Submitted by Sadie Fawcett Pikes Peak Colorado Springs Making friends in the Army is hard, but I am lucky that I have friends all over the world that I get to see on occasion. One experience I had with friendship was in the sixth grade. I became friends with three girls. These friends helped me through some tough times, and they never left me behind. Friendship is for family and support. This was an amazing experience for me because we hung out all the time and did homework together. We played weird games and joked around at lunch. The overall experience was amazing. Sometimes one of my friends said she felt left out because we lived on base and she lived off. We started to call her on sleepovers and talked a lot more. If I had the chance to repeat this time, I would find a way to get her to be able to come for sleepovers. It is important to be kind to make people feel wanted. So be kind and make friends, it helps you through dark times. All in all friendship is important so you can live a fun and happy long life, with those you care for. 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. #Army #ColoradoSprings #PikesPeak

We strengthen our democracy when civically engaged children become civically engaged adults. From the very beginning, civic engagement has been part of our Girl Scout DNA. We build girls of courage, confidence, and character, who become engaged citizens and change the world. Check out these badges to start the conversation on how to be civically engaged: Daisy Good Neighbor– Girls will learn more about their local communities and discover how they can help their communities. Try it out: Have your girls draw a picture of themselves in the center of a piece of paper. Then ask them to think of the ways that they help people at school, in the neighborhood, or a community they are part of. Have them draw the ways that they help around the picture of themselves. Have girls share and reflect by asking if they hear any new ideas about how they can be a good neighbor. Brownie Celebrating Community– Girls will learn more about the culture of their local communities by learning about ways their community celebrates its people. Try it out: Help your girls research the culture and history of their community or city they live in. Find a couple songs that connect to the culture or history of the community. Go further with this activity by finding local musicians who represent the culture of the community. Junior Inside Government– Girls will find out more about the basics of government and start to become active citizens. Try it out: Ask your girls about the issues they are passionate about or interested in. Have them research the laws around those issues, both state and federal, then encourage a discussion around the issue. Cadette Finding Common Ground– Girls will learn how people in democratic offices use compromise and debates to bring people together. Try it out: Start the conversation by asking the girls about a present-day issue that is affecting them or their community. Once an issue has been established, have girls research all sides in the issues. Bring girls together to discuss how they think they could bring change to the issue. Senior Behind the Ballot– Girls will learn about the importance of voting and find out how the electoral process works in the United States and around the world. Try it out: Have girls research the issuescurrently in the spotlight in their community. Discuss if they would use these issues to impact their decision if they were voting. What other issues would they like to see considered? Ambassador Public Policy– Girls will gain the knowledge to speak up about and act on issues that are crucial in their world. Try it out: Ask girls to research an advocacy group that is focused on an issue that is crucial in their world. Have them discover the ways that the advocacy group is speaking about and acting on the issue. Discuss ways they could get involved with that group or the issue. Troop leaders can find meeting plans and activities for these badges in the Volunteer Toolkit. Caregivers can find the steps to complete the badges or purchase badge booklets on the Girl Scouts of Colorado shop. Questions about these badges? Email GirlExperience@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. #VolunteerNews #civicengagementbadges #civicengagement #badge #badges

Submitted by Maria Casaverde Marin Metro Denver Denver Francesca is a second year Brownie who has been learning in the past days about how protesting leads to change in our history. She has been following the news and was heartbroken to see all the vandalism. She knew that she wanted to do something positive to be part of the change. We joined the city’s call for volunteers and went downtown early in the morning to help pick up trash. I pointed out that while people have the freedom to protest, vandalism has negative consequences to our community, which she was able to see first-hand. We were very encouraged to see hundreds of people joining this call to make Denver a safe and just place for all. 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. #Denver #MetroDenver #protestcleanup

We may not be able to be at camp together in person this summer, but across the country Girl Scout staff and volunteers are planning ways for girls to participate in camp virtually! Girl Scouts are now able to visit a virtual camp marketplace hosted by Girl Scouts of the USA to register for virtual camps through sister Girl Scout councils nationwide. Explore the camps at the virtual marketplace to discover themed camps, live virtual events, and plenty of activities to complete away from the screen, independently, or with a caregiver.  Explore the virtual camp marketplace here: https://www.girlscouts.org/en/girl-scouts-at-home/camp-adventures.html Note: GSCO Camp Staff are continuing to develop contingency plans for summer programming, stay tuned for more information later this summer. 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. #GirlScoutsoftheUSA #GirlScoutingatHome #GSUSA #GirlScoutsatHome #NationalVirtualCampMarketplace #VirtualCampMarketplace #camp

