Highest Awards: What To Do

Last week we listed 14 things Not To Do for a Girl Scouts Highest Award. Now it’s time to list what TO DO for your Highest Award.

• Complete the Pre-requisites: girls must be registered members, the appropriate age level for each award (check here), and must have completed a Journey at that age level before they can begin planning their Highest Award project. Girls earning their Gold Award who have not previously earned their Silver Award must complete 2 Senior or Ambassador Journeys before beginning the Gold Award process.
• Learn from an Expert: we highly recommend girls attend one of our Highest Awards 101 workshops or webinars, or the Silver and Gold specific workshops (check Ebiz for upcoming dates) OR contact the Highest Awards support staff in your region. It is especially important for the Gold Award that the girl does the contacting about her specific Gold Award Project! Your staff support contacts are:
  • Cincinnati- Devon Beck (devonbeck@gswo.org)
  • Dayton- Sarah Kelly (sarahkelly@gswo.org)
  • Lima – Megan Ramey (meganramey@gswo.org)
  • Toledo – Rebecca Sarantou (rebeccasarantou@gswo.org)
• Explore Your Community: every community is unique and has different assets and organizations that effect the needs of the community. While community A may have access to awesome  STEM programs for children because of a local university’s outreach department, community B may have no STEM programs available for children that don’t require driving to community A. What is a need for one community may be a strength for another and vice versa. Good places to start checking into the needs of your local community are the local newspaper and news channels. You can also interview long time residents of the community about the needs and assets they see in your area. Use Community Mapping too.
• Identify Issues You Care About: you’ll be spending a large amount of time on your project, so consider what things you value and skills you have that you enjoy sharing. What sparks your interest? Whether it’s music, science, or animals find a community need that relates to that topic so that your project centers around something you’re passionate about and enjoy.
• Investigate the Root Cause of the Issue: when you hear about a problem or an issue, always ask “why” this is an issue so that you can trace it back to the root cause of the problem. Need an example? How about you discover your town has a low employment rate. Now find out why. Are there not enough jobs for the amount of workers available? Do the workers available not have the right skill level for the open positions? Maybe a lack of transportation in the community means the unemployed cannot get to the open positions? Although multiple communities may have the same issue, the root cause of the issue may be very different. When investigating:
  • Demonstrate courage as you investigate your issue, knowing that what you learn may challenge your own and others beliefs about your community.
  • Use a variety of sources- interview people, read books and articles, find professional organizations online.
  • Remember to evaluate each source for reliability and accuracy. Bob’sAngryRant.com is not as reliable a source as a reputable news-site or organization in your community.
  • Make a global connection-think about others who may have worked on the same problem in the past, or check the internet to see how others around the globe deal with your issue. What can you learn from their approach? For example, if your local park has noticed a sharp decrease in their bee populations find out what other parks/towns/places have done to help with this issue. Research why being a world without bees is a bad thing and how it affects other issues (for the curious here’s why).

