Silver Award Spotlight: Build A Bridge

Girl Scout Cadette Gabrielle earned her Silver Award by doing a special project for a local troop. 

As we know, bridging is a beloved Girl Scout tradition that honors girls' achievements throughout the year and celebrates their "crossing the bridge" to the next Girl Scout level involving a special ceremony for the whole troop to enjoy.

Gabrielle wanted to do a project that would help make many girl’s bridging even more special by constructing the bridge needed for a local troop to use for its ceremonies going forward. 

Gabrielle contacted friends, family, local hardware stores, and a shadow box business to ask for donations of the supplies needed to construct the bridge for the troop to use to advance to the next level of Girl Scouts.

In addition to gaining new fellowship in the community, Gabrielle was able to learn more about construction, measurements, and safely handling power tools to accomplish a goal.

Way to go, Gabrielle!

Bronze Award Spotlight: Donations to the Pantry

Taking action to spread some joy is what Girl Scout Alexis did to earn her Girl Scout Bronze Award. She collected pantry donations from her community for a local church pantry. She brought resources in her community together for a good cause by creating handmade posters and a special video for friends and family to spread the word.

“At a few of our troop meetings, I asked my troop to help and we made flyers that could be placed in neighborhoods, asking for nonperishable food donations.” Alexis said. “I also asked my troop to help by giving donations of non-perishable food donations.” 

In total she, with the help of friends, were able to collect 136 non-perishable food items that were delivered to St. Pius X Church Food Pantry in Norfolk.

Girl Scout Council of Colonial Coast (GSCCC) recognizes the need for food donations at this time and invites GSCCC Girl Scouts and friends to make a difference for families in need by getting involved in the July 30th food drive to support the Virginia Peninsula Foodbank.  You may drop off any nonperishable food items at 2401 Aluminum Ave, Hampton. This will be a "drive by" donation effort and there are no tours of the Foodbank. Find details and register for this community service here.

Little Free Library by Troop 1694

All of the girls in Troop 1694 love to read. As Brownies, one of their favorite community service projects was holding a book drive to collect books for homeless children. As Juniors, when they gathered to brainstorm Bronze Award projects, they excitedly decided to build a Little Free Library.

With a project in mind, the girls started researching. They took time during a troop meeting to walk to a Little Free Library that had already been built and installed.

“They talked about how the structured had to be designed to withstand the weather, to be waterproof to protect the books, to be easy for children and adults to open and to be aesthetically pleasing so that it would fit into the neighborhood,” Trish Jones, a co-leader of Troop 1694, said.

The girls then downloaded blueprints to build a Little Free Library and visited a Home Depot store, where members of the staff helped the girls construct the library. A few weeks later, they painted the structure. They chose yellow for the inside and navy blue for the outside to correlate with the school colors at The Williams School, where they planned to install the Little Free Library.

Next, the girls held a book drive, and they collected 150 books to fill the library.

The girls worked with the headmaster at The Williams School to choose the perfect location to install the library. They decided to put it near the school’s vegetable garden. In this location, students and their families, as well as members of the public walking down the sidewalk, can easily access the Little Free Library.

“Local support has been very positive,” Trish said. “Both the school community and the neighborhood community are excited about the Little Free Library.”

Members of the troop selected a week during each month to be responsible for maintaining the Little Free Library. They will check it, clean it, refill it and, if necessary, repair it, during their week of responsibility. The girls plan to maintain the Little Free Library for years to come in this way, and they will eventually pass along the maintenance to a younger Girl Scout troop.

“The girls learned that they can do anything that they want to do if they come up with a plan and put their minds to it,” Trish said. “We cannot wait to see what other positive things they will do in the future!”

Gold Award Spotlight: Start Gay-Straight Alliance Across Hampton Roads

Madison, a Norfolk Girl Scout, has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor and achievement a girl can earn in Girl Scouting.

For her project, Madison established Gay-Straight Alliance chapters at Maury High School, Grassfield High School and Western Branch High School. She also helped to restart a chapter at Granby High School, and worked with teachers and students at two additional high schools on their plans to start chapters. Through these Gay-Straight Alliance chapters, Madison worked to address discrimination faced by LGBQT students by creating safe places at schools for them to socialize and fight for equality with their straight and supportive classmates.

