Encourage Access to Girl Scouts

GSCCC members in North Carolina, please support North Carolina Senate Bill 400 sponsored by NC Senator Erica Smith-Ingram.

S400 - This bill would encourage regional schools in North Carolina to facilitate access for students to participate in activities provided by the Boy Scouts of America, and its affiliated North Carolina groups and councils, and the Girl Scouts of the United States of America, and its affiliated North Carolina groups and councils. Student participation in any activities offered by these organizations shall not interfere with instructional time during the school day. Find details of the bill here.

Allowing Girl Scouts to give information on, and provide activities from, the Girl Scout Leadership Experience will help us reach more girls and serve our mission of helping build girls of courage, confidence and character, to make the world a better place!

Find members of the North Carolina Assembly – Whorepresents me?

Gold Award Spotlight: Preschool Educational Program for The Watermen's Museum

Girl Scout Ambassador Evelyn from Yorktown has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor and achievement in Girl Scouting. For her project, Evelyn developed an educational program to prepare preschoolers for a field trip to The Watermen’s Museum. Each year, the students from Chestnut Memorial Preschool take a field trip to the museum, but the students were unprepared for the amount of information they’d be learning in once day. To address this issue, Evelyn developed hands-on educational activities to engage the children in information about the ecology of the Chesapeake Bay before heading to The Watermen’s Museum.

Before she started creating her program, Evelyn decided it would be a good idea to get experience working with preschoolers. She spent some time volunteering with young children at Vacation Bible School. She then spent time researching teaching styles and learning more about Chesapeake Bay wildlife.

With this experience and knowledge, Evelyn developed six activities to help prepare the children for their annual trip to the museum. Her activities included creating a habitat song to help the children learn about what is necessary for survival, teaching them about the parts of the blue crab, showing them how to identify the difference between clam and oyster shells and familiarizing the preschoolers with the map of the Chesapeake Bay. She also taught them about the animals that are native to the area and helped them compare and contrast the fish species in the bay.

Evelyn teaches preschoolers about the animals in the Chesapeake Bay

“I chose this project because I knew I could use my teaching and leadership skills to make a difference,” Evelyn said. “I was once a student at Chestnut Memorial Preschool, and I wanted to give back to the children who are students there today.”

One week after Evelyn’s final lesson with the preschoolers, they went to The Waterman’s Museum and had a fun day of learning and exploration. The teachers noted that that since the students were well-prepared and because of that, they gained a lot from their time there. The teachers plan to use Evelyn’s lesson plans to continue to prepare their students for this field trip in the future.

Evelyn and students from Chestnut Memorial Preschool look at fish from the
Chesapeake Bay during the school's annual field trip to The Watermen's Museum

The Gold Award requires girls to identify an issue in their community and carry out a Take Action project to address the matter through leadership work. Nationwide, less than 6 percent of eligible Girl Scouts earn the Gold Award, which adds Evelyn to an elite group of female leaders across the country with the honor.

White House Science Fair

Over the past few decades, women in the United States have made great strides in education and entry into the workforce. However, they remain underrepresented in the science and engineering fields. The age-old perception that girls are not high achievers in math and science persists, despite findings by the American Association of University Women that show high school girls and boys perform equally well in math and science. High school girls even earn more math and science credits than boys, but according to a study by the Girl Scout Research Institute, only 13 percent of girls say a STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) career is their first choice.

Organizations, such as Girl Scouts, are committed to helping to fill the gap between STEM interest and career choice for girls. This is especially important in the quest for gender equality because the Department of Commerce found that women in STEM jobs earn 33 percent more than those in non-STEM occupations. They also found that the wage gap between men and women in STEM jobs is smaller than in other fields.

Lauren was one of  nine guests invited to take part in a
roundtable discussion in the Vice President's Ceremonial
Office during the White House Science Fair.

Today, Girl Scout Ambassador Lauren from Newport News was an honored guest at the White House Science Fair. Hosted by President Obama, the fair showcased a broad range of inventions and discoveries by young scientists and engineers from across the country. It also included a specific focus on girls and women who are excelling in STEM and inspiring the next generation with their work. Lauren has a similar mission, and through her Girl Scout Gold Award project, she shared her own passion for STEM in an effort to engage more girls, women and minorities in STEM.

Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast offers unique opportunities for girls of all ages to explore and discover in the STEM fields. It’s an important way for us to give girls the chance to find what they’re interested in and interact with role models in the STEM fields. Here are some upcoming ways that you engage your girl in STEM with GSCCC:

 

Fun, Sun and Wind- Head to the Outer Banks with your Girl Scout on April 25 for a day of science and exploration at Jeanette’s Pier in North Carolina. There will be tons of activities for girls with all sorts of interests— learning about the animals who call the intertidal zone home, discovering how to harness energy from the wind and so much more! Register for this event by April 10 here.

Financing Your Dreams- Show your Girl Scout that it’s cool to be good at math! The Tidewater Chapter of the Virginia Society of CPAs will be hosting a financial literacy workshop for Girl Scout Daisies and Brownies on April 26 to teach them all about money matters. They’ll learn about needs versus wants, ways they can save money, how to make a budget and so much more! Register for this event by April 10 here.

STEM Day on the Tracks- On May 9, your Girl Scout can enjoy a day of fun and STEM-learning at Motor World in Virginia Beach! There will be special activities just for Girl Scouts to teach them about what makes amusement park rides go around, how go-kart engines work and more! Register for this event by April 21 here.

Science Alive- On September 26, Norfolk State University will be hosting the 5th annual Science Alive event for Girl Scouts. During this fun-filled day, Norfolk State University staff and students will lead hands-on STEM activities for girls in areas including engineering, chemistry, medicine, biology and physical science. Register for this event by September 13 here.

Read more about girls’ perceptions, attitudes and interests in the STEM fields in Generation STEM: What Girls Say about Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, a report by the Girl Scout Research Institute.

Get Creative. BLING YOUR BOOTH!

When it comes to Girl Scout Cookie booths, we all know that plain is BORING!

Blinged out cookie booths can attract new customers and increase cookie sales. This year, Girl Scouts of the USA is hosting a contest, and SIX Girl Scout troops will win $500 for their creative booths! And, the council with the most entries into the Bling Your Booth competition will win $5,000! That's a lot of money for us to use for fun girl programs!

So far, at least 24 GSCCC troops have entered the contest, but it's important to keep those entries coming in!

Here are a few great entries from GSCCC troops into this year's contest. Check them out for inspiration, and then go and vote for your favorite booth and add yours to the contest here.

Girl Scout Troop 365 from Moyock picked a creative tropical theme!

Can you believe that this is the first-ever booth for
 Girl Scout Daisy Troop 1398 from Williamsburg?

Bright colors, balloons, cookie costumes... Girl Scout Troop 348
from Poquoson knows how to attract cookie customers!

Girl Scout Troop 990 from Virginia Beach created their own
eye-catching cookie decorations!

View the complete contest details and enter your blinged out booth here. Once you upload your entry, share it with your friends and family to rack up the votes! The deadline to enter your booth is April 30, 2015.

We've also added some really exciting March Madness incentives for cookies. Check them out here.

GSCCC Girl Scout Heading to the White House

Girl Scouts will be in full force at the White House on March 23, when President Obama will welcome young scientists and engineers from across the country to showcase their inventions and discoveries at the 2015 White House Science Fair.

This year, Girl Scouts are represented by Lauren, a Girl Scout Gold Award recipient from Newport News, whose project aims to reverse the small percentage of minorities and females participating in the fields of aviation and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math). Lauren will be joined at the White House Science Fair by a Girl Scout Daisy Troop from Girl Scouts of Eastern Oklahoma who invented a battery-powered page turner for people with arthritis, people who are paralyzed, or “people who have no arms.”

Hosted by President Obama, the fair will feature innovative projects, designs and experiments from students all across America from a broad range of STEM competitions. This year’s fair will also include a specific focus on girls and women who are excelling in STEM and inspiring the next generation with their work.

Lauren, who attends the Denbigh High School Aviation Academy, began her Girl Scout Gold Award project after discovering the small percentage of minorities and females partaking in the fields of aviation and STEM. Prox worked with local scouting troops and youth-serving organizations, developed aviation-themed scavenger hunts that aligned with scouting requirements for patches and made aerospace-centered lesson plans for scouting leaders to use in the future. For older audiences, she gave presentations regarding her STEM experiences, from flying a plane to interning at NASA.

According to the Girl Scout Research Institute study Generation STEM: What Girls Say About Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, 82 percent of girls see themselves as “smart enough to have a career in STEM." However, only 13 percent of girls say that a STEM career is their first choice. Girls are aware that gender barriers persist in today's society. Researchers found that 57 percent of girls studied agree that if they were to pursue a STEM career, they would “have to work harder than a man to be taken seriously.”

View the White House Science Fair live on Monday, March 23 starting at 11:55 a.m. here.

Hatteras Island Girl Scouts Hold Tagalong Tango

Outfitted in their best dresses with bows in their hair and smiles on their faces, 65 Hatteras Island Girl Scouts stepped out for a night on the town on Friday, February 27 for the Tagalong Tango. This annual dance, which was held at the Hatteras Island Civic Center, is organized especially for Girl Scouts and their dads, grandfathers or other significant adult males who play important roles in their lives.

Members of the military from Coast Guard Station Hatteras
with Girl Scouts Sally, Delaney, Elizabeth and Kimber 

This year, five military members from Coast Guard Station Hatteras Inlet joined the fun after learning about the event from a local Girl Scout leader. They decided to get involved so that all of the girls, even those who came without a date, had a dance partner. Their volunteer efforts were worth it; everyone had a good time dancing the night away. 

“This is one of our best attended events,” Dawn Wimmer, membership specialist for the Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast said. “It’s an opportunity for dads and granddads to get involved in the organization their girls are passionate about, and girls appreciate the special time they get to spend with their dad or other caring adult.”

Girl Scout moms and volunteers supported the event by serving food and stepping up as the designated clean-up crew.

The Tagalong Tango is named in honor of a Girl Scout Cookie variety, Tagalongs, the third best seller among the eight varieties that are being sold by area Girl Scouts through March 29. You can find all the varieties at cookie booths. To find a booth near you, use the Cookie Finder app or visit www.girlscoutcookies.org to enter your zip code and find cookie booths nearby.

It’s not too late in the year for girls to join the fun of Girl Scouting. For information about how to get started, visit www.gsccc.org.

Currituck Girl Scouts Make Improvements at Camp Darden

Last summer, Girl Scout Cadette Kilani from Currituck spent a week at Camp Darden, a Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast property near Franklin, Va., riding horses, canoeing, swimming, learning archery and making new friends around the campfire. She spent an adventurous week in the outdoors and had a wonderful experience, but she also noticed that the bunk beds in her cabin could use a fresh coat of paint. Two weeks later, Kilani was back at Camp Darden with her fellow members of Girl Scout Troop 64, and they agreed. After their weekend at camp, the girls took action to contact the property department at Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast and offered to paint the bunks.

Girl Scout Troop 64 at Camp Darden

After much planning, Girl Scout Troop 64 finally set out to see their plan into action last weekend. They packed paintbrushes and tape alongside their sleeping bags and pillows and headed back to Camp Darden. The 11 troop members, along with their two leaders, spent the weekend adding a fresh coat of “Girl Scout green” paint to the bunk beds at Camp Darden.

“They felt that the buildings should be as beautiful as the property itself,” Jesse Richardson, leader of Girl Scout Troop 64, said. “The girls really enjoyed putting part of the Girl Scout Law into action by doing their part to make the world a better place.”

Girl Scout Troop 64 among the freshly painted bunk beds at Camp Darden

While at Camp Darden, the girls also made sure to have some fun. They celebrated the 13th birthday of a troop member, Kenzie Faytik, and were invited by some Girl Scouts in Virginia Beach to join them around the campfire for s’mores and songs.

At all levels of Girl Scouting, girls are encouraged to identify community needs, be resourceful problem solvers and take action to make a difference. The hard work of Girl Scout Troop 64 will be enjoyed by hundreds of girls who choose Camp Darden for their annual camping trips, as well as the girls who attend resident camp there this summer.

For more information about joining Girl Scouts or attending Girl Scout camp, visit www.gsccc.org.

Virginia Beach Girl Scout Leads Project to Serve Homeless Youth

About a year ago, Virginia Beach Girl Scout Junior Dominique learned about homeless youth in Hampton Roads and what it’s like for some of them to move into a shelter with little to no personal belongings. She thought about what she could do to give them a sense of comfort and decided that she wanted to make a difference by sewing kid-friendly pillowcases to give to the children at For Kids, a homeless shelter in Norfolk. After meeting with staff at For Kids and learning even more about what children who come to this shelter are facing, Dominique sprang into action.

Dominique sewing a pillowcase in
her home last summer.

With the help of her mother and Girl Scout volunteer Charmaine Troy, Dominique began her project making one pillowcase at a time at her home. Using fabric with bright flowers, polka dots, stripes and familiar cartoon characters, the handmade pillowcases provide children entering emergency housing at For Kids with something personal and comforting.

“The pillowcases give kids at the shelter something of their own,” Dominique said. “It’s something that they will be able to take with them no matter where they go.”

Realizing how much of an impact that her pillowcases were having on children who are facing the unknown, Dominique decided to take her project to the next level by involving her peers. She first hosted a service learning day for her classmates and community members at Thalia Elementary School. Then, last weekend, she hosted a second service learning day for her fellow Girl Scouts at A Place for Girls, the Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast regional program center and headquarters in Chesapeake. At this workshop, nearly 70 Girl Scouts made 84 pillowcases with the help of volunteers from The Tidewater Quilters’ Guild.

Dominique and her mom Charmaine at the pillowcase service
learning workshop at A Place for Girls

By inviting her peers to help make pillowcases, Dominique has not only been able to donate more pillowcases to For Kids, but has also helped her peers learn valuable sewing skills. Dominique has also spread the word about her project and youth homelessness by speaking to community groups, including a group of 150 Girl Scouts during an event at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital in the fall.

For her project, Dominique will earn the Girl Scout Bronze Award, which is the highest award earned by Girl Scout Juniors and the third highest honor and achievement a girl can earn in Girl Scouting.

Dominique with one of her pillowcases at For Kids

Community service has been a cornerstone of Girl Scouting since the organization was founded over 100 years ago. For more information about getting involved with Girl Scouts, visit www.gsccc.org.

Girl Scout Week Proclaimed in Chesapeake

On Monday, March 9, Girl Scout Cadette Lily and her mother Jamie – both who serve on the Council’s Advocacy Committee – joined Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast CEO Tracy Keller at the office of Chesapeake Mayor Alan Krasnoff to receive the 2015 Girl Scout Week proclamation. Girl Scout Week is celebrated across the country each March in celebration of the founding of Girl Scouts on March 12, 1912, by Juliette Gordon Low in Savannah, Ga.

During the visit to the Mayor’s office, Lily shared several leadership experiences she has had in Girl Scouts, including the opportunity she had to speak to congressional members about the Be a Friend First (BFF) program initiative that helps girls understand and deal with relational aggression. BFF was developed by Girl Scouts of the USA to help girls, especially those in middle school, to develop healthy relationships, prevent bully behavior and become peacemakers in their schools and communities.

“I am so impressed with the level of leadership that Girl Scouts offer girls,” Mayor Krasnoff said. “Building future leaders is a responsibility we all share in the community.”

Since the founding of Girl Scouts 103 years ago, some 50 million women across the country have been members of the organization.

Girl Scout Sunday in Williamsburg

Each year, Girl Scouts across the country commemorate the birthday of Girl Scouts during Girl Scout Week. This year’s celebration of the 103rd birthday of Girl Scouts kicked off on March 8 with Girl Scout Sunday, a day of recognition for Girl Scouts in their place of worship. On Sunday, 40 Williamsburg Girl Scouts who meet at Stone House Presbyterian Church in Toano shared Girl Scouting with the church’s congregation by participating in the service.

