All of the Colorado Girl Scouts who have achieved Girl Scouts Highest Awards this year have done amazing things! With your accomplishments, you have shown yourselves to be leaders in your community and advocates for others. Girl Scouts of Colorado is very proud of you all and the example you set! Individual or combined Service Units are encouraged to plan celebrations honoring the highest awards recipients. Please contact your local Program Support Specialist for additional support.Silver Award Recipients March 2013 – September 2013 JuliettesEmily Loveland (Lakewood)Kristi Smola (Westminster)Madison Jordan  (Colorado Springs)Shania Chambers (Milliken)Troop 0015 – DenverAnna SandersBridget GalatyCorley Friesen-JohnsonLian  TeegardenLindsey QuintMallory AngstadtPhoebe BarrTroop 0031 – ThorntonCarissa FloresHailey BickfordJosephine MartinOlivia JohnsonQuinn HalgrimsonSamantha MartinShaela BurkertStephanie HardeeTroop 0093 – Colorado SpringsJacqueline DunnSkyler WilliamsTroop 0115 – LongmontAdrienne JacobiCourtney AshworthJennifer AshworthKatjia KlingbergMaddie WhitcombMegan WilliamsTroop 0149 – Grand Junction Kay Cee EdieVannessa WilsonTroop 0176 – Fort CollinsCarissa VosKatherine ColvinTroop 0195 – Colorado SpringsKiersten LyleTaylor  FortuneTroop 0202 – WindsorKaren MichelsKaylee PetersonLeslie MichelsTaylor BlanksTroop 0266 – LouisvilleIrina SweedlerTroop 0279 – DenverAbby CrossEmma Noel DeutschTroop 0301 – LakewoodAnnalie JanusJolene JanusRegan SnellgroveTroop 0305 – MonumentCurran  ChristensenJeanelle  KempMorgan  EdstromTroop 0387 – AuroraBrittany ArgoDanielle  FreelsEmily EmbletonKendra  HirschMackenzie BrowerMaddalena LawlessTori GardnerTroop 0441 – BoulderGrace  AndersonHannah AndersonKatya HirschMaryjane  SulkaTroop 0444 – ErieAvery DeClerkEmma HassmanGretchen RiedelLauren JensenNatasha StevensTroop 0520 – Colorado SpringsCheyanne BridgesEmily ScottMadison BollingerTroop 0548 – WestminsterBryana PribbleTroop 0635 – Colorado SpringsEmma  CurranTroop 0699 – ArvadaAleena GunterAllie WelchBrenna GiblinElaina  KelleyKenzie VierraSefra  HodgeTaylor CarlsonTroop 0738 – CentennialKammara WilliamsTroop 0922 – Colorado Springs Mackenzie CrawleyTroop 0925 – HugoAspen WentworthCatherine HaleTroop 0928 – Colorado SpringsJill RuaneTayler BaizeTroop 0931 – Colorado SpringsAddison KovalTroop 0958 – CentennialErin SmithTroop 1000 – AuroraCassidy  BashamHailee TawzerKatelyn ToddRachel HearnTroop 1189 – ParkerBrenna NelsonChristina BestLaura MurphyMishel  BestOlivia JonesSkye KonradTroop 1309 – LarkspurMadi MackeyTroop 1327 – Aurora Andrea  QualmanFaith  ManningJulie  MoningtonKatelynn  EcklesRachel  AmendVictoria  FedorcoTroop 1337 – BayfieldCynthia MartinTroop 1460 – LittletonAbigail HauseAnnamarie WrightLaurette SelleckLydia WatermanMaile StarrMychaela HodousTroop 1480 – MonumentTristyn  ParkTroop 1568 – Bayfield Hailey  ReddingTroop 1715 – HendersonFein JelahniJelahni FeinSkylar  EllisTroop 1721 – ArvadaBailee YoderEliana OkesonEmma AlbertoniMaddy CroyTroop 1966 – Highlands RanchAgathe JacobsenEmily JensenGrace MatseyMarina StatkevicusMauren  FitzsimmonsTroop 2012 – Colorado SpringsJulia UddenbergTaylor JamesTroop 2016 – ParkerSarah KlebiekoTroop 2079 – Highlands RanchAbby ConleyIsabella DempseyJenna WessonKylie ClarkMadelyn GraserSabrina ElsellTina GilbertTroop 2089 – Woodland ParkCora SpaldingHaylee MartinezTroop 2327 – ArvadaAshley BeardGenevieve LaRocqueLauren SwartzTroop 2540 – CentennialAbbey  WhiteCiara LangdonGrace PetroffJennifer DouglasMakayla RappMeghan AtwellRosie ClarkTessa MillerTroop 2636 – ArvadaChristina  SargentGeorgia JohnsonMadison CillessenNichole EspinosaTroop 2764 – ArvadaCora TaylorTroop 2782 – DenverAbigail MetscherCaitlin TimmonsLauren MacMillanSkylyr PhillipsTroop 2847 – Castle RockEstee MedberryTroop 2854 – AuroraChloe WrightDakota WeirMeghan McFerrenSydney CometTroop 2879 – CentennialKathleen  LaughtonTroop 3006 – Castle RockAbigail FeeneyAnna  HemphillAshley  HindsKatelynn GriffinKylie BargerKyra SmithMegan WalkerNoelle MasonTroop 3124 – ArvadaDebra ZerrRain YatesSara DukeJessica SmithTroop 3394 – Colorado SpringsAllison MagraneCaroline MellowJosie KellioneTroop 3544 – BoulderAnnikka TurmalaDina KnottEva KlauberJuliet SpitzPortia PrayTroop 3810 – Colorado SpringsBrooke BarberKaily KessingerKali NormandyTroop 4074 – YumaBrittany RossDestiny  SprouseTara HickmanTroop 4255 – Woodland ParkAlie KonczakAshley DelarmAspen DavisAutumn PivonkaKatie Patterson

All of the Colorado Girl Scouts who have achieved Girl Scouts Highest Awards this year have done amazing things! With your accomplishments, you have shown yourselves to be leaders in your community and advocates for others. Girl Scouts of Colorado is very proud of you all and the example you set! Individual or combined Service Units are encouraged to plan celebrations honoring the highest awards recipients. Please contact your local Program Support Specialist for additional support.Bronze Award Recipients March 2013 – September 2013 JuliettesAddison Holloway (Aurora)Anika Hake (Thornton)Troop 0054 – OlatheDesiree DunnRebecca TrickelVictoria GravestockTroop 0107 – RifleAlice ChappelleAmanda GreenAnnamarie GlidewellDankia EdwardsEmilee DemannGene NiederkornHannah BodrogiHelana GilstrapKaitlyn DelageMadison GlidewellMarinda JacobsRiley ClarkStephany GilstrapZoey LoyaTroop 0160 – Colorado SpringsMadeleine HasstedtTroop 0206 – Colorado SpringsAmelia (Mia) PepperEmma  MorrisTroop 0527 – YumaKatlyn ChapmanKayla MekelburgLeona