. But many people around her don’t even think women should be studying science! Can Vera really change the way people think about the universe? The Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company (BETC) and Fiske Planetarium have been working together for the past two years to create a very special live theatre/film experience inside the planetarium dome. We want to share Dr. Rubin’s story with young audiences because she was a trailblazer for women in astronomy, and because she changed humans’ understanding of the universe with her discoveries. Girl Scouts should know about Dr. Rubin’s astronomical work, but she is also an interesting person because she was a mentor to many other women astronomers. She also raised four children with her husband, and all four became scientists! Our show is a wonderful introduction to her work, and also to key concepts in astronomy such as galaxy types, gravitational force, and the spectrum of visible light. This half-hour performance is suitable for theatregoers of elementary-school age and older. Vera’s story will resonate with people of all ages. One of the first efforts of its kind in the United States, this production combines live performance with state-of-the-art planetarium projection technologies for an immersive experience you’ll enjoy and remember. Tickets are available through the BETC website, betc.org/verarubin, or at the Fiske Planetarium box office. On Saturday 1/30 for the 4 p.m. show, Scouts and their leaders and families can purchase $5 tickets with the discount code SCOUTS. For other performances, tickets are $15 general admission, $10/students. The show runs January 23rd-February 6th at the Fiske Planetarium on the University of Colorado Boulder campus. Please check betc.org/verarubin for show times, dates, and more information. This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too. #BoulderEnsembleTheaterCompany #VeraRubin

Submitted by Sarah Nelson Denver Metro The girls of Troop 2522, a multi-level troop based in Golden, have spent the last month collecting gently used coats, shoes, and toys for the African Community Center. This Denver area non-profit helps resettle refugees from not only Africa, but all regions of the world. The troop was given a tour of the ACC, and learned how they provide much needed help to asylum seekers on every level, from basic clothing, toiletries, and housewares, to job training, placement, and financial education that enables them to become self sufficient. The girls also dropped off over a dozen large bags of donations, and have more on the way. The ACC serves over 550 refugees a year who have fled persecution in their home countries and have received third country resettlement through the UNHCR and the U.S. State Department. Some of them arrive with only the clothes on their backs, so while it was a teeny bit emotional for some of the girls (and, ahem, leaders) to let go of toys that had cherished memories associated with them, they soon realized that their small sacrifices could be a great comfort to those that have had to leave everything behind them. This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too. #Denver

Submitted by Kira Petersen Parker Denver Metro For my Silver Award project, I decided to create pens with uplifting messages so that kids who suffer from a bully will hopefully feel better. To start, I contacted my local Elementary school and I asked if I could give a presentation to be 6th graders. Being in 7th grade, I noticed that bullying was a common problem at my middle school. So, I talked to the different 6th grade class and informed them of the bullying problem at the middle school. Once the presentation was over, I handed out pens with a piece of tape wrapped around them. I asked them to write one positive thing about themselves on the tape, and then asked them to share out. I got some great answers like unique, kind, friendly, and so much more! The reason for this project was to make the 6th graders aware of the problem at hand so that when they moved up to middle school, they would help spread the word of kindness to hopefully stop the issue. Then once they became 8th graders they would pass the message on to the new 7th graders for them to teach the next group and so on. That’s what I did for my Silver Award project. This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too. #bullying #Parker #SilverAward

Submitted by Nicole Niles Colorado Springs Pikes Peak The girls of Troop 864 wanted to help a young boy have a great Christmas, they took up a collection and parents went out and bought some presents. They collected enough presents and money to be able to bless 2 young boys from their school’s Christmas wish tree. This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too. #ColoradoSprings #PikesPeak

Submitted by Cricket Hawkins Buena Vista Mountain Communities On December 3rd, Troop 53372 decorated and donated their dolls to the Arkansas Valley Christian Mission in Buena Vista. This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too. #ArkansasValleyChristianMission #BuenaVista

Applications are now being accepted for the 2016 Alcoa Chuck McLane Scholarship Program. All applications are due to highestawards@gscolorado.org no later than February 16, 2016. The Alcoa Chuck McLane Scholarship is a $10,000 scholarship awarded to 2 Gold Award recipients annually who have completed a STEM-related Take Action project and who will attend an accredited four year college or university as a freshman beginning in the fall 2016 to pursue and complete studies in a STEM-related field. This year’s application is available below and includes all details regarding eligibility, structure of the scholarship, and application progress. Please email highestawards@gscolorado.org with any questions. Download the application here. #STEM #TakeAction