Madison also hosted a welcoming, inclusive prom for LGBQT high school students and their straight allies. Nearly 100 students from across Hampton Roads attended the prom, many of whom shared that they didn’t feel welcome to attend the prom hosted by their school.

“People are afraid of people that are different from them,” Madison said. “I wanted to create safer schools and healthier communities by increasing awareness and acceptance of LGBTQ high school students.”

Madison arranged for the local chapter of Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) and the LGBT Center of Hampton Roads to continue to mentor chapters of the Gay-Straight Alliance and make her prom an annual event.

The Gold Award requires girls to identify an issue in the 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 Madison to an elite group of female leaders across the country with the honor.

Volunteer Kickoff

Nearly 100 volunteers attended our annual Volunteer Kickoff, which was held on September 23 at Old Dominion University. Volunteers rallied around Team G.I.R.L. (Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-taker, Leader), and enjoyed an energizing day in preparation for the new Girl Scout year. As part of the Team G.I.R.L. theme, volunteers wore their favorite team gear- jerseys, T-shirts, hats and more, and captured their enthusiasm in the Team Spirit Photo Booth.

For many volunteers, a highlight of the day was hearing from Chesapeake Girl Scout Lea, who was selected as one of 10 Girl Scouts from across the country to be honored as a National Young Woman of Distinction for the work that she did for her Gold Award project. At the kickoff, Lea spoke about her project, which focused on oyster restoration to help clean the Chesapeake Bay. After hearing from Lea, many volunteers took photos with our local star.

During the event, GSCCC CEO Tracy Keller accepted a check on behalf of the Council for $50,000 from the Arconic Foundation. This money will be used for STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education and programming. 

Volunteers also had the opportunity to take part in a wide range of workshops, including Volunteer Toolkit, Highest Awards, Outdoor Skills, Troop Organization and Craft Ideas. And, community partners set up exhibits for volunteers to learn about opportunities for their troops.

Science Alive 2017

Nearly 200 Girl Scouts spent the day exploring the world of STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) during Science Alive, an annual event hosted by Norfolk State University. Now in its eighth year, Science Alive gives Girl Scouts the chance to explore and discover their own interests in STEM through workshops facilitated by Norfolk State University students and faculty.

A highlight of the day for the Girl Scout Brownies, second and third graders, was the chemistry workshop where they made color-changing milk with dish soap and food coloring and concocted their own slime. The Girl Scout Brownies also enjoyed making geometric shapes out of marshmallows and toothpicks and learning about nutrition. Older Girl Scouts participated in workshops where they explored the world of nanotechnology and learned about physics while folding and flying paper airplanes and building protective devices to house eggs for an egg-drop experiment. There was also a civil engineering workshop, where girls built wooden bridges.

Dr. Rasha Morsi, professor of electrical and electronics engineering and director of the Creative Gaming and Simulation Lab at Norfolk State University, took a lead role in organizing Science Alive this year. Dr. Morsi previously served on the board of directors for Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast, and she has remained an active volunteer with the organization through her assistance with Science Alive.

“I have a passion for education and getting girls interested in science,” Dr. Morsi said. “It is so rewarding to see girls’ eyes light up when they learn something new. I hope they get that spark at Science Alive and learn that they can do anything that they want to do.

In today’s world, where women comprise 48 percent of the U.S. workforce but just 24 percent of STEM workers, Girl Scouts is working to develop a more equitable perception of the relative abilities of men and women in STEM. Through hands-on STEM events, such as Science Alive, girls are developing self-confidence related to STEM, as well as their confidence overall. In addition, according to the Girl Scout Research Institute, girls indicate that their ability to build and design things, think of different ways to solve a problem and research a problem improved through their participation in Girl Scout STEM programs.

Girl Scouts is committed to providing opportunities to engage girls in STEM and scientific reasoning and allow them to apply concepts learned school in new ways. Upcoming STEM events hosted by Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast include Engineering Women on October 14 at the ODU Peninsula Center and Girls STEAM Ahead on October 21 at Nauticus in Norfolk. All girls are welcome to attend, even those who are not currently members of Girl Scouts.