PowellTroop 0540 – LittletonCourtney Damian- CampbellKatie HeathKayla  DavidsonKennedy ScottNikki  HulshofRachael HuxleySarah ColemanTroop 0572 – YumaAna GaytanTroop 0607 – Colorado SpringsGenavee BenjaminTroop 0619 – BroomfieldDanielle DukesKatharina ShurtleffMadison BlackburnTara McElwainTroop 0675 – BroomfieldMadison EnneyMika ZaharescuSam FlemingTroop 0682 – AuroraAdrienne HowellMaddison MeverdenTroop 0768 – GreeleyZvi GutierrezTroop 0784 – Highlands RanchAlli SeifferBella ScalaHannah KuskaJessica RumseySophia BauerTroop 0791 – WestminsterCaitlynn WoodSamantha GilloglyVivian GuerreroTroop 0840 – LeadvilleAbigail  HolmAlexis ThompsonHannah  HolmRebekah JefferySamantha HartmanTroop 0922 – Colorado SpringsMia  Mathis-DowningSanaa FordShante PumphreyTroop 0971 – ParkerAvery UnbehagenCamille SperoffEmily LockardKayla FairweatherMadeline CraigheadNatalie HanselTroop 0985 – NorthglennHaeley Williams-SmithHaydee RamirezJessica WassmerKatie WassmerMorgan MitchellSydnei LewisXandra LorenzYasmeen GuerreroTroop 1045 – AuroraAcelynn CoyAlexis BarrBrittney BurleyCampbell LeidChloe MooreJessica RobinsonKaitlyn ClawsonKatelyn FioreKatie NewtonKaylee SharonKylie WickstromPayton KnappSophia HicksTaylor BudajTroop 1080 – HaxtunEmma DuvallTroop 1192 – DoloresAutumn SteinbergerKourtney BarkhurstMadison RodriguezSydney PymTroop 1220 – MontroseHannah MetzgerJasmyne  AragonKelsee DixonLisa WelchTroop 1261 – BerthoudAmber HoltCallie HartelDaisy Anchondo-WegenerIsabella LucioKaitlin WhippleKarmin WhippleKimber BookLily BurtisMakayla BenningtonTaytlin HarrigfeldVictoria ThompsonTroop 1290 – Fort CollinsLily McAulayTroop 1337 – BayfieldAspen CassadyElla GavlinskiTrinadee MylroieTroop 1382 – SuperiorAnna LockerAnnie  LovrienCasey QuesadaJordan SetoKatie WilsonMaddie StallmanMaeve CarrollMakenna DennyMeghan MantzTroop 1400 – WestminsterAlyssa LuebkeCalista BergstromEmerson LewanGrace DiorioHaleigh KomoronskiJade BaylonJocelyn BurkeTroop 1417 – ThorntonAmanda WernerAshley MillerDanielle MayerJordyn SpechtJulia RichardLina TagestadMckenna BrewerTroop 1425 – Castle RockGrace CollinsGwendolyn RobinsonHailee CollierHannah  SchloteIsabella BryanKaitlyn ForteKati ReynoldsNatalie RobinsonTroop 1537 – Grand JunctionLanieve CoxTroop 1547 – Colorado SpringsAlexis TixAnna KramerBlake  PaxtonDanielle LeachDelaney HoytEmma PurdyMackenzie BlockMakenna EgloffMara ZajacMichelle KnudsonSavannah CloreSavannah SparksTroop 1685 – Highlands RanchAlexis BeckBrittney GriffithHailey LarsonMegan RaineyRachel MeadeTroop 1717 – Highlands RanchMarissa MyerTroop 1723 – AuroraAbigail StuartCeline NielsonGrace PerryJenny CarpenterKayla KingLily MessengerMakenzie Adams McDanielReese VensorSamantha StuartVicky EvansTroop 1745 – EvergreenAshlee KerberAvery  MurrayBecca PoplingerDelaney KeenerElizabeth  VermeulenHayley MateusKatherine HoodKathryn VermeulenKayleigh EvansKelsie GallagherLila Eve StaebellMarlety GarmanMireya  ZellnerRachel MoschRuthie  MoschTroop 1761 – EvergreenCorey O’KeefeElizabeth BakerEmma MahoneyGini McCartyKrista ChoateMegan ThompsonTroop 1888 – LittletonCorday  ZenzTroop 1893 – LongmontAdena SteinAlexis ReynoldsAnilyse LawsonBrynnley GrangerClaire BicknellGiana DitollaSara RaehalTroop 2004 – Grand JunctionKyla HeleySarah KralovecTroop 2044 – Highlands RanchMadison BrowningSydney BeckerTroop 2066 – LongmontAmanda GinCailyn EvelandRebecca FeitlerTroop 2112 – Castle RockBrooklyn HodgeMacy ShrefflerTroop 2135 – DenverDaniela DavilaFaith CarbajalIsabel BrowningKristen VeasleyLydia WilsonMadison CitronNiya RobinsonSamantha SmithTaleah BlinkeyTroop 2289 – Commerce CityBrooklyn SpillisGrace ByrnesJaydn SeamanKatie  StapletonKayla StephfanoMadison YoungMarissa YoungMegan SchultzNoelle OverstreetTroop 2393 – Colorado SpringsAnna RahnLauren FunstonSamantha ZinkTristyn FeltonTroop 2494 – ArvadaCassandra SternsEmma AlbertJade RyanKaris LinnetKatelyn KeelanTroop 2495 – Conifer Kassidy  ButlerTroop 2506 – Highlands RanchAmy RiderAshley BurtConstance BarrowsDanielle BlackJennah KleinJosie MartusKaitlin SnodgrassLindsay EngelbertMarguerite CollinsMaya GuessasZoe SiegelTroop 2510 – LakewoodAbby KennedyAva KurtinDaisy ShawElizaeth ThuerkEmma CavinessHannah FrazierJulia RohnerJulia TrujilloKailey MillerKaylin Van WanseeleMakayla KelleyMaya DavisMorgan JamesNicolle HollingsworthOlivia VanzeeTroop 2546 – CentennialAlexis LipsHannah HowellKaya BomarLillian LockyerMarly EstradaTroop 2556 – AuroraAmanda  KeoppenBailey LimbaughCharlie MeskimenDenice ArreolleElyse BradneyEmilee-Ann DutcherJerrica StylesNoelle LimbaughSavannah PhillipsTiffany SmithTroop 2569 – WestminsterDani PowellEmma GrazianoKayla EricksonLanie MaynardRachel MorenoSarah OlsonTroop 2619 – CortezMaricella FernandezNaomi  FishTroop 2627 – BroomfieldEmily BivrellTroop 2631 – NorthglennZoe LebouefTroop 2672 – LakewoodCampbell StackKatelynn WootenKendra  YostLindsey  HarelsonMadison HemplewhiteRachel  HollisSamantha  FlinchpaughSophia HollenbeckStella  MeillonStella  WrightTroop 2702 – CentennialKayla  ShoemakerTroop 2764 – ArvadaCora TaylorTroop 2797 – ParkerAvery HendrickIsabella DillmanJenna NewkirkKate ArnoldKayla GarinMeredith NelsenSamantha WhiteStephanie PayneTroop 2801 – LittletonHailey ForarTroop 2825 – WellingtonAvi AndersonDelaynie  GreimanEllie WebbGabby WeidemanRiley QuastSarah EisenachTroop 2827 – LittletonBriana Gonzalez EstevezCheyenne JoslinChloe TiellChloe WarrenElla  MarksHannah BehrenbruchJasmine PlancarteLauren HillMarie ZuehlkeMorgan LingerOlivia CoyTroop 2831 – Lone TreeAna LopezAnnika RennakerJamie  EllisNatalia LopezOlivia VelizSarah MitchellTroop 2849 – LafayetteAnnabel StewartClaire NewbyJulia GambonLucy PetersenNicole TouraultRachelle BridgestockRiley GeldeanZoe AdamsTroop 2851 – ParkerCarolyn DonovanChloee Atchison-ReynoldsIsabella CliffordKenzie RoachKira PetersenMeaghan MorrisSavannah RuizTroop 2885 – ParkerAdrienne SmythAmanda SalvatoreAurora LevyCheyenne HarrisEmily BudnackHannah WalkerJaelyn JenningsTroop 2916 – LittletonMorgan HeinOlivia BawdenOlivia BukerPeyton GilbertStephanie RussellTallulah  TorresTroop 3019 – Fort CollinsAinsley LotitoHeidi DavidSarah WaageTroop 3102 – ThorntonAllison WellerAnna – Louie DietzAnna SharplesHaley SchwabHannah DuncanIsabel Manchego-PenaJosephine FossacecaKayley SandersKinzie HeitmanMegan RoseNalina RodriguezTroop 3126 – Fort CollinsAlexia ArmatasAngelina WaltonIsabella NielsenMadeline ColvinMaile RheaReagan DameTroop 3265 – LongmontAlyssa LeeCaitlin LillyCana PeirceTroop 3323 – SuperiorCeleste LythgoeErin CitarellaGwen McgarryHaley FickerIndia TurnerJordan MygattTroop 3342 – CentennialAnna BurnsKate PangburnMeredith OrdonioTroop 3364 – ErieBirttany StendelMadison HarperSkylar TempelTroop 3374 – Colorado SpringsDawn DixonHailey BrooksKiara HarrisMindy GarnerNyah MunizSamantha RichardsonSofia KempVictoria StrahanTroop 3378 – LakewoodAbby BarmoreAllison DagliAllison LawrenceAmelia LewisAngela OrfordBecca PrimakBlythe HattenbachDestinie NewElla KramerJessica ShaullJillian StongleKarissa MayerMacie McIlvainSylvie LamontagneTessa CorcoranTroop 3396 – BoulderAlison ArrendondoBailee Von RoennCecily UreChelsea EakinsClara SmithErin KeownEvelyn Murphy – WelconishGrace GalanthayGrace MontleKatie CobbLili StevensLiliane VasquezM. Anna KatnikOlivia MontleRina RehbehnSacha RamirezSara GeorgeTroop 3418 – LittletonAlison BarrettJulia PapaianacheMegan SmithTroop 3459 – Pagosa SpringsAmber MerfeldAnnabelle BowlesCelia TaylorKaysey ArchuletaMackenzie PatanePeyton  BurnsTroop 3476 – AuroraAlison CahoonAmber AyleAva MarriottBrenna ReedHaleigh ThornhillHalle  MeulemansMary Grace DurocherMegan WhitlingMorgan BarberRachel RandolphTroop 3479 – Colorado SpringsHannah PompeiiTroop 3485 – Colorado SpringsRebecca WalewskiTroop 3499 – ArvadaElizabeth GuiducciLindsay WeberMadison Van DykePaige  MillerSabrina ReinwaldSarah KinnisonTroop 3516 – WestminsterDezirae FeistEvelynn BrackneyIsabel JensMadeline JensPeyton RoederSarah KelsoTroop 3520 – FrederickAbagail GoetzeAshley CongdonBriahna DavisCourtney StaffordEmily StewartHelene BradleyJamie LockhartJordan LawrenceKylie RosineMadison BlakeSofia McDanielSophia RedearthTroop 3526 – Highlands RanchAva RogersZoey PetersTroop 3573 – DenverAspen ReevesDayanna ArjonEllie McWhirterFiona GoeFiona ShoreGillian MillsHayley RedeckerJane KealeyLily  LoweLucy FranconeMicaiah SalazarMorgan WardPiper MolinsTess WidlerTroop 3582 – Fort CollinsChloe  PenticoGrace HarperMadigan  FinzMaya ShieldsRenata OrsiSammi BettsTess HureauTroop 3608 – CentennialMadison TellerSheree LarrabeeTroop 3631 – LongmontIsabella MendozaTroop 3641 – LamarAmber GilmoreAshley GilmoreHaven QuintanaJayme WoottenKaitlin HaslamKaitlyn LacostKionna  MartinezMichaela LovelessNicole SchaleOliva ThornWayttyn WollertTroop 3701 – Colorado SpringsAbbey JulianoBrooke EshbachCheyenne  BarattiElise YelvertonErin RuaneRilea EddinsTroop 3829 – DillonCamden GallenChristina KoetteritzJadyn VillaniJosephine JardonMackenzie SmitsMarina GancevaRilla LongSierra KelleyTaryn WadeTroop 3850 – LittletonTara HuthTroop 3870 – LakewoodJaya GallegosKylie KnutsonLois TaylorShelby MerchantSydney WidmanTroop 3871 – Colorado SpringsAlyssa BrennemanCassidy BoothCayleigh BoothEmma Van De KerkhoveErica LuceroJodi  ReedKinsey MooreLeah JesterMia LundgrenOlivia Van De KerkhoveTroop 3873 – MorrisonAshley HeilandCoral SmithHaley SimmonsJazlyn  CoronadoMadison CastorRobyn EdquistRyan GriffinShane TemanTroop 3874 – WestminsterBailey SimonEmily IsaacsonKayelee DuffKaylah MohrmannKaylee StahleckerMadelene KleinhansNevaeh OswaltNonnie FlemingRaina CarrilloViviana Olivas-HerreraTroop 4129 – Castle PinesAbby KohlCourtenay KrauseEmma GobleEmma McCaffreyJessica BentleyLale EdilNicole DawsonTierney KellishTroop 4262 – Colorado SpringsCadence SudingFaith CarinoJenifer MortimerKiley SharpeMolly Studebaker-ReedTeagan KeelerTroop 4271 – DenverAileen JonesDebra ZimmerMakenna SherryOlivia CornSamantha WilkinsSarahy Trejo-AmaroShaina WalshTroop 4294 – ArvadaAlyssa ForresterAnna RemberBrigitte ElmalehCarly JohnstoneCedar MastKatelyn HarkerKatie RowleyLauren JohnsonLogan JohnsonMeilan DowlingSage MayerSara LaydonSierra  DennisTroop 4313 – Steamboat SpringsAva ThielGrace HarrellJessica DiehlMaecey CrockerMegan WillsonSam KuceraTroop 4336 – ParkerAlexa GonzalezJordyn RobertsLia BonnellLyndsey FullerMolly ClausenRylie FlavinTroop 4353 – Colorado SpringsAlexis WhiteMadison ZakrajsekMcKenzie BournVanessa BeitleVictoria HughesTroop 4363 – Colorado SpringsAbigail HeiserAlina  MeyerKylee BrusoMeghan DollNikole  StanberyNylisah StewartSamantha ClausenTroop 4370 – DenverJoslyn StallmanTroop 4404 – GreeleyKayla Steele-TrosperTroop 4436 – Highlands RanchCaitlyn BranineTroop 4598 – Colorado SpringsHope ConvertMaliya Gillins #award #Bronze

