TAC is Back

Camp is an exciting pathway for girls to participate in Girl Scouting. At Troop Adventure Camp, the troop and camp pathways merge to create an experience girls and leaders will never forget. Troop Adventure Camp (TAC) is slightly different from our other summer program opportunities – it’s designed for the whole troop!

• What makes TAC different? Girls work together to schedule their TAC session.  They pick their activities, their cook-outs and their troop rules. This means that troops get the progressive camping experience that they’re ready for. There’s activities for first time troops and experienced campers.
• Do adults have to pay? The adults needed to keep proper Safety Activity Check Point ratio do not pay to attend TAC. Any additional adults not needed for ratio are required to pay.
• Do adults have to stay the whole time? No, we realize that accompanying your troop to camp for a session is a big commitment. That’s why we allow rotating adults. You can trade off “shifts” with other adults in your unit as long as they have completed the volunteer approval process.
• Do the troop leaders lead the activities? No, Junior Instructors and camp staff lead the program activities, adults are needed for ratio, supporting the girls, providing good behavior management techniques and first aid.  If the troop schedules in down time, troop bonding time or an off-site trip; the leaders are responsible for leading those type of activities.
• What activities can we choose from? There are many activities to choose from at TAC. Some of the activities you can choose are letterboxing, nature hikes, creeking, pottery, sewing silly monsters, complicated contraptions, egg drop engineers, cooking methods and survival skills.  Girl Scout Juniors and older can do archery and the low challenge course.
• What if we’ve been to TAC before? Don’t worry, there’s still more to explore! Besides doing the activities you’ve never done before, there are off site destinations to explore! Go canoeing with Rivers Edge Outfitters, take a zip line canopy tour at Camp Kern, hunt for fossils at Caesar Creek State Park , visit Fort Ancient or check out the Air Force Museum.
• How do we register? Registration opens February 26, register using the paper registration form found at  http://www.girlscoutsofwesternohio.org/What-We-Do/Program-Opportunities-Events/Summer-Camp-Opportunities/Summer%20Camp%20Documents/1302016-001%202014%20Camp%20Registration%20Troop%20Adventure%20Camp%202013.pdf.
• How can I make sure my girls are ready for summer camp?  It might be hard to believe right now but warm weather is on the way.  Move your troop meeting outside or to a local park to get the girls used to operating outside.  You can also take time to work on badges that inspire the girls to explore the outdoor world around them.  There is a Naturalist legacy badge in The Girl’s Guide to Girl Scouting for each grade level.

National Engineers Week

Two Girl Scouts work together during the 2013 Design It, Build It, Go STEM event cohosted by Girl Scouts of Western Ohio and Cincinnati State

February 16-22, 2014, is National Engineers Week.  This is a perfect week to begin introducing girls to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) careers and topics. It’s okay if you aren’t an expert in these areas yourself because the girls will love seeing you discover along with them.  You may be wondering why this is so important to girls.  Here are  few facts that you should know:

Career Opportunities: 

• STEM careers are growing five times faster than any other occupation.
• By 2018, nine out of the 10 fastest-growing jobs in the United States will require significant training in science and mathematics.
• STEM workers command higher wages, earning 26% more than their non-STEM counterparts.*

*SOURCE: Economics and Statistics Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, July 2011

The status of girls:

• Not enough girls are pursuing STEM careers.
• Only 20 percent of engineering degrees, 25 percent of math and computer-science degrees are earned by women
• 40 percent of earth, atmospheric, ocean and physical science degrees are earned by women.

Why are girls underrepresented? 

• Girls have less confidence in their STEM abilities even though they have the same capabilities in mathematics and science as their male counterparts.
• Girls have less exposure to hands-on STEM activities.*
• Girls have few female role models in their lives that are engaged in STEM fields.
• Girls are more interested in careers that “help people” and lack an understanding that STEM careers can help people.
• Girls are unaware of STEM career opportunities.

