Submitted by Lily Barkau Lee Fort Collins Northern and Northeastern Colorado Are there any Girl Scouts out there ready to YELL? We are looking for Girl Scouts ages 11 to 18 who would be interested in a brand new program called Youth Engaged in Learning about Leadership (YELL). After this 12-month program, girls will be able to demonstrate: Personal leadership – encompasses a leader learning more about herself and developing life skills that strengthen self-image Organizational leadership – engages girls in practicing skills for decision-making Community leadership – focuses on girls organizing to create community change During this year-long program, girls will have four (4) 3-day retreats where they will learn about: self-esteem leadership goal setting decision making stress management and time management communication working with others conflict resolution engaging and empowering others cultural competence managing groups team building (we will be doing a ropes course) program planning and evaluation leadership and service learning leadership and youth-adult partnerships To put what they’ve learned in to action, girls will then complete a final project of becoming the Directors of the annual Parent Daughter Camp held at Meadow Mountain Ranch in early August. Overall, our goal is for the girls to become empowered to be strong, confident leaders in their personal and professional lives in the future. Applications for this program are being accepted until May 15, 2015 and girls accepted into the program will be notified by May 31, 2015. Dates and locations for the upcoming program are: The Class of 2016 Session Dates Location #1 August 28-30, 2015 TBD #2 October 9-11, 2015 Greeley (commuter retreat) #3 January 22-24, 2016 Twisted Pine #4 April 22-24, 2016 TBD Directors Planning Weekend June 24-26, 2016 MMR Parent Daughter Camp August 5-7, 2016 MMR The cost of the program is $350.00 and includes lodging, activities, meals and learning materials. For more information or to request an application, please contact gscoyell@gmail.com or call Lily at (970) 218-2395. This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too. #FortCollins #YouthEngagedinLearningaboutLeadership

What did you do for your Gold Award project? I organized and ran a large clothing event at Warren Village, a transitional housing organization in Denver. At this event, the child residents could use tickets to “buy” clothing while in a store atmosphere. Why did you pursue this Gold Award project? I have always had a interest in clothing. I love the feeling of confidence I receive when I put on an outfit I feel comfortable in, and I wanted to provide that opportunity to others that might have a harder time accessing it. How did your Gold Award project make a difference? It impacted the child residents through providing them with clothing, but it also gave the feeling of accomplishment to the parents, when they were able to provide their children with a sometimes overlooked need. What skills did you gain through earning your Gold Award? While earning my Gold Award, I completely grew in my leadership skills. I learned a lot about how to organize and lead a large project, and I developed my time management skills through learning how to juggle my other senior year activities with the Gold Award. How did you make your project sustainable? In order to make my project more sustainable, I educated my church community and local troop leaders about my project, the issue I focused on, and Warren Village. I also created a guide that described how to complete my event in detail. I distributed this guide to local troop leaders, Warren Village, and several National Honor Societies in my school district. What was your connection to the national or global community? Homelessness was the global and national link to my project. Although most of the residents at Warren Village weren’t homeless before, the amount of income the parents make annually is similar to those who are. What will you most remember about your Gold Award project? I will most remember my clothing event at Warren Village. It was such a large event, and it truly looked- and felt- like it was a clothing store. The event itself affected so many of the residents, and for that I cannot help but be proud of it. How will earning your Gold Award help you in your future? Earning my Gold Award gave me invaluable experience in being involved and leading a large project. This experience has prepared me so much for what to expect at college and whatever else I’m involved in in the future. Why do you feel the Gold Award is an important part of your Girl Scout experience? I have been a Girl Scout since kindergarten, and I have noticed that while earning my Gold Award, I was constantly using the skills that I learned and developed while being a Girl Scout these past 13 years. ***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 #HighestAwards

