Submitted by Jessica Spangler Metro Denver Denver Two Senior Girl Scouts in Troop 65659 teamed up with a Juliette Senior to complete the Sow What? Journey. They named their team the “Potato Deer Turnips” after local foods. They had an idea to do a Take Action project that would bring gardening to those experiencing  homelessness. However, when they met with staff from the Denver Rescue Mission and from the CSU Extension, they learned that what the shelter really needed was more volunteers to serve meals. They wanted to meet the need that was most pressing. Meeting virtually, the girls explored hunger by watching a video about a photo exhibit called “Hunger Through My Lens.” The girls were inspired by the exhibit. They agreed to share their message using their own photography. They took photos of their own meals and then, paired the photos with a recorded a message to ask viewers to consider volunteering. The girls felt the best part of the project was all the community members they were able to network with virtually. “It is important because it can help others,” said Senior Girl Scout Donna. The message and photos can be viewed at https://youtu.be/gbFnN6oGw98 . 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. #seniors #oldergirls #GirlScoutSeniors #GirlScoutSenior #Denver #SowWhatJourney #SowWhat #Journeys #MetroDenver #TakeAction #DenverRescueMission #homelessness

Submitted by Lexi Costello Pikes Peak Colorado Springs A customer who couldn’t eat Girl Scout Cookies decided to donate 25 packages to Ronald McDonald House! She asked us to drop them off anonymously, so that the families could enjoy our delicious goodness while staying close to their loved ones and away from risk. This little Porch Pixie Daisy was super honored! 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. #ColoradoSprings #2021GirlScoutCookieProgram #cookies #GirlScoutCookies #GirlScoutCookieProgram #PikesPeak #RonaldMcDonaldHouse

Community Cinemas (CommCi) and Girl Scout Troop 3010 from Longmont have announced a partnership for Black History Month. Each Friday in February, CommCi, a new youth-led nonprofit in Longmont, will present a series of drive-in movies that offer a safe opportunity to build community, and support local industry. Girl Scout Troop 3010 will offer the ability for patrons to order Girl Scout Cookies for delivery to the vehicle. Proceeds from the ticket sales will support the County Collective, El Comite, CIRC, and various other local nonprofits. Girl Scout Troop 3010 is made up of 18 Cadettes from sixth – eighth grades from a variety of local schools. The girls are currently working on the Girl Scout Silver Award, the highest honor a Cadette can achieve. The girls will dedicate at least 50 hours on a project that addresses a problem and supports local organizations. Silver Award teams are working with Veteran’s Puppy For Life, Medicine Horse, Yola’s Pet Rescue, Attention Homes, Little Libraries, and creating women’s empowerment patch for Girl Scouts. The series will feature “Blazing Saddles” on February 5; a double feature Girl Power evening with “The Princess and the Frog” followed by “Hidden Figures” on February 12; “Moana” on February 19; and “Black Panther” on February 26. CommCi provides a fun and safe environment for communities to come together while supporting local restaurants, nonprofits, and providing a fun learning environment. CommCi is an all-in-one dinner with a movie pop up, providing the community a safe way to come together. Partnering nonprofits will receive 10% of the day’s revenue, in an effort to support their mission. Tickets are $31/per car and includes warming mechanisms. Patrons also have the option to purchase full meals via restaurant vendors (Georgia Boys BBQ and La Vita Bella), snacks, and beverages are also available for purchase. For the month of February, patrons can receive Girl Scout Cookies delivered to their vehicle as well. CommCi was created by the Youth Leaders of the County Collective with program launch support from Persona, Inc and fiscal sponsor, Longmont Community Foundation. Boulder County Collective is a youth lead non-profit. Dedicated to Empowerment through Equity. Longmont Community Foundation is a tax- exempt public charity created by and for the people of a particular region (in this case Longmont and the St. Vrain Valley). Their mission Improving life in the St. Vrain Valley through philanthropy and charitable leadership. Persona Group (P.G) is a full-service brand, digital, and event consulting agency. 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. #2021BlackHistoryMonth #SilverAward #BlackHistoryMonth #NorthernampNortheasternCO #Longmont #2021GirlScoutCookieProgram #GirlScoutSilverAward #cookies #GirlScoutCookies #GirlScoutCookieProgram #CommunityCinemasCommCi

From Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) To honor Black History Month this year, we’re celebrating the next generation of world-changers who are out there making history right now, embodying Black Girl Magic across the country! While it’s important to recognize all year long the incredible talent, power, beauty, and resilience of Black women and girls everywhere—Black Girl Magic—February offers a special time to lift up the many important moments in history that have Black leaders at the center. Throughout the month, we’ll shine an extra bright spotlight on the voices and stories of Black girls who are making change—and history—across the Girl Scout Movement. From taking civic action for social change, to expanding access to clean air and water, to championing STEM education for marginalized populations, to addressing food insecurity, there’s no limit to what Girl Scouts can do—because they show us just that. Below are a few examples of Girl Scouts who are impacting their corner of the world in major ways to create a better place for us all. Let’s dive in and get inspired to shake things up—Girl Scout style. For their Girl Scout Silver Award and inspired by Little Free Diverse Libraries, Girl Scout Cadettes Libby and Charlotte built a little diverse library in their town and stocked it with books written by and about people of color. These Girl Scout sisters set up a book donation drive at their local elementary school and also reached out to publishers for contributions. So far they’ve collected over 200 books! Follow Libby’s and Charlotte’s project on Instagram to keep up with the library’s latest additions and get ideas for books to add to your family’s own library hold list! For her high school peers, National Gold Award Girl Scout Kennedy built a database of more than 50 groups and organizations that offer service-learning opportunities. She also equipped students at her school with guidance on how to match their interests to organizations that need support. Kennedy’s hard work meant that more service hours were logged per student than before she took action. And there’s more: this go-getting Girl Scout founded the World Changers Service Club, a group of young civic leaders like her who promote the true meaning of service learning and undertake projects to support their communities. Learn more about Kennedy’s Gold Award. Girl Scout Kayla believes that with a little effort, we can make a BIG difference for the environment. She earned her Gold Award by raising awareness about waste minimization, which refers to processes that reduce the amount and toxicity of hazardous waste that’s generated. Kayla even founded a nonprofit, Earth Savers Rock, and she continues to promote environmental sustainability by providing her social media followers with information and practical tips to help them reduce, reuse, and recycle. Girl Scout Ambassador Randi is working to earn her Gold Award via a project she’s titled A Nation’s Guide to Diversity and Inclusion, which helps both kids and adults emphasize diversity and inclusion in everyday life. Randi’s work also supports people in incorporating four interrelated principles of social justice into their lives: equity, access, participation, and human rights. Next up for Randi is hosting virtual forums on these crucial topics. Check out her Social Justice Resource Center and watch her upcoming events page to join the conversation. When she was just 9 years old, Girl Scout Cadette Temple launched a website dedicated to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Now 12 and an aspiring astrophysicist, in her words Temple “advocates for girls and minorities to gain exposure to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics related fields.” She offers free workshops, classes, and motivational talks to get more youth involved in STEM—and her STEM Girl Swag movement is growing by the week! Last September, Gold Award Girl Scout Cydney was named Philadelphia’s youth poet laureate. (Whoa.) In the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, when many people were spending a good deal of time indoors, Cydney found she was able to really focus on writing—including for her Gold Award, Project GOOD (Girls Overcome Obstacles Daily), a virtual mentoring space where middle and high school girls can connect, work through issues, and talk about healthy relationships. With her project, Cydney hopes to “let young people know that we have the power to change things.” Get inspired by more of Cydney’s work at Cydtalks. National Gold Award Girl Scout Kiara created the Very Hungry Caterpillar Garden in her community, so that she could grow healthy food for distribution through the local food pantry. In her words, “When people who aren’t experiencing food insecurity think about people who are, they may assume that if a person has access to a food bank they’ll be OK. But food banks don’t always offer many fresh food options.” Read more about Kiara’s Gold Award project, which also addressed education and empowerment. Let’s keep the celebration going all year! On social media, share examples of Black Girl Magic in your troop, being sure to tag us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, or send us a private message. Let’s show the world—over and over again—what #BlackGirlMagic can do! #2021BlackHistoryMonth #GirlScoutsoftheUSA #GSUSA #BlackHistoryMonth #GirlScoutsoftheUSAGSUSA

