Feeling a little uncomfortable about in-person programs or troop meetings? Don’t worry, Girl Scouts doesn’t have to be put on pause, GSCO on the Go can keep your Girl Scouts engaged. We are gong to highlight our virtual programs coming up in January and February, but you can find all of our calendar listings on our events page. Badge Series: On your own pace badge program that provide activities for badge requirements that can be completed anywhere with little resources. Activities are found on a program-level specific Google Classroom that Girl Scouts can complete by themselves, with a caregiver, or even as a troop. January: Robotics Badges February: Financial Literacy Inspiring Futures presented by CollegeInvest: Live virtual program for Girl Scouts of all ages to engage with women in a variety of jobs, roles, and careers. Learn what a day in their life is like, how they got there, and whatever other questions you have for them! Daisy, Brownie, and Junior programs are from 5:00 – 6:00 PM MST, while Cadette, Senior, and Ambassadors are from 6:30- 7:30 PM MST. January 12 – Travel Advisor January 19 – Detective January 26 – Toy Designer February 10 – Paleontology February 16 – Auto Racing Mechanics … more programs in March, April, and May! Hangouts: Informal, live virtual program for Girl Scouts to engage with each other around a theme January 11- Junior Book Club “A Wolf Called Wander” January 12- Junior Jam: Hobbies & Virtual Games January 12 – Brownie Buddies: New Year Wishes Wand January 12- Daisy Flower House: STEM Bubble Cups January 12- DBJ Naturalist Hangout: New Year Wishes and Resolutions for Conservation January 25- Naturalist Hangout: Wilderness Wise with Pinecone Firestarter January 26- Cadette Book Club “First Light” January 26- Brownie Book Club “The Kingdom of Wrenly” … More programs in February, March, April, and May! Know Hows: Live virtual program to gain knowledge or skill in a specific area January 10 – JCSA Tools for Independence: Cooking Spaghetti Dinner January 11- DBJ Art: Resist Art Masterpieces January 25 – Brownie/Junior STEM : Engineering an edible DNA model January 25- Daisy STEM: Exploding Snow Buddy February 7- JCSA Tools for Independence: Babysitting with DIY Sit-Kits February 8- DBJ Art: Origami Monster Bookmarks February 22- Daisy Stem: Robot Hand February 22- Brownie/Junior STEM; Spectacular Planet Suncatchers Questions? Contact us at inquiry@gscolorado.org.

Hello leaders and families or Girl Scouts in 5th grade or higher this year! There are 6 spots left on an Orlando 2022 trip! These spots would be Girl Scouts only, there’s no further adult spaces at this time. They are looking at June at this time for travel. You can learn more about the trip here. If you would like more information please email girlscoutjody@gmail.com.

Join us for a fun filled cookie rally! Learn about the cookies with activities around financial literacy, cookie info, goal setting, and safety! You will also have the chance to see the prizes, taste the cookies, and do some ice skating! This event will take place: Date: Monday, Jan 17th, 2022 Time: 1:15 – 2:45 pm Place: Ice Centre at the Promenade 10710 Westminster Blvd, Westminster, CO 80020 (Masks required indoors by Jefferson County) Price: $10 per Girl Scout; $2 for skate rental for adults accompanying their Girl Scout Register here. If you have any questions, please contact Meredith at mltlocke@gmail.com.