• Find a Mentor: seek out a project advisor who has expertise in the topic of your project either through their own job, volunteer opportunities or general knowledge of the topic. *Note: your parent/guardian or troop leader cannot be your project advisor.
• Build Your Team: seek out people with valuable skills who are also passionate about your issue. Remember to respect different points of view and ways of working and that they are your volunteers so this is a choice for them, not an obligation. Work with their schedules and be prepared to be flexible in your timeline to accommodate their schedules.
• Develop Your Project: identify a main goal for your project that everyone involved can understand and seek a way to meet that goal. The basic thing each girl should be able to say is “through our efforts we achieved X, and because of X, we lessened/made a positive impact on issue Y in our community“. A simple example is “through our creation of a bee friendly garden at the local park and our bee advocate junior gardening workshops we created a place for bees to thrive and educated community members on the importance of bees and because of this the bee population will grow in our community”.
• Make a Plan that Lasts: being organized and thinking through a probable timeline are essential to a quality project. Consider the impact too: is it short term or are there aspects that will have an effect beyond your initial involvent? As a leadership Take Action project the goal is to make a lasting impact on a community need, so the project needs long-term benefits and community support. This is the difference between Service and Take Action. Service projects are done FOR the community with a short impact, while Take Action  projects are done WITH the community so that the impact is sustained. Still not clear? Click the link above for a more in-depth look at the difference between service and Take Action.
• Gold Award Only- Get Approval: while the Highest Awards support staff welcome questions about projects from all levels, the Gold Award has an added requirement in its approval process. Girls must submit a Gold Award Proposal with a detailed project plan attached to council. Once received, members of the Gold Award Committee will contact the girl with project feedback and dates of upcoming committee meetings so that each girl can present her project plan to the committee in her region for approval before officially starting the project.
• Put the Plan in Motion: you’ve made a plan, found your team, plotted out a timeline and (for Gold Award) gotten the approval needed. All that’s left is taking action to make your world a better place! Don’t be discouraged if something does not happen exactly as you thought it would or if there are unforeseen obstacles that you must overcome. This is all part of being a leader and making an impact. So keep brainstorming your way around obstacles, consult your team, troubleshoot issues with your advisor as they occur, and reach your goal!
• Share Your Story: demonstrating to an audience what you have learned sets the stage for even broader impact, and is sometimes the best way for you to recognize what you have accomplished and see how much you have grown. It will also help you get others inspired to act! Need ideas? Here are a few ways to share your story, for more check the award guidelines in the Highest Awards section of our website:
  • Create a website or blog about what you have learned and how your project will help your community.
  • At a workshop for community members, present what you have learned and what your project will do for the community. Or do a presentation for a group of younger Girl Scouts—you will definitely inspire them!
  • Write an essay or an article for your local or school newspaper

• Reflect: congratulations on completing a project that makes a difference! Take some time to think about all that you have accomplished. Who did you meet that you didn’t know? What did you learn from others about your project issue, about your community, and about yourself? What would you do differently if you did it again? This is Step 4 of the Take Action process.
• Make it Official: all awards must turn in a final report and evaluation (in the Highest Awards section of our website) to be official. Each award requires a slightly different final report (Bronze is a checklist, Silver is a Final Report with attached questions, and Gold is a Final Report and Presentation before the Gold Award Committee) and approval process. The Bronze Award is leader approved and the pin can be purchased in our shop when the checklist and evaluations are turned in. The Silver Award is leader approved but council must confirm after they receive an individual final report from each girl and purchasing pins in the shop requires the approval letter from council. The Gold Award is approved by the Gold Award Committee after the Final Report and a presentation before the committee and pins are purchased for the girls to be given out at the annual council-wide Gold Award Ceremony in March.
• Celebrate: you’ve accomplished so much, it’s time for a celebration. Invite friends and family to an end of the year party and recognize the girls in your troop who earned this award. Does your service unit have a picnic/banquet/end of year event? If so, take a moment to recognize all of the girls in your community who have earned these awards. It doesn’t have to be big and splashy to be meaningful!

Now that you’ve got a handle on what to do for your Highest Award, go out and start investigating how you can make a change in your community. Dream big, you’ve got a lot of power inside of you and a whole team of people cheering you on as you make your world a better place!

Highest Awards: What Not To Do

2016 marks the 100th anniversary for highest awards in Girl Scouts. Just think about the impact of that for a second…100 years of girls across the nation identifying a need, assembling a team, and making a lasting difference in their community with leadership and girl power. What an exceptional legacy our organization has!

Let’s keep the legacy alive with another 100 years of amazing projects. Girl Scout’s highest awards—the Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards—are your girls’ chance to make a lasting difference in your community and in the larger world. To help girls (and their dedicated leaders) as they start these awards, see our list of What Not To Do When Earning a Highest Award. For more information, please see the requirements for the award or contact our customer care hotline at 1-888-350-5090 or customerservice@gswo.org.

