Submitted by Karen Lochhead Boulder Northern and Northeastern Colorado Troop 2651 has earned their Bronze Award! At one meeting we had a visit from our blind friend Amelia who talked to us about what it is like to be blind. Amelia is an amazing person, and skis at Eldora even though she is blind! We decided to make a map for her and the other blind skiers from the Colorado Center for the Blind who ski with the Ignite Program. We first printed out a topographical map of Eldora and used that to cut out different layers of cardboard. Then, we stacked up the cardboard, glued it together, and covered the structure in plaster to make the runs smooth. Then we added trees and chair lifts to help the blind students envision the area. We drove up to Eldora to present our map to the blind students. Each of us showed them a different feature of the map. Once we were done presenting, we got to ski and see the blind students we had just met skiing with their instructors. CCB invited us to come down for a visit. We got a tour led by a blind teacher, met a professor who read us Harry Potter in braille, and we got to present our map to a classroom full of blind students. During our adventure, we got to learn the meaning of the badges Power of One, Power of Team, and Power of Community. We look forward to earning our Silver and Gold awards in the years to come! This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too. #boulder #BronzeAward #ColoradoCenterfortheBlind #EldoraMountainResort

Submitted by Madison Hagan Colorado Springs Pikes Peak In my Girl Scout troop there are a lot of younger girls, which is good for me because I love kids. For my Silver Award me and the other Cadettes in my troop met up with the leaders and had a brainstorming session where we came up with all kinds of activities for the younger girls in our troop. Then we decided to have an activity fair for them. There would be a narrative about girls from different countries all over the world. We printed out pictures from the narrative and ran them through the sticker maker. I made a Powerpoint about the countries from the narrative and did a walkthrough with the girls. They got little paper passports and logbooks that they put the stickers in throughout their adventure. After “visiting” every country the girls did an activity. Some activities were games from other countries and some included food or drinks from other countries. The girls earned three patches and finished a journey. By the end of the day the girls had books filled with stickers and new memories. This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too. #SilverAward

Submitted by Julie Fischer Allenspark For GSCO Girl Scouts, we are able to connect you with instructors who are offering discount riding lessons. RIDING INSTRUCTORS 2015 NORTH Nancy Goodwin Finesse Farm, Erie, CO 303)666-5040 meantrainerlady Abbey Oldham Amen Acres, Arvada, CO 303)903-708 Aoldham88 Diane Underwood Diane Underwood Training at Flatiron Springs, Boulder, CO 303)437-5125 underwoodtraining Ashleigh Hammil Frontrange Equestrian at Carlisle Equestrian Center 720)891-7061 tresorarabians SOUTH Kayla Wooters Longview Stables, Aurora, CO 720)951-1879 Ridelongviewstables Kate Vieyra Rivers Edge, Elizabeth, CO 303)646-2608 KVieyra Jamie Volz Parker Valley Farm, Parker, CO 303)775-3025 Parkervalleyfarm This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too. #Horsebackriding

Submitted by Stacey Alderson Westminster Denver Metro Brownie Troop 3860 donated 115 boxes of Girl Scout cookies to Foothills Animal Shelter. They also took $300 of their cookie money and using the financial literacy skills they have been working on purchased supplies from the shelter’s wish list to donate. The girls were given a tour of the shelter and learned about how the shelter helps homeless animals. This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too. #FoothillsAnimalShelter #HometownHeroes

