Gold Award Spotlight: Saint John the Apostle Catholic School Library and STEM Program Upgrades

Girl Scout Amy Schleicher has earned her Gold Award, the highest honor and achievement a girl can earn in Girl Scouts. 

For her project, “Saint John the Apostle Catholic School Library and STEM Program Upgrades,” Amy took action in her community by doing several things to improve the Saint John Apostle (SJA) library and its offerings. Through her Gold Award, she was able to create a better book drop location while turning the old one into a functional table. Amy also improved the convenience of people getting books during times that the library was not open by designing a freestanding library. The other component of her project positively impacted both students and teachers looking for science, technology, engineering and math resources to check out. Amy organized the STREAM closet and created a database of the items available in the closet to make check out more efficient. 

By completing her project, Amy learned how to manage her time, work with others and be a leader.

Her project will be sustained by SJA with the help of instructional materials Amy drafted. 

Gold Award Spotlight: Drop Everything and Read

Girl Scout Samantha has earned her Gold Award, the highest honor and achievement a girl can earn in Girl Scouts.

With a love for reading, Samantha was able to create two reading clubs for preschool classes at a local elementary school for her Gold Award project, “Drop Everything and Read.” She wanted to create an environment that made reading fun.

When she would meet with the groups, Samantha would read a story with the kids, do an activity relating to the story they read, and then continue to read more books for the duration of the club’s meeting time. The goal of including a fun activity in between reading books was to show children that what you learn from reading can be fun.

She hoped that the more that students read and participated in her club, the more they would want to read on their own which would result in bigger vocabularies and higher test scores.

“By giving these kids a love of reading, I hope they spread it throughout their friends and families. This will allow for an increase in literacy in this area, which affects the literacy rate nationwide,” she said.

Samantha even created a blog to inspire others to get children reading more and to make it fun. Her blog also covered her individual journey of her Gold Award.

2019 Samoa Soiree

Jerk Chicken Kabob with Samoa Risotto

On Saturday, March 16, nearly 350 guests packed the Sheraton Norfolk Waterside hotel to celebrate the 11^th Annual Samoa Soiree. Top area chefs from 11 different restaurants created delectable dishes using a Girl Scout Cookie variety as a key ingredient!

This year, Executive Chef for Cyprus Grille at Embassy Suites, Kyle Fowlkes, was named the winner of not one, not two, but five categories total! His sweet treat for the night, “Not a Donut,” won Best Dessert and People’s Choice for Sweet. His savory creation, “Jerk Chicken Kabob with Samoa Risotto” won Best Savory and People’s Choice for Savory. His culinary masterpieces also earned him Best in Show. His winning sweet dish featured fried brioche, Tagalong mousse and a peanut butter caramel.

Anchor Allie’s won Best Presentation for their “Samoa Wings” and The Ten Top took home the title of Most Creative Use of a Girl Scout Cookie with their “Coconut curry, peanut and sweet potato bisque with Samoa and Tagalong crouton crumble.”

Chef Kyle Fowlkes

The culinary delights were judged by local celebrities and foodies, including Patrick Evans-Hylton, publisher of Virginia Eats + Drinks Magazine; Grace Silipigni, online content editor of Coastal Virginia Magazine; Don London, vice president of operations at Entercom Communications Corporation; Anne Furlow, Yelp community manager; Ashley Smith, 13News Now Daybreak anchor and Marisa Marsey with Veer Magazine. GSCCC Board Chair Barbara Tierney also served as one of our judges for the evening.

This year’s participating restaurants included: Anchor Allie’s Bistro, The Butcher’s Son, Cyprus Grille at Embassy Suites, Sysco Hampton Roads, Sheraton Norfolk Waterside, Hilton Norfolk The Main, The Dirty Buffalo, Cogan’s Pizza, The Ten Top, Kahiau’s Bakery & Café, and Nawab Indian Cuisine.

Proceeds from the event will fund opportunities for girls to take part in programs that will teach them about how to be go-getters, innovators, risk-takers and leaders.

The event was generously sponsored by Newport News Shipbuilding, Wall Einhorn & Chernitzer, 

Edward Jones and Closed Curtain.

2019 Samoa Soiree Chefs

A huge thank you to our generous media partners who supported the event: 2WD 101.3, Entercom, 13News Now, Coastal Virginia Magazine, Tidewater Women Magazine, VEER Magazine, Yelp and Virginia Eats + Drinks.