Do Not:

• Set up a project where you show no leadership: You need to have a volunteer team working on your project assisting you. For each award every girl must take on a role in the project to make it happen.
• Set up a project team that is different than described in the guidelines: Bronze award projects are team projects, Silver can be individual or team, and Gold is an individual project but requires a team of volunteers helping with the project. If an individual girl does everything for the project with no team of volunteers, this is not a leadership project.
• Work on an award (or a journey pre-requisite) that is not in your current grade level. Bronze awards are for Juniors in 4th-5th grade, Silver awards are for Cadettes in 6th-8th grade, and Gold awards are for Seniors and Ambassadors in 9th-12th grade. Girls are considered to be part of the new grade level on September 30 of fall after they move to a new grade. All portions of the project must be completed and submitted by the September 30th deadline.
• Put together a project that is a fundraiser to donate money to an organization: This is not allowed in any of the Awards.
• Have your parent as your Award adviser: recruit an adviser who is knowledgeable about the root cause of your identified issue. Also Silver and Gold Award advisers cannot be your Troop Leader. They may help and cheer you on, but your adviser should be someone else.
• Set up a Silver or Gold project that is serving Girl Scouts: The project can include Girl Scouts in it, but must be primarily for the community OUTSIDE of Girl Scouting. This includes a Girl Scout project/ program that collects items to donate to another organization.
• Submit a different Bronze Award final report for each girl, or submitting a single Silver Award final report as a group: Each troop earning a Bronze Award must submit one report for the whole troop submitted by the Troop Leader. Each girl earning a Silver Award must complete her own Silver Award Final Report in her own (typed) words.
• Have your mom or Girl Scout Leader call the Gold Award Committee or the council for you to ask questions about your project: This is your project and not your mom’s or your Troop Leader’s. Show your leadership skills by making that contact yourself.
• Plan a project that is less than the minimum hours: Bronze Award projects require 20 hours per girl and you must plan for that amount. Silver Award projects require 50 hours per girl and you must plan for that amount. Gold Award projects require 80 hours per girl and you must plan for that amount.
• Plan a project that is just collecting and donating items to an organization: collecting and donating is a great SERVICE project but it is just service.
• Put a few small projects together to make up the hours: these Awards are one complete project, not a set of smaller projects combined.
• Find a project online that someone else did and copy it: You should be finding a problem in your community that needs fixing and developing your own project to fix it.
• Turn in your paperwork at the last possible moment and expect a quick turnaround to fit your schedule: Bronze and Silver Awards are processed as fast as possible. However, processing can take longer depending on how many final reports are submitted before yours. The Girl Scout Gold Award committee volunteers do their best to help every girl, but they are not available around the clock. Remember your manners and be polite in your requests to the committee and staff.
• Turn in a project report (proposal or final) that is vague: approval can be delayed for the Silver Award if the final report is not filled out completely. This includes not answering all parts of the questions asked. For the Gold Award you must have a project plan that is complete, already investigated, and a proven need before you approach the committee.

Think you’ve got a handle on what not to do for your highest award? Now want to know what to do? We’ll have a post about that next week but until then you can start investigating your community and join over 100 years of women who have been changing the world one project at a time!

Sneak Peak: Fall 2015 Program Events

Calling all adventurers: the school year may be winding down but it’s never too early to get excited about your NEXT Girl Scout adventure. Have you ever wanted to test your mettle against a friendly foe with a fencing foil? Find your dream job? Learn what to do when you swamp your canoe? This is your chance! We’ve got a wide array of program events ready to kick off another amazing year, Girl Scout style! Right now we’ve got a sneak peak of our fall program events on our Event Calendar. Find your favorite now and on June 3rd, 2015 when event registration opens on Ebiz to all members who early bird registered for the 2015-2016 membership year, grab your spot before its gone.

