Hampton Youth in Government Day

Last month, a group of Girl Scout Cadettes had the opportunity to attend Hampton Youth Government Day at Hampton City Hall. This annual event gives youth in the City of Hampton the opportunity to learn the ins and outs of local government up close and personal.

The day began in the city council chambers where the girls met Hampton City Manager, Mary Bunting, who explained her role in city government. Later in the day, the youth participants participated in a mock emergency drill. They were given a scenario and then broke out into groups to learn what each department does to support disaster operations. Following the drill, the group boarded a bus and made their way to Norfolk Port Authority to learn about the role the port plays in emergency situations.

“We have held this event for as long as anyone can remember,” Clerk of Hampton City Council and former Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast board member Katherine Glass said. “Our goal here is really to just give young people a nontraditional experience that’s hands on; hopefully introducing them to public service as a career choice.” 

You can read more about Hampton Youth in Government Day in the upcoming edition of CoastLine this fall.

Girl Scouts visited the City of Hampton Division of Fire and Rescue
during Youth in Government Day.

Navy Volunteers Improve A Place for Girls

Ten local Navy chiefs gave a helping hand to Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast today as part of their monthly volunteer efforts. The volunteers spent the day at A Place for Girls, the headquarters and program center for the Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast, where the group worked to replace boards along the 400 foot boardwalk in The Outback, an 8.5 acre nature area situated behind A Place for Girls. This project was essential to helping GSCCC prepare for the nearly 500 girls that will use the facility during day camp this summer.

 

The Outback, which meanders through tidal wetlands, is a central part of the Girl Scout camp experience at A Place for Girls. All summer long, girls travel along the boardwalk to reach the picnic pavilions, health and fitness trail and boat docks along Bells Mill Creek, which girls use for canoeing and kayaking. The Outback, which was added as an official site on the Virginia State Birding Trail in 2004, also has an observation tower that girls use to learn about the natural environment around them.

This volunteer effort helps Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast provide a safe and fun experience for their members and friends from the public who visit the property all year long.

Girl Scout Troop 294's First Camping Trip

A group of 20 Girl Scouts from Troop 294 in Norfolk recently packed their bags for their first outdoor camping adventure. The girls, led by Girl Scout volunteer Candice George, headed to Camp Apasus, a Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast property in Norfolk, for a weekend of fun and new experiences.

During the weekend, the girls had the opportunity to experience all of the great things that camp has to offer. They sang songs, played games and made crafts. With the help of Corporal Fawn Faulks from the Norfolk Sheriff’s Office, who also volunteers with Girl Scouts, the girls had the chance to canoe on Mason Creek during the afternoon. As they got the feel for balancing in the boat and synchronizing their paddling efforts, they also learned a lot about teamwork skills. They also honed their outdoor cooking skills as they learned how to build a campfire and roasted hot dogs. For dessert, they roasted marshmallows and made s’mores—a first time experience for many of the girls.

Members of Girl Scout Troop 294 prepare for their first canoeing experience.

Each of the girls in Troop 294 are students at Coleman Place Elementary School and joined Girl Scouts for the first time last fall, thanks to a grant through the United Way of South Hampton Roads, funded by Regent University. During the past year in Girl Scouts, the girls have improved their financial literacy skills through their participation in the Girl Scout Cookie Program, learned about being good citizens with a visit to the local fire station, developed friendships with their fellow Girl Scouts and more.

Girl Scouts has a long, storied and successful history of getting girls outdoors. In fact, in a recent study conducted by the Girl Scout Research Institute, 49 percent of the nearly 2,000 girls surveyed described camping trips as one of the most positive aspects of their Girl Scout experiences—ranking just behind fun and friendships. Through outdoor experiences, girls build self-esteem, try new things and develop a sense of discovery. These experiences help girls, including those in Troop 294, to build leadership skills that will last them well beyond their time at camp.

After learning how to build a campfire, the girls roasted hot dogs. 

The girls learn about how to enter and exit a canoe before hitting the water.

