Gold Award Spotlight: Straw Bale Gardening for The Welcome Table's Meals

Shannon, a Girl Scout Senior from Hampton, has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor and achievement a girl can earn in Girl Scouting.

For her project, Shannon worked to supply fresh vegetables for The Welcome Table, a program at First Christian Church where a free meal is provided for approximately 100 people in need each week. In order to do this, Shannon planted a straw bale garden at the church. After setting up the bales and conditioning them for planting, she planted lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower and herbs. After her first harvest, Shannon had more than 27 pounds of produce.

“I am passionate about gardening and helping to fight hunger,” Shannon said. “By creating a straw bale garden, the church can cheaply and easily grow their own fresh produce for those facing food insecurity.”

As part of her project, Shannon also wanted to inform community members about how they could reduce their own fresh food expenses by building straw bale gardens at home. She taught three classes, made up of more than 35 people in all, about how to start and maintain their own straw bale gardens.

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 Shannon to an elite group of female leaders across the country with the honor. In 2016, Girl Scouts are celebrating 100 years of girls changing the world during the centennial year of the Girl Scout Gold Award.

STEMagination Expo

The Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast program center, A Place for Girls, was abuzz with excitement on Sunday, April 10 as more than 70 Girl Scouts gathered for the STEMagination Expo. The expo was an opportunity for girls to participate in hands-on science activities led by community partners, including Booz Allen Hamilton Strategy and Technology Consulting, Norfolk Technical School, Tidewater Beekeepers Association, Society of Women Engineers, Sylvan Learning Center and Architect Renee Russell.

During the event, Girl Scouts rotated through stations, where they took part in a variety of STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) activities. From constructing edible DNA models and programming robots to trying on a beekeepers outfit and learning about electronics through snap circuits, girls got to experience a wide variety of activities in the fields. Members of the Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast Girl Advisory Board also led activity stations at the expo, including one about water filtration and another about the physics behind amusement park rides.

In today’s world, where women hold only approximately 25 percent of STEM careers, Girl Scouts is working with community partners, such as those at the expo, to expose girls to the wide variety of career options in STEM. At the expo, girls got to meet with inspiring women, including an aerospace engineer and an architect.

Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast will be hosting additional STEM events this spring, including Coastal STEAM in the Outer Banks on May 5 at the University of North Carolina Coastal Studies Institute in Wanchese. All girls are welcome to attend, whether or not they are currently registered members of Girl Scouts. For more information and to register, visit www.gsccc.org.

View more photos from the day here.

Cookies on Ice

Kaiya, Mia and Nikia from Troop 310 in Chesapeake
helped load Girl Scout Cookies into a truck to donate
to Soldiers' Angels.

Despite the high winds and brisk temperatures, members of Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast gathered on the plaza outside of Norfolk Scope on Saturday, April 9 to donate nearly 19,000 boxes of Girl Scout Cookies to Soldiers’ Angels, an organization that supports members of the military and will be shipping the cookies to troops overseas. Around 5:30 p.m., Girl Scouts lined up between two trucks and formed two assembly lines to pass the cookies into a truck for Soldiers’ Angels.

After the cookie donation, Girl Scouts and their family members filled more than 500 seats inside Scope for the Norfolk Admirals hockey game. This year’s top two cookie sellers, Newport News Girl Scouts Ashleigh and Danielle, dropped the ceremonial first puck of the game. Ashleigh, who has been the top cookie seller in the region for the past seven years, sold 3,000 boxes of cookies this year. Danielle sold 2,600. Zemirah, a member of Troop 310 in Chesapeake, sang the national anthem and Girl Scout Troop 3017, the top cookie selling troop in Hampton Roads, conducted the pre-game flag ceremony.

The cookies donated to Soldiers’ Angels were purchased by local customers this cookie season to donate through Gift of Caring, a national community service project. In addition to the cookies donated on April 9, Girl Scout troops across the region also donated cookies to first responders, shelters, food banks, nursing homes and other members of the community.

This year, local Girl Scouts sold more than 1.4 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 event here.