A Visit to Camp Apasus

If you keep your eyes open long enough, you can see a lot in just a few minutes.  Today I had the honor of taking a few photographs at my daughter’s Girl Scout camp, Camp Apasus. I drove through the cemetery where two of my great grandmothers are buried, and I walked into the camp with my daughter. I saw a lot in those short moments.

I saw dozens of girls wearing shirts with printed expressions like “smart girl” and “kind is cool.” I saw girls running with reckless abandon – jump roping and hula hooping.  I saw some girls who could jump rope while doing twists.  I saw some girls who couldn’t yet jump rope.  I saw the girls who excelled at jump roping encouraging their sisters who couldn’t jump rope well with tips like “keep your head up” and “pick up your feet next time.” No competition. No embarrassment.  Just genuine encouraging and supporting each other.

I saw two girls cry after having a disagreement as a strong counselor calmed them down and helped them through the disagreement.  I then saw them hula hoop off together again, the dispute quickly forgotten.

I saw girls with different hair, build, color and age come together to make pretend boats out of sticks.

I saw a team of outstanding strong young women leading these girls. These young women have their priorities straight, and they lead these young Girl Scouts by example.

I saw the girls line up for the raising of the Colors, and then they reverently raised the flag earned by a deceased veteran.  I saw the girls remove their ball caps and cover their heart with their hands as they pledged allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.  They watched the flag with wonder and respect.

I was only at the camp for about 15 minutes, and I saw ALL of this.  I left there with a full heart, for I know these young girls and young women are going to be okay.  I know that just this one week at Camp Apasus is going to make a difference in all their amazing long lives. This camp is made of the stuff that they will look back on in 20 or 30 years and remember - remember the fun, the freedom, the friendships, the go-getting, the risk-taking, and the leading that they learned how to do.  

Thank you, Girl Scouts. Thank you for inspiring and encouraging this generation of girls to be who they are.  You’ve done your job here, as you’ve been doing since 1912.  Keep on keepin’ on! 

Yours in Girl Scouting,
Kelly McMahon Willette, Girl Scout Troop Leader and Girl Scout Mom

Fall into STEM

Girl Scouts is all about being girl-led, and developing new programs is no exception. That’s why Girl Scouts of the USA surveyed girls to find out which STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) topics they most want to explore. The results weren’t surprising—computer science, engineering, and outdoor STEM landed in the top three!

Last month, Girl Scouts announced the release of a new set of STEM-focused badges and Journeys. Girls can now earn badges while they take part in science activities that they love, from designing race cars to programming robots to coding.

This fall, GSCCC is collaborating with community partners across the region to provide engaging opportunities for girls to explore the world of STEM and discover their interests in seeking challenges and solving problems. Check out these upcoming opportunities:

Science Alive
September 16
Norfolk State University 
Join us for our eighth annual Science Alive! Enjoy hands-on STEM activities in the fields of engineering, chemistry, medicine, biology and physical science led by NSU faculty and students. Spend time on a college campus and meet sorority sisters.

Synthetic Engineering
October 7
The College of William & Mary
What are SynBio and bioengineering? This event will put the science into everyday life. Ever heard of molecular biology? Understanding how scientists are able to work with DNA in the lab will help you explain SynBio. Participating in hands- on activities in a science lab with bioengineers will help you think like a scientist!

Engineering Women
October 14

Old Dominion University

Led by the Hampton Roads Chapter of the Society of Women Engineers (HR-SWE), join us for exciting activities that explore the areas of robotics, electromagnetism, chemistry, hydrodynamics and structural engineering. All-new activities will focus on critical thinking, problem-solving and collaboration. These women engineers are excited to ignite the enthusiasm of tomorrow's engineers, innovators and scientists with a day of fun!

Girls STEAM Ahead

October 21

NauticusJoin us for a fun-filled night at our third annual Nauticus STEAM Night for Girl Scouts! Touch a shark, build and test underwater robotic ROVs and enjoy hands-on activities in our STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math)-themed stations. Meet local professionals in these fields and learn how to make STEAM your career!

These events are open to all girls, whether or not they are currently members of Girl Scouts. 

GSCCC Dedicates Addition to Program Center at Camp Apasus with Sertoma Club

A vintage Girl Scout song says it all, “Make new friends but keep the old.” It is a song that encourages Girl Scouts to welcome new members into their friendship circle while cherishing those who have become the strong links that hold that circle together.