Girl Scouts of Colorado is pleased to announce that Samantha G., a Broomfield Girl Scout, has been awarded the “Look Wider” International Travel Scholarship for an upcoming trip to Zziba, Uganda. To learn more about Samantha’s trip and her experiences as a Girl Scout, please read this portion of her application. General trip details While there (Zziba, Uganda), I will be working with orphaned and severely disadvantaged children, as well as children and families in the surrounding area. My responsibilities will include math, science and English tutoring, assisting with the health care programs at the local outpatient clinic, and visiting homes as part of community outreach. I’ll also be helping to run a “Kids Camp” for several hundred children, where they’ll play games, hear stories and learn life lessons. Many of the orphaned children are close to my age, and I look forward to learning as much as possible from them as we share our cultures and life experiences. I’ll also be contacting the Uganda Girl Guides Association to find out if there are Girl Guides in or near Zziba. If there are, I’ll make arrangements to meet with them. Explain why you want to participate in this trip and how it is pushing you to “Look Wider.” Since first grade, I’ve been reciting the Girl Scout Promise and Law. This trip is an opportunity to put those words, as well as the Girl Scout Mission, into action – to help people, be caring and make the world a better place, all while exhibiting courage, confidence, and character. Serving and helping people in Waco, Texas the past two summers has allowed me to “Look Wider,” and traveling to Uganda will enable me to look even wider. More than anything, my life dream and long-term goal is to help others, and more specifically women and children in developing countries. I don’t yet know whether this means through policy change and/or enforcement, grant writing to secure money, focusing on health/sanitation issues, hands-on support of people in villages, etc., but I’m hopeful that this trip to Uganda will help me find out. I want to learn what the greatest needs are so I can focus my college studies appropriately. Explain how your trip will help you learn more about the sisterhood of international Girl Scouts.  What are your plans for relaying that message and enthusiasm to other girls? I will thoroughly research and learn everything I can about Uganda and Africa and its people over the coming months in order to be as prepared as possible. I’ve read about the Uganda Girl Guides Association (UGGA), and plan to email UGGA to see if there are Girl Guides in the Zziba area. If there are, I will make arrangements to meet with them to learn as much as I can about the issues and challenges they face, their projects and service work, and some of their songs, traditions, and fun activities. I’ll also plan to share what I’ve learned as a Girl Scout, favorite memories, songs, etc. To relay their message and enthusiasm to other girls, as well as my message and enthusiasm from the trip, I plan to reach out and hope to stir in girls compassion and empathy for others, a passion for taking action to help other people, and a desire to pursue their dreams and know that they can do anything they put their mind to. Upon my return, I’ll put together a PowerPoint to share with area service units and troops. I would love to share the stories, songs, and traditions of the UGGA girls I meet, as well as share my experience traveling to Uganda. In addition, I plan to submit an article and pictures to be posted on the GSOC travel blog. Final Remarks Finally, I have a heart to want to serve and help others, and this passion was in great part developed through my Girl Scout experiences over the last ten years. I do my best to make community service a priority by volunteering 3 hours/week at Avista Hospital in Louisville and at local community and Girl Scout events as much as I can. I’m looking forward sharing so much of what I’ve learned in Girl Scouts when I’m in Uganda, and I also look forward to bringing my experiences back to Colorado to share with other Girl Scouts. “Look Wider” International Travel Scholarships are made possible by the Rae Ann and Richard Dougherty Look Wider International Travel Fund Endowment at Rose Community Foundation. Thanks to this generous commitment, Girl Scouts of Colorado will award scholarships to girls every year. Learn more about Girl Scout destinations and other international travel at forgirls.girlscouts.org/travel. Applications for destinations travel are due before Thanksgiving each fall. The application for the “Look Wider” International Travel Scholarship is available from November through February and is meant for individual girl travel. Read more about Global Girl Scouting and how to get involved at girlscoutsofcolorado.org/global-girl-scouting. #Broomfield #Denvermetro

Submitted by Julie Fischer Allenspark Denver Metro Girl Scouts are invited to come and see world class American Saddlebred show horses compete right here in Colorado! The 47th Annual Denver Queen City Horse Show will be held on July 16-18 at the National Western Events Center located at 1515 East 47th Avenue, Denver, Colorado 80216 (go to Stacey0975 or 303-619-8699 for more information. Also visit our web site at www.coloradosaddlebred.com for more information. This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too. #DenverQueenCityHorseShow #horses #NationalWesternEventsCenter

Submitted by Michelle Buchanan Colorado Springs Pikes Peak Junior Girl Scout Troop 40894 set out at the beginning of the year uncertain which goals to pursue this year. After a tour of the Ronald McDonald House of Southern Colorado, it became obvious the troop had a desire to help other young children. This year, the girls set out to help the House and each girl made 2 quilts (1 boy, 1 girl), and enlisted the help of parents and other family members. In addition, they used cookie sales to generate funds for the quilt fabric and supplies, and dubbed the RMH their Hometown Hero beneficiary this year (collecting 55 boxes of donated cookies). They also learned how saving pop tops directly helps to fund the House, and donated ~2.5 pounds of pop tops. They also made gingerbread houses at Christmas and donated them to the House to help the House that Love Built feel more like home during the holidays. The girls also applied their Journey and other badges they earned throughout the year as they studied and prepared for this project. The troop donated over $650 in goods to the Ronald McDonald House this year. This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too. #ColoradoSprings #HometownHeroes #RonaldMcDonaldHouse