Michaela (Kailey) Byrne Colorado Springs Cheyenne Mountain High School Faces Behind the Disease What did you do for your Gold Award project? I created signs that had pictures and a story about a person who had Cystic Fibrosis (CF) to be put up at Great Strides Walks in Colorado. To get participants for my project, I went to the Colorado Springs Walk and set-up a booth that explained my project and also advertised through the CF monthly newsletter and their Facebook page.  I asked the volunteers to answer questions about themselves like their favorites, family members, and what they want to be when they grew up.  I also asked for 1-3 pictures of them. I then created individual signs plus some positive reinforcement signs and a few about the disease itself. I enjoyed trading emails with the volunteers getting to know them a little. The signs were put up at three different walks in Colorado: Colorado Springs, Denver and Fort Collins. Why did you pursue this Gold Award project? I have been a Girl Scout since I was a Daisy, all the way up to Ambassador. I wanted to earn all three (Girl Scout Highest) awards. Two of my older brothers earned their Eagle Scout Award, so they inspired me to get my Gold Award. I am part of a group called National Charity League. We work with various charities. We volunteer at the Downs Syndrome’s Buddy Walk. It is there I saw the ideas for making signs to personalize the walk. I thought it was a great idea! I have a cousin with CF and have participated yearly in the Great Strides Walk. It is a cause that is close to my heart. I have watched her struggles, yet she is still just an average 9 year old.  I wanted to point out the people behind the disease. How did your Gold Award project make a difference? People with differences are thought of differently. Some people are afraid to look past the differences to see the similarities. I found a way to introduce people to some of the people they came out to support. I helped them see why they were there. I hoped I inspired people to go out and do what they want. To tell them to go for their goals by seeing others with challenges do what they love.    Sometimes people are afraid of differences, but I think my signs helped them see that people with CF are the same as people without CF. What skills did you gain through earning your Gold Award? I learned how to properly introduce myself in person and through email. I worked on my communication skills.  I learned about timing and organizing. I learned how to advertise and ask for things. What will you most remember about your Gold Award project? I think I will most remember the inspiring people with CF and hearing their stories. They were very helpful, and it was great to see even though they had a life threatening disease they follow their dreams, do what they want to do, and enjoy life. They do not let obstacles stand in their way; they are strong and go for their goals. Also I hoped that by showing the supporters what amazing people they are and how they follow their hearts, that anyone can do the same. This starts a whole chain reaction; if one person can see what these people are doing, that will inspire others to do what they want and so on.  I take pride in the fact that I got help inspire people to live life to the fullest. How will earning your Gold Award help you in your future? I like having new experiences. They usually teach me lessons, or I learn a little bit about myself.  I think the skills I learned will help me the most. I learned how to formally introduce myself, which will help me in a job interview or talking to clients for a future job. Organization and time management are skills everybody needs. I learned different ways of communicating, which is great because everybody communicates differently. I learned that although you might have a great plan in place, most likely you will have to make adjustments when unexpected events happen or people don’t react in the way you had planned. Why do you feel the Gold Award is an important part of your Girl Scout experience? I think it is important part of my Girl Scout experience because everybody benefits. I learned new skills and had fun experiences. It was very good to help others. It inspires other Girl Scouts to find a passion or cause and get to help out. #Colorado #ColoradoSprings #GirlScouts #GoldAward

Ailee Rowe Westminster Westminster High School Children Can Be Children What did you do for your Gold Award project? I designed and instituted a program in the local homeless shelter system to stimulate brain activity when not at school. Why did you pursue this Gold Award project? I grew up volunteering at Homeless Shelters, and the kids there always seem so alone. I wanted to make something that would help them connect with the world and make a change in their lives as well. How did your Gold Award project make a difference? Encouraging active thinking outside of school improves literacy rates and learning in general. Hopefully these children will engage their brains more and more outside of school in fun ways, making it easy to learn and create. What skills did you gain through earning your Gold Award? I learned about communication and organizing schedules. It is not nearly as simple as it sounds. What will you most remember about your Gold Award project? One evening, one of the children taught me a card game. He was absolutely delighted when he won. Little moments like that make all the difference, which is why I will remember them. How will earning your Gold Award help you in your future? It taught me practical skills, some of which I severely lacked, like being able to talk on the telephone, and contacting people I’d never met. These are valuable skills no matter what you do in life. Why do you feel the Gold Award is an important part of your Girl Scout experience? Girl Scouts encourages female leadership, but it is hard to fully embrace this without being a leader in the greatest capacity in something you are impassioned about. It was the paramount of my experience, and I’m very glad to have completed it. #Colorado #GirlScouts #GoldAward #Westminster