On August 9, one of those links, the Norfolk Sertoma Club, was honored and thanked at Camp Apasus. The Norfolk Sertoma Club is a dedicated group of professionals with a common goal of helping people through supporting organizations such as Girl Scouts. Every year, Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast holds “thank you” picnic – a tradition that started in the 1950s.

Over the decades, club members have helped maintain the camp property by offering volunteer time for repairs and funding improvements and additions, such as the archery range and the camp pool. Recently, their generosity made it possible for GSCCC to build a screened-in addition to the Sertoma Lodge, a program center fully equipped with kitchen, showers and amenities for overnights. Now, girls using the lodge can also have an outdoor classroom experience.

A special ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new addition was part of this year’s luncheon celebration. Girl Scout campers, alumnae, board members, and more than 30 Sertoma Club members attended.

“We were really excited to see the new pavilion,” Lewis Swartley, president of the Norfolk Sertoma Club, said. “My fellow Norfolk Sertoma Club brothers and I are honored to support Camp Apasus and Girl Scouts today and far into the future. We are committed to helping Girl Scouts in their mission to build girls of courage, confidence and character.”

After the ribbon cutting, GSCCC CEO Tracy Keller gave a few remarks.

“Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast is very fortunate to have such a strong relationship with the Norfolk Sertoma Club, which has supported this unique camp over the years,” Keller said. “Tucked away in a city environment, Camp Apasus is a place where girls can build important skills. Research shows that girls' outdoor experiences are positively linked to their challenge seeking, problem-solving and environmental stewardship. They get that here at Camp Apasus.”

GSCCC Board Chair Carolene Goodwyn-Harris also spoke to guests at camp.

“When girls get outdoors, they can begin to recognize their strengths in a new way,” Goodwyn-Harris said. “It is an experience that can impact them socially, emotionally and physically. Knowing that these outdoor experiences are essential for a well-rounded life, I am thrilled that we have friends like the Sertoma Club to support our efforts.”

After the ceremony, guests were invited to tour the entire camp. While the Sertoma Lodge is the jewel of the camp, there are other great things to see and do at Camp Apasus. It borders Mason Creek, off of Granby Street in Norfolk. Campers and visitors can canoe on the small body of water and take advantage of the five campsites on the property - three with platform tents, fire circles and picnic tables. Two other buildings near Sertoma Lodge are used for storage, one for craft and camp supplies and the other as a boat storage location. A covered pavilion across from Sertoma Lodge serves as an outdoor program and picnic space. During the summer months, an above-ground pool is made available to day campers.

5 Reasons You Won’t Want to Miss Science Alive

For the past seven years, Norfolk State University has hosted hundreds of Girl Scouts for Science Alive. The day is full of cool science activities, inspirational women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and so much more! This year, Science Alive is scheduled for September 16. Here’s why you don’t want to miss out on the fun:

1. Hands-on STEM experiences like no other. Norfolk State University opens the doors of its state-of-the-art facilities for Girl Scouts to use. This year, girls can expect to learn the ins and outs of creating and designing video games, uncover the mysteries behind slime and goo, explore how tools are used at the nano level and more!
   
2. Meeting the experts: women who are studying and teaching STEM. Each workshop at Science Alive is run by faculty and students at Norfolk State University. Girl Scouts get to spend the day learning from women in STEM, who show girls that they can be anything they want to be!
   
3. Beyond the classroom. Outside of the fun STEM activities, Science Alive is a great opportunity for Girl Scouts to explore life on a college campus. They get to tour academic buildings and the student center, as well as speak to students about college life. This helps girls prepare for their own academic futures.
   
4. Workshops for the parents, too! A special adult session is offered during Science Alive for parents, caregivers and troop leaders to learn more about tutoring and college readiness.
   
5. DANCE PARTY! One of the highlights of Science Alive each year? The lunchtime dance party! Girl Scouts and Norfolk State University students dance to the beat before kicking off the afternoon STEM sessions.
   