Girl Scout Troops 1347, 1382, 1538 and 4117 during
Girl Scout Sunday at Stone House Presbyterian Church

Members of Girl Scout Cadette Troop 4117 and Girl Scout Senior Troop 1538 served as ushers and greeters during the service. They also volunteered in the nursery and helped teach Sunday School. A Girl Scout Daisy from Troop 1347 read the call to worship, and a Girl Scout Brownie from Troop 1382 led the responsive reading, which was the Girl Scout Promise and Law Litany.

Following the worship service, Girl Scouts hosted a cookies and milk reception for the congregation. The cookies and milk were served by the members of Girl Scout Troop 1058.

Everything that girls do in Girl Scouting is based on the Girl Scout Promise and Law, which includes many of the principles and values common to most faiths. At all levels of Girl Scouting, girls are encouraged to take spiritual journeys through their faiths’ religious recognitions. Girl Scouts can also earn the My Promise, My Faith pin, which was developed by Girl Scouts of the USA for girls to further strengthen their connection between their faith and Girl Scouts.

To learn more about becoming a Girl Scout or earning religious recognitions through Girl Scouting, visit www.gsccc.org.

2015 Samoa Soiree

On Saturday, March 7, more than 400 guests attended the 7th annual Samoa Soiree, a unique tasting event hosted by Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast where top chefs from Hampton Roads made desserts and appetizers using Girl Scout Cookies as a key ingredient. This year, 19 restaurants participated in the culinary competition hosted at the Half Moone Cruise and Celebration Center in Norfolk.

Judges at this year's Samoa Soiree: Melissa Stewart,
Angela Blue, Steve Parnell, Vanessa Coria, Don London

The culinary delights were judged by area celebrities and foodies, including WVEC Anchor Vanessa Coria, who also served as the MC for the evening, Angela Blue, associate editor of Coastal Virginia Magazine, Sandra DeLoatch, provost and vice president for academic affairs for Norfolk State University, Don London, of The New 101.3, Steve Parnell, account executive for Little Brownie Bakers and Melissa Stewart, editor-in-chief for Coastal Virginia Magazine.

This year’s winning dishes were:

Best Dessert: Tagalongs Peanut Butter Crunch Cupcake by Coastal Grill

Best Savory: Golden Lamb Chops with Samoas Mashed Sweet Potatoes by Farm Fresh Supermarkets

Best Presentation: Trefoil Arepas with Tequila Lime Port and Thin Mints Mole by BRAVO! Cucina Italiana

S'moras by Rocket Fuel Juice Bar &
Food Lab

Most Creative Use of a Girl Scout Cookie: S’moras (deconstructed s’mores made with Samoas) by Rocket Fuel Juice Bar & Food Lab

Best in Show: Lobster and Savannah Smiles Stuffed Shrimp over Quinoa Stir Fry with Yuzu Jus by Cyprus Grille at Embassy Suites Hampton

People’s Choice: Samoas Chicken Curry Arancini with Mint Yogurt Dipping Sauce by Cotton Southern Bistro

Restaurants that participated in this year’s Samoa Soiree included: AJ Gators, Anchor Allie’s Bistro, Gateaux Bakery, gb&d sweet eats, Hell’s Kitchen, Home Republic Brewpub, Lucky Oyster, Now You’re Cooking Culinary Studio, RJ’s at The Kroc Center, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Travinia Italian Kitchen, Twisted Sisters Sugar Shack Café and The Vineyards.

Ruth's Chris Steak House made a
cheesecake using Do-si-dos

Guests at Samoa Soiree also enjoyed live music by acoustic guitarist and singer Lewis McGehee and bidding on first rate items in a silent auction that included a week at a beach house in the Outer Banks, a football autographed by Pittsburgh Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin and more.

Proceeds from the event will support the Opportunity Fund, which provides financial assistance to girls whose families need help with Girl Scout membership, summer camp and program fees.

The event was generously sponsored by Coastal Virginia Magazine, East Coast Valet Company, Farm Fresh Food and Pharmacy, Greenbrier Dodge, Kaufman and Canoles Attorneys at Law, Little Brownie Bakers, Mark A. Vandeveer, CPA, The New 101.3, Solutrix CyberSecurity, Tidewater Women, Top Guard Security, TowneBank, VEER Magazine, Wall, Einhorn & Chernitzer CPAs and Advisors, WVEC-TV 13 and Yelp.