Dollars and Sense

When it comes to money, girls see a future where they are financially independent and empowered. But, are girls ready to make their dreams a reality? According to a study conducted by the Girl Scout Research Institute, only 12 percent of girls feel "very confident" making financial decisions. The good news is that girls want financial literacy skills to help them achieve their dreams. Ninety percent of girls say that it is important for them to learn how to manage money, and nearly half of girls are interested in learning how to pay for their education.

This month, Financial Literacy Month, consider planning some activities to help your Girl Scout gain some confidence in the world of finances. Here are some ideas to get you started:

1. Learn about the differences between needs and wants.

There are things we need, and there are things we want. Both cost money! Engage girls in a discussion about making choices when it comes to spending money. This activity corresponds to the requirements to earn the Girl Scout Daisy Making Choices petal.

2. Be a philanthropist.

One way to teach girls about making the world a better place is to explore basic human needs and how to be a person who helps others. Help girls investigate how to help people who are hungry or homeless in their community. This activity corresponds to the requirements to earn the Girl Scout Brownie Philanthropist badge.

3. Explore the world of entrepreneurship.

Talk to girls about their passions and encourage them to explore what it would be like to run their very own business. Invite a local business owner to a troop meeting and encourage girls to ask questions about customer service, consumer research and business plans. This activity corresponds to the requirements to earn the Girl Scout Junior Business Owner badge.

4. Explore your dreams.

Have girls share their plans for the future- their dream jobs, dream homes and dream vacations. Girls can research their incomes and expenses to see if everything adds up while learning about the importance of budgeting. This activity corresponds to the requirements to earn the Girl Scout Cadette Financing My Dreams badge and the Girl Scout Senior Financing My Future badge.

5. Get the scoop on credit.

Nearly everyone will need to borrow money at some point, whether it's for education, a mortgage or even using a credit card. Help girls learn about how bank loans work, teach them the ins and outs of credit cards and explain credit scores. This activity corresponds to the requirements to earn the Girl Scout Ambassador Good Credit badge.

Broadway or Bust

When Mary Elysse Santa graduated from Currituck County High School last spring, she knew that she didn’t want the end of high school to also mean the end of her time as a Girl Scout. She had been a Girl Scout for 11 years and had spent countless hours participating in community service projects, testing her limits in the great outdoors and honing her business skills as a cookie entrepreneur. She had even represented Girl Scouts at Legislative Day in Raleigh, traveled to Salt Lake City to attend Girl Scout National Convention and earned the Gold Award, the highest honor and achievement a Girl Scout can earn. Being a Girl Scout was a big part of Santa’s identity.

In August, she headed off to Western Carolina University to start a new adventure studying elementary education. A few months into her studies, Santa reflected on her Gold Award project, which centered on bringing live music performances to a senior living facility in Currituck, and thought about it had helped her realize her passion for spreading music to others. Already registered as a lifetime member of Girl Scouts, she connected the dots and figured out how she could continue her Girl Scout experience as a volunteer. She contacted GSCCC and got the okay to begin planning a musical theatre summer camp experience for Girl Scouts back home in Currituck. Right away, Santa started to outline her camp, now named Broadway or Bust, to give Girl Scouts ages seven to 14 a chance to develop a love for theatre and perform in front of a live audience.

“I first got involved with music at a very young age because my grandfather was a music teacher, and he taught me how to sing and play piano,” Santa said. “I started theatre at school when I was seven, and I got a big part in a Christmas pageant. I haven’t stopped loving theatre since! My love for theatre and Girl Scouts motivated me to start planning this camp.”

Santa has big plans for Broadway or Bust this summer. She has recruited a talented group of friends, former theatre classmates and fellow cast members from over the years to help her run the camp. Together, they are going to spend a week teaching girls choreography, blocking, dance, set design and so much more. The camp will culminate with a performance that will be free and open to the public.

“I am really looking forward to seeing the campers learn about theatre and have a great time performing,” Santa said. “Music education is important because it helps created well-rounded individuals. I am excited to be able to share my passions with Girl Scouts this summer.”