Camp Fury Norfolk

This summer, for the first time ever, Norfolk Fire-Rescue and Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast partnered to host Camp Fury Norfolk, a week-long firefighting and emergency preparedness experience. The goal of Camp Fury is to introduce girls to firefighting as a career, give girls the chance to meet women in fields typically dominated by men and provide experiences for girls to try new things and build self-confidence and teamwork skills.

The camp kicked off on Monday, where girls were issued turnout gear and helmets for the week. They jumped right into firefighter training, climbing an aerial ladder on a firetruck, taking part in self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) orientation, learning how to properly carry ladders and trying their hand at forcible entry. A highlight of the activities for the week was rappelling inside Chrysler Hall. The girls harnessed up and rappelled from the front of the stage into the orchestra pit. They also climbed up onto the catwalk and rappelled down onto the stage.

"Many of the girls at Camp Fury had not considered firefighting as a career for them before coming to camp," Norfolk Firefighter Paramedic Darlene Braun said. "We're showing them that they can be anything that they want to be."

In addition to learning about firefighting, the girls were also introduced to other public safety careers. They spent an afternoon with the Norfolk Police Department, where they watched a police canine unit demonstration, learned about a bomb robot and took part in physical training alongside female police officers. A tour of the emergency departments at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital and Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters were also on the schedule for the week, as well as a stop at Naval Station Norfolk, where the girls met with Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron 14 (HM-14).

Camp Fury Norfolk is the third Camp Fury offered by Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast. Camp Fury will also be hosted with the City of Hampton Division of Fire and Rescue and the Chesapeake Fire Department this summer. Firefighter Paramedic Braun, who brought Camp Fury to Norfolk, previously volunteered at Camp Fury in Hampton and Chesapeake.

At Camp Fury, and at all Girl Scout camps, girls are immersed in a supportive, all-girl environment where they develop into go-getters, innovators, risk takers and leaders.

Girls Rule the World

The 9th Annual Hampton Roads Conference for Girls and Young Women: Girls Rule the World was held on Saturday, May 20 in the Webb University Center at Old Dominion University. During the conference, which aims to inform and empower girls and young women to become productive citizens and leaders, Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast held a STEM (science, technology, mathematics, and engineering) workshop, Girls Go Techbridge: Power it Up!.

During the Girl Scout workshop, Thalessa Billups, a community outreach coordinator with Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast, led the girls in an activity with snap circuits to help them learn about electronics and circuitry. Working in pairs, girls chose circuit board projects out of an instruction book and snapped together plastic modules to create a flow of electricity. One pair of girls created a flow of electricity to power a radio.

"One of the most beneficial things about STEM activities is that they allow girls to work together to accomplish the same goal while having fun," Billups said.

According to How Girl Scout STEM Programs Benefit Girls, a report by the Girl Scout Research Institute, 77 percent of girls said that after participating in STEM activities with Girl Scouts, they want to know more about careers in science, math and the arts. Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast is committed to providing opportunities for girls to engage in hands-on STEM and scientific reasoning activities, allowing them to apply concepts learned in school in new ways. Check www.gsccc.org for information about an annual STEM event, Science Alive, scheduled for September at Norfolk State University.

Girl Scouts in the Garage

It is no surprise that Girl Scouts do not mind getting their hands dirty. This holds true for the 18 teen girls from the Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast who attended the GEICO Car Care Clinic on May 16 at Elite Auto Body in Norfolk. This is the third time that GEICO has hosted a car care clinic for Girl Scouts to teach girls basic car knowledge, including changing a tire, checking the oil and jump starting a car.

“We want to teach girls in the community basic auto care skills so that they become strong community members while driving,” Julia Grim, auto damage management development coordinator for GEICO, said. “Having interactive clinics is important because girls learn a lot more that way.”

Samantha tries to send a text message while trying to keep her
"car" on the road through the driving simulator.

The girls rotated between stations in groups, where they tested tire air pressure, watched a tire-changing demonstration, practiced checking the oil and learned how to jump a car battery. The girls also took part in a distracted driving simulation where they had to “drive” a car using a steering wheel hooked up to a computer while trying to send a text message. The girls quickly learned how dangerous it could be to take their eyes off the road. GEICO also invited representatives from RK Chevrolet to the clinic who gave car-buying advice to the Girl Scout teens.

Francesca checks the oil level in car. 