What did you do for your Gold Award project? To earn my Gold Award, I created 50 sensory bags and resources for the Arvada Fire Department, Metropolitan Arts Academy, and Westminster High School.  I also created a sensory training program to improve customer service at various venues so that all people can enjoy a variety of activities with a few simple accommodations. How did you measure the impact your Gold Award project made on your target audience? I measured the impact by creating a survey to gather feedback from both local community members, my team, and various autism support groups around the state and country. I also had a goal before starting to create 20 sensory bags and ended up getting closer to 50 in the end. Another way I measured impact was how many people participated in the training. At present time, the three organizations have used the training with more than 200 staff members and have submitted letters of support to continue training new people as they arrive on staff. I received more than $500 in donations from local community groups and even some people in Minnesota that wanted to contribute to the success of my program. How is your project sustainable? How will your project continue to impact after your involvement? Local venues have committed to both the care and maintenance of the kits over the years, as well as using an ID to check out items during a future performance. The organizations have committed to using the training as new staff are hired. My website will remain open to allow other people to find out more about my project and ask any questions. What is your project’s global and/or national connection? When I started my project, I discovered one in 20 people around the world could have an issue with sensory overload in a public space,  such as fireworks at a sporting event or loud noises from a theater setting, and the list goes on . As I was reflecting on my project, I discovered that number had shifted to one in six people who are affected by sensory issues (autismspeaks.org).  That could be loud noises, bright lights, and many other factors. Providing customer service is something that we all need to remember- from helping someone in a time of crisis to making sure everyone gets to have the opportunity to have fun in a public space.  I spent approximately 50 hours gathering input from social media forums such as Facebook and Twitter. I reached out to Girl Scout groups around the nation and autism organizations we have had a chance to explore as a family. What did you learn about yourself? Planning is important and as the saying goes if plan A doesn’t work, then there are 25 more letters in the alphabet When leading a variety of different groups, make sure you have jobs for everyone How to speak to other people easier and more professionally, delegating tasks and asking for help How to write emails, make phone calls, and communicate with various people from peers to adults and local community groups How will earning your Gold Award impact you in the future? I learned a lot about planning and persistence and have enjoyed the opportunity to use these skills in high school. This will help me when I get to college and eventually enter the workplace as these skills will help me on any project I am working on. Learning the variety of ways that training occurs at venues and with event staff will help me realize what I can do to help others and my family when I see someone who needs assistance. Why do you feel the Gold Award was an important part of your Girl Scout experience? Having earned my Bronze Award by making four buddy benches for local schools, and then creating a camp to teach girls they can be superheroes for my Silver Award, it was only a matter of time before I found the next people I could help.  Giving back to the community has always been one of my favorite parts of Girl Scouts.  I like to think that the impact we make and the kindness someone encounters will lift their spirits forever. How did earning your Gold Award help you become a G.I.R.L. (go-getter, innovator, risk-taker, leader)? Go-Getter- My project started before COVID was even a thought.  I had originally planned to contact large sports venues and received many rejections and no responses no matter how many times I reached out to different people. As COVID began shutting down ideas and venues left and right, I realized I would have to get creative using ideas and strategies that I had learned from completing the school year remotely and always keeping in mind customer service.  I had to adapt many times to meet the needs of the folks I was helping and as I said in my final presentation, “if Plan A doesn’t work, well there are 25 other letters in the alphabet.” **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 #Arvada #WestminsterHighSchool #GoldAwardGirlScout #GirlScoutGoldAward #MetroDenver #WestminsterPublicSchools

Submitted by Cece V. Western Colorado Grand Junction Last year, I sold more than 1,200 packages. This year, given the pandemic and safety provisions, I set my goal a little lower to 400 packages. But, after the first day of sales and I hit more than 120, we may have to rethink it. With masks and sanitizer, I went door-to-door selling cookies to those that may not want to go out to buy cookies. We got this! This is my third year of Girl Scouts, with two older sisters that help show me the ropes. The minute I picked up my cookies I was making signs and hitting the pavement! 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. #GrandJunction #2021GirlScoutCookieProgram #cookies #GirlScoutCookies #GirlScoutCookieProgram #WesternColorado

Submitted by Lauren C. Metro Denver Aurora I am a Girl Scout Senior and just finished my Silver Award project with fellow troop member Annaliese A. (she/her). For our Silver Award, we installed a pad-only dispenser at every bathroom in Liberty Middle School because we noticed that many students didn’t have access to period products and were too embarrassed to ask the nurse for a pad (which nobody should be embarrassed about, but there has been a generational stigma surrounding menstruation). We had to work for $1,200 to purchase the six dispensers, and we made money through a Redbubble shop where we uploaded designs. After we finished our project, we wanted to make a bigger impact in the community. We partnered with Always and were able to collect more than 75,000 pads to donate in addition to the dispensers! Also, we were able to speak at the National PERIOD Day Rally in Denver with a local non-profit, Period Kits! They were also key in helping us raise all of the pads and we appreciate everyone’s support! 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. #HighestAwards #SilverAward #LibertyMiddleSchool #Always #Aurora #GirlScoutSilverAward #CherryCreekSchools #SilverAwardproject #MetroDenver #TakeAction