While there are too many programs at too many council properties to mention them all, here are 12 upcoming programs we’re excited to offer this fall:

• Intro to Canoeing: Juniors and Cadettes work on basic canoeing skills such as safety, getting in and out of the canoe, paddle strokes and more. September 20, 2015 at Camp Whip Poor Will, Morrow.
• The B.I.G. Event: The B.I.G. (Believe in Girls) Event will be an all day celebration that promotes everything that is cool about being a girl. There are hundreds of activity booths for all ages, exhibitors, vendors, programming areas and plenty of fun. Registration for this event opens on May 1, 2015! September 26, 2015 at Bowling Green State University.
• Sow What Journey Retreat: Jump start your year with the Senior Sow What Journey and be on your way to the Gold Award! Meet girls from across the Council and together ponder land use and global food issues. Spend the weekend earning components of the Sow What Journey and prepare a Take Action project. October 2-4, 2015 at Camp Whip Poor Will, Morrow. Cadettes and Ambassadors plan ahead for 2016 aMAZE and Bliss Journey Retreats at Camp Libbey (Cadette) and Rollings Hills (Ambassador).
• Program Aide Extravaganza: Join us Cadettes as we learn about upcoming Program Aide opportunities at council events and try out some of the activities from such as creating culinary masterpieces at our Chef programs, exploring engineering through team projects from Junior Inventor, and other fun activities. October 3, 2015 at Woodhaven Program Center, Lima.
• Father/Daughter Adventure Day: Come and join the fun as you explore the woods, create nature projects, learn outdoor skills, hone your slingshot skills and spend the whole day with that special man in your life. Bring your dad or another adult male role model to spend the day exploring all the activities together-all ages welcome! October 17, 2015 at Camp Whip Poor Will, Morrow.
• Target Sports Extreme: CSAs if you are ready to try something new, Target Sports Extreme is for you! Get a chance to chuck a tomahawk and shoot paintball slingshots at targets. Work with your team of warriors to win Camp Libbey’s fiercest target competition.  October 24, 2015 at Camp Libbey, Defiance.
• Adventuring with Maps Overnight: Brownies troops and up participating in an Adventuring with Maps session on either Saturday or Sunday have the option to spend the night in Ittmann Lodge at Camp Stonybrook.  November 7, 2015 at Camp Stonybrook, Waynesville.
• Junior Inventor: Join us as we explore the world of engineering where girls will work together as a team to create the perfect bubble solution, wand, and a mini-commercial to market their product, then build a coaster car that uses gravity to propel it across the floor as they explore what it’s like to be a product designer.  November 7, 2015 at Woodhaven Program Center, Lima.
• A Taste of Fencing: CSAs this is your chance to experience the sport of fencing. Suit up and you’re ready for some footwork and hand technique: on-guard position, advance, retreat, lunge and parry – and soon you’ll know what to do when you hear the words “En garde”! November 14, 2015 at Woodhaven Program Center, Lima.
• Dream Jobs: Juniors and Cadettes get a glimpse of some of the exciting careers paths you can choose in life through this workshop on November 14, 2015 at Lourdes University, Sylvania. Join with college professors and students to do hands-on activities in the planetarium, run tests in the nursing lab, perform water experiments in the Learning Lab, and more.
• Kappa Delta International Girls Day: Brownies and up, Kappa Delta Sorority invites you to an International Girls Day Celebration, designed to teach young girls the importance of having confidence. The celebration recognizes the spirit of girls and encourages girls to make their dreams a reality. November 21, 2015 at the Girl Scout Center, Dayton or November 14, 2015 at the University of Cincinnati.

These are just a small taste of the many wonderful and sometimes wacky program events that are available this fall. Further information about all of the program events we offer can be found in the Program Event Guide available at fall Kick-Off events and at fall Service Unit meetings. Don’t miss out, register for fall events on June 3, 2015. Then don’t forget to mark your calendar for November 2015 when registration opens for winter and spring program events.

Announcing the New Outdoor Explorer Badges!