“Learning how to be safe if I do have an emergency on the road was the most important part of the clinic for me,” Francesca, a Girl Scout Senior from Yorktown, said.

By the end of the clinic, each of the girls earned the Girl Scout Car Care badge, which was designed to provide girls with experiences to master car maintenance responsibilities and learn about safe driving skills. Girl Scouts knows that driving is an exciting step for girls towards independence, which is why the organization partners with experts in the community, including GEICO, to help insure girls will have a safe experience behind the wheel.

Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast and GEICO will be receiving the Governor’s Transportation Safety Award in Richmond on June 15 for the car care clinics. The award recognizes individuals and organizations who have contributed to transportation safety in Virginia.

Explore Bike Norfolk

Nearly 40 bike riders strapped on their helmets, topped off the air in the tires and gathered for a bike route briefing in front of Blair Middle School on May 3 as part of a kickoff event for the new Explore Bike Norfolk Girl Scout patch. Norfolk Girl Scout Elsa designed the new patch and, in honor of National Bike Month, planned the kickoff event to invite community members to enjoy the bike lanes that were installed in Norfolk almost a year ago.

“I like to ride bikes with my family, and noticed that new bike lanes were appearing,” Elsa said. “But I also saw that not a lot of people were using them, so I wanted to help spread the word and encourage people to ride their bikes.”

At the kickoff event, the bikers split up into two groups—younger children and their parents when on a 30-minute ride that stayed close to Blair Middle School, and the older children and their parents took a 4-mile ride, starting along Colley Avenue. Along the ride, participants were briefed on safety rules and practiced the correct way to ride in and around traffic. After the ride, representatives from Bike Norfolk handed out bike safety activity books, bumper stickers, bike stickers and bike lights to the participants. Bikers also shared their feedback about the bike lanes, and many of the bikers who went on the ride were looking forward to using the lanes again soon.

Elsa's project was supported by the Norfolk Department of Parks and Recreation and Norfolk City Council Member Andria McClellan. Thelma Drake, assistant director of transportation at the City of Norfolk, stopped by Kinnear’s event to see the bikers off on their ride. Drake thanked Kinnear for her hard work and told her that her efforts have been a force for helping to promote Bike Norfolk.

Elsa developed the Explore Bike Norfolk patch and planned the National Bike Month event to earn the Girl Scout Bronze Award, which is the third highest award girls can earn in Girl Scouting.

Check www.gsccc.org soon for patch requirements and purchased the patch in the GSCCC shops. 

Staying Home with Girl Scouts

May is Homeschool Awareness Month. Andrea Kinnear, a Girl Scout troop leader out of Norfolk, helps run a troop of approximately 45 homeschooled girls ranging from Daisies to Seniors. Using the flexible hours that come with homeschooling, Andrea is able to go more in depth on badge topics than is covered in the badge itself.

“Many of the badges, such as the Animal Habitat badge, flow well into science and humanities curricula at home,” Andrea said.

And, the girls are able to take numerous field trips while earning badges and fun patches. Strawberry picking and a trip to the Chrysler Museum of Art Glass Studio have been some of their recent memorable trips.

Andrea's daughter, Elsa, who is a member of the troop, used the malleability of her homeschool schedule to work on a project to earn the Bronze Award, the third highest honor and achievement a girl can earn in Girl Scouts. She created the Explore Bike Norfolk patch to promote biking in Norfolk.

“Elsa was able to meet Girl Scout council staff to discuss her goal,” Andrea said. “Her schedule permitted her to meet with council staff during the day, contact officials with the City of Norfolk during work hours, promote her project on HearSay with WHRO and participate in the City’s photography ad campaign.”

Andrea has been a troop leader for four years. This year, she shifted her volunteer role to focus on supporting the troop through the Girl Scout Cookie Program. This winter, she coordinated more than 25 cookie booths for the troop.

“As homeschoolers we are able to open booths during the day, Andrea said. “The Norfolk Commissary and the Old Dominion University bookstore are our favorite weekday booths.”

The flexibility of a homeschool schedule also allows the troop members to take part in a variety of projects to help improve the community. The troop meets at the Unitarian Church in Norfolk, and the girls have helped maintain the church property through a wide variety of projects, from insulating pipes for winterization to beautifying the grounds by planting flowers. The troop has also donated food to the Ronald McDonald House and has donated cookies to the USO, For Kids and more.