Girl Scouts of Colorado is partnering with Silvia Lazala in February 2021 as our professional in Live Event Production for our taller Crea Tu Camino / Make Your Path workshop. Join us as we talk about this exciting work with Silvia, including how big show productions address safety, rigging, and lights to create that amazing feeling you get when going to a concert. Activities during the workshop will fulfill badge requirements for the badges we are covering during the workshop, and we will view a video sent to us from one of our Spanish speaking Digital Pen Pals, as well as vote on a country to send one back. All girls are welcome, whether you speak Spanish and/or English. Please join us at this exciting workshop! We have two workshops available and you can register for your specific workshop based on your Girl Scout level: Taller Crea Tu Camino / Make Your Path Workshop – DBJ (grades K-5 at 5:30 p.m. on February 9) http://www.girlscoutsofcolorado.org/en/events-repository/2021/Feb09_taller_crea_tu_camin_DBJ.html Taller Crea Tu Camino / Make Your Path Workshop – CSA (grades 6-12 at 6:30 p.m. on February 9) http://www.girlscoutsofcolorado.org/en/events-repository/2021/Feb09_taller_crea_tu_camin.html Learn more about all our Spanish resources at this link: https://www.girlscoutsofcolorado.org/en/about-girl-scouts/espanol.html Once registered, you will receive the login information, as well as the list of badges we will complete in an email 24 hours before the workshop. 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. ****************************** Girl Scouts of Colorado está trabajando con Silvia Lazala este mes como nuestra profesional de Producción de Eventos en Vivo para nuestro taller Crea Tu Camino / Make Your Path workshop. Únete a este taller para aprender de este trabajo tan interesante que hace Silvia, incluyendo como los espectáculos grandes se encargan de la seguridad, el aparejo, y las luces para crear un ambiente fabuloso cuando vas a un concierto. Las actividades del taller llenaran los requisitos de insignias que cubriremos en el taller, y miraremos un video que nos mando uno de nuestros Pen Pals Digitales en español, al igual que votar en cual país mandaremos un video de vuelta. Todas las niñas están bienvenidas, aunque hablen español y/o inglés. ¡Por favor únase a este taller emocionante! Tenemos 2 talleres disponibles y puedes registrarte para el que es específicamente para el grado escolar de la girl scout: Taller Crea Tu Camino / Make Your Path Workshop – DBJ (grados K-5 a las 5:30 pm en 2/9/2021) http://www.girlscoutsofcolorado.org/en/events-repository/2021/Feb09_taller_crea_tu_camin_DBJ.html Taller Crea Tu Camino / Make Your Path Workshop – CSA (grados 6-12 a las 6:30 pm en 2/9/2021) http://www.girlscoutsofcolorado.org/en/events-repository/2021/Feb09_taller_crea_tu_camin.html Aprende más acerca de nuestros recursos en español al seguir este enlace: https://www.girlscoutsofcolorado.org/en/about-girl-scouts/espanol.html Una vez que este registrado recibirá la información para entrar al evento junto con una lista de insignias que completaremos en un correo electrónico 24 horas antes del taller. Queremos escuchar de sus hijas y de cómo han usado sus habilidades desarrolladas en Girl Scouts al tomar la iniciativa en su comunidad y Girl Scouts en su hogar. Puedes mandar su historia aqui. 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 #MakeYourPathWorkshop #LatinX #GirlScoutsatHome #GSCOEvent #SilviaLazala #LartinXEngagement #TallerCreaTuCamino

Girl Scouts of Colorado thanks Jennifer Kirkland, 9-1-1 Center Manager at the Grand Junction Regional Communications Center, for participating in our Meet an Expert program on January 28, 2021. More than 40 Girl Scouts from across the United States joined live. Jennifer told the girls about her career and previous experiences that led her to be a 9-1-1 center manager. She gave girls a live tour of the communications center and answered tons of awesome questions. Missed the program? Listen or watch now on our Meet an Expert playlist on YouTube. During this program girls learned how 9-1-1 calls are received, how emergency response teams are dispatched, and what the training program looks like to work in the emergency communications center. In addition to her presentation and live tour, Jennifer played a recording of a real 9-1-1 call for the girls, so they could hear an example of the kinds of calls the center receives. Girls were also able to ask Jennifer questions live and they asked questions about the training program, the most stressful and interesting calls Jennifer has received, and more details about the training program. Girl Scouts who participated in the live session or listen to the recording can purchase their “Meet an Expert” patch online: https://www.girlscoutsofcolorado.org/en/about-girl-scouts/gsco-shop.html Questions? Email aimee.artzer@gscolorado.org. 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 #GrandJunction #MeetanExpertPatch #GirlScoutsatHome #Meetanexpert #WesternColorado #GrandJunctionRegionalCommunicationsCenter