After months of anticipation the new Outdoor Explorer badges have been announced and our outdoor staff and community partners are so excited to start helping girls earn these badges in fall 2015. Here are the new badge for each age level and some of the program events for the 2015-2016 troop year that can help your girls earn these badges:

• Brownie Outdoor Adventurer: this will be a sampler of outdoor activities that will entice girls to love the outdoors. That’s all we know for now, but we’re just as excited as you to see what becoming an outdoor adventurer looks like!
• Junior Horseback Riding: three cheers for this old troop favorite. We have community partners who offer riding experiences that we hope you’ll use such as Old Stone Riding Center-Hamilton, Marmon Valley Farms– Zanesfield, and Riders Unlimited-Oak Harbor. Check our Community Partners list for more options.
• Cadette Archery: another favorite Girl Scout tradition! The outdoor staff offer multiple archery sessions every year. Troops can register for them on Ebiz. Or use community partners, like Indian Lake Outfitters-Russells Point or AJ Outdoors-Toledo, who can help your girls conquer this skill.
• Senior Paddling (paddle sports such as kayaking, canoeing, and stand-up paddle boarding): all the many ways to paddle your way through our waterways are now a badge! Take Canoeing at Camp Whip Poor Will (check Ebiz in fall), test the waters at resident camp, or find a community partner (some local parks departments offer canoeing/kayaking opportunities) to explore the many options.
• Ambassador Ultimate Recreation Challenge: this will be five different challenges that cover the gamut of outdoor activities and will include a local area challenge. We’re just as excited as you to find out more details about this badge and find ways to challenge our ambassadors in the outdoors.

The badges and their full activity requirements will be available in our shops in fall 2015 so be sure to share with your girls and start planning your next outdoor adventure. The badge requirements will also be available for a free digital download on June 30th in the Girl Scout store. Voting is taking place now on what the badges look like so don’t forget to have girls cast their votes! It’s going to be a great year for exploring the outdoors!

Cookie Question: Can my troop accept credit cards?

Yes, your troop can opt to accept credit cards at your booth sales!

You’ve probably heard more than once, “I would love to support Girl Scouts, but I only have my card”

By using a credit card processor your troop can eliminate this sales obstacle AND girls get another opportunity to build skills in money management, business ethics, and technology. For some troops this is a great way to reach higher sales goals, provide better customer service, and reach even more customers.

Please keep in mind that using a credit card processor involves fees and troops should evaluate those fees prior to making a decision regarding credit/debit card sales. Troops will be responsible for the setup, tracking, and fees related to their merchant account.

Here are a few popular outside processor companies (please note we are not promoting the use of these processors but simply stating some popular options):

Square: squareup.com
PayPal: paypal.com/webapps/mpp/credit-card-reader

Please do your own research prior to choosing a credit card processor.
Benefits:

Why should your troop consider spending money on a credit card processing option?

• More proceeds for the troop
• Customers without cash can now make purchases
• Girls can reach higher reward levels
• Instantly improve your troop’s opportunity to increase sales
• Girls increase their aptitude for technology
• Credit cards eliminate the risk of counterfeit money and bounced checks

A Testimony from Troop 20327:

“I don’t know how many people walked by our cookie booths and said, ‘Oh, I would if I had some cash.’ Well, let me tell you how easy it is to respond to that—we take credit/debit cards. Last year my Daisy troop started taking cards at booths. It’s very easy to do, takes very little time and energy, and it just may give you a sale you missed because of a lack of ‘cash.’

I know some of you are asking what the catch is, and I’ll tell you. There is a small fee every time you swipe or manually enter information. Most of you are now asking yourselves, ’Is it worth it?’ Or, ‘What’s the point if I’m losing money?’  There is a small fee associated with each swipe, however, if you would have been missing out on these sales in the first place, the amount you get in proceeds after the fees is still worth it.

I urge everyone to consider this simple, easy way to make a little more money for your troop. It really is easy and I know I had customers who really appreciated not missing out on cookie sales because they didn’t have cash on hand to use at a booth sale. You could even require a 5 package minimum for every credit card swipe helping boost the amount of packages sold!”