Click here to view more photos from the event.

Gold Award Spotlight: Outer Banks Girls Golf Club

Girl Scout Ambassador Ashley has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor and achievement a girl can earn in Girl Scouts.

As a daughter of a professional female golfer, Ashley was destined to have a passion for golf! However, growing up in Kitty Hawk, a small beach town in North Carolina, she found there was little to no opportunity for girls to enter the golfing community. For her project, Ashley created her club,  “Outer Banks Girls Golf Club” to give girls a way to become involved in the sport.

“There were very few girls that played golf in our area. I wanted to start a club so more girls would have the opportunity to learn about golf and how to play,” she said.

The Outer Banks Girls Golf Club is now one of 425 communities in the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA-USGA) Foundation. The focus of the program is to teach the Five “E’s” of girls golf to empower, enrich, engage, exercise and energize young women through golf. Ashley’s club started with 13 members and has already increased to 20!

“I don’t think most people know how rewarding the game can be. The girls definitely gained confidence, as well as respect for themselves and others,” Ashley said when she reflected on the success of her project.

In the future Ashley plans to return from college over the summer to help with her club as it grows. 

2019 North Carolina Girl Scout Legislative Day

Girl Scouts with Rep. Hanig

On March 12, Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast CEO Tracy Keller and Board Chair Barbara Tierney, along with several Girl Scout members from Currituck, traveled to Raleigh to take part in the North Carolina Girl Scout Legislative Day. They joined members from other North Carolina Girl Scout councils for the advocacy event. Girl Scout teens Hailey Richardson, Cheyenne Wikkerink, Bethany French, Kilani Conte and Maria Jackson added a tour of the Legislative Library to their day, offered by librarian and Girl Scout alum Kelsey Lewis. The girls viewed and handled state legislative books from the early 1800s and read about current bills, including a bill asking for the Loggerhead Turtle to be named the state’s saltwater reptile!    

Girl Scouts with Sen. Erica Smith

They also visited North Carolina legislators that included Senator Steinburg and Representative Hanig. The day ended with Gold Award Girl Scout Chief Justice Cheri Beasley delivering Governor Cooper’s proclamation that honored the 107^th anniversary of Girl Scouts, recognizing Girl Scouts as a premier leadership program for girls that helps them build courage, confidence and character.

Click here to view news coverage from the day. 

Click here to view more photos.

Hampton Youth in Government Day

A group of Hampton Girl Scouts recently explored their local government during Hampton City Council Scout Youth in Government Day on February 27. This annual event gives youth in the City of Hampton the opportunity to learn the ins and outs of local government through hands-on activities.

This year, fifteen Girl Scouts got the chance to become city planners for the day. After introductions by Mayor Donnie Tuck, City Manager Mary Bunting and City Clerk Katherine Glass, the girls learned more about why city planning is so important. Then, the girls were able to plan their own version of the city with financial considerations in place. Following their activity, Girl Scouts had lunch with members of city council as they learned more about the day-to-day operations of the city.

In the afternoon, the group boarded Hampton Roads Transit buses to complete a photo safari to compare the Hampton of years’ past to today and into the future! The second half of the day was also a chance for the girls to understand the importance and convenience of public transportation.

Thank you to Girl Scout alum Katherine Glass for organizing the event.

Gold Award Spotlight: Healing with Music

Girl Scout Shelby has earned her Gold Award, the highest honor and achievement a girl can earn in Girl Scouts.

Inspired by her younger brother, Brandon, who was diagnosed with stage four kidney cancer at the age of nine in February 2017, Shelby decided to help other kids who were at the hospital by using music. Her brother was scared and the only thing that calmed him down during his hospital visits was music. Her project, “Healing with Music,” came to life.

“Seeing how music took his mind into a whole different world, made me fantasize about a world where everything seemed good even though everything was not going their way,” she said. “I asked myself if it would be possible to have a wa

y to get more patients to get their minds off of their medical situation.”

“Healing with Music” brought music therapy to the pediatric cancer unit at the Naval Hospital in Portsmouth, Virginia. Her project provided happiness to the young patients by taking their minds off of their medical diagnosis at the time. To help the patients, Shelby brought various music instruments to the hospital to start a form of music therapy. For each of the instruments Shelby brought, she also created a theory book that taught the patients how to play their instrument of choice.