As a Girl Scout, you are part of a special network of girls that stretches across the world. In partnership with the Girl Scouts and Girl Guides in 146 countries, World Thinking Day is celebrated annually on February 22. World Thinking Day is a global campaign to foster sisterhood around the world with one central theme, and for 2016 that theme is “connect”. This World Thinking Day, Girl Scouts and Girl Guides will explore and celebrate the connections that make life happier. There are lots of ways to participate in World Thinking Day (WTD) through Girl Scouts of Colorado! We hope you will join us for one of these great events: WTD Event at Douglas County Fairgrounds: February 19th, 5:30-8 pm  http://www.girlscoutsofcolorado.org/en/events-repository/2016/world_thinking_day_e.html Wapiti Service Unit WTD Event: February 20th, 1-3pm at Conifer Community Church. Email toni.dondero@gscolorado.org for more information Blue Spruce Service Unit WTD Event: February 22nd, 4pm at Aspen Ridge Church.  Email toni.dondero@gscolorado.org for more information. Jefferson County WTD Event: April 3rd, 1-3pm http://www.girlscoutsofcolorado.org/content/girlscoutsofcolorado/en/events-repository/2016/world_thinking_day_f.html If you would like to learn more about World Thinking Day, including suggested activities for your troop, please visit http://www.girlscouts.org/en/about-girl-scouts/global/world-thinking-day.html or download the World Thinking Day Activity Pack.

From Girl Scouts of the USA The winning Girls’ Choice badge topic is in! And the winner is (drumroll please)… The second Girls’ Choice badge will be Art in the Outdoors. How much fun will girls have doing this? Now the real fun begins as we work hard to write and design the new badges, which we will be testing with girls in January. We can’t wait to hear what they think. And remember, girls will also have the chance to vote on the design of their badge from January 11-22. Stay tuned for that link, coming in January. Thank you so much to everyone who voted. We are thrilled to be working with girls on more girl-led programming—they’re our favorite partners! In the meantime, start taking notice of that crisp blue sky or the abstract sculptures in your local park, and get ready to create some amazing Art in the Outdoors next year. Badge requirements will be available for download May 30, 2016 and in council shops by the summer! As a reminder, these were the categories and topics girls had the opportunity to vote on in October and November. Outdoors Art in the Outdoors Camping Skills Outdoor Cooking STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) Engineering Coding/E-textiles Life/Forensic Science Financial Literacy Financing Your Fun Stuff Watching Your Dollars Grow Social Entrepreneurship #badges #GirlsChoice #outdoors

We’re blown away by the generosity of all of our supporters. We received donations from 190 donors for Colorado Gives Day yesterday, helping us raise nearly $32,000, our highest total ever! Across the state, 123,999 donations amounted to $28.4 million for non-profits, the most raised in 6 years of Colorado Gives Day. Missed your chance to donate? You can support us any time; visit our website to learn more. We’re so grateful for each and every one of you and we thank you for your continued generosity.

[tag Erie, Safety Award] Submitted by Stacy Tone Erie Northern and Northeastern Colorado Troop 77911 of Erie is holding a Safety Fair this January. Girl Scouts will participate in four different stations, first aid, what to do in an emergency and prevention, CPR and making a first aid kit. Interview first responders from Mountain View Fire Rescue and learn firsthand from nurses. Participation in this 2-hour, hands-on event will fulfill the Safety Award requirements for Daisies. Brownies and Juniors will fulfill the requirements for their First Aid Badge. Sessions run 10am-12 and 12-2pm. Cost is $10 per girl and includes a first aid kit, Safety Award Certificate, First Aid Badge Certificate for Brownies and Juniors, snack and a drink. Pins and badges not included. Event is limited to 70 Girl Scouts per session. Visit our page on the Event Finder for registration information. Registration Deadline: January 9, 2016 Cost: $10 per Girl Scout. Please make checks payable to Troop 77911 This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too.