 

What Can a Cookie Do? Save Puppies and Change Laws!

Cookie season is just around the corner. Before the cold temperatures, deadlines, and necessary paperwork for the world’s largest girl-led business starts to weigh on our spirits let’s take a moment and remember what cookies, and most importantly the girls who sell them, can do. Watch the video below to see how 3 Girl Scouts in Texas used the 5 Skills and the funds from their cookie sales to advocate for a law change in their state to protect puppies and earn their Silver Award. Want to learn more about the highest award for Cadettes? Sign up for one of our Silver Award workshops on Ebiz and help girls start changing the world one project at a time.

Now that you’ve seen the world of good girls can do when they dream big, let’s help our own girls dream big this year and give them the confidence and the means to reach those dreams with a successful cookie season!

Vote For Outdoor Badges!

There will be four outdoor badges added to the Girl Scout program in fall 2015 (one each at Brownie, Junior, Cadette, and Senior levels) and we need girl input to make these badges a true “Girls’ Choice”. “Girls’ Choice” means that girls will take the lead on deciding which new badges will be created through polling of our membership. Girls of all ages can vote now through November 30th on the content area they are interested in within the Outdoor Category. The choices will be Outdoor Recreation, Outdoor Environment or Outdoor Survival.  

CLICK HERE TO VOTE NOW! 

Then come back between December 1 – December 31 when girls will vote on the actual badge topic (for example, Hiking, Camping, Trail Blazing, etc.) based on their grade level in the coming year and stay tuned for March 12, 2015 when the four new outdoor badges will be announced and June 2015 when badge content will be shared.

Why the outdoors? Girl Scouts’ is so synonymous with outdoor experiences that 49 percent of alumnae described “camping trips” as one of the most positive aspects of their Girl Scout experience-ranking it just behind “fun” and “friendships with Girl Scouts” in a  a recent survey by the Girl Scout Research Institute (GSRI). Besides good memories, why do girls need outdoor experiences? We’re so glad you asked!

In 2012 the Girl Scout Research Institute decided to find out the kinds of outdoor experiences girls were having in Girl Scouts and how these experiences help girls grow into women of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place. They published their findings in More Than S’mores: Successes and Surprises in Girl Scouts’ Outdoor Experiences and here are the 6 key findings:

• Girl Scouts helps girls get outdoors. 
• Girls really enjoy outdoor activities in Girl Scouts.
• Monthly exposure, high adventure, and repeat camp attendance are key drivers of girls’ leadership development and satisfaction.
• Different groups of girls report different outdoor experiences and outcomes. 
• Girl Scouts helps girls connect with and care for the environment. 
• Camping experiences create memories and build leadership.  

Still not convinced? Here are what girls are saying about the outdoors and Girl Scouts:

“It was my first time on the water, in a lake. I was scared at first but when I started to paddle I got the hang of it. I really loved it.” 10-year-old Girl Scout, Missouri

“We clean up the creek at least twice a year and I like knowing that I am making a difference and like walking through the creek in my boots to pick up the trash. I even pick it up on the way if I am walking somewhere. I don’t like litter.” 10-year-old Girl Scout, Texas

“I started camping with my troop when I was a Brownie and have since improved my skills… I have learned how to cook outside, hike, leadership skills, do archery, tie dye, animal studies, and many more just from going camping. Everything that I learn during camping with my troop will help me later in life.” 12-year-old Girl Scout, Illinois

Now that the girls have spoken and the voting has started, dust off your boots and start planning your own outdoor adventure or service project. Let’s make 2015 a nature year!

