Silver Award Spotlight: Toys for Cats with Special Needs

Girl Scout Cadette Kaleigh earned her Silver Award after time spent as a volunteer at the Virginia Beach SPCA inspired her to make a positive impact on the lives of the cats with special needs she met at the shelter. 

Kaleigh planted, grew, and dried her own catnip in her garden. After the catnip was dried, she used fabric and thread to hand sew cat toys in various shapes, designs, and colors and then filled them with her catnip. Her hand made toys were given to the staff at the Virginia Beach SPCA for the cats to enjoy. 

Kaleigh has always loved animals and is happy that her project could benefit a local shelter she has grown a connection with.  

“The best part was seeing the cats playing with and sniffing the toys, especially one cat that is blind. They responded immediately,” Kaleigh said.

Kaleigh assembles one of her cat toys

Kaleigh has now earned her Bronze and Silver Awards and has plans to earn her Gold Award in the future. She has a tip for other Girl Scouts looking for inspiration:

“Find something that is important to you in your environment and come up with a plan to help. Stick with it and see it through to the end.”

Congratulations, Kaleigh!

Gold Award Spotlight: Fire Safety at First Landing State Park

Our region is full of beautiful parks and historic landmarks. Some places, like First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach have both. Girl Scout Ambassador Ainsley earned her Gold Award by contributing to fire safety and park preservation at First Landing State Park.

First Landing has five historic cabins that were built in the 1930's

by the Civilian Conservation Corp. The cabins can be rented by visitors to the park and have fire circles for use outside. Unfortunately, bringing camp chairs or other portable camp furniture too close to a flame can easily cause them to ignite. In order to protect the cabins and grounds from fire damage, Ainsley created ten sturdy wooden benches for use around the campsites.

During her project, Ainsley worked right beside two benches that were under repair from previous fire damage. It was a reminder of how fast an accident can happen.

“The flames were contained quickly but could have easily damaged a historic piece of property. It’s a butterfly effect,” Ainsley said.

Ainsley did not stop there! To make a lasting impact, she designed brochures and a website that have blueprints and step-by-step instructions on how the benches are created. Ainsley’s project not only made the park better for visitors but she also has done her part to help preserve history.

Thank you, Ainsley!

Gold Award Spotlight: Revolutionary Winter Guard Cadets

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

Cheyenne, who has been a part of color guard for seven years, wanted to raise awareness about the sport and give children an opportunity to try color guard. For her project, Cheyenne created a daughter program for the Revolutionary Winter Guard, a color guard program she was a part of. She hosted her program in the summer to prepare children ages six to 17 to participate in the junior winter color guard program. She held practices three times a week, and at the end of the program, the participants performed a show for their friends and family members.

“Color Guard is my passion, and I wanted to share it with my community,” Cheyenne said. “It benefitted the children who participated by giving them a new set of skills. It also benefitted local high school marching bands who gained two new members who marched in my program.”

Through her project, Cheyenne hopes that she enlightened children and her peers with a whole new world of art, music, dance and sports, all in one activity.

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

Gold Award Spotlight: Mental Illness Through Art

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

For her project, Catherine organized an art exhibit at Princess Anne High School dedicated to art created by teens that reflect mental illness. She invited students at her school to create art pieces to represent personal experiences they have had with mental illness, how they feel about the issue and how they have watched their peers struggle.

At the art exhibit, guests viewed the art submissions, learned about mental health from a representative from the National Alliance on Mental Health and took part in stress relieving activities, including coloring. There was also a display made by a member of the Psychology Club at Princess Anne High School about the government’s impact on mental health and how to contact government officials about mental health issues.

“Mental health is a sensitive topic for many people to talk about, making it hard to verbalize how they feel,” Catherine said. “The art exhibit was an opportunity for students to express emotions they might feel when handling anything related to mental health.”

Catherine also created a video that she placed online to help inform people about what they can do to advocate for mental health, as well as an overview of the art exhibit she organized.