*SOURCE: Lemelson-MIT Invention Index

What can I do?

• If you are a Girl Scout Senior or Ambassador leader, contact your local Girl Scout Center to find out more about the Imagine Your STEM Future curriculum.
• Help connect girls to women in STEM fields.  Get the parents associated with your troop to tap into their networks to invite special guests to share their careers with girls.
• Many colleges, universities and museums offer STEM programming for youth that would be perfect for a Girl Scout field trip.
• Share the above research with the parents in your troop so they know the barriers that girls face.
• Learn more about girls and STEM by reading the Generations STEM study conducted by GSUSA which is where we pulled most of the data listed above.  If that’s too lengthy for you, this summary has all of the essential information.
• Check out this resource which will tell you how some of our National Portfolio links to STEM topics.  These tips are helpful too!
• Do some research about each aspect of STEM on the internet.  You’ll discover all sorts of free resources.  Discovere.org is a great place to start.

Cookie Booth Selling Success!

Cookie booths give girls the perfect opportunity to reach their goals and gain valuable people and business ethic skills.  Before you set out with your girls for your first cookie booth, brainstorm different ways to maximize your sales to ensure success.  Here are some ideas if they get stumped:

• Create bright posters to attract customers and communicate the troop’s goals.
• Be on time!  The businesses who agree to host cookie booths often promote their cookie booths to their customers.  Being timely isn’t only an important lesson for the girls, but it will also keep you from missing out on eager customers.
• Wear your uniform so people recognize you as Girl Scouts.  If you don’t have a uniform, a Girl Scout T-shirt is great too.  You could even make one as a team!
• Practice makes perfect.  Let the girls practice setting up their booth and take turns playing the role of the seller and the customer.  This can help girls build their confidence, practice their pitches and test their cookie knowledge.
• Create a Facebook event.  This is a great way to promote your cookie booth to family and friends.  You could even see if your host would share it on their page too.
• Check out cookie costumes from the regional Girl Scout Center nearest you.  These are a fun way for the girls to be attract customers and get a few laughs.
• Promote Operation Cookie or Troop Gift of Caring to your customers.  First, let them buy cookies for themselves and then offer them the opportunity to contribute to Operation Cookie or Troop Gift of Caring.  This benefits everyone!  The girls increase their sales, the customer gets cookies AND they get the chance to share with others.

Celebrating Black History Month

A Girl Scout birthday celebration, circa 1960s.
Image:Girl Scout National Historic Preservation Center

One of the most powerful things about Girl Scouting is the connection that girls have to the rich history of women in Girl Scouting who came before them.  Black History Month is a great opportunity to celebrate African-American women as you help girls make a connection to the important role that African-American women have played in the history of our country and the Girl Scout Movement.  Here are some ideas of how to help make that connection:

• This is the perfect time to kick off the It’s Your Story-Tell It Journey .  This Journey introduces girls to inspiring women through various forms of story-telling.  While the Journey has women interwoven throughout each Girl Scout grade level, you can add in a few additional African-American women in honor of Black History Month.  You can even have girls do their own research and bring the story of an inspiring woman back to their next meeting to share with the group.
• You might be saying, “I’m not a history buff!” That’s okay!  It’s great for girls to see you learning right along side them.  Visit www.africanamericanhistorymonth.gov to get inspired yourself! The menu on the left side of the screen has great tools.  The images tab has photos of great leaders in our history along with information about them.  Have fun exploring yourself and then let the girls take the lead.
• GSUSA has great information about Girl Scout history on their website which includes women from all backgrounds.
• Search for Black History Month celebrations and exhibits at local history museums, cultural museums, art museums and universities.  These type of events are a great way to learn along side the girls and get out in the community.  Did you know that we have an AMAZING museum called the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center right in our council’s jurisdiction?  Check it out!
• Simply talk to the girls about what they are learning about in school during Black History Month and what they think about it.  This approach might help you find out what the girls are really interested in and allow you to let them explore in a way they may not get to in school.