Becoming a Girl Scout means tapping into a supportive group of people who uplift you every step of the way. When it comes to caring for your mental wellness, the Girl Scouts Mental Wellness patch program reminds you that you’re never alone in facing challenges and further invites you to dive into and understand your emotions. The Mental Wellness patch program was made possible by the HCA Healthcare Foundation and developed in collaboration with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Troop 65579 was one of the first troops that got to participate in this program when it was still a pilot program back in November 2022. "The mental health badge had several positive impacts on my troop. Increasing awareness of various mental health issues enabled our troop to recognize signs and symptoms in themselves and others. I was surprised to discover the significant stigma surrounding counseling. Many in the troop perceived that seeking counseling implied something was inherently wrong with them. Providing a safe environment for discussing this topic strengthened the bonds among my troop. This badge facilitated a deeper understanding of themselves and others, contributing to personal development and resilience." - Troop Leader Michelle Ingle Girl Scout Gold Award Alumni Caitlyn Branine had the opportunity to speak at NAMIcon this year. She shares why focusing on Mental Health is so important. "My name is Caitlyn Branine. I just graduated in the spring of 2024 with my Bachelors from the University of Colorado Colorado Springs and am a Girl Scout alumnus. I was a Girl Scout from Brownie all the way up to Ambassador. During my time as a Girl Scout, I earned my Bronze and my Silver Awards. But what I am most proud of is earning my Girl Scout Gold Award. For my Gold Award project, I created a positive social media site called, ASafePlace2Share.org . A Safe Place 2 Share is a website where teens and young adults can go to share encouraging and powerful stories or positive messages with other users. They can use it as a place to talk with others and be heard when no one else will listen or when they feel like they don’t have anywhere else to go. Much like social media, other users can comment and spread encouraging messages on other users’ posts. Earning my Gold Award was definitely a challenge and took a very long time to earn, but I think it was worth it because of how many people my website and I helped throughout the process. Some comments I received about the website include: “While things can be terrible, at ASafePlace2Share.org , I always have a friend who will listen”, from Justin, “I am struggling with so much and I have nowhere to go to but here”, from Wilson, and “Thank you, Caitlyn, for opening the conversations. Sharing with others is an amazing gift. You're never alone. None of us are ever alone” from Kiki. On Wednesday, June 5th, I gave a presentation about A Safe Place 2 Share at the National Alliance on Mental Illness’ annual mental health conference (NAMICon). I had the chance to speak in front of many mental health professionals and people like me who were just as interested and passionate about mental health. Just like my website, it felt very powerful to get to share about my project with others who understood the importance of mental health and sharing your story with others. I think focusing on mental health in general is super important, especially for teens and young adults. During my freshman year of high school, four students committed suicide. Ever since then I knew there had to be other students who felt similar emotions and needed help and support. Mental Health America posted the statistics for the percentage of middle school and high school students with depression as of last year. They posted that 2.7 million teenagers, about 12% in the nation, have depression ( mhanational.org ). 60% of those teens with depression don’t receive the counseling or treatment that they need. The University of California San Francisco states that the reasons they don’t get the treatment they need is because they don’t think their depression is bad enough to need treatment ( ucsf.edu ). But the main reasons I think they don’t get treatment is because they’re scared to ask for help or they don’t know where to go or who to talk to about it. If we don’t help and educate teens on their mental health and provide them resources, they could end up just like those four students committing suicide." Learn more about the Girl Scout mental health initiative and get started with the patch programs here. HealthONE has also provided trainings for volunteers and adults that can be accessed here.