We’re sure by now you have seen the U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on Protecting Youth Mental Health. While we might have our own red flags or alarm bells going off in our head, know that Girl Scouts of Colorado is here to help you and your Girl Scouts have conversations about mental wellness, express their feelings, and learn some tools to build their resiliency. As we go into the season where our Girl Scouts are at home and around us more, let’s use the resources we have available to meet them where they are at. For Adults: Subscribe to our new Mental Wellness YouTube channel to be notified when we update it with new video resources! Conversation Starter: Speak Out About Mental Health Join Girl Scouts of Colorado as we have an important conversation with Debbie Boeldt, deputy director at National Mental Health Innovation Center, University of Colorado Medical Campus talks through the clinical side of mental health and what as caregivers you can do to support the youth in your life. Conversation Starter: Youth Mental Health during COVID On January 26, 2021 we talked with Dr. Laura Anthony, a child psychologist at Children’s Hospital Colorado in the Pediatric Mental Health Institute and an Associate Professor at the CU Anschutz School of Medicine, about advice on how to recognize the warning signs that indicate your girls may be struggling due to the pressures of COVID-19. Importance of Mindfulness Learn from Meg Fredrick from the Mindfulness and Positivity Project on the importance of mindfulness. Mindfulness in Troop Setting Join Meg Fredrick from the Mindfulness and Positivity Project as she discusses practical ways for bringing mindfulness into troop meetings using hands on tools. Resilient. Ready. Strong. Patch training – available on gsLearn New GSUSA patch program to help you support your Girl Scout as they earn their Resilient.Ready.Strong. patch. Girl Scouts learn about 10 skill areas to help boost resilience. Insider tip: while only Girl Scouts can earn the patch, EVERYONE in your family can benefit from these skills. For Girl Scouts: Sisterhood of Support program (Cadette, Senior, and Ambassadors) We finish the Girl Scout Law by stating “be a sister to every Girl Scout,” affirming that we are here to support each other through the good and bad in life – just like a sister would. In this patch program we take the concept of the Girl Scout sisterhood of support and bring it to life for our Girl Scouts. In this patch program we will guide our Girl Scout Cadettes, Seniors, and Ambassadors (grades 6-12) through workshops that give them the skills and knowledge to support their peers in one of the biggest concerns facing youth: mental health. Leaders: want to access this curriculum for your whole troop? Go ahead and register yourself and we can make sure you get access to the google classroom. Register today to access the recorded lessons, resources, and to attend the upcoming LIVE sessions. Mental Health through a Girl Scout lens Start talking about mental health is through activities in our National Program Portfolio. We have compiled activities for each program level that can be found in our badges and Journeys. Don’t worry if your Girl Scout already earned the badge or Journey, the activities are great on their own! Resilient. Ready. Strong patch Life isn’t always easy, but dealing with tricky emotions doesn’t have to be so hard. Try activities from the Girl Scouts: Resilient. Ready. Strong. program to unlock a patch and strengthen your mental wellness. Nobody can snap their fingers and make the world all sunshine and lollipops, but you can take steps to be ready when things get tough. Make Kindness the Norm patch In the Kindness Challenge patch, Girl Scouts explore the power of kindness and how both receiving it and sharing it with others can truly change the world, one kind act at a time. Access the leader guide for Daisy, Brownie, Junior and the patch booklet for all program levels under the “Council Patches” section of anytime activities.

When we started Girl Scouts, my daughter Quinn could hardly look at a customer and get the words, “Would you like to buy a box of cookies” out of her tiny mouth. Three years later she was the top seller in our Service Unit because of her super seller attitude at the multiple booths she ran on her own (very minimal parent support) during a global pandemic. I could not be more proud of my Girl Scout.

Upcoming Events Spring Outdoor Skills Days: Join Troop 70007 for an outdoor skills learning day this spring to earn outdor skills badges and get ready for summer camping! Girl Scouts will learn skills in knife craft, compass, outdoor cooking, fire building, campsite set up, first aid and more. Register as a troop or Juliette with a parent chaperone, cost is $22/ girl. Questions? Contact girlscouttroop70007@gmail.com. More Information about each date at the links below: · April 2: Boulder Valley Church of Christ, Boulder · April 16: Heart of Longmont Church, Longmont · April 30: Good Shepard United Methodist, Thornton