 

 

2015 Program Events are Opening Soon!

2015 is nearly here and we’re continuing the adventure with more AWESOME program events! Winter and spring program events open on Ebiz to all members registered for the 2014-2015 membership year on November 12th, 2014. While there are too many programs at too many council properties to mention them all, here are some upcoming programs we’re excited to offer:

 

1. Teen Mentoring Award Retreats: Do you love teaching younger Girl Scouts? Want to expand your leadership skills and learn how to problem solve on your feet? Then grab your sleeping bag and join us for a sleepover full of songs, games, creative experiments, and human knots while you practice the skills necessary for mentoring younger girls and complete the required council training in earning your Program Aide (Cadette-April 11-12, 2015 Woodhaven Program Center, Lima) or Volunteer-In-Training (Senior/Ambassador-January 24-25, 2015 Camp Rolling Hills, Pleasant Hill) pins.
2. CSA Leadership Conference: Discover the Girl Behind the Mask! Join over 200 girls from Western Ohio as we spend the weekend at a hotel (Crowne Plaza, Blue Ash, Ohio) on February 14-16, 2015!  Choose from a variety of workshops on topics like fencing, cooking, martial arts, knitting, and many more.  This conference is planned by a girl planning committee to give you the opportunity to discover what you like, connect with new ideas and people, and take action to make the world a better place.  Spaces are limited, so do not wait to register!
3. Sow What Journey Retreat: Seniors join us on February 27-March 1, 2015 at Camp Libbey, Defiance and spend the weekend getting down to the science and roots of global food issues as you complete award components and leaders/adults learn how to mentor girls through a Journey experience.
4. Eco-Overnight: Ever wanted to try calling an owl, test your night vision, or create the ultimate spider web? Juniors join us for an amazing adventure out in the wilds of camp stalking critters, going color crazy, and a whole lot more. We have two events coming up at Woodhaven Program Center, Lima on February 28-29, 2015 and at Camp Libbey, Defiance on April 11-12, 2015.
5. Flag Ceremony Workshop:  Learn about one of the oldest and most iconic Girl Scout traditions on March 21, 2015 at Camp Butterworth, Maineville! Girls of all ages learn how to show respect for the flag of the United States by first learning the basics of flag ceremonies and then getting the chance to practice their new skills.
6. Family Night: Bring your family out to camp, explore the woods on a twilight hike, search for critters, do some star gazing, make a craft and complete your evening of outdoor fun with scrumptious S’mores around a campfire. We have two events: April 24, 2015 at Camp Rolling Hills, Pleasant Hill and May 8, 2015 at Woodhaven Program Center, Lima.
7. Creative Contraptions: Juniors and Cadettes come on out for the first ever Girl Scout Rube Goldberg day. Whether it’s through watching Goldie Blox commercials or playing a game of mouse trap, we’ve all seen creative contraptions. Now learn about the science behind the machine, see popular ones, and make your own on April 18, 2015 at the Girl Scout Center, Dayton.
8. Citizenship Badge Day: Juniors can learn what it means to be an active citizen, talk to a government official, understand laws, and so much more as they earn their Inside Government badge while Cadettes explore Finding Common Ground as they learn to debate, understand compromise and and Brownies try out Celebrating Community on this citizenship badge themed day on April 25, 2015 at the Girl Scout Center, Dayton.
9. Life Skills: CSA girls gain practical life skills like Carpentry (Seniors/Ambassadors) and Woodworking (Cadettes) as volunteers from the National Association of Women in Construction teach them to use tools and construct from wood on April 25, 2015 at Camp Libbey, Defiance!
10. Council Operated Troop Camp (COTC)– Brownies through Cadettes come spend an adventure filled weekend at Camp Rolling Hills, Pleasant Hill or Camp Whip Poor Will, Morrow on May 1-3, 2014! Stay in a lodge, a tent, or a cabin based on availability and participate in an array of awesome program opportunities that showcase what camp is all about.
11. Girl Scout Day at the Museum: Daises and Brownies explore the science behind gliding as they hone their problem-solving skills in the egg-drop experiment led by education staff at the Armstrong Air and Space Museum May 2, 2015 in Wapakoneta. Once your workshop is done, discover space Ohio style as girls tour the musuem’s interactive exhibits. Older girls feeling left out? Join museum staff for your own overnight at the museum on March 14-15, 2015 (CSA) or April 25-26, 2015 (Brownie/Junior).