By incorporating Girl Scouts into their homeschooling schedule, the Kinnear Family is able to take part in a wide variety of activities and be a part of an organization that gives girls opportunities to be go-getters, innovators, risk-takers and leaders.

Take a Girl Scout to Work at WHRO

Isabella and Barbara Hamm Lee

Barbara Hamm Lee, host of “Another View” on WHRV, welcomed Isabella, a Norfolk ninth grader, to WHRO on April 14 as part of the Take a Girl Scout to Work program. Take a Girl Scout to Work Day was modeled after the national Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day, where each year more than 3.5 million American workplaces open their doors to more than 39 million employees and their children.

Isabella, accompanied by her mother Dawn Devita, started her day in the production meeting for “Another View.” The hour-long program, during which Lee discusses today’s topics from an African American perspective, airs every Friday at noon. With less than two hours until going live, Isabella joined Producer Lisa Godley and Audio Engineer Victor Bowen in Lee’s office to go over the final plans for the show. Lee shared with Isabella how she is always monitoring the news, looking for topics that would be of interest to her listeners, during the week leading up to the show. During Isabella’s visit, Lee was gearing up for her monthly roundtable episode, where she welcomes regular guests to share their perspectives on the topics that Lee chooses. After reviewin a sound clip and confirming some facts for the topics of the week, Isabella headed to the production booth, while Lee finished preparing for the show and welcomed her guests.

In the production booth, Bowen showed Isabella the equipment that he uses to manage the sound for the program, including adding sound clips from newscasts and letting callers ask questions on air. He also talked about his background and the education needed to become an audio engineer. Right before going live, Godley arrived in the production booth, ready to run the show from behind the scenes. She showed Isabella how she can communicate with Lee via instant message during the live show to let her know about callers and feedback from listeners.

“My favorite part of the day was when Barbara and her guests were on air,” Isabella said. “I liked listening to them and getting a clearer understanding about how they felt about specific topics.”

After the show, Isabella had the chance to meet the roundtable panelists and speak to them about their careers, ranging from college professor to newspaper columnist. Before heading out for the day, Isabella had another chance to chat with Lee in her office about her job. Isabella, who is homeschooled, was excited to learn from Lee that WHRO has an education department with resources for students who are homeschooled. Isabella also had the chance to share her interests with Lee and was excited to share that she has recently earned the Girl Scout Silver Award, which is the second highest honor and achievement a girl can earn in Girl Scouting.

Lee, who is a Girl Scout alumna, signed up to host a girl for Take a Girl Scout to Work Day through the Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast alumnae association. Through opportunities, such as Isabella’s experience with Lee, Girl Scouts is able to introduce girls to professionals who show girls that they can be whatever they want to be.

Norfolk Girl Scout Earns Silver Award

Isabella, a Norfolk Girl Scout, has earned the Girl Scout Silver Award, the second highest honor and achievement a girl can earn in Girl Scouting.

Isabella, who volunteers at the Virginia Beach SPCA, started an awareness campaign about the organization for her Silver Award project. She visited Girl Scout troop meetings, where she spoke about adoptable animals and invited a representative from the SPCA to talk about what staff and volunteers do at the shelter. Under Isabella’s leadership, groups of Girl Scouts collected food and toys to donate to the SPCA.

Isabella also took photos of adoptable pets at the SPCA and made fliers that she posted a pet supply stores and libraries around the region.

“I wanted to help homeless animals find homes,” Isabella said. “All animals need a loving place to live.”

The Girl Scout Silver Award is the top award that middle school age Girl Scouts can earn. To earn the award, girls have to identify a need in the community and carry out a Take Action project to address the matter through leadership work.

Dominion Virginia Power Takes a Girl Scout to Work

In the middle of launching a rebrand, Dominion Virginia Power – soon to be Dominion Energy – took time to host a Girl Scout during the Take a Girl Scout to Work Day sponsored by Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast. Girl Scout Breea Sandy was the lucky girl chosen to spend a day with employees at Dominion Virginia Power and was given an opportunity to learn first-hand about various departments at the company, including state and local affairs, design and customer service.

