Gold Award Spotlight: My F.A.N. Club (Fitness and Nutrition)

Alexandra, a Girl Scout Ambassador from Yorktown, has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor and achievement a girl can earn in Girl Scouting.

For her project, Alexandra focused on this issue of childhood obesity and inactivity. She developed a 12-course fitness and nutrition program that she taught to children in the afterschool program at the Newport News Family YMCA. Through the lessons that she created, Alexandra taught the children about food labels, healthy snacks, healthy food substitutions and portion sizes. She also introduced the children to different types of exercises, including yoga, Zumba and interval training, as well as outdoor games to keep them active.

“Childhood obesity has been on the rise since the 1990s,” Alexandra said. “I wanted to provide younger children with a healthy start in life. I introduced them to good, healthy habits and fun options to exercise that they can share with family and friends.”

Alexandra put all of her lesson plans and activities into a program book that she donated to the Newport News Family YMCA so that they can continue to teach fitness and nutrition in the afterschool program.

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 six percent of eligible Girl Scouts earn the Gold Award, which adds Alexandra to an elite group of female leaders across the country with the honor.

Meet Mariah, Cookie Entrepreneur Officer

Mariah receiving the awards she earned
last cookie season from Tracy Keller,
CEO of GSCCC.

She may only be in the fifth grade, but that doesn’t stop Camden resident Mariah from holding the title of CEO—cookie entrepreneur officer. Mariah, who sold more than 1,500 boxes of Girl Scout Cookies last year, was the top cookie seller in Camden and one of the top sellers in all of Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast, which covers northeastern North Carolina and southeastern Virginia. Mariah was recognized for this achievement last May at a luncheon hosted by Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast CEO Tracy Keller.

Thanks to the success that Mariah and her fellow members of Girl Scout Troop 5970 had last cookie season, the girls had a busy year. A highlight for Mariah was a visit to the Elizabeth City SPCA.

“We toured the building and walked the dogs,” Mariah said. “We also donated food, cleaning supplies and household items for them to use for the animals.”

Mariah also earned the Girl Scout Bronze Award, the top award for Girl Scouts in elementary school and the third highest award a girl can earn in Girl Scouting, through her volunteer efforts at the SPCA.

This year, Mariah has set a goal to sell 2,000 boxes of cookies. She and her troop are hoping to raise enough funds to take a trip to an attraction in Williamsburg. When cookie season kicked off on January 9, Mariah began contacting last year’s cookie customers to see if they would like to buy cookies again. Throughout cookie season, she keeps selling and asks as many people as she can if they would like to buy cookies. She is persistent and committed to reaching her goal.

“I’m always kind and courteous to everyone that I meet,” Mariah said. “Even if they say no to cookies, I always say thank you and smile.”

As part of the nation’s leading financial literacy and entrepreneurial program for girls, Girl Scouts are learning skills that will last them a lifetime, including goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills and business ethics.

Girl Scouts in northeastern North Carolina and southeastern Virginia are currently taking orders for cookies. Cookie booths begin February 20 and run through March 20. For more information, visit www.gsccc.org.

Gold Award Spotlight: Pantry Garden

Isabella, a Girl Scout Ambassador from Virginia Beach, has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor and achievement a girl can earn in Girl Scouting.

Isabella noticed that the majority of local food pantries exclusively distribute nonperishable food items, causing people with food insecurity to not receive all the nutrients that are key to a healthy diet. For her project, Isabella built six raised garden beds at Church of the Ascension in order to provide a sustainable way for fresh vegetables to be distributed from the food pantry at the church. She also recruited a group of volunteers to help maintain the garden.

“I wanted to provide fresh, organically-grown produce as a supplement to provide additional nutrients for those seeking assistance,” Isabella said. “I also wanted to create a ministry where everyone could help out, including young families and teens.”

Each month, the food pantry at Church of the Ascension serves more than 1,000 clients. Through her project, Isabella harvested 400 pounds of food that was distributed during her garden’s first season. With the help of the garden volunteers, there are plans to expand the garden by building additional raised garden beds to yield more crops.

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 six percent of eligible Girl Scouts earn the Gold Award, which adds Isabella to an elite group of female leaders across the country with the honor.

Meet Samoa Soiree Competitor: Chef Bob Hirasawa

Flavorful. Attractive. Creative. That’s how Chef Bob Hirasawa, executive chef of Farm Fresh Supermarkets, describes his cooking. With more than 44 years of culinary experience, he currently researches and develops recipes, supervises retail chefs and supports the catering operations for all 43 Farm Fresh locations.

Chef Bob and GSCCC CEO Tracy Keller

Chef Bob developed a love for creative cooking and unique flavor combinations at a young age. He grew up watching Julia Child and Graham Kerr on television and was fascinated by their skills and creativity. He was also frequently tasting new flavors and new foods at home.

“I was influenced by my mother’s interest in cooking different ethnic foods and her passion to learn more about them, trying the dishes on our family,” Chef Bob said.

His own culinary career started in the early 1970s when he took a job as a broiler cook in a Japanese restaurant. Over the years, he has worked in restaurants, hotels, country clubs and supermarkets around the country. Although he received formal culinary training at the City College of San Francisco, Chef Bob says that most of his skills have come from working with talented chefs throughout his career.

2015 Samoa Soiree Best Savory Dish

With so much experience, Chef Bob will putting his own creativity to the test as he enters a culinary challenge like no other this March—Samoa Soiree. Now in its eighth year, Samoa Soiree, which is hosted by Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast, challenges local chefs to create dishes—sweet or savory—using Girl Scout Cookies as a key ingredient. Last year was Chef Bob’s first time at Samoa Soiree and he took home the prize for best savory dish for his golden lamb chops with Samoas mashed sweet potatoes. This year, he’ll be back to defend his title.

Chef Bob is no stranger to culinary competitions. He has been a part of numerous events across the region since joining the Farm Fresh team in 2007. He enjoys the friendly competition and the chance to meet and network with fellow chefs in the area. But, for Chef Bob, Samoa Soiree is about more than the food and the competition. It’s also about supporting the Girl Scouts. Both of his daughters spent years in the organization, making their way from Brownie to Cadette levels. His wife was also a Girl Scout Brownie leader for some time.

“Girl Scouts was a positive influence in my daughters’ lives,” Chef Bob said. “It helped them with their goal setting and self-confidence. Girl Scouts directs girls to wholesome, positive values.”

As to what Chef Bob will be cooking up for Samoa Soiree, that’s a secret until the big night. But, we do know his approach.

“I generally take the concept of a dish I like, and I will incorporate as many cookies into the ingredients as I can,” Chef Bob explained. “Then, I actually make the dish and see if it works.”

Guests can sample Chef Bob’s recipe, along with food from 10 other chefs, at the 8th annual Samoa Soiree on Saturday, March 5 from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Half Moone Cruise and Celebration Center in Norfolk. The evening will include great food, live music by the 504 Supreme swing band and a live auction. Tickets are $60 each until February 19, and then the price increases to $75 each. Find more information and purchase tickets here.

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 is being generously sponsored by Coastal Virginia Magazine, Farm Fresh Supermarkets, Greenbrier Dodge, Kaufman and Canoles, Little Brownie Bakers, The Miles Agency, The New 101.3, PRA Group, Tidewater Women Magazine, TowneBank, UBS, VEER Magazine, WVEC-TV 13 and Yelp.

Gold Award Spotlight: Sew Cool

Elly, a Girl Scout Ambassador from Williamsburg, has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor and achievement a girl can earn in Girl Scouting.

For her project, Elly created a sewing club at Walsingham Academy to teach children a way to creatively engage their minds without spending time in front of a screen. She also wanted to teach children an important skills that they can use throughout their life.

Elly’s sewing club met twice a month at the school. Elly first taught the club members the basics of hand sewing and how to sew a button onto fabric. She then taught them how to use a sewing machine, and the club members made placemats, Christmas stockings, pillows, bags and other projects.

“I was incredibly impressed that the students became inspired to be creative not only during the club meetings, but also at home,” Elly said. “I began sending home needles, thread, buttons and scraps of fabric because the children loved sewing.”

At the end of the school year, each club member used their new skills to design a quilt square that Elly sewed together and presented to the school to hang on the wall to encourage children to engage in activities to stretch their creative thinking. Each club member was also given their own sewing kit to continue mastering their sewing skills at home.

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 Elly to an elite group of female leaders across the country with the honor.

Meet Jasmine, Cookie Entrepreneur Officer

Jasmine receiving the rewards she earned
last cookie season from Tracy Keller,
CEO of GSCCC.

Saturday marked the first day of the Girl Scout Cookie Program for Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast. Among the girls out taking cookie orders was Jasmine, a Currituck County sixth grader who sold 1,228 boxes of cookies last year, making her the top seller in Currituck County. This accomplishment earned Jasmine the title of CEO—Cookie Entrepreneur Officer, which she was recognized for last May at a luncheon hosted by the chief executive officer of Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast, Tracy Keller.

Thanks to their success during the Girl Scout Cookie Program, Jasmine and her fellow members of Troop 52 had a busy year. A top priority for the troop was finding a project to make a difference in the community. The girls used a portion of their proceeds from the cookie program to purchase Girl Scout guide books to donate to the Currituck County Public Library.

“We live about 35 minutes from the Girl Scout store in Chesapeake,” Jasmine said. “This could cause problems for many girls in Currituck to get their own books, so now all Girl Scouts in our area have access to the books they need right at the library.”

For this project, Jasmine earned the Girl Scout Bronze Award, the third highest award a girl can earn in Girl Scouting and the top award earned by Girl Scout Juniors.

This cookie season, Jasmine has set a goal to sell 1,300 boxes of Girl Scout Cookies. She hopes to use some of the money that she earns to put towards her Silver Award project—the next ranking Girl Scout award. For her Silver Award project, Jasmine has chosen to focus on the issue of human trafficking by working with Homestead Ranch, a transitional home for victims of trafficking.

Get all of the details about the Girl Scout Cookie Program in southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina here.

2016 Girl Scout Cookie Rallies

Friday night was full of fun and excitement for Girl Scouts in southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina as they kicked off this year’s cookie program at cookie rallies across the region. The cookie rallies were an opportunity for Girl Scouts to get a glimpse into the cookie program, set sales goals, learn selling tips and more before cookie order taking started on Saturday morning.

Southern Chesapeake Service Unit

At a cookie rally in Chesapeake, Girl Scout Cadette Troop 531 led activities for more than 130 Girl Scouts who attended the kickoff event. They set up a variety of activities to help the girls learn about the cookies they’re selling, understand important safety tips and see the rewards that they can earn this year. There were also stations for girls to make cookie-themed crafts, compete in a cookie relay and taste test the cookie flavors available this year.

Bridget, a seventh grader and member of Troop 531, was the top cookie seller in her troop last year. At the cookie rally, she helped girls make a milk and cookies craft, as well as share some her of cookie selling tips.

“I’ve been a Girl Scout for four years, and I work hard during cookie season,” Bridget said. “The first people I contact each year to see if they want to buy cookies are my family members. They are really supportive.”

Oceanview Service Unit

Local Girl Scouts are currently taking orders for Girl Scout Cookies. Cookies will arrive in the region on February 20, which is when Girl Scouts will also start selling cookies at booths outside of local businesses. To find cookies near you, visit www.girlscoutcookies.org.

The Girl Scout Cookie Program is the nation’s largest girl-led business and the leading financial literacy and entrepreneurial program for girls. Through the cookie program, Girl Scouts learn important skills that will last them a lifetime, including goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills and business ethics. For more information about the local Girl Scout Cookie Program, visit www.gsccc.org.

View more photos here.

#genSTEMgirls

This year, Girl Scouts are back at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, and they’re making a big splash! Girl Scouts are presenting Digital Cookie 2.0, our newly-updated, online addition to the iconic Girl Scout Cookie Program. They’re also giving a group of Girl Scouts from California and Nevada a unique opportunity to talk to tech industry leaders, including some Girl Scout alumnae!

In today’s society, some of the most influential and highest-paying jobs are in the tech industry, yet women hold only a small fraction of those positions. Girl Scouts is working to fill this gap by providing girls of all ages with opportunities to explore and discover in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields.

Just last month, a troop of 55 Norfolk Girl Scouts participated in Hour of Code, an introduction to computer science designed to demystify coding.

Amelia, a Girl Scout Cadette in the troop, had tried coding before, and she was eager to try her hand at it again during Hour of Code. A tech-savvy preteen, Amelia talked about how technology is an important part of her life, and even became a big part of her cookie sale.

“I used Digital Cookie last year, and I ended up doing most of my cookie sales online,” Amelia said. “I liked it better than traditional cookie sales. It was a way for me to reach customers quickly.”

Girls who participate in technology opportunities through Girl Scouts, such as Digital Cookie, are gaining important skills to help put them ahead of the curve when they enter the workforce. Today, women make up less than 30 percent of the STEM workforce. By giving girls access to unique STEM experiences, Girl Scouts is working to achieve parity for girls and women in these fields.

While Girl Scouts are at CES, they are encouraging people to join the conversation about girls and STEM by sharing a photo on Instagram or Twitter using #genSTEMgirls and sharing why they support girls in STEM. Girl Scouts will be choosing winners to receive Girl Scout Cookies or a special prize from Dell. Get more information here.