Throughout her project, Shelby learned that everyone is unique and that they react differently to music because of their age, medical condition and personality. She learned how to communicate effectively, how to be patient and problem solve. Shelby also discovered that her true passion is helping others and working with children, a deciding factor in determining her college major.

Beyond Shelby’s involvement, her project will be sustained by the nurses, volunteers and parents at the hospital as Shelby left the music tote filled with instruments and the rhythm booklets. Shelby hopes to bring her work to other hospitals and bring music theory to other young patients.

Win a FREE case of Girl Scout Cookies

The last day to purchase Girl Scout Cookies is March 24! This year, as a special 'thank you' to our customers, GSCCC is giving people who visit a cookie booth a chance to win a FREE case of cookies─that’s 12 boxes!

Here's how to enter the contest: 

1. Visit a booth and spend $20 or more
2. Receive a card from the troop at the cookie booth and write down their troop number
3. Visit the website listed at the bottom of the card and fill out your information by March 26

It's that easy! A winner will be chosen in the days following March 26 from the Peninsula, Southside and North Carolina.

Click here to find a cookie booth near you.

Please note: there can only be one entry per customer. 

Win a FREE GoPro Camera!

Purchase your Explore the Evolution of Virginia, Jameston ticket on ebiz by April 1 at 11:59 p.m. and be entered to win your very own GoPro Camera! Become a historian at the event by documenting all your activities with your prize! 

Winner will be selected by April 15.

Contest rules:

• Must be a registered Girl Scout for membership year 2019.
• Purchase your Jamestown ticket on ebiz by April 1, 2019
• Applies to girl members only.
• Only one winner will be selected.

Win FREE event registration!

Register for Girl Fest by March 22 and be entered for a chance to win free registration for up to 3 new events for Fall 2019 – Spring 2020*!

Winners will be selected by April 1.

Contest rules:

• Must be a registered Girl Scout for membership year 2019, and plan to register for membership year 2020.
• Purchase your Girl Fest ticket on ebiz by March 22, 2019 at 11:59pm.
• Winner must select her events by October 1, 2019.
• No substitutions on events once selected.
• Events are non-transferable from one participant to another.
• Applies to girl members only.

1^st Place Winner: 3 free event registrations

2^nd Place Winner: 2 free event registrations

3^rd Place Winner: 1 free event registration

*Prizes exclude camp sampler weekends, summer camps and spring break camps.

Meet GSCCC's NEW Outdoor Adventure Manager!

Meet Chaquita, also known as Leigh, Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast’s new Outdoor Adventure Manager! She joined GSCCC’s program team last month and brings both experience and enthusiasm about the outdoors to her new position. Her journey outside began when she was a lifeguard and she worked her way up to becoming an assistant resident and day camp director.

Leigh, a Gold Award Girl Scout, knew at a young age that she wanted to be a camp director. She recalled singing songs with her Girl Scout sisters at camp and thinking ‘I want to do this all the time.’ She pursued her dream job as she worked toward her bachelor’s degree in parks and recreation from Western Carolina University and master’s degree in environmental education from Antioch University of New England.

At camp, she found her safe place on the water.

“I remember when the other campers would go sailing, all I wanted to do was get in my canoe,” she said.

With experience at three different Girl Scout camps, Leigh is now excited to bring her expertise to the Girl Scouts in southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina this summer. She knows the benefits of unplugging and getting outdoors which is what she hopes will happen for more girls in our Council this summer and in the years to come.

“You’ve got to disconnect and get outside. I think nature provides great things for anyone who is outside, whether it’s girls or adults. It takes you away from the hustle and bustle of real life, even if you’re five years old,” she said.

As for the thing she is most excited for this summer…

“It’ll be nice to be back in a place where the water is actually warm,” she said, laughing.

GSCCC offers camp options for girls entering grades 1-12 with leadership opportunities available for girls entering grades 6-12. Click here to view the 2019 camp guide. Camp registration is open until May 15.

Want to test a new Girl Scout app?

Calling All Brownie & Junior Troops:

Do you want to test a new Girl Scout app?