View more photos from the event here.

Meet Elizabeth City Girl Scouts Emily and Jessica

Every girl deserves the chance to see the world, and when they’re exploring new cities, experiencing new cultures and seeing new sights, Girl Scouts are expanding their horizons. In January, Girl Scout Ambassadors Emily and Jessica, along with their mother and Girl Scout volunteer Julie, traveled to New York City with a group of over 30 Girl Scouts for an action-packed long weekend to discover the best of the city.

Emily, Julie and Jessica outside of the GSUSA central office

From Times Square to the Statue of Liberty and everything in between, Emily, Jessica, Julie and their Girl Scout travel companions took advantage of all of the time that they had during their stay in New York. They had a private tour of Radio City Music Hall, experienced the breathtaking views from the top of the Empire State Building, strolled through the galleries of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and saw a Broadway show.

“As we stood in the halls of Ellis Island, we could picture our civics lessons in our heads as they came to life before our eyes,” Emily said. “We then took a ferry to the Statue of Liberty, and she was an amazing sight!”

For Emily and Jessica, who have been Girl Scouts since they were five years old, a highlight of the trip was visiting the Girl Scouts of the USA central office. There, they visited the national Girl Scout archives and participated in a focus group about the Girl Scout Cookie Program. They also had the opportunity to meet the CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA, Anna Maria Chavez.

“We told her all about our Girl Scout careers,” Jessica said. “She looked at all of our badges and pins and asked about them. Some of them she had not seen before!”

Jessica helps Emily build benches for part of her
Girl Scout Gold Award project

Emily and Jessica, who are in their final years of being girl members of the organization that they love, are working on their projects to earn the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor and achievement a girl can earn in Girl Scouting. Each of their projects benefits the SPCA of Northeastern North Carolina. Emily is building new trails to replace the walkways that have not been maintained over the past few years. Jessica is building benches and animal waste trash bag holders that will be placed along the trails. Both of their projects will help provide a nice outdoor space for people to walk and get to know the animals that are available for adoption.

Emily and Jessica will also be traveling to Raleigh later this month to take part in Girl Scout Legislative Day, an annual event to raise awareness about the issues important to girls and young women and educate legislators on what Girl Scouts are doing to address these issues.

Girl Scouts Help Put a Smile on Faces around the World

In the winter months, Girl Scouts are most often seen out and about selling their famous cookies. But on Saturday, February 28, over 200 Girl Scouts had another mission on their minds— making a difference during a day of service at the Operation Smile headquarters in Virginia Beach. Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast teamed up with Operation Smile, an international children’s medical charity, to give girls an opportunity to learn about healthcare around the world and discover how they can make a global impact from right here in Hampton Roads.

Over 200 Girl Scouts learned about the medical missions
led by volunteer teams through Operation Smile

When they arrived at Operation Smile, Girl Scouts were first led on a tour of the facility, which included seeing the business offices, the warehouse of medical supplies used on medical missions, and displays of stories and photographs that tell the mission of Operation Smile. The Girl Scouts then gathered in the theater, where they heard a firsthand account about a medical mission from a student at First Colonial High School who has been involved with Operation Smile as a volunteer from a very young age. She talked about her experience as an Operation Smile volunteer in An Giang, Vietnam and encouraged Girl Scouts to find their passion in the community and get involved.

Girl Scout Daisies created get well soon cards for children
who will be receiving surgery from Operation Smile

Girl Scouts then divided into groups, where they made get well cards and banners that will be delivered to recovering patients around the world. Girl Scouts also dropped off donations of items for Smile Bags, which are given to each child after surgery and include personal hygiene items, as well as fun goodies, such as coloring books, crayons and stuffed animals.

Community service has been a cornerstone of Girl Scouting since the organization was founded over 100 years ago. This Operation Smile Day of Service is just one of the ways that Girl Scouts are making a positive impact on their community, and the world. This April, Girl Scouts throughout southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina will be taking part in the annual Helping Hands Food Drive to help fill the shelves at food banks and pantries across the region.

View more photos from the day here.