Submitted by Maya Shannon We are so excited for camp season and we hope you are too!! Did you just receive your Cookie Credit card in the mail? Wanting to apply your credits to camp? Here’s how! Log into your CampInTouch account using Firefox or Chrome (https://girlscoutsco.campintouch.com/v2/login/login.aspx?) Go to your Forms and Documents section Find and open the form called “Cookie Credit Redemption Form for Camp (optional)” Complete and submit this form Note: This form can be used for Cookie Credits, Program Credits, and gift cards. Once we have received this form, we will process your Cookie Credits and apply them to your camp balance. You will receive an updated invoice after they have been applied. We suggest that you hold onto your card until you have received this invoice. Make sure that you take full advantage of our Early Bird pricing for camp by paying your complete balance by 11:59 p.m. April 30th. If you have paid your full balance except for your Cookie Credits, and we receive them via this form by our 11:59 p.m. deadline, you will not receive a price increase. Any additional credit to your account after your Cookie Credit have been applied will be refunded to you. If you have any questions about Cookie Credits or general camp inquiries, please reach out to us at inquiry or 877-404-5708. This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too. #camp #cookiecredits

Submitted by Nicole Ellison Monument Pikes Peak We are a first time selling Brownie troop from Monument. Our Hometown Hero this year was Ronald McDonald house of Southern Colorado. The girls did a dinner fundraiser with McDonalds and raised 50 boxes alone that night. Combined all 14 girls donated 170 boxes of cookies. We went to deliver the cookies and received a tour of the house. After the tour the troop now is working on more projects to help Ronald McDonald House, each girl is excited to give back and to see what little parts each can do to help. This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too. #communityservice #HometownHeroes #RonaldMcDonaldHouse

[slideshow] Submitted by Jessica Bloom Thornton Denver Metro Each year our troop invites friends and family to join us in cleaning up the grounds around our home school, the goal is for each person to collect one bag of trash. This year, we got more than 14 bags full! Afterwards, we invite everyone to help decorate the sidewalks around the school with earth day chalk art. This morning, as students and parents arrived at the school they were greeted with art reminding then to love their planet! This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too. #EarthDay #environment #Thornton

Submitted by Kai Clifford Pueblo West Pueblo and Southeastern Colorado Yes THIS training is being offered for FREE! There are 20 spaces in this training! This is perfect for a no-school Friday: April 24th 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Are you a Girl Scout Cadette interested in working with younger Girl Scouts? Program Aide Training will teach the Cadettes how to work with younger girls in all types of settings! If you’ve ever wanted to be a mentor or role model, work at day camp, be a resource to a younger troop, or be a Program Aide at events, this training is for you! In order to attend this training, girls must have completed at least one LIA (leader in Action) Award. Here is the link to the Program Aide Requirements: http://www.girlscoutsofcolorado.org/program-aides/program-aide-vit-requirements Here is the link to register for this event: http://gsusa.ebiz.uapps.net/vp/tabid/497/default.aspx?pid=23&ProductId=1571391622 This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too. #ProgramAide #Pueblo

Submitted by Jody Allen Smith Troop 1750 started as a Brownie Troop at Park Hill School – 12 years ago.  As seniors in high school at Denver School of the Arts and East High School, the girls decided to wrap up their scouting career with self-defense training provided by a local non-profit, Impact Colorado.  Through their Teen Workshop, troop members learned general awareness skills and physical self defense skills.  The girls also explored verbal strategies to establish boundaries with both strangers and people they know.  Troop 1750 thanked Impact Colorado’s staff and volunteers.  “Thank you so much for your time and efforts to help our troop.  Being empowered is really the greatest gift.” #ParkHill #Ambassador #Denver #Denvermetro #ambassadors