2014 Gold Award Celebration

On Sunday, June 8, Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast hosted a celebration at Norfolk State University for the 40 local young women who earned the Girl Scout Gold Award during the past year. The Gold Award is the highest honor and achievement a girl can earn in Girl Scouting.

2014 Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast Gold Award recipients

Guest speaker Kirsten Talken-Spaulding
 with Gold Award recipient
Jasmine from Newport News.

Kirsten Talken-Spaulding, superintendent of Fort Monroe National Monument, was the guest speaker for the celebration. Talken-Spaulding, who was honored by Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast as a Famous Former Girl Scout last year, is a Girl Scout alumna and a former recipient of the Gold Award. During her keynote address, she spoke to the girls about the impact of their accomplishments and the importance of understanding the traits of good leadership. 

“What you have done is truly outstanding,” Talken-Spaulding said to the Gold Award recipients. “Make no mistake that you will be leaders in the future because you are already leaders today.”

The girls also received congratulations from Pam Northam, wife of Lieutenant Governor Ralph Northam, who recognized the work that the girls have already done to make the world a better place.

Each girl received a letter of congratulations from Senator Mark Warner. They were also presented with certificates from the Marine Corps League by David Hord, commandant of Marine Corps League Detachment 322 and Don Coons, senior vice president of Marine Corps League Detachment 322.

Gold Award recipient Stephanie from
Virginia Beach with Shannon Kendrick,
congressional district director for
U.S. Representative Scott Rigell.

Shannon Kendrick, congressional district director for U.S. Representative Scott Rigell, Dottie Holtz, member of the Virginia Beach School Board, and Denise Goode, Hampton Roads regional director for U.S. Senator Mark Warner, were also in attendance to offer congratulations to the Gold Award recipients.

Each recipient of the Gold Award was recognized on stage, and her project was shared with all of those in attendance. This year’s projects addressed a number of issues in the community, including low literacy rates among children, pollution in local waterways, bullying among youth athletes and more. To complete her project and earn the Gold Award, each girl created a sustainable solution to an issue in the community.

Gold Award recipient Meredith from Virginia Beach with guest
speaker Kirsten Talken-Spaulding and Pam Northam, wife of
Lt. Governor Ralph Northam.

The Gold Award celebration is held annually to recognize the girls who earn the top award in Girl Scouting. Nationwide, less than 6 percent of eligible Girl Scouts earn the Gold Award, adding these 40 young women to an elite group of female leaders from across the country with the honor.

View more photos from the celebration here.

Girl Scouts "Konneckt" with STEM

As part of a push among organizations such as Girl Scouts to encourage girls to pursue interests in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) related activities, Konneckt Science Mobile Technologies, in partnership with Bricks 4 Kidz, presented an interactive workshop last month at A Place for Girls, the Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast regional program center in Chesapeake. This event was designed especially for Girl Scouts in grades four and five.

Girl Scout Junior Kalani from Virginia Beach constructed
 a functional tilt-a-whirl model out of LEGO® bricks. 

During the event, girls worked with a variety of LEGO® bricks to build and animate a series of amusement park rides, including a tilt-a-whirl. With the aid of laptops, girls learned basic programming to bring a LEGO® frog model to life. They also created a mini-movie featuring the changing colors of a stoplight through an animation software program. All of these activities go towards the requirements for girls to earn the Entertainment Technology badge, which is designed to teach girls about the science behind the world of entertainment.

The workshop in May was the third out of a series of workshops by Konneckt Science Mobile Technologies made available to the Girl Scouts, and nearly 30 girls have participated. The workshop itself was designed to help girls see themselves in STEM careers and give girls the opportunity to learn new skills and develop-self confidence in a supportive environment. Today, women only hold 26 percent of available STEM jobs and just 11.5 percent of engineering jobs, so the Girl Scouts are working to fill the gap by giving girls the opportunity to engage in STEM activities so that they are inspired to envision themselves in STEM careers.