Joanna Paul is a mom, toy creator and entrepreneur whose passion to create a toy that would come to life for kids, came from watching her own kids play. She brainstormed, shared her idea with friends and family to get feedback, and pitched her idea to get it made. The result, a plush toy that comes as a stuffed dog, bear or cat, each with six facial expressions called Whatitsface! She had no engineering education to build a toy that would allow for faces to turn and flip. So, her concept started with a sketch, the moved onto rough examples, then finally to a 3D printed model which she could then take to manufacturers to get an idea of pricing and production. Joanna also had to learn all about patent and trademark law, overseas manufacturing, distribution and logistics, and e-commerce. Wow! Join us on January 26 to learn about how she moved through the process of toy creation and the steps entrepreneurs take to jumpstart their idea for a product or service into a reality! Daisies will earn their Toy Business Designer Badge, Cadettes will hear from a Toy Designer (step 3). For everyone else – you’ll surely fulfill some Entrepreneur badge steps! Register today! Daisy, Brownie, Juniors – January 26 at 4 p.m. Cadette, Senior, Ambassadors – January 26 at 5 p.m. Check out the Whatitsface toy here. Find recorded sessions on our GSCO Inspiring Futures YouTube Channel.

Blessing Bags have been on the minds of the Girl Scout troops of Steamboat Springs. Members of local troops contributed gifts and goodies, healthy snacks, games, crafts and books to fill Blessing Bags for local clients of the Lift Up food bank. Over 40 bags were filled and donated to help make the holidays brighter for some friends and neighbors in our community who utilize the local Lift Up food bank. Girl Scout Troop 54538 coordinated the project and utilized some of their cookie money to fund some of the items for the bags. Thanks to the Lufkin Fund for Routt County Girl Scouts for also helping with this project!

Girl Scout Troop 54538/Seniors spread lots of holiday cheer on a recent weekend! Continuing a longstanding tradition of many years of connecting with this Care Facility, the troop was able to lead carols and singing with the Senior residents of Casey’s Pond. Residents were given holiday reindeer headbands to wear and keep. Along with the singing, craft kits and a beanbag toss game were shared as gifts to the residents to make and use throughout the season. Thanks to the Lufkin Fund for Routt County Girl Scouts for helping with this effort!

Stories, movies, and television are full of incredible detectives cracking mysteries and bringing criminals to justice! They jobs are essential, thrilling, and take critical skills. Let’s dive into the science of detecting in this Inspiring Futures Webinar with Criminal Investigator, Shannon Daly of Colorado’s 4th Judicial District Attorney’s Office. In her 19 years in Law Enforcement, she has been a K9 handler, Narcotics Detective, Rapid Response Team Member (SWAT), Defensive Tactics Instructor, and a Force Science Analyst! What does all this mean? We’ll find this out and about her education pathway into Law Enforcement! Activities will have us practicing the power of observation, communicating in code, fingerprinting ourselves, trying out detective science and following clues to solve a mystery! This Inspiring Futures event will be recorded with permission from our presenter. Only register if you can attend the live session. All sessions will be recorded and available for on-demand viewing through our GCSO Inspiring Futures YouTube Channel. Make sure to subscribe to the YouTube channel and blog so you are the first to know when new sessions are announced! This event will be held on Zoom. Meeting information will be available after registration. Register here: January 19 at 5 p.m. January 19 at 6:30 p.m.

11 cadettes from our GS troop snowshoed into Jays Hut this past weekend on top of Vail Pass and Shrine Mountain. Carrying sleeping bags, toiletries and light change of clothes, each girl snowshoes 2.7miles up to the hut. Once there we feasted on charcuterie, played competitive games of Nertz, had a charades match, and generally enjoyed each other’s company. Each girl had her own take on the adventure-our athletic 8th graders bounded up the hill while our smaller 6th graders brought up the rear. I’m proud to say there were no tears and all accomplished the task! We prepped our girls for this big adventure by doing a day-hike to Broome Hut last year, practicing with snowshoes, and hiking the distance of 2.7miles carrying a pack. Everyone believed in themselves and the sister support of each other was strong. We all wanted to do it together, and we did! Another adventure in the books for our troop!