Catherine has arranged for members of the Psychology Club to host a mental health art exhibit on an annual basis. As a senior, Catherine will be leading efforts to hold next year’s event and show younger students how to host the event after she graduates.

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

Virginia Beach Girl Scout Works with Local Hospice Care Center

Amanda, a Virginia Beach Girl Scout, experienced a tragedy last year when her aunt passed away. In the days leading up to her passing, her aunt was in hospice care, and Amanda and her family spent time at the hospice home visiting her aunt. While there, Amanda noticed that there were a lot of activities to keep her younger sister occupied, as well as her and her teenage cousins. For her Silver Award project, Amanda decided to honor her aunt by creating a family-friendly environment at a local hospice care center.

At the hospice center where Amanda completed her project, there was a family room, but it was not inviting for families. There was a bookshelf with mostly books for adults, crayons but no coloring books and a television, but no DVD player or DVDs. Amanda spoke with the volunteer coordinator about other needs at the hospice center, and it was requested that she make blankets for children.

Amanda got to work collecting books, coloring books and DVDs. She also collected games. She made a file organizer with cards for every season with personal, meaningful notes on each one. Amanda also gathered her friends, taught them how to crochet, and they made blankets.

"I learned how to turn grief into joy," Amanda said. "Whoever did all of those things for the families at my aunt's hospice center really inspired me to do all of that and more locally."

In order to make sure that she continues to make an impact, Amanda wrote out directions for troop leaders so that they can make crochet blankets or cards as a service project while learning a new skill. Amanda's family has also committed to gathering every year on her aunt's birthday to honor her memory by making more cards for the file and crochet blankets.

Gold Award Spotlight: Diamonds in the Rough

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

For her project, Emily educated members of the community about the simple things that they can do to help reduce the human impact on diamondback terrapin, a native turtle species. She worked with Lynnhaven River NOW to create an educational brochure and website. Emily also hosted workshops at community events, including the Lynnhaven River NOW Fall Arts Festival and the Virginia Beach Parks and Recreation Winter Wildlife Festival, and she set up presentations at local libraries.

In addition, Emily delivered her brochure to local businesses and used social media to post facts and information about diamondback terrapins.

“These turtles face many threats, some of which can easily be controlled by our community,” Emily said. “Keeping dogs on a leash at the beach is one simple thing that people can do to protect turtle nests. Adding a Turtle Excluder Device to crab pots is another great way to make a difference.”

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

Gold Award Spotlight: Volunteer Transportation for the Sullivan House

Grace, a Virginia Beach Girl Scout, has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, which is the highest honor and achievement a girl can earn in Girl Scouts.

Already a volunteer at the Sullivan House, a subsidized apartment home for seniors, Grace asked a social worker there about further needs at the home. After learning that approximately 40 percent of the residents do not have a reliable source of transportation, Grace created a volunteer-run transportation program. Grace set up a system so that after volunteers apply to drive and are approved, they are given access to a secure website where they can sign up to give rides to the residents at the Sullivan House who have posted a ride need.

To recruit volunteers, Grace developed a presentation that she shared at churches and community group meetings in her community.

“Since my grandparents live far away, I have always enjoyed getting the opportunity to spend time with residents at the Sullivan House,” Grace said.

In addition to the residents at the Sullivan House gaining a reliable transportation system, both they and the drivers developed meaningful relationships with one another.

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

Girl Scout Famous Formers Reception

A reception to welcome the 2017 Girl Scout Famous Formers was held on Thursday, August 24 at Bella Monte Restaurant & Enoteca in Virginia Beach. Famous Former recipients from past years were present to congratulate the “newcomers.”

Girl Scout Famous Formers, past and this year's honorees, along with friends,
celebrated the sisterhood of Girl Scouts at a reception at Bella Monte Restaurant and Enoteca.

“We were blessed to be in the company of some awesome women who continue to tell their Girl Scout story by the footprint they make in the community and their support for the girls we serve,” Carolene Goodwyn-Harris, GSCCC Board Chair, said.