This summer, girls can enjoy STEM activities at a variety of Girl Scout camps, including Mad Science for Girl Scout Brownies at Camp Skimino in July and Imagine Your STEM Future for girls in grades 6-12 at Camp Darden in August. Our camps are open to all girls, whether or not they are currently registered members of Girl Scouts. View a complete list of our summer camps here. 

Meet GSCCC Camp Director- Ashley Taylor

When Ashley Taylor put on her Girl Scout Brownie uniform for the first time as a second grader while growing up in Stafford, Va., she could have never guessed that Girl Scouting would still be such a big part of her life today. Ashley, who works as a school counselor in Caroline County, Va., has reconnected with Girl Scouts and taken on a new role this summer as the camp director for Camp Darden and Camp Skimino.

This summer, Ashley is especially looking forward to making sure that girls who are coming to camp for the first time have a fun summer experience that keeps them coming back. She has been working through the spring to help develop fun and interactive experiences for girls to take part in during the summer. From camp sessions centered on science and engineering to ultimate adventure activities, such as rock climbing and the high-ropes course, Ashley makes sure that there are ways for girls with all sorts of interests to be engaged at camp. 

Ashley, who attended Girl Scout camp while growing up, knows just how beneficial the all-girl camp environment can be, as girls try new things, gain practical life skills and develop lasting friendships. Even the youngest campers have the opportunity to take part in decision making and teamwork to discover their own personal leadership skills. Ashley values Girl Scout camp because it is a special place where girls, especially during their developmental years, can discover their talents and learn to succeed.

In the supportive, all-girl environment of Girl Scout camp, girls build social and emotional skills that they will use after camp—throughout the school year and beyond.

View this summer's camp opportunities with GSCCC here.

More Than S'mores: Successes and Surprises in Girl Scouts' Outdoor Experiences

A study recently released by the Girl Scout Research Institute, More Than S'mores, affirms the overwhelming benefits of outdoor experiences for girls. Researchers found that girls who regularly spend time outdoors, as compared to their peers who spend less time outdoors, have a higher sense of environmental stewardship, more readily seek challenges and are better problem solvers-- all of which are important traits in twenty-first century leadership.

Through the study, researchers learned that a majority of girls who are Girl Scouts are participating in a range of outdoor activities, including camp, sports and environmental community service projects. Researchers also found a strong correlation between monthly involvement in outdoor activities and leadership development for girls. Outdoor activities often offer girls new physical, psychological and social situations that evoke curiosity and motivate a sense of discovery. These experiences help girls become more self-aware, teach girls to cooperate and communicate as part of a team and be efficient problem solvers, which are keys to leadership that will last them a lifetime.

The study also shows that outdoor experiences are particularly beneficial to girls of comparatively low socioeconomic status (SES). More Than S'mores reports that lower-SES girls who have regular outdoor experiences with Girl Scouts are likely to credit Girl Scouts with helping them become leaders. Additionally, outdoor experiences through Girl Scouting are beneficial to leadership development across ethnicities.

As noted, girls learn environmental stewardship through outdoor experiences. According to More than S'mores, Girl Scouts are twice as likely as non-Girl Scouts to say they take action to protect the environment (51 percent versus 23 percent). Researchers also found that more than two-thirds of Girl Scouts volunteer for environmental causes through the organization and that giving girls the chance to have personal experiences in nature has made them appreciate it more.

"Girl Scout camps transform a girl's understanding of and appreciation for nature, while helping her build a unique set of skills and boosting her confidence in a way few experiences can match," Girl Scouts of the USA CEO Anna Maria Chàvez said. "Camping has always been one of the cornerstones of Girl Scouting, and the research is clearly showing that there is a connection between the camp experience and girls' understanding of their leadership potential."

Girl Scout camp has been a tradition central to the organization since it was founded over 100 years ago. Today's camps are highly evolved to match the interests of today's girls. Girl Scouts is committed to pursuing its mission through the camp experience, offering an array of innovative, fun and memorable camp activities that allow girls to build courage, confidence and character and make the world a better place.

View summer camp opportunities with GSCCC here. All girls, whether or not they are currently registered members of Girl Scouts, are invited to attend summer camp with Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast.