Submitted by Evie Adams Northern & Northeastern CO Erie What Girl Scouts means to me is having fun and going on adventures with my sisters. I was inspired by the girls in my family. My mom was a Girl Scout. Both of my cousins graduated Girl Scouts as Ambassadors and my aunt was a troop leader. As a Girl Scout, I hope to do more fun learning activities with my troop to grow as a person. I’m also looking forward to leading a Zoom Girl Scout meeting with a few of my sisters. We want to hear how your girl is using her Girl Scout skills by taking initiative, caring for the community, and Girl Scouting at home. She can send in her story here. #erie #NorthernampNortheasternCO

Submitted by Makayla K., Girl Scout Gold Award candidate Metro Denver Arvada When I was 10-years-old, my aunt passed away after a 13 year battle with Type 1 Diabetes. She was 26-years-old and at the time one of my closest friends. I set to work to start a non-profit and roughly two years later, One Monkey’s Miracle was registered with the IRS and State of Colorado. It was a long process. Our very first fundraiser was a virtual road race that allowed me to pay all the fees and start saving as well. Our goal is to find ways to help newly diagnosed children and ultimately help families who struggle with the high cost of diabetic supplies. We’ve held several fundraisers since 2015 and I managed to tie my Silver Award into my non-profit as well. Now, that I’m working on my Gold Award, I am again tying it into my non-profit by hosting a golf tournament where all earned funds will go to my non-profit and in turn the Barbara Davis Center in Aurora. My tournament, Golfing for a Miracle, will be held this summer at Willis Case Golf Course in Denver on June 5, 2021. We are limiting the registration for our first year to 52 people (or 2 groups of 26) to further tie it back to why I started this journey so long ago. I am constantly working to get sponsors for the tournament. One we have on lock is Dixon Golf. They will come out and set up several games/contests for registered golfers. The registration fee for the tournament is $100 per golfer and includes green fees, cart, as well as lunch (due to COVID lunch may be a grab and go, we will know more as we get closer to the event). We will have updates about sponsors and more on our Facebook group page as well as our website (https://onemonkeysmiracle.wixsite.com/onemonkeysmiracle). We welcome those of all abilities to join us in June for the first Golfing for a Miracle! 40963104_omm_golf_tournament2 We want to hear how your girl is using her Girl Scout skills by taking initiative, caring for the community, and Girl Scouting at home. She can send in her story here. #Arvada #HighestAwards #BarbaraDavisCenter #WillisCaseGolfCourse #GSCOevents #SilverAward #OneMonkeysMiracle #GirlScoutGoldAwardProject #SilverAwardGirlScout #Aurora #GirlScoutSilverAward #Denver #Type1Diabetes #GoldAwardProject #MetroDenver #GirlScoutGoldAwardcandidate #TakeAction #golf #GolfingforaMiracle

What did you do for your Gold Award project? “What do you want to be when you grow up?”  A question easily answered by a 5-year-old, but more daunting as a high schooler, when truly faced with finding your initial career path. This problem inspired me to create an online resource website, www.mycareerconnections.com, that gives high school students a personal, insightful look at numerous careers available throughout society.  Overall, the project is geared to bridging the gap between the students who want to explore careers and the professionals in the community who wish to educate students about their careers. How did you measure the impact your Gold Award project made on your target audience? Students’ usage is measured through the number of views of the videos contained on the website, and the professionals’ positive responses are measured from feedback both verbally and through emails after the numerous presentations I gave to local business clubs.  The repeated requests from new individuals wanting to be interviewed and included on the website also indicate a positive impact among my audience.  Also, included on the website is a “get-in-touch” area where students and professionals can send direct feedback regarding the website. How is your project sustainable? How will your project continue to impact after your involvement? Sustainability exists because my website is linked to my school’s counseling website and my district’s Career & Technical Education website where students can use this resource for many years to come. The director of the CTE department is also planning on linking this website to other schools in the district through their counseling departments as well. What is your project’s global and/or national connection? National exposure exists through my cousin, a high school teacher in North Carolina, who also presented the website to her students for their usage.  After one Rotary presentation I gave, a gentleman approached me about expanding this worldwide because to quote him, “This is a struggle kids worldwide have.” Even though I am “done” with my project, I am exploring the possibility of expanding this further with assistance from some of the Rotary members. What did you learn about yourself? I have learned more from this project than any class could ever teach me.  Specifically, I have learned: the effective way to communicate with adults through emails and in conversation, that persistence is powerful and sometimes “no” does not mean “no,” but rather “not now,” and a good leader has a good team. I also gained a clearer understanding of what my future career may entail, definitely a career using my presentation skills because I love being in front of an “audience.” How will earning your Gold Award impact you in the future? Through earning my Gold Award, I bridged the gap between the student and the adult world, and I believe this will only help me as I move forward in college. No longer will I view adults as the only ones with all the answers to questions.  I have learned they have also sometimes struggled to find their answers too. This places me on the same plane as my college professors. It removes the barrier of them being someone above me, but rather someone who is beside me, helping me to realize the future waiting for me. Why do you feel the Gold Award was an important part of your Girl Scout experience? Reflecting on my Girl Scout years, I believe earning the Gold Award brought all of the skills I learned through the various badges earned, the camp-outs enjoyed, and cookie selling successes to one big test. The other girls in my troop have and will continue to be very important people in my life, and we all supported each other towards earning our individual Gold Awards. Now, celebrating our achievements together as we all graduate high school will be the cherry on top of 12 wonderful years together. How did earning your Gold Award help you become a G.I.R.L. (go-getter, innovator, risk-taker, leader)? Without a doubt, this project helped me become a G.I.R.L. G –Go-getter: By consistently reaching out to numerous professionals for interviews. I – Innovator: Expanding my tech skills through building a website for the first time ever! R – Risk-taker: I took a risk that I could complete this project and honor all of the professionals’ time they had given me through their interviews. You have to believe in yourself – even if you think you have “bitten off more than you can chew!” L – Leader: Finally, through all of the presentations I gave, adults viewed me as a leader among my peers. My hope remains, that when students visit my website, they will feel inspired and optimistic about the next chapter of their lives, and most importantly, confident in their career aspirations. **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 #CoronadoHighSchool #ColoradoSprings #ColoradoSpringsSchoolDistrict11 #GoldAwardGirlScout #GirlScoutGoldAward #PikesPeak

What did you do for your Gold Award project? I created Katie’s Bookcase. The goal was to collect books needed for the foster care visitation rooms at the  visitation center in Boulder County. The reason books are so important is that they are a great way for parents and children to connect, especially when they are in out of home placement. How did you measure the impact your Gold Award project made on your target audience? I set an initial goal of collecting 75 new or gently used children’s books. In the end I collected more than 100, I also received monetary donations that enabled me to purchase book storage for each of the four rooms and labels for the books. The visitation supervisors will be able to send books home with children and/or parents, so that they can be used during virtual visits during this pandemic. How is your project sustainable? How will your project continue to impact after your involvement? Katie’s Bookcase provides a direct link to the local Girl Scout community. Boulder County Social Services has been provided contact information so that going forward they can contact the local Girl Scout service unit when they need donations of any kind, or another service project. Girl Scouts are always looking for service projects that benefit the community. Katie’s Bookcase can be that connection for Boulder County going forward. What is your project’s global and/or national connection? Katie’s Bookcase will be presented to the state and national foster care agencies. What did you learn about yourself? Because I started my project prior to the global pandemic, I had to rethink my project in its entirety. I learned that I could be very flexible and innovative. I’m normally fairly shy, but learned that when I believe in something it’s not hard to get out of my comfort zone. How will earning your Gold Award impact you in the future? Earning my Gold Award allowed me to exercise the leadership skills that I’ve learned in my years of Girl Scouts. It’s amazing how much you learn from all those years of selling cookies! I’m hopeful that my Gold Award will assist me in furthering my education by opening the door to scholarship possibilities. Why do you feel the Gold Award was an important part of your Girl Scout experience? I earned both Bronze (with my troop)  and Silver (independently, but with the support of my troop) Awards and those experiences motivated me to want to earn my Gold. It seemed  like the perfect way to cap off my Girl Scout career. It made it extra special that I could help the foster care community since I was a foster child. How did earning your Gold Award help you become a G.I.R.L. (go-getter, innovator, risk-taker, leader)? Taking risks and innovating came into play when I had to redo my entire project. I had to quickly figure out new ways to work around the pandemic restrictions. I had to take risks with different ways of accomplishing my goals by stepping out of my comfort zone to reach out for assistance in both defining and accomplishing my goals. **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 #BoulderCounty #StVrainValleySchoolDistrict #MeadHighSchool #Longmont #GoldAwardGirlScout #GirlScoutGoldAward #TakeAction

STREAM Girls gives Girl Scout Juniors and Cadettes the opportunity to serve as citizen scientists, anglers, and artists, in order to build an appreciation for watershed conservation and the environment. They can even earn a special patch while doing so! This outdoor watershed experience employs STEM-education (science, technology, engineering, math) plus recreation and arts to explore a local stream. Every person is a citizen of her watershed. Colorado Trout Unlimited (CTU) has partnered with Girl Scouts of Colorado so girls can get the complete picture of what their stream could mean to them. In this hybrid take home/virtual program, CTU will provide Girl Scouts with the necessary gear, a STREAM Girls Field Notebook, and a resource list with videos guiding Girl Scouts through six activities that they will complete over ten days. Additionally, girls are expected to join a virtual program kick-off on Thursday and a reflection meeting the next Sunday to discuss what they have learned. Activities include: Stream Walk – Observing and documenting the stream/river and surrounding area Go with the Flow – Calculating river flow rates using everyday tools and simple math Macroinvertebrate Survey – Investigating the insect life that lives in the stream and support fish Fly-Casting – Developing skills to fly fish and practicing in your own backyard/neighborhood park Fly-Tying – Creating a “fly” to imitate one of the macroinvertebrates commonly found in Colorado Scavenger Hunt/Bracelet Building – Testing your knowledge of healthy streams and creating a unique bracelet to represent your local watershed! Activities are expected to take approximately six hours, in total, and can be broken up into several days. Colorado Trout Unlimited will provide the necessary gear and supplies associated with each activity. Gear will be picked-up and dropped off at the location mentioned in registration. Colorado Trout Unlimited has enough gear/supplies for 20 participants. Additional participants may be able to register, if using their own gear or sharing with another Girl Scout.. *Please note: this program is available for non-Girl Scouts. We encourage our Girl Scouts to invite a friend to join them! Longmont, Starts April 1: https://www.girlscoutsofcolorado.org/en/events-repository/2021/april01_stream_girls.html Larkspur, Starts April 29: https://www.girlscoutsofcolorado.org/en/events-repository/2021/april29_stream_girls.html We want to hear how your girl is using her Girl Scout skills by taking initiative, caring for the community, and Girl Scouting at home. She can send in her story here. #GirlScoutingatHome #STEM #Communitypartnerships #GirlScoutsatHome #ColoradoTroutUnlimited #STREAMGirls #communitypartners #CTU #ColoradoTroutUnlimitedCTU

Explore the sisterhood of Girl Scouts! The upcoming Girl Gab virtual events aim to join Girl Scouts from the United States to engage in small breakout rooms to TALK!  Girls will learn about the diversity in our organization by engaging with other members to discuss a variety of topics and experiences. Girls will choose three breakout room topics to engage in. Each room will have an adult moderator to pose topic questions to assist in the discussions of each breakout room. Girls should plan on having their camera on and be an active participant in this event. Upon registration, you will be choosing your breakout topics. This is a collaborative event with Girl Scouts Carolinas Peaks to Piedmont, Girl Scouts of Central and Southern New Jersey, and Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois. Cost: $10 with patch included and shipped by council Dates: Tuesday, April 13, 2021 Juniors with GSCSNJ https://www.gscsnj.org/en/events-repository/2021/junior_girl_gab_4_13.html Tuesday, April 20, 2021 Cadettes with GSCPP https://www.gscsnj.org/en/events-repository/2021/cadette_girl_gab_4_2.html Tuesday, April 27, 2021 Seniors and Ambassadors with GSEIWI https://mygs.girlscouts.org/event-detail?id=514-04272021-ak100 We want to hear how your girl is using her Girl Scout skills by taking initiative, caring for the community, and Girl Scouting at home. She can send in her story here. #GirlScoutingatHome #GSCOevents #GirlScoutsofEasternIowaandWesternIllinois #GirlScoutsCarolinasPeakstoPiedmon #GirlScoutsofCentralandSouthernNewJersey #GirlScoutsatHome #GirlGab #GirlGab2021

Girl Scouts of Colorado is excited to offer a new opportunity for Coloradans to honor hometown heroes in their community while supporting Girl Scouts in Focus on Abilities, a multi-intensive program for Girl Scouts with learning, behavioral, mental, and physical disabilities led by GSCO Outreach staff. Between now and the end of the Girl Scout Cookie Program on March 21, 2021, you can go to the Girl Scouts of Colorado website and purchase packages of cookies to be donated to educators, first responders, health care workers, food banks, and military personnel. After the Cookie Program ends, Girl Scouts of Colorado will deliver a mix of Girl Scout Cookies to these hometown heroes on your behalf. “It really is a win-win-win! With your support, Girl Scouts can fund their next adventure and we’ll deliver the cookies to hometown heroes to enjoy the sweet taste of ‘normal’ everyone is craving right now!” said Leanna Clark, Girl Scouts of Colorado chief executive officer. Girl Scouts in the Focus on Abilities program are children with multiple disabilities who have used the money raised through the Cookie Program to fund field trips and other experiences, like adaptive horseback riding. The K-12 special needs Girl Scout group at Fletcher Miller School in Lakewood has participated in the cookie program for 20 years using some of their proceeds to fund adaptive equipment for the classroom. We want to hear how your girl is using her Girl Scout skills by taking initiative, caring for the community, and Girl Scouting at home. She can send in her story here. #2021BuyaBoxofJoy #GiftofCaring #Outreach #2021GirlScoutCookieProgram #cookies #BuyaBoxofJoy #GirlScoutCookieProgram #2018GirlScoutCookieProgram #FocusonAbilities #HometownHeroes

Join us for a special event on Overcoming Bias with Global Nomads Group where girls will explore how biases are formed, reflect on their own assumptions, explore the biases they encounter in their communities and media, and create an action plan for interrupting biases in themselves and in others. Through stories shared by youth from around the world, girls will deepen their understanding of their global peers and how biases impact people around the world. Cadettes, April 18, 2021 https://gscolorado.formstack.com/forms/media_journey_overcoming_bias_virtual_04_18_2021 Senior and Ambassadors, April 25, 2021 https://gscolorado.formstack.com/forms/overcoming_bias_virtual_s_a_04_25_2021 ** This special live virtual event has a limited capacity, so be sure to register today! Girls will connect for a live event via Zoom facilitated by trained Global Nomads Group staff.  Starting as a whole group presentation, girls will learn about biases from trained Global Nomads Group facilitators and stories created by youth from around the world.  Then, they will move into small group facilitated discussions where they will have the opportunity to reflect on their learnings and share stories of their own. This whole group to small group sequence occurs multiple times throughout the live events giving all girls an opportunity to learn and contribute their voice.  After the event, girls will create an action plan to interrupt bias in themselves or others.  This short action plan assignment should be completed within one week of the event (by May 2, 2021) and shared via the link provided (email to follow event). By joining the live event and completing an action plan, girls will complete their MEdia (6th – 8th), GIRLtopia (9th -10th grade), or Your Voice, Your World (11th -12th grade) Journey! We want to hear how your girl is using her Girl Scout skills by taking initiative, caring for the community, and Girl Scouting at home. She can send in her story here. #Journey #GirlScoutingatHome #Communitypartnerships #GirlScoutsatHome #communitypartners #Journeys #GlobalNomadsGroup

Girl Scouts of Colorado is excited to share an update from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment that will allow for more options for Girl Scout troops to meet in person. We have been working with state officials throughout the past year regarding COVID-19 guidelines. As positivity levels change and more of the population becomes vaccinated, the CDPHE has been able to re-evaluate the guidance they provided. The state previously classified Girl Scout troop meetings as “personal gatherings,” but now only meetings or activities occurring in a private residence fall under the ”personal gatherings” category. This means Girl Scout troops have more options to meet in person as long as they follow the guidelines for indoor events, outdoor events, or outdoor recreation, depending on the location and activity planned for the meeting. Be sure to check the state and county guidelines, but in most cases, this means a hike, a get-together in a park, or a meeting at a neighborhood clubhouse may be options for you. However, Girl Scout troops cannot meet in a private residence, whether the meeting is held indoors or outside. Safety is always No. 1 priority and we stress that troops must follow all safety guidelines and take the responsibility of ensuring their activities are aligned with the safety standards for the activity and location. Always check with the location or business before hosting a meeting or activity to ensure you are within capacity limits for that location and ensure you follow all safety guidelines associated with that business or activity. At this time, overnights are not allowed per GSUSA for our state’s current phase of reopening. We continue to work on this with the state to determine what requirements will be in place once overnights are allowed again. We appreciate your patience as we’ve all tried to navigate these challenging and ever-changing times while making safety a top priority. Visit girlscoutsofcolorado.org/covid for the most up-to-date information. You can also use this document  to help you navigate where your activity might be categorized. Learn More We want to hear how your girl is using her Girl Scout skills by taking initiative, caring for the community, and Girl Scouting at home. She can send in her story here. #CDPHE #COVID #CDC #ColoradoDepartmentofthePublicHealthandEviironment #COVID19guidelines #COVID19 #CouncilNews

What did you do for your Gold Award project? For my Gold Award project, I wanted to create a space for the students at Timberview Middle School where they could learn how to play the piano or express themselves musically for free without having to join the band, choir, or guitar class. To do this, I, with the help of the art and music teacher at Timberview, created the Painted Pianos Club and a school wide design contest, where the students could come up with the design to paint on the pianos. We then got to work on prepping the pianos for painting, sanding them down, priming, and stenciling in the design. Additionally, I emphasized student learning with video tutorials on YouTube, piano lesson books, and note identifying stickers. How did you measure the impact your Gold Award project made on your target audience? I measured the impact of my Gold Award by seeing how enthusiastic the students were about participating in the Painted Pianos Club. Due to COVID, the students are currently unable to access the pianos. However, in the long term, I will be sure to check back at the school to see what the students think of the pianos! How is your project sustainable? How will your project continue to impact after your involvement? My Gold Award will be sustained beyond my involvement by the Painted Pianos Club run by my project advisor that is dedicated to art and music and will inspire other students to get involved as well. This club would help maintain the pianos by ensuring they get tuned once a year, making repairs, choosing new music every so often, and repainting if they choose to. This club will be provided with a sample lesson plan to ensure that if the current leader for it leaves, it can easily be picked back up by another teacher. What is your project’s global and/or national connection? My national/global connection is a step-by-step packet on how to replicate my project sent to schools across America and international schools via connections that a team member has through other music teachers. Everyone should be granted the chance to learn to play an instrument. This specific project will be made available to music teachers around the world that participate in music based Facebook groups and Colorado Music Educators Association. What did you learn about yourself? From this project, I learned that communication is key when collaborating with many people and working with dependable people makes projects run smoother. My leadership skills have grown exponentially throughout this project, and I feel more confident being the executive of this project and maybe even more once I finish. I learned that I am adaptable to my circumstances (since I had to make changes to my project due to COVID) and I am more capable than I think I am at times. How will earning your Gold Award impact you in the future? Earning my Gold Award has impacted my leadership skills, which will continue to grow as I continue my journey through life. Additionally, it has taught me that helping a community is important to feeling accomplished. I am sure I will try to do other projects like this in the future so that I can continue helping communities. Why do you feel the Gold Award was an important part of your Girl Scout experience? The Gold Award was an important part of my Girl Scout experience because it taught me so much about leadership and being in charge of a project. It taught me that there is usually more to completing a project than you originally predict, which will help me more accurately determine how long and what I need to do to finish projects in the future. It was also important for me to connect to a community, the nation, and the world by putting something good out there. My grandmother, Penelope (O’ Neal) Moeckel , earned what was called the Curved Bar, which was the predecessor of the Gold Award. My mother, Melissa (Moeckel) Ellenberger, earned the Gold Award as well. This is another reason why earning the Gold Award was an important part of my Girl Scout experience, to become a third generation earner of it is an honor. How did earning your Gold Award help you become a G.I.R.L. (go-getter, innovator, risk-taker, leader)? Earning my Gold Award helped me become a leader by being in charge of the students in the Painted Pianos Club and having to organize all of the aspects of the project. It also helped me become a go-getter, since this was a very high goal to accomplish! This will encourage me to achieve more and reach higher in the future. **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. #SchoolDistrict49 #GoldAward #HighestAwards #ColoradoSprings #TimberviewMiddleSchool #music #piano #GoldAwardGirlScout #GirlScoutGoldAward #VistaRidgeHighSchool #TakeAction #PikesPeak

Submitted by Elizabeth Rouse Metro Denver Denver Girl Scout University is back! Sponsored by the Alpha Phi Omega chapter at the University of Denver, Girl Scout University will take place on April 17, 2021! This provides your Girl Scouts the opportunity to earn two badges in one fun-filled morning! Due to social distancing practices, this year’s event will be held online using the Zoom platform. We will be offering a few different badges for Juniors and Cadettes, who can pick one badge for the first session and another for the second session. As this is our first year hosting this event virtually, we are working hard to put together a great event. Badges will be announced on March 27, and registration will open the same day. For questions, please contact gsu@apo-alphaetaiota.org. gsu_2021-_save_the_date We want to hear how your girl is using her Girl Scout skills by taking initiative, caring for the community, and Girl Scouting at home. She can send in her story here. #Cadette #UniversityofDenver #GSCOevents #Cadettes #GirlScoutUniversity2021 #Communitypartnerships #AlphaPhiOmega #Denver #Junior #communitypartners #Juniors #MetroDenver #GirlScoutUniversity

What did you do for your Gold Award project? For my Gold Award project, I created a website  with multiple STEM resources and biographies of model female scientists with the goal of addressing the local and national issue of a gender gap in STEM. I would like to exhibit to aspiring young female scientists that their desire for science can be filled in a myriad of ways, all of which can greatly impact the community and our world. In society, young girls are often not given enough role models and mentors whom they can look up to and use for guidance in STEM fields. If we only think of a scientist as someone who looks like Einstein, then that is limiting to anyone else interested in science. My website (https://womeninstemcareers.wixsite.com/femalestemcareers) includes scientists and activities within different areas of study in STEM, such as computer science, physics, and environmental science. I also found it to be significant to add different sections that had activities such as chemistry experiments, books, and other projects that young girls could access from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. I added categories of broad interests such as art, sports, and the outdoors, and I provided many examples of diverse women scientists whose careers fulfill their passions in those areas. Highlighting these women signifies to young girls that if they have a passion for art or sports, they can pursue a STEM career to follow their passions. How did you measure the impact your Gold Award project made on your target audience? To measure the impact of my Gold Award, I set goals for the number of interactions on the STEM career website, as well as the interaction of an Instagram page I created. In addition to positive feedback from both platforms, meeting these quantitative goals allowed me to numerically measure the impact on my target audience. How is your project sustainable? How will your project continue to impact after your involvement? My project is being sustained by a local fifth grade science teacher who will introduce her students to the website every year in conjunction with their unit about female scientist Rachel Carson. The STEM Career Website is on a free website platform, and the Instagram page is also free, so no monetary upkeep is needed for the project. The link to this website resource can be accessed by many people for the foreseeable future through the Instagram page, @womeninstemcareers. What is your project’s global and/or national connection? This issue of a gender gap in STEM is prevalent all over the world in various degrees, and there are many organizations that work to create community and mentorship in STEM fields. I reached out to the National Girls Collaborative Project and Scientista with the goal of further continuing the discussion of exposing young girls to female scientists and scientific resources. What did you learn about yourself? This project has been a truly remarkable and eye-opening journey. Throughout this project, I gained leadership skills, communication skills, and strengthened my time management skills. More memorably, I had the opportunity to connect with strong females in STEM across our community and learn about their experiences. I also gained knowledge about women in STEM careers all over the globe. Learning about the importance of mentorship in engaging more girls in STEM was extraordinary, so I made sure to base a large part of my project around showing young girls a variety of diverse women scientists following their passions in STEM, and to emphasize that this diversity is key to success. I will cherish the experiences from my Gold Award for the rest of my life. How will earning your Gold Award impact you in the future? Through earning my Gold Award, I have learned more about the implications of STEM in the community and in the real world through discussions with my project advisor and outside resources. I learned about organizations that create communities of women in STEM, such as 500 Women Scientists and Scientista. This exposure further encourages me to pursue a STEM career myself and to seek out communities of women who have similar passions in the future. I hope to study biochemistry or biomedical science in college and to use my leadership and experiences in STEM to someday mentor young girls pursuing STEM. Why do you feel the Gold Award was an important part of your Girl Scout experience? I feel as though the Gold Award was a perfect capstone to my time in Girl Scouts because it allowed me to accumulate the leadership and skills I have gained to produce a project that speaks to my experiences for years to come. I have witnessed peers in their Girl Scout pursuits creating incredible projects that continually impact the community, and this inspired me to create a useful and accessible resource that can be enjoyed by many people, especially my target audience. How did earning your Gold Award help you become a G.I.R.L. (go-getter, innovator, risk-taker, leader)? This project helped me become a G.I.R.L. by encouraging me to be an innovator. In this project, I built a website, which is something that I have never done, so this required working toward technological skill building and innovation. Additionally, I had to innovate a way to connect in my community during the COVID-19 pandemic and to ensure that my resources would always be available to students, online or in-person. I also feel that I grew as a go-getter, risk-taker, and leader, but I believe that my growth in innovation was the most significant. I am sincerely grateful for the support I received on creating this platform to inspire other girls to reach toward their goals and passions in STEM, and I look forward to utilizing the skills I learned in this project in the future. It’s a great day to be a G.I.R.L.! **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 #STEM #CheyenneMountainSchoolDistrict12 #GoldAwardGirlScout #GirlScoutGoldAward #TakeAction #CheyenneMountainHighSchool