GSCCC Board Chair Carolene Goodwyn-Harris and
GSCCC CEO Tracy Keller hosted reception guests with
GSUSA Strategic Philanthropy Director Katie McCollum.

The gathering was a chance for all to reminisce about Girl Scout moments and to share what each of them is doing today to support girls. From being active volunteers and parents of Girl Scouts, to those who mentor girls during the annual Take A Girl Scout To Work Day, these Famous Formers are still living the Girl Scout Promise and Law and nurturing our future leaders – the go-getters, innovators, risk-takers and leaders our nation needs.

“I really encourage all of you to wear your Girl Scout pin with pride,” GSCCC CEO Tracy Keller said. “It is so important that girls know that women of such caliber are still Girl Scouts and proud to part of this great organization. They need to know that anything is possible. They need to know that women leaders are not a novelty, they are not the exception – they are an important part of the leadership landscape of this country.”

Next stop – the November 2 Famous Formers Luncheon where the 2017 class will officially be honored. GSUSA CEO Sylvia Acevedo, a Girl Scout alumna with an inspiring story of how Girl Scouts helped her reach her potential as a rocket scientist and entrepreneur, will be the keynote speaker.

Act fast, tickets are selling quickly! Buy your ticket today.

Girl Scout Troop 626 Retires Flags for Bronze Award Project

Girl Scout Troop 626 from Virginia Beach recently earned the Girl Scout Bronze Award for their project, which focused on respect for and proper disposal of American flags.

The troop members started their project by learning about the origin and history of the American flag. They also researched ways to respectfully retire the flag and how to identify when a flag just needs to be repaired instead of retired. They learned that as long as repairs are not noticeable and do not alter the dimensions of a flag, that minor damages can be repaired. Flags with large tears or excessive fraying, however, should be retired.

Armed with new knowledge, the troop members collected flags that needed to be retired from their local library. The flags were worn, soiled, faded or torn beyond repair. During their research, the girls learned that oftentimes, flags are cremated with American military veterans. They set aside a number of flags and donated them to a local funeral home to be used in this manner.

For the remaining flags, the girls organized a flag retirement ceremony, and they invited their families to take part in the event. In keeping with the guidelines of the United States Flag Code, the girls respectfully cut the flags and burned them in a small fire. They made sure that the flag retirement ceremony was solemn and dignified.

The Girl Scout Bronze Award is the third highest honor and achievement a girl can earn in Girl Scouting. In order to earn the award, Girl Scouts identify a need in their community and organize a Take Action project to put their solution for the need in motion.

Gold Award Spotlight: Volleyball for All

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

For her project, Morgan created a volleyball camp for teens in the Green Run and Kempsville neighborhoods to have a low-cost, close-to-home opportunity to play volleyball.

“I love volleyball, but it can be expensive,” Morgan said. “I know that many kids might not have extra money to spend on sports or parents available to drive them across town for volleyball clinics. That’s why I took it upon myself to bring the camp to them.”

Morgan connected the Kempsville High School and Green Run High School volleyball coaches to bring skills clinics and conditioning programs open to students at both schools, as well as the neighborhood middle schools, for no cost.

Morgan also created website to serve as a resource for players, parents and coaches. It includes sample drills, information about rules of the game and things that players and families can do off the court to condition and work on skills at home. Through her project, Morgan aimed to not only increase players’ skills, but also create an opportunity for fitness through a fun sport that families can do together.

After running her clinics for two years, they have been expanded to Tallwood High School, and Tallwood High School will be offering clinics for middle school students in addition to the school’s own students.

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

Rock on, Girl Scouts!

Go-getter Girl Scouts of the Lynnhaven Shores Girl Scout Service Unit raised $10,000 that they donated to build a climbing wall at Camp Skimino, a camp located in Williamsburg and operated by Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast (GSCCC). A check was presented to the Council’s Property Director John Morgan and Philanthropy Director Stacy Nixon on Friday, June 2, during an evening bridging program organized by the Lynnhaven Shores Service Unit Girl Scouts. The service unit is one of 23 service units, geographical service areas, within the council. Susan Ramsland, a lifetime Girl Scout who volunteers to oversee the unit and an avid outdoor program advocate, spearheaded the fundraising effort and led the ceremony, which included several girls from the service unit’s Girl Advisory Board, who carried the check to the podium.

This is not the first time that the Lynnhaven Shores Service Unit has united to raise money for improvements to Girl Scout camps. Last year, they funded the new archery range at Camp Skimino. Many members of the service unit attended the ribbon cutting ceremony for the archery range, and it was an exciting moment for them to see all of their fundraising efforts come to fruition and put the new archery range to good use.

“While sitting in the dining hall with John after the archery range dedication, reflecting on what other things girls might like to have at camp, an indoor climbing wall was mentioned,” Ramsland said. “Several adults chatted about it that weekend and decided to see if that was something the girls would indeed enjoy at camp.”

Before the end of last summer, the Girl Advisory Board from the Lynnhaven Shores Service Unit held a meeting to make plans for the upcoming Girl Scout year. On their agenda was a discussion of the climbing wall, and all of the girls voted “yes” in support of building it. Ramsland informed the girls that the service unit would need to raise $10,000 to have the climbing wall built, and they launched a fundraising campaign.

With full funding for the Camp Skimino climbing wall provided by the Lynnhaven Shores Service Unit, construction can begin. Morgan is projecting that the climbing wall, an indoor wall that can be used year-round, will be completed sometime in August.

“We are committed to making sure we provide outdoor activities that are relevant to today’s girls and what they want,” John said. “Girls want to be challenged and they want adventure in a safe and all-girl environment and that’s what Girl Scouts is able to give them.”

Happy Father's Day!

When Jad Domachowski’s daughter, Alexandra, joined Girl Scouts three years ago, he knew from the start that he wanted to be involved. Initially, he volunteered with Troop 508 in Virginia Beach in order to spend more time with Alexandra, but once he got involved and got to know the girls and parents in the troop, he was eager to take on a bigger volunteer role. He officially registered as a Girl Scout and is now a proud member of Troop 508.

Jad cherishes the time that he has to spend with Alexandra. His career in the Navy affects the time that he has at home, whether he is deployed on a ship, in the office or traveling for training missions. Girls need, and want, their dads in their lives just as much as their mothers, and Girl Scouts provides opportunities for Jad and Alexandra to try new things, meet new people and have fun together.

“Girl Scouts has allowed me to spend more quality time with my daughter,” Jad said. “We take part in enriching and productive activities that teach life skills with other girls and their parents.”

For both Jad and Alexandra, Girl Scouts has been a great place to meet new friends. They also really enjoyed building a car together to race in a powderpuff derby, putting their engineering and design skills to the test to build a wooden racecar. They have had so many fun experiences that Jad’s younger son can hardly wait to be a Boy Scout and will be when the school year starts.

Before taking a break for the summer, Jad, Alexandra and the rest of Troop 508 will be working on a community service project in support of Operation Smile. They are also exploring cuisines from around the world, taste testing new dishes as each troop meeting.

Girls need both women and men to show that they can be anything they want to be—from athlete to astronaut, from CEO of their own business to CEO of their own household. In fact, studies show that if we want girls to view themselves as strong, self-reliant and resilient, it is essential that the men in their lives—fathers, brothers and other caring adults who help mentor her—show her that they view her in this way. As a dad in Girl Scouts, Jad is playing an important role in Alexandra’s life, as well as in the lives of her fellow troop members, to help them believe in themselves.

Girl Scouts is in need of women and men volunteers to be a part of the organization and help build the next generation of go-getters, innovators, risk-takers and leaders. Girl Scouts offers both short- and long-term opportunities for caring adults to make a difference in the lives of girls. For information about volunteering with Girl Scouts, visit www.gsccc.org.

Girl Fest 2017

Nearly 800 Girl Scouts and their families spent their Saturday enjoying Girl Fest at the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach.