Alisa Toland Littleton Chatfield Senior High School Eyes on Uganda What did you do for your Gold Award project? Educated people about the poverty in Uganda as well as collected reading glasses to help the women in the bead for life program  to help make their life a little bit better and so they could see. Why did you pursue this Gold Award project? I pursued my Gold Award project because I was having a conversation with someone, and we were talking about bead for life and how most of the women in their program can’t see because they don’t have glasses. I wanted to help them out, but also educate the community about Uganda. How did your Gold Award project make a difference? My Gold project made a difference because I was able to change people’s lives by sending the glasses to Uganda and also because it made the people I educated about Uganda have a different perspective on life. What skills did you gain through earning your Gold Award? The skills I gained  through my Gold Award project would  be  public speaking skills, more leadership skills and some more organization skills. What will you most remember about your Gold Award project? What I will remember most about my Gold Award project would have to be some of the looks on peoples faces while I was doing the educational pieces. How will earning your Gold Award help you in your future? Earning my Gold Award will help me in the future by giving me more confidence when I have to speak to a room full of people I don’t even know. It will also help me by all the leadership skills I gained, and I am not afraid to walk into a room full of people and tell them “ok this is what I need  done.” Why do you feel the Gold Award is an important part of your Girl Scout experience? Because it’s the highest award you can earn in  Girl Scouts and you have to work hard for it! #Colorado #GirlScouts #GoldAward #Littleton

Katie Maes Evergreen Evergreen High School Mercantile Music What did you do for your Gold Award project? I made a CD of old hymns and folk songs for the Hiwan Homestead Museum. The staff has been wanting to add something to the Mercantile Store, so that’s how I helped. They want the tours to feel in the time of the Homestead. They wanted more than just a look and see feel for the museum, they also wanted a multi-sensory idea; I wanted to focus on the hearing sense. What I did was record some songs, put them into a computer software where I could put all the songs together into one long recording, and changed the sound of the music. I also made a bookmark listing the songs I recorded for the Homestead staff to keep and hand out during tours. Why did you pursue this Gold Award project? I’ve been in Girl Scouts for thirteen years, and I have earned my Bronze and Silver Awards, I wanted to go all the way and earn everything I can in Girl Scouts. Plus my mother really wanted me to earn it. How did your Gold Award project make a difference? The staff has already incorporated the CD in with their tours, along with the bookmarks. After I print a bunch of them, I’ll copy the document over to the Homestead staff for them to keep and make more if needed. Andy Spencer says, “Katie’s contribution is massive. The original music brings a whole new dimension to our programming and the authentic sounds and songs transport our visitors back in time. It allows everyone to better connect with history and therefore be better informed as to the ever growing need to preserve our historical assets and memories.” What skills did you gain through earning your Gold Award? I learned how to use a recording device, how to use a soundboard, and how to put all the recordings into one long CD on the computer. What will you most remember about your Gold Award project? What I will remember most is how much I wanted to give up because I started it too late and ran out of time to do everything. But in the end, I got everything done and it turned out really well. How will earning your Gold Award help you in your future? It will be something interesting and unique to have on my resume when I apply for colleges and future jobs. Why do you feel the Gold Award is an important part of your Girl Scout experience? The Gold Award is an important part of Girl Scouts, because its the same as a Boy Scout getting their Eagle Scout- its the highest and best thing you can do, we grow up in scouting, we might as well go all the way, plus we make a difference in the world. #Colorado #evergreen #GirlScouts #GoldAward