Girl Scouts of the USA has teamed up with Colonial Coast to pilot an exciting new mobile app designed to enhance the existing Girl Scout Leadership Experience. Our goal is to explore if digital experiences can make Girl Scouts even more engaging for girls while helping to make screen time more purposeful.

Why participate? Your troop will…      

·         Be the first to try a fun and engaging digital platform to augment the troop experience; and

·         Help develop the app by providing feedback on its design, ease of use, and content.

Participation requirements:

·         Girls: In conjunction with a parent/caregiver, download the app and explore its features.

·         Parents/caregivers: Support girls’ use of app and encourage her to engage in the activities.

·         Troop Leaders: Introduce the app to girls/caregivers, support them as they use it, integrate it into troop meetings and encourage use of the app at home.

·         All: Provide feedback through occasional surveys and/or focus groups.

                            Junior Details – 10 Junior Troops Needed to Pilot New App

The app will support girls to…

·         Connect with their troop leader and their Girl Scout peers;

·         Design their own avatar;

·         Digitize earned badges to decorate her digital sash;

·         Explore new ways to track and choose their badges;

·         Test new cutting-edge, mobile experiences;

·         And more!

What’s involved?

Between April and September 2019, leaders will be required to support their parents in downloading and using the mobile app (for as little or as often as they like)—we will follow up regarding the specifics on devices once troops opt in—and to participate in research related to their experiences with it. It’s that easy!

Fill out a brief form at https://tinyurl.com/GSAppJrs2019 no later than March 11, 2019

Brownie Troop Details – 10 Brownie Troops Needed for Pilot of New App

Girl Scouts is looking for 10 Brownie troops who have already completed one of the new STEM Journeys this year or are willing to complete one by August 2019 and who will volunteer their time to test the NEW “For More Fun” Girl Scout App. We are also looking for a limited number of troops who do not plan to do either STEM Journey this year. Experiment with an exciting new digital app designed to enhance STEM programming for Girl Scouts! The app will explore how girls might augment their troop experiences with self-led, mobile activities related to the Think Like a Scientist Journey and the Think Like an Engineer Journey. Our goal is to explore if digital experiences can make Girl Scouts even more engaging for girls while helping to make screen time more purposeful.

What’s involved?

Between April and August 2019, most troops will be required to complete (or have completed) the Think Like a Scientist Journey and/or the Think Like an Engineer Journey (three STEM activity meetings and a Take Action Project). Girls will download and use the app—we will follow up regarding the specifics on devices once troops opt in—to augment Journey activities back at home while earning points that can be redeemed for rewards. And, all participants will take part in research relating to their experiences as part of this pilot.

Fill out a brief form at https://tinyurl.com/GSAppBr2019 no later than March 11, 2019.

Gold Award Spotlight: Abuzz for Honey Bees

Girl Scout Savannah has earned the Gold Award, the highest honor and achievement a girl can earn in Girl Scouts.

For her project, “Abuzz for Honey Bees (AHB),” Savannah set out to spread awareness about the importance of honey bee conservation. She targeted the environmental issue of the declining population of honey bees by focusing on the education of teachers, parents, and elementary school students. Savannah developed a curriculum that included lesson plans, games, a website, and a pollinator garden for an interactive experience. Her curriculum was presented to local and national organizations to widen the scope of AHB.

Despite the obstacles she experienced while completing her project, Savannah was able to overcome them with ease. By using her resources wisely, she successfully shared her curriculum with a teacher at Norfolk Christian School. Savannah also learned to be fearless when speaking out about issues that were important to her. Her project taught her that collaboration was key to increasing a project’s impact.

“My project was successful because I reached out to several organizations that agreed to share my Abuzz for Honey Bees curriculum,” she said. “Through contacting these organizations and giving presentations, I became a better communicator. I learned how to write professional emails, give presentations with minimal ‘ums’ and ‘likes,’ and to advocate for my cause.”

The Abuzz for Honey Bees’ project will be sustained beyond Savannah’s involvement through the organizations that AHB has partnered with. Second grade teachers at Norfolk Christian Lower School agreed to continue teaching AHB lessons in the coming years and to maintain the pollinator garden.

Savannah was recognized in April 2019 by Volunteer Hampton Roads at the 44th Annual Hampton Roads Volunteer Achievement Awards dinner. She was given the award of Outstanding Youth Volunteer for the work she did in the community to earn her Gold Award.