Submitted by Cortney Kern Travel gives you opportunities to learn about new cultures and meet new people. It is the mission of Global Girl Scouts of Colorado to provide unique opportunities for you to travel with your fellow Girl Scouts to amazing destinations. In 2017, you can visit Sydney’s Rocks District where European settlers first came ashore 200 years ago; travel the scenic coast; learn about Australia’s amazingly diverse marine biology; feed dolphins on Moreton Island; and see the Great Barrier Reef, nature’s largest living organism and home to 400 kinds of coral and 1,500 species of fish. Below is more information on how you can put your cookie money to use this season and get started on an amazing adventure! Lead chaperone of Global Girl Scouts is LeEllen Condry. Please contact her with any questions on travel at: nemoursLM@yahoo.com Pricing and Itinerary Information: (valid through March 31st) 2017 Tours: Sydney and the Great Barrier Reef- Enrollment, Current Pricing, and Tour Website Sydney and the Great Barrier Reef Itinerary *Note: Lunches (as noted on the itinerary) and a suggested tipping amount for the Tour Director, local guides, and bus drivers are not included. Every EF tour includes airfare, ground transportation, comfortable hotel accommodations, breakfast and dinner daily, a full-time tour director and local guides, and the most extensive safety and security regulations in the industry. EF also offers the lowest prices, guaranteed, as well as unparalleled support for Girl Scout Leaders, girls, and their parents, making it easy, safe, and affordable for your girls to experience the very best historic, cultural and natural sights in the world. How to Enroll: You can enroll online using the tour websites linked above. Each tour website has a pink button saying “Enroll On this Tour”. Click to start the online enrollment with EF now! Enrollment is $95 per person and locks in your total price. Payment: Travelers have the option to enroll with the manual payment plan or to sign-up for EF’s Automatic Payment Plan. This is a great way for families to make the trip more affordable!  I would recommend that your entire group enrolls on the Monthly Payment Plan – it is much easier to manage! Automatic Payment Plan -$95 Enrollment Fee -Automatic Monthly or bi-weekly Withdrawals until a month prior to departure -Can be supplemented with Fundraised Money to adjust Monthly Payment Amount OR Manual Payment Plan -$95 Initial Deposit -$50 maintenance fees -$150 due 60 days later -$150 20 months prior (fall 2014 for a 2016 summer tour) -$300 14 months prior (late spring 2015 for a 2016 summer tour) -$300 due 9 months prior (fall 2015 for a 2016 summer tour) -tour balance due 110 days prior to departure Money Earning: We also know that money-earning is a large part of planning a trip! From learning about goal-setting and budgeting to team-building and event-planning, girls can learn life skills while preparing for their tour. We have gathered many fundraising ideas and resources from our years of working with Group Leaders and Girl Scouts and we invite you to take a look: www.eftours.com/gsfundraising. #GirlScoutstravel #InternationalTravel #travel

Troop Camp is an amazing way to camp with your troop. If you missed registration for a Rendezvous, Troop Camps are also a great way to get to a camp with your troop and have a memorable outdoor experience. At Troop Camp, lodging, food, and programming is taken care of for you and your girls by the host site and/or volunteers running the camp. Here are recent changes with these two camps: 1. TC04 Gypsum Troop Camp: We’ve been working with our partner and they have changed our “back out” deadline to accommodate decision making for troops once they know what their cookie funds will be. We now have a little over a month more to get 50 girls registered for this camp (deadline for our goal has changed to April 27 from March 20). We hope that this new deadline gives troops more time to plan for and register for this camp! 2. TC06 Camp Jackson Troop Camp: Due to work with our partner, we have been able to lower the price to $160/girl Early Bird ($185 Regular Pricing) from $225/girl Early Bird ($250 Regular Pricing). We hope that this new price makes this camp more accessible to girls (we need 35 girls registered by July 10 to meet our goals for this camp). Here is a list of all of the Troop Camps we will offer this summer. Register your girl now for a Troop Camp!Camp NameDatesCost through 4/30Cost after May 1DescriptionAgesTC01, TC 03 & TC05 Meadow Mountain Ranch Troop camp6/12-14, 7/10-12, and 8/7-9$160$185Explore the wonders of MMR in Allenspark. This camp offers tabin lodging, meals (Fri. dinner-Sun. brunch + snacks), & activities: archery, hiking, teambuildilng, outdoor cooking, campfires & more! Troops will be led by GSCO staff & volunteers. This camp needs a min. of 25 girls by 5/29/15 to run. Questions? Contact Volunteer Outdoor Programs Manager, Haley.Peel@gscolorado.org.Brownie (2-3); Junior (4-5); Cadette (6-8)TC02 Lazy Acres Wilderness Wise Troop Camp6/26 to 28$70$95Learn outdoor survival skills with your troop at this volunteer-led troop camp at Lazy Acres near Rye. Program includes: basic outdoor skills, how to handle getting lost, skits, crafts, and nature exploration. Questions? Contact director Jill Marostica, jillmarostica@juno.com.Junior (4-5); Cadette (6-8)SH16 Sky High Troop Camp6/28 to 30$160$195Enjoy a staff-planned troop camp at Sky High Ranch. Activities may include: hikes, crafts, archery, campfires & more! Troop leaders are responsible for their campers at all times, and all program is planned and led by our amazing summer camp staff!Brownie (2-3); Junior (4-5); Cadette (6-8); Senior (9-10); Ambassador (11-12)TC04 Gypsum Troop Camp7/19 to 21$225$250Camp with your troop in the beautiful mountains in Gypsum, at the Spirit of Adventure Ranch. S.O.A.R., which offers teepee lodging, meals (Sun. dinner-Tues. lunch), & activities: archery, outdoor skills, rock climbing, pool time, low ropes course, astronomy & more! Juniors must be at least 10 years old to attend this camp. Questions, Contact Volunteer Outdoor Programs Manager Haley.Peel@gscolorado.org. This camp needs a minimum of 50 girls by 4/27/15 in order to run.Junior (4-5); Cadette (6-8); Senior (9-10); Ambassador (11-12)TC06 Camp Jackson Troop Camp8/9 to 11$160$185Camp with your troop in the beautiful mountains of Southern Colorado (near Rye). Camp Jackson offers cabin style lodging, meals (Sun. dinner – Tues. lunch), & activities: horseback riding, archery, canoeing, low ropes course, pool time, campfires & more! Register through CampInTouch;  Questions, Contact Volunteer Outdoor Programs Manager Haley.Peel@gscolorado.org. This camp needs a minimum of 35 girls by 7/10/15 in order to run.Brownie (2-3); Junior (4-5); Cadette (6-8) #camping #troopcamp #GypsumTroopCamp #YMCACampJackson #WesternSlope #SpiritofAdventureRanch #camp

All Girl Scout Alumnae are invited to join us for our birthday celebration on March 12 from noon to 3pm! We will celebrate the 103rd birthday of the Girl Scouts with lunch and a council update from GSCO President & CEO Stephanie Foote (to take place at 1pm). This is a great time to visit with Girl Scout friends and check out the GSCO archives display! Rsvp is required, please contact Heidi at 303-607-4833 or Heidi.books@gscolorado.org. #girlscoutsalumnae

What did you do for your Gold Award project? I adapted and created supplementary art education and curriculum for a local homeschool association. Why did you pursue this Gold Award project? I am very passionate about art education and wished to spread resources to make it easier for parents and teachers to make art education a part of their classroom. How did your Gold Award project make a difference? My Gold Award makes art education accessible, which improves right brain learning, inquisitiveness, creativity, and empathy. What skills did you gain through earning your Gold Award? I gained networking and professional skills. How did you make your project sustainable? The homeschool program I worked with uses cyclical curriculum, so by making art lessons related to the curriculum, they could be reused almost indefinitely. What was your connection to the national or global community? I’ve put all lessons I’ve written on a website accessible to the public as a resource to schools and homeschoolers. What will you most remember about your Gold Award project? I will most remember the excitement of the teachers on receiving lesson plans and materials. How will earning your Gold Award help you in your future? Not only have I made meaningful network connections, but because I want to go into the art field, I already have a completed project to attest to my dedication and skills. Why do you feel the Gold Award is an important part of your Girl Scout experience? It was a fitting end to twelve years of dedication to Girl Scouts. ***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 #ColoradoSprings #GoldAward #HighestAwards

What did you do for your Gold Award project? I built a six station “Fitness Course” around the perimeter of my high school campus. I raised all the money and I organized all the volunteers. Why did you pursue this Gold Award project? Everyone wants to get fit and in shape, many people spend time reading the fat diminisher review but everywhere you can get in shape charges membership dues and fees. I wanted to create a space, a place where anyone could go and exercise for free. Schools are stressful places for the staff and teachers. I wanted to create a path and trail where they could go on planning time and de-stress and get fit at the same time. How did your Gold Award project make a difference? I am most proud that we completed the course. The course looks great and it is a great gift to my community and to my school that I love. I made a difference for the staff and the students and my hometown. What skills did you gain through earning your Gold Award? I had to organize volunteers for the project. I learned to write grants and I learned to walk into businesses and ask for donations. I learned that I can direct a large scale project. How did you make your project sustainable? The equipment is maintenance free, but the school grounds crews have agreed to maintain the equipment if necessary and the grounds around the equipment. Mr. Christensen, the PRHS counselor, and track coach have also planned to continue the trail and course with future Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts looking for Eagle Scout and Gold Award projects. The future of the “Project Fitness” looks good. What was your connection to the national or global community? I involved my community members, businesses and made sure to purchase everything right here in my hometown. The people that helped, the students, the parents and teachers/coaches are all from the community and all believed in me and my project. The course is a huge benefit to our school and our community. What will you most remember about your Gold Award project? I developed a stronger sense of self. I gained practical life skills. How will earning your Gold Award help you in your future? I developed healthy relationships. I promoted cooperation and team building. I felt more connected to my community, locally and globally. Why do you feel the Gold Award is an important part of your Girl Scout experience? This Gold Award is the culmination of my scouting experience. I started with my Daisy troop in kindergarten and stayed in my same troop throughout my scouting years. I am proud that I completed my Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards. I am better able to organize my time and talents because of my experiences in Girl Scouts. I am using what I learned during the Gold Award in college and am proud to say that my new leadership skills allowed me to become one of the Manresa Orientation leaders at Xavier University during my sophomore year. ***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 #HighestAwards

What did you do for your Gold Award project? I led volunteers in sewing just over 100 blankets for babies in Neonatal Intensive Care Units at three hospitals in my area: SkyRidge Medical Center, The Children’s Hospital (Anschutz) and Castle Rock Adventist Hospital. Why did you pursue this Gold Award project? I noticed that the majority of organizations put in place in hospitals target cancer patients and children (ages 5 and up). These are wonderful causes, but I wanted to bring attention to a bit of a less well-known department, the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, so I formed my project around raising awareness for the families that have hospitalized infants. How did your Gold Award project make a difference? I think my blankets brightened up the day of the families in the NICU and I definitely saw nurses get excited about the blankets, but I thought my impact on the volunteers who helped was amazing. I showed them that just a simple act of kindness can impact people you would never meet. What skills did you gain through earning your Gold Award? I learned how to ask for help, especially in front of a lot of people. Before, I was nervous to speak in front of people, but I learned that almost everyone is willing to help if you only ask. I also became a better collaborator. I gained the skill of incorporating others’ ideas to make my overall project better. How did you make your project sustainable? In every blanket package, there is a flyer with directions for making the blanket for future babies, and a link to my blog was included also, so that the families could learn about my project and maybe be inspired to make their own blanket to give to another family. Luckily, I came across EmbroideryWithStyle.com to help a few of ladies who love to sew, and one of the ladies have already received and delivered a donation for her blanket. I think their continued love of sewing and my connections could make the blankets a recurring donation to NICUs. What was your connection to the national or global community? My blog was my main connection to the larger community. So far, it has received nearly 200 views, which is way more than I could have reached alone. What will you most remember about your Gold Award project? The most memorable part of my project was definitely seeing the reactions of the nurses. They were immediately excited about the product and idea, and they started giving them out as soon as I delivered them. How will earning your Gold Award help you in your future? Through earning my Gold Award, I learned that I can make a real difference in the lives of people that I wouldn’t otherwise meet if I’m passionate and dedicated enough. This confidence will help to drive me through any challenges I may face in the future, since now I know what I am capable of with help from others and a strong desire to make an impact. Why do you feel the Gold Award is an important part of your Girl Scout experience? I see the Gold Award as the culmination of what Girl Scouts is all about. It is a massive leadership and community service responsibility, and earning it was so important to me because I felt like I was taking all that I have learned in Girl Scouts and applying it to the real 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 #HighestAwards

