Girl Scout Discover the Art- and Science- of Glassblowing

Nearly 90 Girl Scouts discovered the art of glassblowing on Saturday, January 19 during a workshop hosted by the Chrysler Museum of Art Glass Studio. The workshop kicked off with an introduction to the studio, where girls took in a brief history of glass and learned about career options in the field.

Then, the girls had the chance to have their own glassblowing experience, which involves taking a pipe, gathering molten glass from the furnace and forming it into a shape with tools and by blowing air into it. Each girl made her own ornament. After selecting a glass color, staff from the studio let girls blow air into the molten glass as they helped them shape the ornament. Before the end of the workshop, girls learned about how to properly cool glass in a kiln.

Through the partnership with the Chrysler Museum of Art Glass Studio, Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast is able to offer opportunities, such as this recent workshop, for girls to have a hands-on experience in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) with a creative twist. These experiences help girls develop critical thinking skills, which will last them well beyond their time in Girl Scouts. In today’s world, where women hold only approximately 25 percent of STEM careers, Girl Scouts is committed to providing experiences for girls to explore and discover in a wide variety of STEM fields.

Gold Award Spotlight: Be Bright, Eat Right

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

For her project, Katrina focused on educating students at Thalia Elementary School about the importance of healthy eating. She created a display in the school with information about reading food labels, making healthy food choices, nutrition and more. Katrina also made a presentation to fifth graders about leading a healthy life and encouraged them to take the Pear Pledge, a promise to make healthier choices at home and at school. Katrina provided students with an informational brochure that included the tips she shared in her presentation.

“Today, about one in three American kids and teens are overweight or obese, and this is a problem that needs to be addressed,” Katrina said. “I wanted to make a difference in my community by informing youth and adults about the prevalence of childhood obesity and the significance of starting good nutritional practices early.”

In order to reach even more members of her community, Katrina shared her project in three local civic league newsletters and with the members of her Girl Scout troop.

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

Chesapeake Resident Honored with Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Award

United States Navy Lieutenant Commander Carolyn Engler of Chesapeake was recognized with the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Award for her outstanding public service as a troop leader with Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast from January 2012 to present.

LCDR Engler’s troop is one of the few in Hickory that accommodates girls of various age levels, catering to a high percentage of military families. She provides the girls in her troop with opportunities to participate in a wide variety of activities, including camping trips and Powder Puff Derby, a pinewood derby event for Girl Scouts. She has also led her troop in projects to make improvements to school grounds and city parks. In addition to making a difference in the lives of girls, Engler takes time to train fellow volunteers with the skills they need to be Girl Scout leaders.

LCDR Engler was presented the award by Rear Admiral J.E. Pitts, Commander of the Undersea Warfighting Development Center.

“It is with great pleasure that I commend you for your outstanding volunteer work, which reflects positively on the command and the United States Navy,” Rear Admiral Pitts wrote in a letter to LCDR Engler.

Since joining the Navy 17 years ago, LCDR Engler has moved all over the country and traveled all over the world. One thing that has been a constant through all of these moves is Girl Scouts. With each move, LCDR Engler says that getting involved with local Girl Scouts allowed her to also get involved with her new community outside of military life. LCDR Engler also spent nine years as a Girl Scout as a child.

Gold Award Spotlight: Snag-a-Bag

Olivia, 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, Olivia wanted to address the often unmet needs of foster children, such as having comfort items when moving to a new home. She focused her efforts on educating the community by distributing informational fliers and brochures at community events and locations and holding donation drives for her “first day of care” bags, where she collected toiletries and other personal items for children. The bag full of items give children comfort during early stages of foster case.

“I plan to be a social worker in the future,” Olivia said. “I wanted to show people how the needs of foster children are important to me and show the different ways we can all help.”

Olivia was able to create a website with information on her project that links to the website of Connect With a Wish, a new organization that helps foster children. The organization has agreed to carry on Olivia’s project by creating and giving “first day of care” bags to children they serve now and in the future.

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

Meet Anastasia and Lillian, Cookie Entrepreneur Officers

Anastasia and Lillian with GSCCC CEO Tracy Keller
and Dawn Glynn of TowneBank at last year's celebration
for Girl Scouts who sold at least 1,000 boxes of cookies.

For two Portsmouth first graders, it is their busiest time of year. These young businesswomen are in the midst of their annual entrepreneurial venture—Girl Scout Cookie season. Anastasia, a member of Girl Scout Troop 5717, and Lillian, a member of Girl Scout Troop 53, tied last year for the position of top Girl Scout Cookie seller in Portsmouth, each selling 1,127 boxes of the sweet treats. Both girls have now embarked on their second year selling cookies with their sights set higher—Anastasia intending to sell 1,111 boxes and Lillian with a goal to sell 1,500 boxes. Both girls are excited about being able to sell cookies during the 100th anniversary of Girl Scouts selling cookies and giving customers a chance to taste the new anniversary cookie—the Girl Scout S’mores cookie.