Troop 72886 voted and in June we traveled to San Francisco, California. We are a troop of fourteen rising 7th through 10th graders. We spent eight days exploring the city and Bay Area. Our first two days were spent riding the hop-on, hop-off bus around the city. We hopped off in Chinatown, at the De Young Art Museum, Japanese Tea Gardens, Exploratorium, California Academy of Sciences, the Painted Ladies, and took a local's recommendation and made an impromptu stop at Bob's Donuts! To get to the city we got to drive across the iconic Golden Gate Bridge several times, and got to experience various levels of "Karl", the notorious San Francisco fog. We ended our second day with a Ghost Tour, which added additional layers of the city's history in with the spooky stories! Our third day brought us to Fisherman's Wharf, visit Pier 39 where we sampled some of San Francisco's famous seafood, watched the Sea Lions, rode the cable car, explored Alcatraz after dark, and finished the day with a sweet treat at Ghirardelli Chocolate Factory! On our ferry ride back from Alcatraz National Park our girls earned their second Junior Ranger pin of the trip. At Ghirardelli Square when we went to take a picture under the iconic sign we got to meet some Girl Scout sisters from San Diego who the next day were bridging to Cadettes on the Golden Gate Bridge. Our fourth day took us to Point Reyes National Seashore. We earned another Junior Ranger pin, swam in the ocean, collected sea shells, saw some of California's amazing seals and sea lions in their natural habitat, and some of us even ventured to the historic and still-in-use lighthouse! Day five took us on a kayak adventure in Sausalito! We then went to a Giants baseball game. For some of our girls it was their first ever baseball game, for some their first major league event, and for a few others it was their first sporting event ever! It was an incredible experience and the Giants won in the 9th inning!! We rounded out our last day with a trip to Muir Woods National Monument. The forest consists of Coastal Redwood trees which are a cousin to the Giant Sequoias that make up Redwoods National Park that is further up the coast in California. It was a very peaceful experience and our girls earned their third Junior Ranger badge. Only 5% of redwood forests remain intact so over dinner we talked about different types of pollution and how even a troop from Colorado is having an impact on these trees. It was an amazing eight days with lots of laughter, sightseeing, relaxing, and of course figuring out how to work together on a longer trip with fewer parents. Every Girl Scout had something they wished we had gotten to spend more time doing. San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area is a terrific city to explore. For some of our girls this was their longest trip away from home and gave them a little taste of what is to come. Following the Girl Scout travel progression, we will be headed to Our Chalet in 2026.

T roop 77914 used part of our cookie proceeds this year to take a five day trip exploring the Blackhills of South Dakota and Wyoming. We visited Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Custer State Park, Fort Hays, Bear Country, Devil's Tower and so much more. The girls learned a lot about history, different cultures, democracy, nature and animals, all while making memories and having a lot of fun!

Eight Girl Scouts and four adults had the opportunity to visit Puerto Rico with EF Tours. We were paired up with a great group of new friends from Arizona. New foods, a water fall, the top of a tower in the mountains, swimming with bio luminescing algae, beaches and more!! We spent seven days filled with all of these things PLUS a Salsa class and a cooking class!

Meadow Mountain Ranch's (MMR) new zipline is over 10 years in the making. The GECCCOs (Girls Experiencing Camping, Canoeing and Cycling Outdoors) is a Northern Colorado-based troop focusing on adventures and trips outdoors. Taite Pugh was a former member of the GECCCOs who  had special needs and epilepsy and passed away in 2011. While in Girl Scouts, one of Taite’s favorite activities was ziplining, which she did on an international trip with her troop in Costa Rica. After Taite passed, the GECCCOs decided they wanted to do something to honor her, and began raising funds for an accessible zipline at MMR, where their troop would camp every year. Now, after more than 10 years and tens of thousands of dollars raised, MMR's new accessible zipline is opening! The GECCCOs raised over $66,000 toward the total cost to build the zipline, 23% of the total cost. Staff are being trained to run it for troop camps toward the end of this summer, and it will be an optional add-on for troop reservations starting in the summer of 2025. "I'm not going to lie, it brings tears to my eyes to know that the Taite zipline will be an integral part of activities for future [Girl] Scouts of all abilities up at MMR," Taite's mom, Cheryl McDonald-Pugh said. "Hopefully people will learn that Taite had a spirit of adventure and a positive effect on so many others even though she was special needs." Taite's former troop leader Jean Beucler and her daughter Anna Beucler, Taite's former troopmate, were able to visit MMR and take a ride on the new zipline. "Taite taught us a lot," Jean said. "[I feel] privileged to have been able to share this journey with these extraordinary, compassionate young women and their supportive families."

Girl Scout Troop 67358 from Littleton was honored June 6th in Washington, DC at the National Council for Mental Wellbeing 20th annual Hill Day conference. The troop earned the “Advocates of the Year” award for testifying here in Colorado at the State Capitol in favor of SB24-007, Behavioral Health First Aid Training. The girls in the troop, all rising seventh graders, worked hard on researching mental health, met with a University of Colorado Psychology professor, and wrote their testimonies in favor of the bill. They went to the State Capitol on April 30th to testify, meet with legislators and lobbyists and were thrilled the bill passed and was signed by Governor Polis in early June. In DC, Congresswoman Brittany Pettersen left the girls an official letter congratulating them on their hard work and advocacy and arranged for a private tour of the U.S. Capitol with her staff member. While touring the Capitol, girls from the troop met Senator Hickenlooper at his office who was impressed by their advocacy for mental health first aid training. At the National Council for Mental Wellbeing's reception during their conference, the troop excitedly accepted their award and each spoke during their acceptance speech. The audience gave the girls a stand ovation, many wiping tears from their eyes, and thanked them for their advocacy and speaking up for mental health first aid training.