The morning kicked off with a breakfast hosted by GSCCC CEO Tracy Keller for the Girl Scouts who sold at least 100 boxes of Girl Scout Cookies to donate to the USO through Gift of Caring, an annual community service project where cookie customers purchase an extra box of cookies to donate to the military, first responders or a local charity. Sixty local Girl Scouts were invited to the breakfast. Paula Moran, president and CEO of the USO of Hampton Roads and Central Virginia, enjoyed breakfast with the Girl Scouts who were able to attend and thanked them for their hard work. She shared how much soldiers enjoy a taste of home when they receive a shipment of Girl Scout Cookies while stationed overseas. This year, local Girl Scouts donated 24,001 boxes of cookies to the USO. Following the breakfast, Girl Scouts took part in a ceremonial cookie donation, as they loaded cases of cookies from a truck into an airplane on display at the Military Aviation Museum.

Maureen Keller, a Chesapeake Girl Scout, was the top seller of Gift of Caring cookies this year, selling 386 boxes to be donated to the USO.

During Girl Fest, Girl Scouts and their families toured the museum’s aircraft collection and learned about the prominent role innovative and risk-taking women have played in the history of aviation. Doris Baker, a docent at the Military Aviation Museum who takes on the role of Rosie the Riveter, shared her own personal story as a Girl Scout troop. In 1955, she started a troop of Girl Scout Brownies in Virginia Beach, and the women who were members of the troop still stay in touch with one another today.

Girl Scouts and their families also had the chance to visit community partner exhibits and take part in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) activities. They enjoyed launching paper rockets with members of the Civil Air Patrol, sitting in the pilot’s seat and learning about navigation with Epix Aviation, building LEGO creations with BrickHeadz and taking part in science experiments with Mad Science of Hampton Roads.

SaraBeth, a country singer and songwriter from Nashville, performed a lunchtime concert, starting with the national anthem. As she sang, three skydivers from Skydive Suffolk, who are also Girl Scout alumnae, parachuted down over the museum. One of the skydivers, Nicole Condrey, parachuted down with a large American flag attached to her harness. SaraBeth also performed “Girl Scout Cookie Monster,” a hit among her Girl Scout fans.

A huge thank you to the sponsors and media sponsors for Girl Fest: Arconic Foundation, PRA Group, Eagle 97.3 and WAVY-TV 10.

Laura Caso and Deitra Tate with Girl Scouts at Girl Fest.

Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast hosts events for Girl Scouts of all ages throughout the year. For more information, visit www.gsccc.org.

View more photos from the day here.

Virginia Beach Girl Scouts Visit Chocolate Factory

Virginia Beach Girl Scout Troop 152 is a group of lively and energetic second and third graders. The troop meets each week, and together, the girls earn badges, explore the great outdoors and make a difference in their community. In the weeks since Girl Scout Cookie season ended, the girls have toured a police station and earned their Letterboxing badge. On April 20, the girls got together for a “sweet” meeting at the Schakolad Chocolate Factory in Virginia Beach, funded by the proceeds that they earned from cookie sales.

For the troop members, it is important to plan meetings and outings that they can all take part in together, including Aly. Aly, who now lives in The Albero House, an adult care facility at St. Mary’s Home, is a volunteer assistant leader with the troop. Aly was a member of the Girl Scout troop at St. Mary’s when she was younger, and she enjoyed all of the opportunities that she had with Girl Scouts, from building a butterfly garden at St. Mary’s Home to taking a trip to Washington, D.C. Judy Salway, support coordinator at St. Mary’s Home, was looking for a way to get Aly more connected with the community. Knowing all of the fun that she had in Girl Scouts, she contacted her daughter-in-law, Heidi Salway, who is a leader of Girl Scout Troop 152, and the rest is history. Aly is an integral part if the troop and enjoys taking part in activities with the rest of the troop members.

At the Schakolad Chocolate Factory, Aly and all of the troop members made a Girl Scout Trefoil-shaped chocolate lollipop, dipped a marshmallow in chocolate and decorated their own chocolate bars. They also enjoyed a short movie to learn about where chocolate comes from and about the history of the delicacy, and they watched a live chocolate mold demonstration.

“My favorite part was decorating my own chocolate bar,” Olivia, a third-grader in the troop, said. “I can’t wait to get home because I am going to split it in four pieces to share it with my family.”

Troop 152 still has plenty of fun planned before they take a break for the summer. Next on their agenda, the girls will be learning about genealogy. Each girl took home a family tree to fill out at home and share at the next troop meeting as part of earning the My Family Story badge. With cookie season complete and warm weather in the forecast, the troop is looking forward to a spring full of fun and adventure together.

Scout of the Year 2017

Girl Scout Senior Michaella from Virginia Beach was selected as the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) General MacArthur Memorial Post 392 Scout of the Year for 2017.

Michaella has been a Girl Scout for 11 years and is an active member of Troop 475. Last year, she earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor in Girl Scouting, for her project about community pride that included building two lending libraries and leading a neighborhood effort to paint a mural in Baylake Pines. During the past year as a Girl Scout, Michaella has also volunteered at the Judeo-Christian Outreach Center, marched in the Veteran’s Day parade and served as a role model and mentor for the members of Girl Scout Troop 13. The members of Troop 13 are now middle schoolers, and Michaella has volunteered with the troop since the girls started Girl Scouts as kindergartners and first graders.

In addition to her success as a Girl Scout, Michaella is active in her school and as a volunteer. She is an honor roll student, a member of the Student Council Association, part of the Art Honor Society and plays on her school’s lacrosse team. She has earned the Gold Level of the Presidential Volunteer Service Award, which requires at least 100 hours of community service, by working with organizations including St. Mary’s Home, Lynnhaven River Now and Club Sandwich, an afterschool program for disadvantaged youth.

Michaella was recognized by VFW Post 392 as Scout of the Year at a meeting on April 5.

The VFW Scout of the Year program is open to youth who have earned the highest honor and achievement in their organization, including the Girl Scout Gold Award, who display standout citizenship, patriotism and love of country.

Gold Award Spotlight: King's Grant Nature Buddies

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

For her project, Carley built a raised garden bed and started a nature activity club at King’s Grant House, a senior living facility. After building the box for the garden, Carley and residents at King’s Grant House planted vegetable and herbs. Over the summer, Carley met with residents to water and maintain the garden. When it came time to harvest, the kitchen staff used the vegetables and herbs in the meals they prepared for residents.

“I was inspired to do this project because my grandmother moved into an assisted living facility, and I saw a need for an engaging outdoor activity for the residents,” Carley said. “A garden seemed to be the perfect solution to bring the residents together, get them active and give them something to be excited about.”

Carley also started a compost bin at King’s Grant House, which will provide nutrient-rich soil for the garden in the future. She arranged for maintenance staff at King’s Grant House to help keep up the garden and for the kitchen staff to continue to use the vegetables and herbs from the garden in residents’ meals.

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

STEM 4 Girls

Local Girl Scouts were among the nearly 100 middle school girls who took part in STEM 4 Girls, an event hosted by the Virginia Beach Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) on Saturday, March 11 at Tidewater Community College in Virginia Beach. The day is designed expose girls to a variety of careers in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields, as well as introduce them to women in STEM careers.

STEM 4 Girls started with an exciting keynote address from Kelsey Winters, a forensic scientist at the Virginia Department of Forensic Science in Norfolk. Winters talked about her job in the trace evidence section, where she tests evidence from fire scenes for the presence of ignitable liquids. She also shared her personal story about how her love for STEM classes in middle school led her to a career in science.

Brielle, a Girl Scout Cadette, watches the robot
she made using a toothbrush move around the table.