Broadway or Bust will take place from June 27 to July 1 at Currituck County Middle School. The camp Monday through Thursday, girls in grades two through five will attend camp from 9 a.m. to noon, and girls in grades six through nine will attend camp from 1 to 4 p.m. On Friday, camp will start at noon for all ages and culminate with a performance at 5 p.m. Camp is open to all girls ages 7 to 14, whether or not they are currently registered members of Girl Scouts. The cost to attend is $50 for the week. Non-members will pay an extra $15 registration fee. For more information and to register, contact maryelysses@gmail.com.

15 Ways to Tell Your Girl Scout Leader "Thanks!"

Every year on April 22, Girl Scouts celebrate the volunteers who give their time and talents to make a difference in the lives of girls. Here are some ideas for how you can show your favorite Girl Scout volunteers how much they mean to you:

1. We're lucky to have you! Give your leader a lucky bamboo plant.

2. Create a memory book with troop photos and girls' favorite memories.

3. Thanks a latte! Send your leader their favorite coffee drink.

4. Give a magazine subscription.

5. Put a sign on your leader's lawn that says "Our Girl Scout leader lives here! Thank you, (fill in name)!"

6. Send a special delivery of thank you balloons.

7. Thanks for your "commit-mint!" Put together a treat bag of mint candies.

8. Create a recipe book with contributions and samples from each girl in the troop.

9. Plan a surprise picnic for your leader.

10. Thank you for helping us grow! Give your leader a plant or some fresh flowers.

11. Put together a movie night basket, complete with a DVD, popcorn and sweet treats.

12. Have each girl in the troop make a thank you sign and create a photo booklet of each girl with their sign.

13. Use the girls' fingerprints to design a thank you card.

14. We need "s'more" leaders like you. Create a s'mores kit.

15. Decorate and personalize a new mess kit for your leader.

Cop Stop

Communities rely on police officers to protect and serve. In turn, police officers rely on support and cooperation from local citizens to keep everyone safe. In order to help facilitate relationships between police officers and their neighbors, members of Girl Scout Troop 805 have started Cop Stop, a program in which the troop members host neighbors for dinner and invite police officers on duty to stop by for a homemade meal, gifts of gratitude for their service and a chance to interact with citizens in a casual environment.

Members of Troop 805 with Officer King

Kortnie, a fifth grader in Troop 805, explained that they were inspired to start Cop Stop after hearing a story from their troop leader, Heather James.

“Our troop leader told us about a program like Cop Stop that ran in her community when she lived in Oklahoma,” Kortnie said. “After hearing about it, we decided to start the program here. We hope that as people hear about it, it spreads and more people will open their homes to get to know police officers.”

On Wednesday, March 30, troop member Mackenzie and her mother Lori hosted the troop’s second Cop Stop event at their home in Great Bridge. They prepared a meal of pasta, salad and dessert and opened up their home to more than 20 Girl Scouts, neighbors and family members.

Dinner with Officer King

Officer Norwood King pulled up in front of the Clark home around 7 p.m. The girls eagerly greeted him at the front door, where they had decorated the walls with hand-drawn thank yous, balloons and gift bags. They invited him to fill a plate with food, and the troop members joined Officer King around the dining room table. They were excited to learn that his K-9 partner, Rosco, was also on duty and waiting outside in the car. After finishing dinner and a lively conversation with a lot of questions from the girls, everyone headed outside to see Rosco. Officer King held his dog on a tight leash a few feet away from everyone, but the girls were still able to get a group photo with Rosco.

Before Officer King headed out for the night, the girls invited him back inside where they gave him gifts, including a thank you card and a bag of snacks. They also helped Officer King pick out some toys and a snack for Rosco. Never knowing when duty will call, Officer King headed out and promised to share the details for the next Cop Stop with his coworkers.

“We hope that our project helps people in the community get to know police officers better,” Hannah, a member of Troop 805, said.

As it is currently scheduled, Troop 805’s Cop Stop program will run through the end of May. Each event will take place at a different home, so that the girls can reach as many neighborhoods as possible. The troop members hope that their efforts inspire people throughout Hampton Roads to start their own neighborhood Cop Stop programs.

From promoting the event to creating thank you cards, each of the six troop members hosting Cop Stop was responsible for a specific component of the project. For their efforts, the girls are hoping to earn the Girl Scout Bronze Award, which is the third highest award a girl can earn in Girl Scouting.