External Affairs Manager Troy Lindsey offered Breea insight into what it takes to be a manager at Dominion and the history of his 15-year career with the company.

“This is a great place to work,” Lindsey said. “When I started in 2001, I set my sights on the job I currently have. I never really thought I would get here so soon, but I have been given many opportunities to grow. As a math major in college, I never envisioned myself in the job I’m in now.”

From being a manager overseeing 25 employees in a call center to analyst and on to his current position, Lindsey says Dominion is committed to assessing the talent of their employees and helping them achieve. With a big grin, he said, “It worked for me!”

For someone who has so much ahead – college and then a first real job – this was good news. Breea said she will look for in an employer like Dominion in the future.

Breea also spent time in the Design department and traveled with Customer Project Designers Nancy Coons and Kim Alvis to a nearby construction site of the new Norfolk Premium Outlets. She learned how important the placement of transformers were, how lines were laid underground and about machinery used to place electric poles.

“I never knew there were so many different types of jobs to choose from,” Breea said. “There were a lot of people who had jobs very different from what they went to college for, so I guess you never know where life takes you. One thing was for sure, everyone told me math was important no matter what, so I guess I’ll keep trying harder at algebra!”

Take a Girl Scout to Work Day is modeled after the national Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work® (TODASTW), where each year more than 3.5 million American workplaces open their doors to over 39 million employees and their children on TODASTW Day. Girl Scouts is committed to providing opportunities for girls to explore and discover in a wide variety career interests. Through opportunities, including Take a Girl Scout to Work Day at Dominion Virginia Power, Girl Scouts is able to introduce girls to professionals who show girls that they can be whatever they want to be.

Girl Scouts Retire the Colors aboard the USS Whidbey Island

Commander Mariah Rule, a Girl Scout Brownie leader of Troop 45 that meets at Saint Patrick Catholic School in Norfolk, arranged to have her troop retire the colors aboard the USS Whidbey Island (LSD 41) as part of earning their Celebrating Community badge. Commander Rule was recognized last November as a Girl Scout Famous Former by the Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast. She actively connects with other formers in the US Navy and welcomes them into the Girl Scout alumnae network.

Commander Rule helped prepare the girls at a few troop meetings - practice sessions on how to properly retire a flag.

“Truthfully, I have never performed the flag ceremony aboard a ship, but I felt comfortable enough to guide the girls,” Commander Rule said. “We asked the duty section leader ask if there were any former Girl Scouts who would like to help the troop properly perform this ceremony. Six women immediately came forward. It was amazing. I was so excited for our girls to meet these exceptional formers!”

The Celebrating Community badge engages girls in activities that teach them about the community they live in and the celebrations they have, such as flag ceremonies and parades. According to the Girl Scout Research Institute Report Girl Scouting Works: The Alumnae Impact Study, Girl Scout alumnae are more civically engaged and likely to vote than their non-Girl Scout peers. And, the longer women were Girl Scouts, the higher their level of civic participation. Girl Scouts has a longstanding commitment to encourage girls to take the lead in their communities, the government, public policy and the democratic process.

Cookies on Ice

Nearly 400 Girl Scouts took part in Cookies on Ice, an annual celebration of the wrap-up of the Girl Scout Cookie Program, during the Norfolk Admirals final home game of the season on April 8.

Each year at Cookies on Ice, the top cookie seller for Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast, which covers southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina, gets to drop the ceremonial puck to kick off the game. Danielle, a member of Girl Scout Troop 5 in Newport News, earned the honor this year. She sold 4,158 boxes of Girl Scout Cookies.

In addition to Danielle's role at the start of the game, Girl Scout Troop 308 from Virginia Beach conducted the flag ceremony and Girl Scout Senior Isabella from Moyock sang the national anthem. The girls who took part in the opening ceremonies then joined their fellow Girl Scouts in the stands and enjoyed watching the Norfolk Admirals take on the Reading Royals.

This year, local Girl Scouts sold more than 1.47 million boxes of cookies. The Girl Scout Cookie Program is the world’s largest girl-led business and the nation’s leading financial literacy and entrepreneurial program for girls. Through the program, girls learn skills that will last them a lifetime, including goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills and business ethics.

View more photos from the night here.