Alum Spotlight: Famous Former Dawn Peters

 Since 1917, Girl Scouts have been selling their iconic cookies to fund unique trips and experiences. Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast is no short of successful cookie entrepreneurs. Last year, we recognized Dawn Peters financial advisor for Lincoln Financial Advisors in our latest class of famous Formers honorees. 

Dawn spent a good deal of her childhood in Girl Scouts enjoying her family‘s generational tradition of being a Girl Scout. She says her love for business and finance came from her success as a Girl Scout Cookie seller. She also loved earning badges and having leadership opportunities. As an adult, she engaged as a Girl Scout volunteer leading troops for both her daughters. Dawn has been a financial advisor since 1998. She joined Lincoln Financial Advisors in August 2012 and has been a successful female businesswoman ever since. 

Hear from Dawn Peters in a video below as she shares how participating in the Girl Scout Cookie Program gave her the courage, character and confidence to follow her dreams in pursuit of a career in finance. 

Gold Award Spotlight: Citizenship for Young Learners

Girl Scout Ambassador Caroline recently earned the Gold Award by completing a project she called, “Citizenship for Young Learners.” She worked with Lee Ann Chisenhall, Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools Social Studies Coordinator to understand the needs of an existing citizenship program for first graders, Daughters of the American Revolution First Grade Citizenship Program, and created a video curriculum to support the program county-wide.

She organized interviews about citizenship with Senator Monty Mason, representative of the Peninsula’s 1st Senate District, Dr. Howard Townsend, principal of Jamestown High School, Dr. Matt Eppright, coach of the Tidewater Sharks, and Mr. Leslie Hall of the Williamsburg James City County  Fire Department. Using clips from the video interviews along with other interactive elements, Fuller created three SOL aligned video lessons for classroom use: Citizenship at Home and in Your Classroom, Citizenship in Your Community, and Citizenship in Your State and Country. 

“Citizenship is an important topic in education, especially in younger grades,” Fuller said. “Besides identifying as a citizen of a nation, the dictionary also defines citizenship as the quality of an individual’s response to membership in a community. Being an involved, engaged part of the community is an important life skill.”

Caroline's curriculum is available to all first grade teachers in the Williamsburg James City County School District. 

Congratulations, Caroline!

Girl Scouts Serve Up Thoughtful Gestures This Fall

Community service projects make the world a better place right now. Whether girls engage in a short-term community service project, like collecting toys for kids who live in shelters, or a long-term or recurring project, like weekly volunteer shifts at a soup kitchen, their work fills an immediate need in the community. As they look for meaningful ways to contribute to their community, they sharpen their problem-solving skills and expand their interests.

For Girl Scouts, serving their communities is a year-round affair, and as the weather cools down, there comes an extra sense of warmth from helping others – especially during the holiday season. Dozens of troops in our Council have been hard at work this fall serving up thoughtful gestures throughout their communities. Here are a few spotlights of Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast making a difference- 

For a second year, the York-Poquoson Girl Scouts of Service Unit 150 put together nearly 500 "Boo-Bags" (Halloween candy and non-edibles) and donated them to the Poquoson Food Pantry and St Luke's Food Pantry for distribution prior to Halloween. Back in 2020, all trick-or-treating was canceled due to the pandemic, so the Girl Scouts worked together to find a community solution, the "Boo-Bags." Due to its success and popularity, they chose to repeat the project again in 2021. Almost 80 girls participated this year; 10 troops and one Juliette.  

Girl Scout Daisy Ellie has continued her tradition of collecting toys for children at Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters (CHKD)!  Read a feature of this service project by WAVY TV 10 here- https://bit.ly/314fTzf 

Girl Scout Troop 1515 was among the many troops who participated in the council-wide No-Sew Blanket community service project! This troop started with 12 girls at the start of fall and now has grown to have 36 girl members!  Here, sisters Girl Scout Junior Kaitlyn and Girl Scout Daisy Samantha show the camera their no-sew blanket creations ready for donation to youth in need! 

Girl Scout Ambassador Evelyn recently earned her Gold Award by creating a program designed to spark young children's interests in STEM fields, recognizing female STEM professionals along the way! Her story was highlighted by The Virginian-Pilot! https://bit.ly/3yrfXoP 

Girl Scout troops of Service Unit 250 in the Lynnnhaven Shores area of Virginia Beach recently worked together to stuff and donate 200 stockings to give to the Salvation Army for distribution to families in need. Service Unit 250 has been participating in this particular community service project in cooperation with the Salvation Army for over 20 years. Pictured here is Girl Scout Brownie Savannah, member of Girl Scout Brownie Troop 343, helping to deliver the service unit's filled stockings to the Salvation Army's Christmas Depot. 

Thank you to all Girl Scouts, volunteers, and alum who are working to make the world a better place through your commitment to service! 

Gold Award Spotlight: Music for a Cure

Girl Scout Ambassador Madison recently earned the Gold Award by completing a project she titled, “Music for a Cure.” She worked with Music Therapist, Christopher Byrd, of Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters to create a neurologic music intervention curriculum for use with a nearby elementary school’s special education program and at a local high school’s student clinic. Madison had a goal to use professional music intervention protocols with students to alleviate certain concerns while they are in a school setting.

The program, which includes audible musical components and hands on components based on scientifically proven methods, was used at the schools in classroom and clinic settings. Teachers with the special education program reported positive outcomes like good moods and increased attention spans for students after participating. The school clinic reported that students found the audible component to be soothing and help alleviate minor complaints like headaches for high school students. She says neurological issues can be common but there are ways to help.

“There are many neurological disorders and problems present in my community,” she said. “These range from some that are more common, like depression and anxiety, to some that are less common like Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome and special needs-based disorders. After personally experiencing many challenges from these types of disorders, I helped students in my community and elsewhere by reducing symptoms of some of these challenges.”

Congratulations, Madison!

Gold Award Project in Progress: R.E.A.D

Girl Scout Ambassador Jasmine has a busy schedule these days as she finishes up her last year in high school and last year as a girl member in Girl Scouts. She had done so much already, serving as a council delegate, a cookie captain, and a media girl. Last year, she received the highest Council award a girl may be given, the Buck Harris Award. She is now working on her Girl Scout Gold Award and plans to complete it before spring. Her project, R.E.A.D. ( red-defining, environmental, attitude, development),  has many elements to it, including a public engagement component. This fall, she hosted an event where she recruited the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Williamsburg Regional Library, the colonial soil and Water Conservation group and the Green Club at Williamsburg Classical Academy – a club she started as her Girl Scout Silver Award project. The event brought information on how to re-purpose books, what happens to trash, such as books thorn away, and had a hands-on activity to help educate on oil spills.

Since science is one of her favorite subjects, and why she decided to “go green” with her Gold project, Jasmine has also signed up for STEM Club events that are being offered by the Council. 

“At the STEM program, we assembled robots from items supplied to us,” she said. “ Through this activity, girls learned how to follow directions, connect wires, use tools such as screwdrivers and wire cutters. If the robot didn’t function based on plans, we would troubleshoot and make improvements. This was a really good program where I was able to get more time building mechanical skills.”  

Way to go Jasmine! You know what they say about busy people, want to get something done, ask a person who is already busy!