The Older Girl Advisory Board (OGAB) is a council-lead leadership program for Girl Scout Seniors and Ambassadors from across the state. Throughout the year, we have leadership development opportunities and overnight retreats for girls to connect in person. Girls get opportunities to make new friends, work on public speaking skills, and participate in project development within the council. The application opens July 8 and can be found here. If you’re interested, email Grace at Grace.Chovil@gscolorado.org for more information about this program and how to apply. OGAB 2023-24 Testimonials “I have had so much fun participating in the Older Girl Advisory board for Colorado! I really enjoy being able to connect with other girls with similar interests and having the opportunity to learn important skills for my future. The retreats and meetings we have are always so much fun, and I draw a lot of value from the discussions and projects we engage in. Since joining, I’ve gotten a lot better at resolving conflict, working in a team, standing up for myself, and meeting my goals. I had so much fun at the Fall Retreat doing crafts and connecting with all my peers, and I’m super excited for the next one! My voice is truly valued and listened to in OGAB, which is really fulfilling and validating. I love being involved in an organization that I’ve been a part of for years at a higher level where I have the chance to facilitate change. It feels really empowering to be a part of that. It's so cool to see our plans really take shape and be proud of the work and time we put into it. I love how understanding everyone in the group is about things, and how willing we all are to help each other! It really does turn into a community really quickly, and it’s so nice to have that support system of people who are all working towards the same goal. Connecting to girls from all over the state has been so cool, and it really expands the place I live. For the program's future, I really hope that more girls will join. I think that so many members of the Girl Scout Organization would love to participate in this. With more members on OGAB, our impact would be even greater! I’d love for the program to encourage girls to stay in the Scouts through the Ambassador level. So far, I’ve really enjoyed how people come to us to brainstorm ideas and check in with us as representatives of the Scouts in Colorado, and I’d love to do that even more. We have some really great ideas to share! Something I would really like to do with the board is organize a “Colorado Girl Scout Day” to celebrate and unite the Scouts of Colorado.” -Thea Kuczynski “As a growing Girl Scout I have had the great pleasure of being part of Colorado's Older Girl Advisory Board. I've had the opportunity to collaborate with other Girl Scouts all around Colorado. Given the opportunity to share our visions and ideas with one another and the Girl Scout staff we have had the wonderful opportunity to grow closer as sister scouts. Together we were actively contributing to the growth and development of Girl Scouts for older girls. This role has given me a feeling of empowerment, knowing that my voice matters and can make a difference. Being a part of the Older Girl Advisory Board has supported me as a growing leader in my community in and out of Girl Scouts. My experience on the board has shown me the power of collaboration, the importance of uplifting one another, and encouraging others to reach their full potential. Looking forward, my hopes and dreams for the Older Girl Advisory Board are set towards continued growth and inclusivity where every Girl Scout feels empowered and the Older Girl Advisory Board becomes a place where girls from all backgrounds can come together, share their unique perspectives, and work towards a common goal. The possibilities for the program are endless, and I'm excited to be a part of its journey forward.” -Larissa Buerger

Gold Award Girl Scout Morgaine Wilkins-Dean, a graduate of East High School, is being honored by the Denver Business Journal as the Future Outstanding Woman in Business at an Aug. 1 awards dinner and in an Aug. 2 special section of the publication. Morgaine's Gold Award project involved a yearlong effort to educate families about Colorado Safe Storage laws to reduce gun violence at schools. This marks the third year the Denver Business Journal has honored one of our Gold Award Girl Scouts at this ceremony in a collaborative effort to raise awareness of the amazing work Girl Scouts do through earning Highest Awards. Past winners are Genesis Rodriguez and Orezi Ogbe. This year, Girl Scouts will receive additional recognition as Girl Scouts of Colorado CEO Leanna Clark is among the 26 Outstanding Women in Business honorees at the 25th anniversary of the Outstanding Women in Business event. Honorees are selected from nominations of women who are getting things done and helping their communities thrive. Leanna has been leading Girl Scouts of Colorado since 2020. During her time here, she has grown programming for girls, including mental wellbeing programming and STEM programming through her community partner connections, led transformational change in the national Movement by opening the first Girl Scout DreamLab here in Denver, and has helped to diversify revenue streams for the organization by helping to double growth in personal and corporate giving to Girl Scouts of Colorado.