When girls explore what women can achieve in a STEM career, they see the powerful connection between science and making the world a better place. And, she discovers how she can change the world too! The new Women in STEM Coloring Book highlights six amazing women who use STEM in their daily work, and showcases the wide range of STEM careers that help us build bridges, create apps, grow food, help people stay healthy, protect the planet, and more. Now, girls can get creative as they learn about careers and imagine their own  STEM futures! These coloring sheets are made possible by a generous grant from IF/THEN,  part of Lyda Hill Philanthropies’ commitment to fund game-changing advancements in science and nature.  IF/THEN’s mission is to inspire the next generation of girls to consider pursuing careers in STEM. 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. #ColoringBook #GirlScoutingatHome #STEM #GirlScoutsatHome #WomeninSTEM

The Hecho en Colorado Coloring Book started as a way of bringing creativity and inspiration to our community at a time when schools and cultural institutions are closed. Link to the coloring book: https://f7f33c97-654f-4a5f-87e3-44c23a0b2713.filesusr.com/ugd/86d3e7_a994243164e6472fa23248c5f30de78b.pdf The Latino Cultural Arts Center thanks all the contributing artists for making the first coloring book of Colorado-based Latinx artists a success! Together, we will make it through this! Send some love to these artists! Please take a moment to reflect on what this coloring book means to you and your family and share it on social media by tagging @Latino Cultural Arts Center on Facebook! Also, be sure to share on the GSCO Blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Twitter and Instagram users should also use #GSColo. Contributing Artists: Cal Duran Carlota EspinoZa Javier Flores Carlos Fresquez David Ocelotl García Quintín González JOLT Karma Leigh Arlette Lucero Stevon Lucero Emanuel Martínez Norberto Mojardin Adolfo Romero Ana Marina Sanchez Carlos Sandoval Armando Silva Leo Tanguma Forthcoming Artists: Al Cardenas Juan Fuentes & Mateo Rodriguez Santiago Jaramillo Daniel Salazar 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 #HechoenColoradoColoringBook #LatinoCulturalArtsCenter

GSCO Camp Staff at Tomahawk Ranch kicks off every summer by singing the Tomahawk Ranch song! Join us on Instagram at @tomahawkranch for a virtual campfire on June 7, 2020 at 7 p.m. to kickoff our summer season. Learn the Tomahawk Ranch song with these lyrics, notes, and cords: Tomahawk Song: Lyrics and Notes You can also send us a video of you singing or playing the song to TomahawkRanch@gscolorado.org. We will compile all the videos for a fun collaboration for our closing of summer programming. #GirlScoutingatHome #GirlScoutsatHome #TomahawkRanch #TomahawkRanchsong #camp #TomahawkRanchCamp

Girl Scouts of Colorado is extending the suspension of all in-person gatherings through June 30, 2020. We ask that you cancel or reschedule any meetings or activities planned for in-person and move to virtual when possible. This also includes all trips and travel for troops. We realize guidelines vary in counties around the state, but because we serve the entire state, our decisions are made for the council as a whole. We will continue to monitor state health and governor guidelines, re-evaluate our status every two weeks, and are working toward a set of guidelines to allow troops to meet in person later in the summer. #CouncilNews #COVID19

Girl Scouts of Colorado CEO Leanna Clark Dear Girl Scout community, I’m proud to be part of the Girl Scout community  —  a place  where the fundamental values of respect for all and inclusivity are at the core of our being. For more than 100 years, we’ve prepared girls to lead, to speak up and speak out, and to take action for change. As we try to process what happened in Minnesota to George Floyd, in Atlanta to Ahmaud Arbery, and in Louisville to Breonna Taylor; as we grasp the reality of the protests here in Colorado and around the nation; and we see violent images on the nightly news and in our social media feeds, I ask our Girl Scout community to stand together and support each other. We need to live the words of our Promise and Law now more than ever. Now is the time to be courageous and strong, to respect ourselves and others, make the world a better place, and be a sister to every Girl Scout. We are better together. Although I’m new here (just starting my second week as CEO), I’ve already felt the warm embrace of this community. We are here for you. For those of us experiencing racism, we are holding you close. And for those standing as an ally, we stand with you. As a girl-serving organization, we know your heart will turn to “how do I address this with my children?” so we’ve asked our Chief Outdoor Programs Officer Lindsay Standish, who is a child life specialist and recreation therapist, to provide some resources and tips because we know these conversations are difficult and important. In addition, these resources specific to talking about race may be useful as well. The National Museum of African American History and Culture developed a web portal, Talking About Race, to provide resources. Resources for educating kids about racism and privilege. Part of our mission is to make the world a better place. Today, we are called upon to recommit to that mission as a community.  We have a long way to go, but as Girl Scouts, I know we are up for it. Sincerely, Leanna Clark Chief Executive Officer Girl Scouts of Colorado

