Stanford University, Girl Scouts, and GLEE!

What do Girl Scouts, Stanford University, the environment, and energy reduction have in common? Why GLEE of course! What is GLEE? It stands for Girls Learning Environment and Energy and is a free online course for Junior Girl Scout Troop leaders and parent volunteers developed at Stanford University in collaboration with Girl Scouts of Northern California. This awesome new resource features a five-session energy reduction and a five-session food sustainability patch curriculum for Junior Girl Scouts whose activities can help you on your Get Moving! and Agent of Change Journeys and may also provide inspiration for a Girl Scout Bronze Award Take Action Project.

The curriculum and the resources to teach it are available in a free online course that uses videos, images, and text to teach troop leaders how to conduct the activities with their Girl Scouts to learn and practice energy reduction and food sustainability. For more information on GLEE or to sign up for the online course go to GLEE Stanford Home Page and start exploring these important topics with your troop today! When you’ve completed the program with your troop, don’t forget to visit the Girl Scouts of Northern California shop website and order your GLEE patch!

Need more great resources to round out your Girl Scout year? Check out Together Counts and bring some energy balance to your next scouting adventure! What is Energy Balance? Simply put, it’s learning to live an active, healthy life by balancing the energy you take in (calories) with the energy you burn (exercise and activities). In partnership with Girl Scouts of the USA, they’ve designed resources for Daisies, Brownies, and Juniors to easily incorporate energy balance into your troop meetings, outings, events and adventures.  The activities correspond with the Daisies’ Between Earth and Sky Journey, the Brownie’s Wow! Wonders of Water Journey, and the Juniors’ Get Moving Journey. Check out this video of how some Illinois Girl Scouts found their energy balance and test out some of their ideas with your troop.

Inspired yet? Get your girls moving and thinking more about how they power their bodies, download your age level’s free Healthy Habits Booklet today.

What are you waiting for? Use these awesome resources and start your troop’s next energy adventure today!

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!”

 

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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Popular Troop Trip Destinations

Girls have been exploring the world around them since 1912 and one important experience is the troop trip. If you’re looking for the next memory maker for your troop we’ve got some exciting destinations for your girls. Here are a few of the more popular trips troops from Western Ohio took in 2013-2014.

1. The Zoo: what a great place for combining badge work and adventure. Many zoos have education programs for youth, some that are Girl Scout badge specific, and overnights with themes like Safari Overnight (Toledo) Sleep With the Manatees (Cincinnati), Creatures of the Night (Ft. Wayne), and Zoo Careers (Columbus). There is something for almost every age level. Contact the education department at your zoo of choice for more information.

2. COSI: the camp-ins here are a long standing Girl Scout tradition. There are day camps for K-3 girls and overnights for 1-8. Girls 14 and up can even become Program Assistants and go behind the scenes. For science, technology, and teamwork programming this place is hard to beat. Imagination Station in Toledo also has some awesome badge related science workshops so check them out as well.

3. Chicago, IL: there’s just something about the Windy City that draws troops. Maybe it’s Union Station’s central location that allows troops to use a train as transport instead of driving, maybe it’s the bunks at HI Hostel, or great program providers like the Field Museum and Shedd Acquarium. Maybe it’s just Ginos deep dish pizza. Whatever it is, it has troops returning year after year to join the fun.

4. Savannah, GA: for many Girl Scouts a trip to the Birthplace of our founder is the ultimate destination. It helps that Savannah is a lovely city full of history, sunny days, and southern charm. The staff at the birthplace even provide a great list of local partners to help visitors explore and make trip planning easier.

Now that you know some of the popular trip destinations for our council, gather your girls and start planning your next memory making adventure. Remember to follow these Six Steps to Your Next Troop Adventure. Need more ideas? Check out  Got the Travel Bug?.

Engaging Girls Through Gardening

The weather is getting nicer and many people are heading outside after a very long (and cold!) winter. Gardening can be a great way to get girls outside and learn about plants, how to care for living things and where their food comes from. There are many ways to engage girls and work towards Girl Scout badges and Journey awards through gardening.

Ideas to use with girls:

• Visit a garden and pick homegrown fruits, vegetables and other foods. Then take what you gathered and create a tasty recipe to try. Homemade salsa, pizza, salad and vegetable soup are great choices!
• Plant a garden at your home, meeting place, school, local park or any other place in your community (be sure to ask permission first). Ask the girls what kinds of seeds they would like to plant, how big the garden should be and who will take care of it. Talk to the girls about what plants need in order to grow healthy and strong.
• Visit a local farm. Talk to the farmers to find out what it’s like to be in that line of work and how they impact their community. Ask if the girls are able to help plant or harvest their crop.
• Invite a florist to come to a meeting and teach the girls about different flowers. Then spend some time creating “seed bombs” to give to people in your community.
• Learn about the financial aspect of growing your own food. What is the cost of planting, harvesting and eating your own food versus the cost of getting it from the store where preservatives, packaging and store costs are included? This is an especially enlightening activity for older girls!

There are a lot of ways that gardening activities can be linked to Girl Scout badges and the It’s Your Planet-Love It! Journey.

• Daisy Friendly and Helpful Petal
• Daisy Use Resources Wisely Petal
• Daisy Make The World A Better Place Petal
• Brownie Snacks Badge
• Junior Gardener Badge
• Junior Flowers Badge
• Junior Simple Meals Badge
• Cadette New Cuisines Badge
• Senior Locavore Badge

Healthy Habits

Girl Scouts has developed three “healthy habits” booklets in partnership with the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation.  These booklets are designed to help volunteers guide Girl Scout Daisies, Brownies and Juniors towards healthy habits while they complete their It’s Your Planet Love It! Journey.  Check out the video below to see what other leaders have done with these resources.  To learn more, visit the GSUSA website.