What did you do for your Gold Award project? For my Gold Award project, I created a website for kids who are being cyberbullied where they can talk about their experience and get help. In addition, I created a unit of lesson plans for 4th – 6th grade teachers that teach what cyberbullying is, what to do about it, and how not to do it. Why did you pursue this Gold Award project? I came up with my project idea when I noticed that fights on social media started to carry over into my high school’s hallways as real fights. I also read stories about kids committing suicide because of cyberbullying. I wanted to do something to help. How did your Gold Award project make a difference? Through my project, I taught younger kids how to be careful and safe on the internet. I have also given kids a safe place to go on the internet if they are cyberbullied. I hope this makes a difference for a lot of kids. What skills did you gain through earning your Gold Award? By teaching lessons to elementary students, I increased my flexibility and adaptability which will help me as I pursue a teaching degree. How did you make your project sustainable? My project is sustainable because my Cyberbullying Unit lesson plans will be distributed throughout school districts in Colorado. Also, my website will continue indefinitely. What was your connection to the national or global community? Cyberbullying is the fastest growing form of harassment in the world. What will you most remember about your Gold Award project? The thing I will remember most about my project is the impact it will have on people. The stories that the kids shared with me about their experiences with cyberbullying really touched my heart. Also, I will remember how enthusiastic teachers were when they were given the lesson plans to use with their students. How will earning your Gold Award help you in your future? Since I hope to become a teacher, I hope my Gold Award project will help me get a teaching job some day. Why do you feel the Gold Award is an important part of your Girl Scout experience? The Gold Award is the top honor you can earn in Girl Scouts. It is the culmination of all the years of badges, projects, volunteer activities, and hard work. ***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 #HighestAwards

What did you do for your Gold Award project? I built a bird center on the grounds of my local library, in front of the window leading to the children’s center. Why did you pursue this Gold Award project? I pursued this project in order to get the children of my community reading, and to help fight illiteracy. How did your Gold Award project make a difference? My project draws in the local birds which adds one more reason for children to go to the library and pick up a book. What skills did you gain through earning your Gold Award? Working on the Gold Award helped me gain the confidence to communicate with members of my community to help work together towards a common goal. How did you make your project sustainable? I gave the library all the seed I could fit in to my budget and they will do drives to gather seed in the future. We also ensured that each part of the center would be strong enough to last through the high wind and tough storms we get in the winter. What was your connection to the national or global community? Illiteracy is a universal issue that has been hurting people all over the world for centuries. What will you most remember about your Gold Award project? The grand opening was one of the more memorable moments, all the kids who showed up left with a smile on their face. It was an amazing feeling to know I had changed my community for the better. How will earning your Gold Award help you in your future? I have used it to help get accepted into college, although I am currently enrolled into Pikes Peak Community College to save money, I did get accepted in to University of Colorado Colorado Springs and will transfer over in 2017. Why do you feel the Gold Award is an important part of your Girl Scout experience? The Gold Award was one of the last things I worked on as a Girl Scout. Although there was always people to lean on every step of the way, at the end of the day, it was my project. That gave me the confidence to know that I can tackle big obstacles that I could encounter as I begin to face the world as an adult. ***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 #ColoradoSprings #GoldAward #HighestAwards

Submitted by Linda Baker Young brainiacs across the country are invited to sign up for a new TV competition series that will test the mental agility of the nation’s smartest kids. Applicants should be intelligent individuals that are gifted academically, performing above their grade level. The competition will be celebratory and supportive, showcasing great young minds and their remarkable abilities, at the same time raising discussion about the educational needs of these unique children. Regional qualifying rounds will be held across the country this summer, with successful contestants progressing to a prestigious final round in the nation’s capital. The winner will be awarded a monetary prize to assist with future academic endeavors. Emmy nominated producers Shed Media, creators of  ‘Supernanny’, the genealogy series ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’ and ‘Child Genius’ have teamed up with a major broadcast network to make this exciting new series. If you are interested to learn more or have questions about the competition, please contact: Tessa Gogol at Shed Media, email:  tessa.gogol@gmail.com or call: 310-801-6090

Submitted by Deborah Kagan Centennial Denver Metro My husband, Ken, is the best cookie dad ever. He has volunteered happily with our girls who are now Seniors, since they were Daisies. He always made sure that the girls without dads received a “Me and my guy” patch by working a booth with him. He worked a booth in subzero temps, a blizzard, and cranky girls and bought a round of hot chocolate when they were done. He made signs to “bling” our booth and taught them merchandising to maximize their sales. He has signed into eBudde to make sure the girls had primo booth sites. He even gave up his garage one year for our troop cookies. He has done all this for our troop with a smile on his face. Without Mr. Ken, as the girls call him, Troop 2879 could not have gone to New York City in 2014 and to Europe in 2017 when they graduate from high school. He is the best cookie dad ever . This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too. #bestcookiedad