Despite being just six years old, both girls took away lessons from last year’s cookie season and have business plans in place for another successful sale. The girls know how important it is to ask everyone that they meet if they would like to buy cookies. Of course, they ask friends and family to buy cookies, but Anastasia makes sure to frequently go out in her neighborhood with her order card, even in the rain, and Lillian brings her cookie business with her everywhere, even to the doctor’s office.

“To sell cookies you have to smile and be polite,” Lillian said.

While Anastasia and Lillian are members of different troops, they have both had a year of fun and adventure in Girl Scouts, and they have learned about the importance of giving back to the community.

“Last year, we used our cookie money to purchase some toys for kids from the Angel Tree,” Anastasia said. “We also went to the pumpkin patch and had a lot of fun, and we had a Halloween and a Christmas party.”

Lillian and her fellow troop members threw a tea party, made pottery, took an acting class and saw a play together— just a few highlights of her Girl Scouting experience. They also made cards and ornaments that they delivered to residents at a local nursing home during the holidays, and Lillian hopes they get to do that again this year.

Powered by the Girl Scout Cookie Program, both Anastasia and Lillian are learning while they are earning. As experienced cookie sellers, they have learned how to count back change and work on a budget. They have also honed their teamwork skills and they work with their fellow troops members to decide how to spend their cookie money. As CEOs—cookie entrepreneur officers—they are learning to be go-getters, innovators, risk-takers and leaders.

The Girl Scout Cookie Program is the nation’s leaning financial literacy and entrepreneurial program for girls. Girl Scout Cookies not only help girls earn money for fun, educational activities and community projects, but also play a huge role in teaching girls how to be go-getters, innovators, risk-takers and leaders as they learn essential life and business skills.

Girl Scouts in southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina are currently taking orders for cookies. Cookies will arrive to the region on February 18, and cookie booth sales will begin the following day. For more information, visit www.gsccc.org.

Gold Award Spotlight: Camille's Melodious Music Program

Camille, a Hampton Girl Scout, has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor and achievement a girl can earn in Girl Scouting. Camille has been a Girl Scout for 10 years and is currently a junior at Bethel Christian School.

For her project, Camille created a program to introduce children at the HER Shelter to a variety of music genres and music theory. Many children at the HER Shelter have been affected by domestic violence or abuse, and Camille wanted her program to create a safe space for the children to learn about music in a group setting to help them boost their self-esteem.

“When I took piano lessons, it inspired me to learn more about music,” Camille said. “It encouraged me and helped me become a better person. I’ve been playing for 10 years, and I wanted to share my love of music with those who might need a boost of confidence in their life.”

Camille wanted to share the success of her program with the community, so she made presentations at her school, her piano recital and a local civic league. She also presented to a group of students in the music education department at Christopher Newport University, who wanted to help. Under Camille’s guidance, college students will continue to run her program at the HER Shelter, and they have expanded the program to also run at the Natasha House in Yorktown.

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

Meet Mariah: Cookie Entrepreneur Officer

Mariah with GSCCC CEO Tracy Keller
at the Cookie Entrepreneur Officer luncheon

Mariah may look like your average sixth grader, but when she is not in the classroom, this 11-year-old is an entrepreneur and a businesswoman. This winter, she is on a mission to hit a new sales goal and once again take the title of top Girl Scout Cookie seller in Camden County. Last year, Mariah sold 1,555 boxes of the sweet treats, and she has set her sights even higher for 2017, with a goal to sell 2,000 boxes of cookies.

As an experienced cookie seller, Mariah knows how much work it takes to be a CEO—cookie entrepreneur officer. She always asks everyone she sees if they would like to buy cookies. She even takes her order form to school and asks her mom to take her around to local businesses to sell cookies. This year, Mariah is planning to take her sales into the digital age by setting up her Digital Cookie account, her own online store that her friends and family members can use to order cookies online.

“I have been the top cookie seller for the last couple of years,” Mariah said. “My troop relies on the cookies we sell to fund our projects for the year. We want to be able to help our community more and more each year with our cookie earnings.”

Last year, Mariah and her fellow members of Troop 5970 used their cookie money to sponsor local children during the holidays. They purchased toys and clothing for the children through an Angel Tree program. The troop members hope to be able to bring smiles to the faces of more children on Christmas this year.

Girl Scout Troop 5970 also participates in the Gift of Caring program, through which they ask customers to purchase and donate a box of cookies that Mariah and her troop members then send to military personnel serving overseas.

Cookie season is not the only busy time of year for Mariah. Last year, volunteered her time to help care for animals at the SPCA, and she collected cleaning supplies and animal food to donate to the shelter. For her efforts, she earned the Girl Scout Bronze Award, the third highest honor and achievement a girl can earn in Girl Scouting.

The Girl Scout Cookie Program is the nation’s leaning financial literacy and entrepreneurial program for girls. Girl Scout Cookies not only help girls earn money for fun, educational activities and community projects, but also play a huge role in teaching girls how to be go-getters, innovators, risk-takers and leaders as they learn essential life and business skills.

Girl Scouts in southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina are currently taking orders for cookies. Cookies will arrive to the region on February 18, and cookie booth sales will begin the following day. For more information, visit www.gsccc.org.