Brownies, Juniors, and Cadettes are invited to The Perilous Castle – An Immersive Murder Mystery Experience with Twists N Turns. The cost is $17/girl, $10/adult are there are multiple dates to choose from. Register now: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-perilous-castle-an-immersive-murder-mystery-experience-tickets-130149172679 A well-loved castle owner has mysteriously died. You have been tasked with exploring her castle and finding out who the murderer is. The castle is full of mysteries. Only if you can solve all of the puzzles together in time will you discover the culprit and escape. If not, you may just end up as their next victim. If your girl loves mystery-themed novels and detective shows, then this class will give her the chance to test her critical thinking skills in hypothetical situations based in fantasy and reality. She will learn how to excel in puzzles and riddles and will find herself using lateral thinking to be more creative in her guesses. The puzzles and riddles will involve colors, wordplay, shapes, and math. The mysteries will be presented to the class through videos, images, and text on the screen. The facilitator will narrate the story and explain each puzzle, encouraging students to use what they see or hear to make informed guesses. They will look for misdirections, and break down the steps necessary to solve the puzzles. Then, they will share and debate hypotheses with their troop ultimately working together to solve the mystery before class ends. Materials: Pencil and paper to write down clues! Questions? Email reliav101@gmail.com. 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 #GirlScoutsatHome #GSCOevents

Attention Brownies, Juniors, and Cadettes! Register for A Trip to Mars – An Immersive Murder Mystery Experience In Space by Twists N Turns. The cost is $17/girl, $10/adult and there are multiple dates to choose from. Link to register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-trip-to-mars-an-immersive-murder-mystery-experience-in-space-tickets-132699330269 Rumor has it that there has been some foul play on the planet Mars! After a secret mission went awry, an astronaut has gone missing. The final transmission was concerning and we were hired to investigate. Can you help solve the mystery and find a way home? If your girl loves mystery-themed novels and detective shows, then this class will give her the chance to test her critical thinking skills in hypothetical situations based in fantasy and reality. She will learn how to excel in puzzles and riddles and will find herself using lateral thinking to be more creative in her guesses. The puzzles and riddles will involve colors, wordplay, shapes, and math. The mysteries will be presented to the class through videos, images, and text on the screen. The facilitator will narrate the story and explain each puzzle, encouraging students to use what they see or hear to make informed guesses. They will look for misdirections, and break down the steps necessary to solve the puzzles. Then, they will share and debate hypotheses with their troop ultimately working together to solve the mystery before class ends. Materials: Pencil and paper to write down clues! 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 #GirlScoutingatHome #Brownie #STEM #Cadettes #Mars #Brownies #Junior #GirlScoutsatHome #space #Juniors

Submitted by Sarah Johnson, GSCO Global Action Team So many of us have seen this symbol, the World Badge throughout our Girl Scout experience. We know it has to do with our worldwide connections, yet many of us could use a refresh on the meaning of the symbols on the badge. The golden trefoil on a bright blue background represents the sun shining over all the children of the world; the three leaves represent the three-fold promise as originally laid down by the founder; the base of the stalk represents the flame of the love of humanity; the vein pointing upwards through the centre of the trefoil is the compass needle pointing the way; and the two stars represent the Promise and Law. Serving as the unifying symbol of the World Association of Girl Scouts and Girl Guides (WAGGGS), girls and adults wear their pin in proud sisterhood with girls and women from around the world. I still have memories of receiving my World Badge pin 30 years ago as a Girl Scout Brownie. We had a meaningful ceremony with five candles in a special wood log candle holder, representing each of the symbols of the badge. We received our pins that day and I still have that original pin today and wear it with pride. Today, we encourage troops to hold World Badge ceremonies before giving girls their World Badge pin. Here are a couple ceremony plan ideas: Ceremony Plan from GSAZ Girl Scout Leader 101 You may also want to include the World Song,  WAGGGS official anthem into your ceremony plan.  https://youtu.be/1gKXt2s5pNw 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. #GlobalGirlScouts #WAGGGS #WorldAssociationofGirlGuidesandGirlScout #WorldThinkingDay2021 #WorldThinkingDay