During the day, each girl took part in four different classes covering a wide range of topics. Activities included: making robots out of toothbrushes, learning about how oysters filter water to clean the Chesapeake Bay, architectural drafting, looking at brain samples, extracting DNA and more. As part of the day, parents and caregivers took part in workshops as well. They attended adult-only sessions of the STEM activities and parenting workshops, including a session about understanding the teen brain and the social and emotional challenges faced by middle school students.

Carol Curtis, president and founder of Noah Enterprises, Inc., delivered a keynote address after lunch. Curtis, civil engineering technologist, shared how her love of math at a young age led her to taking accelerated classes, including physics and trigonometry, and eventually to starting Noah Enterprises, Inc., a full-service general contractor company.

All too frequently, society shows girls that they do not belong in the STEM fields. By seventh grade, many girls start to pull away from their interests in STEM. And, oftentimes, women who do pursue STEM education are met with bias when they enter the workforce. Both AAUW and Girl Scouts are committed to breaking down barriers for girls in the STEM fields by providing opportunities, such as STEM 4 Girls, for girls to explore and discover in the STEM fields through fun, engaging educational activities.

Gold Award Spotlight: Arts and Crafts with Kylie

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

For her project, Kylie created an arts and crafts class at First Colonial Inn, a senior living community. During each session, Kylie led residents in creating a new craft project for them to keep. They made wreaths, sun catchers, clay bowls, picture frames, greeting cards and more. Kylie also helped the seniors create a large, grapevine wreath and a mosaic table that are on display for everyone at First Colonial Inn to enjoy. Kylie’s arts and crafts sessions were not only a fun experience, but also helped the residents maintain motor skills and stimulate the creativity in their brains.

“No matter what age someone is, they can express themselves through art,” Kylie said.

Kylie held classes twice a week for six months. They were so popular that the classes will continue with the help of staff at First Colonial Inn. 

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

Spread the Scouting Word

On April 1, we are hosting an event in conjunction with Boy Scouts to introduce families to all of the fun and adventure that scouting has to offer. If you know someone who is interested in joining, please share this event with them!

Family Scouting Sampler Day is a free event that will take place on Saturday, April 1 from 2 to 4 p.m. at Thalia United Methodist Church in Virginia Beach.

Girls and boys will get to visit stations to complete activities and learn about scouting. At each station, they will receive a stamp in their “passport.” After they earn all of the stamps, they will receive their first patch! Stations will include pottery painting with Color Me Mine, building a mini first aid kit, making an edible campfire, learning about community service opportunities, finding out about outdoor activities in scouts and more!

Girls who register to be Girl Scouts during the event will receive a free ticket to Girl Fest on April 29 at the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach!

Currently registered Girl Scouts can participate by sharing this event with their friends. Spreading the word about Family Scouting Sampler Day can count as one activity towards earning the Girl Scout Recruiter patch!

Gold Award Spotlight: Striped Bass Sustainability

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

When Caneel learned that the striped bass population in the Chesapeake Bay has been decreasing since 2003, she decided to help protect this species of fish for her Gold Award project. She started by learning more about the issue from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and local fisherman. She then took action to help find solutions, educate the public about why it is important to save the striped bass and gather support from the community to help bring back the striped bass population.

Caneel made a flier about the issue of the decreasing striped bass population and distributed it to members of the community, restaurants, tackle shops and marinas. In order to reach broader audience, she made a Facebook page and website about the issue. She placed an ad in the newspaper to raise awareness and promote her website. Caneel also met with a team from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife National Conservation Training Center to share her flier with people who come from all over the country for training and designed a bumper sticker that she handed out to community members.

“I have always loved fishing and life on the Chesapeake Bay,” Caneel said. “Because of that, I was involved in the fishing community and saw firsthand that the striped bass population has declined. I realized that not only does this iconic fish play an important part in the ecosystem, it also helps brings a lot of tourist dollars to our economy. But, most people don’t know what’s happening. I decided that I could help by sharing information and raising awareness.”

Caneel also developed a workshop for children that she shared with second and third graders to encourage them to get involved in saving the striped bass by helping to clean the bay.

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