Selena Wellington Fort Collins Rocky Mountain High School Preventing Genocide What did you do for your Gold Award project? My project was split into two major parts. The first was a series of presentations that taught the audience what genocide is, where it still happens, how it happens, and how to stop it. I ultimately reached 170 adults and 200 middle school students. Each audience member also made a pledge following the presentation of what they would do to fight genocide and defend human rights.  The second part of my project was a video about Matthew Shepard used to illustrate how basic intolerance can lead to devastating consequences. This video was shown and discussed in every homeroom at my high school, reaching about 2100 students.  Here is a link to the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOTRaRPH_ZM. Why did you pursue this Gold Award project? Ever since I was in 8th grade I’ve been passionate about human rights and ending violations of human rights. It started when one of my good friends visited Auschwitz, a concentration camp from the Holocaust. When I saw her pictures, I was horrified, but also inspired to write poetry about the Holocaust and learn more about it. I read books, watched movies, visited websites, and later I started learning about other genocides.  Also in 8th grade, I watched a movie in my English class called Paper Clips about a school group in Tennessee who learned about the Holocaust for the first time. After learning, they were so horrified and inspired they decided to collect 11 million paper clips to represent every life lost in the Holocaust. During World War II the paper clip was worn by Norwegians to show they were anti-Nazi, but after this school group did their project, the paper clip came to represent more than that; it represented remembrance but also commitment to defend human rights and prevent future genocides. Nearly every day since then, I have worn a paper clip.  When deciding to pursue this award, I knew my topic was going to revolve around genocide, but it gradually grew bigger and bigger and encompassed basic human rights everywhere, which was a natural transition to me, because all genocides find their roots in basic intolerance. How did your Gold Award project make a difference? The difference I made was evident in every audience member. I collected pledges with what my audience members would do as a result of my project. While some gave little commitment, I was pleased with the way they began a small passion for the topic as I had. One middle school student said, “I will do my best to stand up to bullies for myself and others to start on a small scale. I will also write a letter to someone in power and/or write an article on the link between bullying and genocide.” From an adult: “I will give bullying flyers to the teachers and family members with kids [at my rotary club] and be more aware of dehumanizing comments and ‘jokes.’” The immediate impact of this project is bringing together the community about a global but also very local issue. Going into Webber Middle School for presentations, Sonja Modesti mentioned that including bullying and basic intolerance in my presentation was very topical for the school at the time because several students had actually been suspended for bullying. In the Middle School setting it made students realize that their negative actions can have much bigger consequences beyond just schoolyard bullying, and based on the discussion and feedback I got, the classes really seemed to build off each other’s ideas on how to stop this issue as a class. For my high school, the immediate impact was similar to the Middle School. The video sparked discussion about intolerance, but also led to more wide scale discussions about hate crimes and even genocide.   While I mostly focused on rotary clubs in the community, the immediate impact is picking at the brains of adults who may have not been aware of these issues at all.  In the near future, I hope the impact of this project will be further education regarding these topics. Immediately, only the people I spoke to were affected, but everyone I spoke to made a pledge, whether it was to stop bullying when they see it happen or start writing letters to legislatures. If the people who listened to my presentation stay true to their pledges, the near future will be working towards a community that does not accept intolerance as a basic social norm. Many adults pledged to inform the children in their lives, which will spread more tolerance throughout the community’s schools. If the video and discussion is used for many years to come, at Rocky Mountain High School, we will have a community focused on defending one another against intolerance and dehumanization.  The long term impact of my project is that, rather than having a community working towards tolerance, we have a community focused on accepting everyone in it for who he or she is. This is the ultimate goal of the project, and while it takes much more than just my project to get there, my project gave the opportunity for people to open their eyes and start working towards a more accepting community. If our community members truly work together to fight issues of intolerance, I hope it will inspire other communities as well or maybe even the government to make more of an effort to create a nation with “liberty and justice for all.” What skills did you gain through earning your Gold Award? Through my project, I ultimately grew as a leader. I became more convicted in my abilities to be inspiring, contributing to a stronger sense of self. I think this is the ultimate quality a leader must have, because one person cannot do everything, so leaders must be inspirational; they must be able to inspire others to believe in their mission and help them towards their goals. Throughout this project, I acquired much more conviction in my ability to speak but also my beliefs in human rights. At the start of the project, I wasn’t sure how much I wanted to stick my neck out, but now I realize that to be a convincing speaker, you need to be offensive. You need to state your beliefs on the issue without worrying about who is going to disagree with you.  