DEI Updates from KG Kujjo (They/She), DEI Engagement Director Week of 12.13.21 Upcoming: LGBT 101 LIVE Training GSCO is partnering with Inside Out Youth Services to provide volunteers and staff with a 90-minute training that focuses on: Introduction to the LGBTQ+ community Terminology related to gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation Learning hetero-normative bias in community and workplace Beginning of allyship Sign up and encourage other volunteers to register. New: 2021 DEI Learning Tracker If you participated in any of the DEI events I’ve shared, please complete this quick form to tell us which event you attended to help us better understand staff interests and to track the number of professional development hours our GSCO team has spent on learning about DEI topics. Your input also helps with understanding how much to budget for staff development based on training costs. You can submit this form for in-person events or workshops, virtual learning opportunities, recorded webinars and trainings, self-paced virtual courses, and more. Current: Belong & Inclusion Survey The Belonging & Inclusion Surveyfor members and volunteers is still open until January 10th. The goal of this anonymous survey is to understand what members and volunteers want GSCO to implement to create a safe and welcoming experience for all Girl Scouts. You can support by circulating the survey or encouraging members/volunteers to complete it. Black History Month 2022 2022 is right around the corner. If you’d like to be part of planning Black History Month celebrations, please email KG Kujjo at kg.kujjo@gscolorado.org. Call to Action WHITE SUPREMACY CULTURE – HOME Read about the various characteristics of white supremacy and reflect on times you’ve witnessed this or upheld these behaviors at work and in your personal life. Understanding Microaggressions: How to Identify Them and When to Act Join this two-hour workshop on understanding microaggressions and how to intervene. Wednesday, December 15 from 6pm-8pm MST. Register HEREfor this free virtual event. Asian American Justice + Innovation Lab (AAJIL) is a social justice learning hub where activists and scholars offer free community education in the spirit of mutual aid and collective power. On December 15, AAJIL will host an educational workshop by Julice Chen that will focus on the ways microaggressions emerge and influence our daily lives and ways we can address them. A Q&A session will follow. Upcoming Opportunities LGBTQ 102 Tickets, Wed, Dec 15, 2021 at 5:00 PM | Eventbrite Inside Out Youth Services is offering a virtual LGBTQ 102 training. Click the link above to sign up (the registration fee is donation based). RaceTalk among White Families Post-Floyd. Now What? Thursday, December 16 at 6:30pm MST. Description: Join EmbraceRace for a conversation with two guests who discuss how to talk about race with young children after the murder of George Floyd. Click hereto reserve your spot. Once you register, you’ll receive a link to the recording, the transcript, and relevant resources in the days following the live event. Participants are encouraged to share this opportunity with their networks to spread the word. Community Healing: Practicing Skillful Speaking & Listening Tickets, Wed, Dec 15, 2021 at 12:00 PM | Eventbrite Wednesday, December 15 at 10am MST. Join Anu Gupta, the founder of BE MORE with Anu, for a candid, lunch-and-learn-style conversation on how building skillful communication can help you play a more powerful role in advancing racial equity. We’ll share and model tools that support our development as speakers and listeners inside and outside of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) spaces. We’ll also examine and troubleshoot barriers that might be coming up for folks practicing empathetic speaking and listening. In this session, we will build a safe and shame-free discussion container to openly discuss: Racial trauma and healing Tools that allow for communication rooted in empathy How skillful communication ladders up to support building and maintaining equitable communities Advancing Race Equity through Accountable Leadership Wednesday, December 15 from 11am-12:30pm MST. To empower individuals and organizations in identifying how their practices can create and sustain race equity experiences and outcomes within the social sector, inspiring leaders Monisha Kapila and Bianca Anderson, will share the new ProInspire Leadership Model for Race Equity Impact Their work addresses all the levels from which leaders can create impact: leadership of self, people, organizations and systems. This event is intended for: Nonprofit staff and volunteers, funders, donors, community members; self-identifying leaders of any level or experience; anyone interested in the topic of exploring a healthy nonprofit sector is welcome to attend. Register here. Making a Way: The Quest for Black Economic Empowerment Wednesday, December 15 at 11am MST. Description: Join Points of Light and Morehouse College part two in a series about the quest for black economic empowerment where we will build from the historical context to explore leadership today in creating businesses and environments for success in communities of color. The audience will learn what are today’s strategies for using entrepreneurship