These are just a small taste of the many wonderful and sometimes wacky program events that are available this year. There are more adventures waiting for your troop. Further information about all of the program events we offer can be found in the Program Event Guide. Start the fun, register for 2015 events now!

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Imagine a World Where No One Is Worried About the Way They Look!

Can you imagine a world where girls grow up with the confidence to be themselves? We can!  Help us start a World Wide Beauty Revolution! This is the vision that drove Girl Scouts of Western Ohio and nine other Girl Scout councils to partner with Dove and Girl Scouts of the USA to launch Free Being Me, a leadership initiative focused on helping girls ages 7-14 better understand global definitions of beauty, define beauty for themselves and boost their self-confidence in the process.

Free Being Me has been co-created by GSUSA and the Dove Self Esteem Project for Girl Scouts and is designed to improve girls’ body confidence in a fun and interactive way. The activities have been informed by world-leading research in body confidence and are a direct extension of the It’s Your Story-Tell It! Journey. Troops can choose to participate in Free Being Me activities on their own or as a part of completing the Journey.  All girls who participate can receive the Free Being Me patch – at no cost, just by completing the online program evaluation and turning in the troop participation form to their regional office. The evaluation form, full curriculum packets, and more information can be found on our website under Free Being Me.

After our council launched the program last winter we recognized that the large curriculum packets, while full of wonderful activities and ideas for inspiring body confidence in girls, were cumbersome to print and wade through for our troop leaders. To help with that we created two shortened activity packets (only 6-8 pages), one for 7-10 year olds and one for 11-14 year olds, that fulfill the patch requirements. Already completed the patch activities? Share your story with the world in the Free Being Me Stories Archive.

So what are you waiting for? Start a beauty revolution with your troop today! 

 

The End of Bullying Begins with Me!

Any woman who can remember the exact words someone said years ago that made her feel small and weak knows the old adage “sticks and stones can break my bones, but words will never hurt me” is wrong. Words can hurt forever and “relational aggression” or hurting one another emotionally rather than physically through things like manipulation, exclusion, taunting, gossiping, cliques, cyber bullying, and toxic friendships can spread deep roots that influence our behavior decades later.

October is National Bullying Prevention month and Girl Scouts across the country are raising awareness of this issue and empowering girls to recognize when bullying occurs and to stand up for themselves and others. It doesn’t have to be like this!

So how do we help our girls navigate this maze of relationships and bully behaviors? How do we build a generation of girls who are willing to take a stand? The first step to stopping these behaviors is knowledge. Have your girls take these online quizzes: Test Your Bullying IQ and Test Your Relational Aggression IQ and then discuss with them their answers, reactions to the statistics, and what they think will make a difference in their school. Challenge them to be open, honest, and supportive with one another during the discussion.

Then seek out resources to help give girls (and parents) the tools that they need to take that stand. The Cadette Journey aMAZE: The Twists and Turns of Getting Along is a great resource for helping girls navigate friendships, social circles, and other bullying behaviors they may encounter. It has tips, tools, and resources for both girls and adults to help them become strong advocates for themselves and others. GSUSA has also created an additional resource for aMAZE called BFF: Be a Friend First that has been used very successfully in schools across our council and the nation. Check out these videos below to see what girls and school administrators are saying about BFF and its impact in their community.

For more information contact your regional Girl Scout office or attend our upcoming aMAZE! Journey Retreat November 7-9th, 2014 (see Ebiz for more details). Also PBS Parents has a great list of recommendations for Helping Middle Schoolers Navigate their Social Lives that can also be modified for younger girls because while these bullying behaviors are more prevalent in middle school, the beginnings of the “mean girl” behaviors can be seen in younger girls. Let’s help our girls be the generation that stands up to bullying!