Another example of my growth as a leader is my ability to bring people together, which is certainly a practical life skill. I collaborated a lot throughout this project, and I couldn’t have done it without all the help I received. I was able to convince people in the importance of my project, and as I result I got 25+ high school students to say a line in a potentially controversial video that would be shown to the whole school. One student even memorized a 6 minute monologue to help me. I got in touch with actors, one who had performed on Broadway (Jonathan Farwell) to help me for free. This ability to reach out to others helped me grow as a leader, because like I said, one person can’t do it all. I grew as a person in my ability to approach huge challenges. Tackling genocide is no easy task; even tackling basic intolerance is overwhelming. I know some people challenged me in saying things along the lines of, “But violence is a part of human nature” or “Bullying will always be an issue.” I countered these people by saying that excusing human rights abuses as “part of human nature” is simply giving up. Regardless of whether this issue is a tendency of human nature doesn’t affect how we respond to it; we still need to fight it. In fact, I’d say we need to fight violence and bullying even more if it is a result of human nature. This project definitely helped me realize that anything you think is possible can be tackled with small steps. This realization will help me seek more challenges in the future.  In terms of positive values, I think I developed these to an even greater amount. One example of this is the decision to stick my neck out and defend the rights for LGBT people even if it would result in some audience members shutting out what I had to say. I learned that you have to stay true to your values and you can’t please everyone, but if you are always genuine, you’ll always believe in what you’re doing. Believing in human rights and fighting dehumanization was something that was with me even before the project, but I think taking on this project helped me believe more in possibility to change things that have seemingly always been a part of human culture and society. I learned not to brush problems away that are hard to fix, but do everything I can to try to fix them. I developed critical thinking in the way I approached the issue of genocide and intolerance. Before beginning the project, I read a lot of books about genocide, intolerance, and related issues. This helped develop my critical thinking on the subject by opening my eyes to what other people were already saying and suggesting. I synthesized this information to make a compelling argument for what the common person could do. My critical thinking was also developed in designing the presentation for Middle School students. Obviously this is a very heavy topic, and the students I was presenting to were just learning what genocide is. I think by combining activities that spark the empathy of the students and activities that cause the students to believe in their power to make change happen, I developed a powerful curriculum. What will you most remember about your Gold Award project? After my first presentation for adults that weren’t Girl Scouts, a woman came up to me and said something along the lines of, “You know, I’m a lesbian and I know Judy Shepard, and what you’re doing just gives me so much hope.” At that point in the presentation, I’d been slightly off-put by a man who had asked “How many people need to be killed for it to be a genocide?” and him responding in a rather negative way to my presentation. That woman’s comment stuck with me for the duration of the project, and will probably stick with me for the rest of my life. It reminded me that I am putting my neck out there, and not everyone is going to agree with what I say, but there are people that are far more moved and inspired by me than those who shut out what I say. Her words kept me going when facing more adversary in later speeches. How will earning your Gold Award help you in your future? Besides putting this on a resume, my Gold Award really expanded my realm of possibility. Genocide seems unstoppable, like hatred, like intolerance, like bullying. My project made me realize that regardless of whether it ever stops, we can do a lot to make a difference and improve the lives of those dehumanized. This realization will stay with me, wherever my future may take me.   Beyond that, my project helped significantly expand my leadership skills (as described above), whether through public speaking, reaching out for help, or trying to inspire. I have a better grasp on what it means to inspire a crowd to do something. Why do you feel the Gold Award is an important part of your Girl Scout experience? The Gold Award was incredibly important for my Girl Scout experience because it put everything we do into perspective. Yes, we go camping and some troops go on international trips, but Girl Scouts really is an organization dedicated toward the betterment of the world. By completing my project, I grasped what it means to try to better the world, to dedicate all your energy and creativity into fighting one issue. This was crucial for my experience because it made me realize, that although I  may not always be in a Girl Scout troop, I am still dedicated towards living like a Girl Scout. #Colorado #FortCollins #GirlScouts #GoldAward