and business ownership as a pathway for building economic mobility. This session will share practical actions individuals, community and business leadership can do to impact this critical journey to equity. Register here. Is the STEM Pipeline Broken? Or Was It Built This Way? Wednesday, December 15 from 2pm-2:30pm MST. Join I Follow The Leader for a 25-minute “Courageous” Conversation with CEO & Principal Leader Antoinetta Mosley and special guest Dr. Leena Bakshi. Dr. Bakshi is the founder of STEM4Real, a nonprofit professional learning organization committed to combining STEM, standards-based content learning, and leadership with principles of equity and social justice. They will discuss how to cultivate an anti-racist school and classroom culture, the roadmap for STEM careers, and the similarities between the education system and corporate systems. Sign up here. PFLAG Connects: Black/African-American Community Meeting Tuesday, December 14 at 7pm MST. This is a 90-minute meeting to provide and receive support, specifically for Black/African-American community members. Note that these meetings are geared towards parents and family members of LGBTQ+ people from the Black/African-American community, though members of the LGBTQ+ community who identify as Black/African-American are welcome to join. Sign up here. PFLAG Connects: Communities AAPI Meeting Saturday, January 8th from 4-5:30pm MST. This is a 90-minute meeting to provide and receive support, specifically for Asian-American and Pacific Islander community members. If you’re part of the AAPI community and you’re a family member of an LGBTQ+ person – or an AAPI LGBTQ+ person yourself – you can REGISTER HERE. Health Equity Learning Series: An Evening with Isabel Wilkerson Tuesday, December 14 from 6pm-7pm MST. As part of its Health Equity Learning Seriesand in partnership with Tattered Cover Book Store, The Colorado Trust is pleased to invite you to attend a virtual discussion with Isabel Wilkerson, taking place Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2021 from 6-7 p.m. MST. Isabel Wilkerson, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Humanities Medal, is the author of the critically acclaimed New York Times bestsellers The Warmth of Other Suns and Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents. “Wilkerson’s work,” in the words of The American Prospect magazine, “is the missing puzzle piece of our country’s history.” Sign up here to attend. Advance registration is required, and space is strictly limited. Simultaneous Spanish interpretation will be available. Please note that this event will not be recorded. 2022 Entrepreneurial Class for Prospective Business Owners Thinking of starting a new business for the New Year? The Denver Office of Economic Development will be hosting another set of Entrepreneurship Classes starting in February. This in person, eight-week course starting on Wednesday, February 16th is ideal for anyone who wants to create their own business. Participants will engage in an in-depth curriculum exploring what they need to form their own business. Course elements include an overview of business types, the steps needed to research and start a business, and assisting participants in developing their own business plans. Classes include support from the Denver Office of Economic Development and ongoing access to class materials. For more information, contact Sable Schultz at sschultz@lgbtqcolorado.org. 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence Hollaback is offering daily Stand Up Bystander intervention trainings as part of the global 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence (November 25 – December 10). This is a worldwide campaign to raise awareness about the importance of ending violence and harassment against women. Trainings are available until December 28. Sign up here. Dismantling Racism 2022 Trainings Sign up for a free all-day Saturday workshop on Dismantling Racism offered by the Absalom Jones Episcopal Center for Racial Healing. The trainings are virtual and open to the public. There’s a 25-person cap for each session so spaces fill up fast. Sign up here. Anti-Colonialism Collective Book Club Tuesday, January 25 from 1pm-2pm MST. The Anti-Colonialism Collective (ACC) invites you to join our book club, graciously hosted by the Center for the Study of Racism, Social Justice & Health. ACC Book Club meetings take place on the last Tuesday of the month. For our January meeting, we will be reading Not a Nation of Immigrantsby Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz. The event link is provided after receipt of interest form. Email amcsorley@ucla.edu for more information. Brown Girl Dreaming: Exploring Identity and Belonging with Jacqueline Woodson Wednesday, February 2. Please join Facing History for a special virtual presentation from New York Timesbestselling author Jacqueline Woodson. In her acclaimed memoir, Brown Girl Dreaming, Ms. Woodson uses verse to tell her family story, recount her experience growing up amid the remnants of Jim Crow and the growing Civil Rights movement, and reflect on the joy of finding her voice through writing. Ms. Woodson will discuss her experiences and her writing, followed by a Q&A with questions from Facing History students. Reserve your spot here.