By Lindsay Standish child life specialist, recreation therapist Although it might be an uncomfortable conversation and you probably don’t have all the answers, we encourage you to talk to your children about race, privilege, and the protests happening around the country. While I am not an expert on race relations, my 10 years as a child life specialist and recreation therapist have given me experience in guiding children through difficult conversations. If your kids are feeling anxious and stressed, a combination of discussing what is happening and identifying positive coping strategies that work well for your child will be helpful in navigating these challenging topics. Creating a safe space for children to explore these issues is essential. Use these tips to guide your discussion: Discuss what is going on, letting the child’s age and level of development guide you.Identify the facts and address any questions and misinformation. Questions to ask your child: What do they know about what is going on? What questions do they have about what is happening? If you are uncertain about the best way to answer a question it is important to be honest and share that you are still learning as an adult too. Validate that your child’s feelings and concerns are real and important. Ask your child, “How do you feel about the information you’ve heard?” Respect their fears- no matter what they are. Practice active listening to validate what they have shared. Reflect or repeat back what they are saying and what they may be feeling to make sure you understand. “It sounds like you are fearful that ___ may happen.” When you restate or paraphrase what has been said, your child has an opportunity to step back and reevaluate their statements and feelings If your child shares that they feel unsafe, help them think of ways to feel safe and let them know what you are doing to help keep them safe. There are developmentally appropriate ways to talk to children of all ages about these difficult issues. For school-age children (ages 6-12), in addition to talking with your children, be sure to provide opportunities for your child to play. Children often process and express their feelings through pretending and play. Observing their play can help adults better understand children’s thoughts and concerns. It’s important to create ways for your child to communicate their worries, thoughts, or questions. Activities can provide an outlet for children no matter what age to express their feelings in less formal or intimidating ways. These activities can also become part of daily routines to promote positive communication and sharing feelings. Developmentally appropriate books on the topics of race, diversity, discrimination, and important related topics can be helpful resources. For teenagers, it is important to give opportunities for open and honest discussion. Be available while also respecting their need for privacy. Teens’ worlds are more likely to include current events and social media, which can be used to help explore their reactions. Both school-aged children and teens can be empowered by asking them how they can help create change for their community. This can be a time to discuss what courage, confidence, and character mean to them in relation to what is going on in their community and the world. An age-appropriate explanation is better than silence because no child is too young to learn about appreciating and valuing other humans – especially those who, at first glance – might seem different from themselves. And since you’re talking to a Girl Scout, you’ll have no problem balancing the conversation with the possibilities of change and a better future. Because that is what we’re all about. Lindsay Standish is the Girl Scouts of Colorado outdoor programs chief officer and is also a child life specialist and recreation therapist.

Host your own cake decorating class anywhere, anytime with lesson plans from Wilton Cakes! Lesson plans include: Cookie Crumble Cake Spatula Painting with Icing International Spices Stencil Painting Fundamentals Making Natural Food Colors Cupcake Chemistry Icing Fundamentals Buttercream Flowers Decorating Cookies Fondant Fundamentals Questions? Contact wmisupport@wilton.com or (630) 810-2874. 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 #Wilton #Communitypartnerships #GirlScoutsatHome #communitypartners

Girl Scouts of Colorado’s Outreach Program team has developed a series of “Think Like a Citizen Scientist” Challenges for the week of June 1, 2020. These activities aren’t Girl Scout level-specific. However, they would probably be best for Girl Scout Daisies, Brownies, and Juniors. Each activity correlates with the Think Like a Citizen Scientist Journeys and are weather-related. In the “Climate around the World” experiment, girls will use items in the house and found outside to model different climates around the world and conduct an experiment on how the sun effects the different climates. Girls will learn the difference between weather and climate and explore climates all over the world! Watch this video to learn how to use common household kitchen items to make your own hurricane! Girls will learn about the formation of hurricanes and will be able to see how they form. 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. #ThinkLikeaCitizenScientistChallenges #GirlScoutingatHome #STEM #GirlScoutsatHome #ThinkLikeaCitizenScientistJourney #ThinkLikeaCitizenScientist