Thank you to everyone who attended our Durango fundraising event on Friday evening, Oct. 18th. This fun event called “Betty Girl Scout Happy Hour” paired Girl Scout Cookies with beer crafted by our location hosts, Ska Brewing Company. Nearly 40 community members, including Girl Scout alumnae, attended and helped raise $1,500+ for Girl Scout programs in the area. The event also featured a silent auction. Ska Brewing Company looks forward to partnering with Girl Scouts on future events! #Durango #fundraisingevent #GirlScouts #SkaBrewingCompany #Colorado

Girl Scouts of Colorado was honored at the Bronze Award level from the Colorado Environmental Leadership Program at an event last Thursday, October 17. Below are pictures of GSCO staff Kristin Courington and Nicole Eubanks with Lynette Myers, Administrator of the Colorado ELP and Mike Nelson from Channel 7 who was the event MC. GSCO was given this award for the great Forever Green projects that girls have done around the state and our dedication to environmental education. Girls, please continue to register your environmental projects on the Forever Green Project page. http://www.girlscouts.org/gsforevergreen/default.asp #ForeverGreen #award #GirlScouts #ColoradoEnvironmentalLeadershipProgram #Colorado

I wanted to share this article from the Denver Post because it illustrates how the process of assessment and action regarding the damage at Kiwa Korral is, and will continue to be, slow. We can only imagine how frustrating this is for people whose homes have been lost or damaged. Our hearts go out to them. http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_24326790/one-month-out-no-firm-account-colorado-flood Read the full updates on Kiwa Korral. #floods #GSCOproperty #KiwaKorral

Girl Scouts of Colorado’s CEO Stephanie Foote helped induct the first class of Girl Scout Women of Distinction on the Western Slope at a breakfast on Tuesday morning, Oct. 15, at the Western Colorado Center for the Arts in Grand Junction. This year’s honorees were Lois Dunn, Real Estate Broker, Invest in Colorado West, Inc., Teresa Coons, Executive Director, Math and Science Center, and Lisa Boyd, Co-Owner, No Coast Sushi. A special thank you to Susan Alvillar and WPX, The Western Colorado Center for the Arts, and Cowboy and the Rose for hosting the first annual Grand Junction Girl Scouts Women of Distinction. The event raised more than $1,000 for local Girl Scout programming. Donations can still be made in honor of this program at girlscoutsofcolorado.org/donate. Girl Scout Women of Distinction are chosen based on their contributions to the community, both professionally and personally. They commit to supporting Girl Scouts of Colorado and serving Girl Scouts today. The Girl Scouts Women of Distinction program is active in other parts of Colorado, including Colorado Springs and Denver. More than 400 women throughout the state have been recognized and have raised more than $2 million in the last 20 years for Girl Scout leadership programs. Learn more about Girl Scouts of Colorado’s Women of Distinction program. View more photos from the event #women #GrandJunction #WesternSlope #fundraisingevent #WomenofDistinction #GirlScouts #Colorado #leadership

On Saturday, Oct. 12th, the Denver Elks Lodge #17 honored one of my favorite Denver metro area Girl Scout volunteers, Leslee Randolph, with the Citizen of the Year Award. Leslee is one of the first volunteers I met when I started working at Girl Scouts of Colorado nine years ago. At the time she was leading the Girl Scout troop who helped Colorado adopt a State Rock, the Yule Marble. Leslee has been serving the community through Girl Scouts since 1996, making this her 17th year with Girl Scouts of Colorado! During that time she has helped mold and inspire countless girls and women to be leaders in their communities. Currently, Leslee serves as Service Unit Manager in her area, Denver Gold Award Committee Chair and Troop Mentor. She started as a parent volunteer in 1996, became a leader in 2000, then joined as a Service Unit Manager soon after. She has graduated two troops, represents Girl Scouting to the community through events, and ensures that supportive services are provided to girls, parents and volunteers. As Service Unit Manager (the highest position in the unit), she manages, supports and guides a team of volunteers to deliver a quality Girl Scout experience for all Girl Scouts, adults and girls alike. As Gold Award Committee Chair for Denver, she is great at working with the girls and goes above and beyond to mentor them in a really effective way. She is also a mentor to others on the committee and has helped train new members in what high quality Gold Award projects look like and how to work with girls on enhancing their projects. It’s been a true pleasure for myself, as well as the other staff at Girl Scouts of Colorado to work with Leslee through the years. She’s very passionate and fun to be around. Her enthusiasm for Girl Scouts and volunteering is contagious, and we can’t think of a better representative of what Girls Scouts is all about! Congratulations, Leslee! Thank you for your continued service to Girl Scouting, and we look forward to working with you for many years ahead! #DenverElksLodge17 #awards #GirlScoutvolunteers #GirlScouts #Colorado #volunteers