Pictured here (L to R) is: Rebecca Shults, leader Daisy Troop 44144, Nation’s Capital Council; her daughter Amzie McCarthy; and Mariann Shults, former leader and mother of four lifetime member Girl Scouts, (three of whom earned their Gold Award and two of whom are also Troop Leaders.) Daisy Troop 44144 bridged up to Brownies on June 9, 2024. Rebecca and Amzie are in the process of moving to Colorado where they will remain active in Girl Scouts.

Every year, Deloitte hosts Impact Day, a day where employees across the country take time from their busy schedules to volunteer at local organizations and make a difference. Twisted Pine, a GSCO property, was one of many locations that Deloitte volunteers worked at today. Twenty four volunteers helped get the property in tip-top shape by cleaning the lodge from top to bottom, raking dried leaves and trimming trees. Megan Flori King works at Deloitte and is a member of the GSCO Board of Directors. Along with volunteering today, she has helped the long time partnership between GSCO and Deloitte thrive. "I really enjoy my time with the Girl Scouts and took the opportunity where Deloitte spends a day nationwide volunteering to really continue to further what I view as the mission of the Girl Scouts," Flori King said. "I would say, it's always a really great day where it's just positive and you walk away with a smile on your face." Kelli Wolfe, another Deloitte employee, said she was glad she got to help get Twisted Pine ready for girls to have fun at this summer. "Helping out feels great," Wolfe said. "It's nice to get outdoors and it feels good to give back to the community. It's been a really fun time." Today wasn't just about volunteering. Assistant Site Manager of Twisted Pine Wendy Edwardson is "retiring from Girl Scouts" later this month and was celebrated for her almost 20 years of commitment to the property. "I think it's fantastic that [Deloitte volunteers] want to help out. It impacts so many troops that are going to come and use the property. And I hope that they individually feel that it's fulfilling for them to come up here and see that they're doing something that makes a difference."

Alexa’s project tackled the challenge of students lacking essential skills for academic success, exacerbated by the pandemic. To address this, she crafted a curriculum centered on healthy habits, incorporating academic and social-emotional topics via video modules. Her program serves as a resource for students to cultivate motivation, combat procrastination, and hone fundamental study skills. The curriculum is now integrated into her school's educational framework through a lasting partnership with the National Honor Society. Here's what Alexa has to say about her Gold Award experience: My Gold Award project is a series of presentations focused on study, motivation, and time management skills. I choose my project because after returning to the classroom from Covid-19, many of my classmates admitted they no longer knew how to study or manage their time because online learning offered them an easy avenue to cheat and not be held accountable for how they spent their time. Furthermore, these same classmates realized they lacked the focus and motivation to overcome challenges. Therefore, I believed compiling tips and tools for students would help them transition back into the in-person classroom and be successful students; ideally, they would also be able to apply these skills to their overall lives. Completing my Gold Award project enabled me to feel accomplished because I was able to tackle many hurdles and earn the most prestigious Girl Scouts Award. I also felt proud I was able to provide students information and resources to help them be successful. Overall, for me, being a Girl Scout means exploring various skill sets and topics to broaden one’s horizons while servicing the community through these explorations.

My name is Alison Estrada, and I am currently a Girl Scout Senior (soon to be Girl Scout Ambassador!) in Troop 62816. Recently, I was able to complete the STACK Patch Program, which talks about the concept of cloud technology, brings into light all the hard work that goes into maintaining the Internet and all its apps, and introduces the people that are behind it: STACK and IPI, who partnered with Girl Scouts of Colorado to create this program! Because of this, I was honored with the opportunity to travel to the 3rd Annual STACK and IPI Women’s Leadership Summit on May 2nd in Fort Worth, Texas and talk about my experience with the program and its importance to young girls today. In Fort Worth, I was asked questions about the patch program, its importance to Girl Scouts, struggles I had faced as someone who has been wanting to go into a STEM related job or field, and tips I had for other young girls who were interested in STEM just like I was. This Summit was a chance to recognize the women who worked at STACK and IPI and helped keep it running, especially because they are both relatively young companies where women in STEM play crucial roles! From accounting, to client satisfaction, to computer engineers everyone played a part and it was such a welcoming environment of girls supporting each other in their dreams and in getting their goals. I encourage girls interested in STEM and girls not interested in STEM to complete this patch program and to keep going in Girl Scouts until the end of high school! The amount of skills you learn, talents you get to better, and doors that will open to you make it all worth it in the end.