Guest Blogger Girl Scout Rachael Friedenberg: My Experience Volunteering at the Inauguration

More than 700 Girl Scouts and Girl Scout volunteers helped facilitate the crowds at the 57th Presidential Inauguration in D.C. recently. Girl Scout Rachael Friedenberg from Shenandoah County, Virginia, was one of the volunteers.

On Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday, I had the privilege of attending Barack Obama’s second inauguration. This was an opportunity of a lifetime.  I am very thankful that I had this very amazing opportunity, especially coming from a small town in Shenandoah County, Virginia. My assigned job was ADA Directional in the White House Zone. I was supposed to help disabled people who had limited mobility, were in a wheelchair, or needed ASL interpretation to their seats. There were very few people who needed assistance. So, I also helped direct other people to their seats. Helping people makes me happy and I liked when people smiled at me after I directed them. Without our help these people would probably be very lost. I can just imagine a bunch of people walking around trying to find their seats.

 After we had finished our job and they closed off the roads for the parade, we went into the bleachers in hopes of getting a glimpse of the President. It turned out that we had a great view. When the President and First Lady walked by unexpectedly, I stood up and waved. I got a picture so I could have the memory forever.

I think my favorite part of the night was being thanked, even after we had left the vicinity. When we were walking toward the metro station, still in our volunteer smocks, many people shouted, “Thank you!” to us. One young girl who turned out to be a Girl Scout herself came up to us with such excitement and asked how she could help in the future. When we got off the metro station, far away from the parade, a lady asked if we had fun and thanked us. It was nice to know that our help was appreciated.

It's Official! National Girl Scout Cookie Day Celebrates World's Largest Girl-Led Business

YAHOO! News reports that the famous Thin Mints remain, but Girl Scouts are giving their cookie boxes an overhaul to highlight the real purpose of the $790-million cookie program, which is to teach girls five essential skills: goal setting, decision making, money management, business ethics, and people skills. To celebrate such a monumental program, this year Girl Scouts has named February 8 National Girl Scout Cookie Day. Girls will be asking 50 million cookie fans across the nation to buy or order more boxes in honor of their success in running the largest girl-led business enterprise in the world.

"Everyone knows how tasty Girl Scout cookies are, but many customers don't realize that they're also helping girls build money management and people skills," said Girl Scouts of the USA Chief Executive Officer Anna Maria Chavez. "The girl who sells you Thin Mints today may be running a business, reversing the deficit, and improving your community within a matter of years. Just ask our 59 million Girl Scout alumnae, including 70 percent of the women now serving as U.S. senators."

When it comes to skill building, statistics show the Girl Scout Cookie Program works. According to a survey from the Girl Scout Research Institute, 85 percent of Girl Scout "cookie entrepreneurs" learn money management by developing budgets, taking cookie orders, and handling customers' money. Eighty-three percent build business ethics; 80 percent learn goal setting; 77 percent improve decision making; and 75 percent develop people skills.

All the revenue earned from cookie activities—every penny after paying the baker—stays with the local Girl Scout council that sponsors the sale. Councils use cookie revenue to supply essential services to troops, groups, and individual girls, such as providing program resources and communication support, training adult volunteers, and conducting events. As part of their experience in any Girl Scout product activity, girls can earn official Girl Scout awards at every level of Girl Scouting, including cookie and financial literacy badges and the annual Cookie Activity Pin.

Girl Scouts' social media team is making the most of National Girl Scout Cookie Day on February 8. Highlights will include a #onemorebox contest with winners announced the day of, and live coverage of the day's events. @GirlScouts will even be tweeting the location of The National Girl Scout Cookie Day Truck as it makes its way through New York City, staffed with Girl Scouts selling cookies.

"When you go to your local grocery store or mall and see our troops, remember you can help a girl develop a skill that will serve her the rest of her life," said Chavez. "I cannot think of a more delicious way to support our next generation of leaders than by buying Girl Scout Cookies."

In the first package design update since 1999, the 200 million Girl Scout cookie boxes sold annually now feature a new look that highlights the five skills girls learn through the program. A new GSUSA marketing campaign reinforces this more contemporary message with the theme, "This Is What a Girl Can Do." And, for ease of purchase, customers can now find their Girl Scout Cookies using a free app available for iPhone or Android, or by visiting the newly refreshed official Girl Scout Cookie Finder at www.girlscoutcookies.org.

Girl Scouts Help Out at Presidential Inauguration

Girl Scouts of the Nation’s Capitol made their presence felt at the 57th Presidential Inauguration on Monday.  More than 700 Girl Scouts and Girl Scout volunteers from the council helped with such things as seating, providing directions to heating tents, and assisting the elderly and persons with disabilities. Girl Scouts have been helping at presidential inaugurations since 1933 when Franklin Delano Roosevelt was sworn in for his first term. It was actually First Lady Lou Henry Hoover, who made it possible for girls from the Washington, D.C., council to participate, and it’s been a tradition ever since. 

Girl Scouts Coast to Coast - January 23, 2013

Today's Coast to Coast has a cool athletic program, a town named Normal and words for the wise. Check it out!

FOX 6 NOW reports that Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast has implemented a major change to the way Girl Scout Cookies are sold in Southeast Wisconsin – rather than placing orders for cookies and waiting a month for delivery, customers can now enjoy instant gratification when their neighborhood Girl Scout brings the annual Cookie Program to their door. The new selling process, called Direct Sales, has been implemented in about 50 other councils across the United States and has been shown to increase sales anywhere from five to 40%.

New York's Poughkeepsie Journal reports that an upcoming Ladies Empowering Athletic Programs (LEAP) event is set to give local Girl Scouts a chance to try their hand at eight sports: basketball, lacrosse, rowing, soccer, swimming, tennis, volleyball and softball. LEAP members, Marist student-athletes from every sport, will work with the youngsters throughout the evening. LEAP is open to every female student-athlete on Marist’s campus, some of whom serve as council members. The group holds monthly meetings, which usually draw between 30 and 60 female athletes, as well as a workshop and a community-service project each month.

In Illinois, the Pantagraph reports that Amanda Breeden of Normal has a message for the president. (sidebar: Normal is a pretty cool name for a town). The 15-year-old Normal Community West High School freshman is one of two Girl Scouts chosen to record a public service announcement after winning a nationwide contest. “Dear Mr. President,” the video begins before outlining the world the way it is and then how they would like it to be.

In North Carolina, WFMY 2 News reports that Greensboro Girl Scout Troop 40216's service project helped people of all ages. With the help of the Greensboro Police Department and Senior Resources of Guilford, the scouts made and distributed care packages. They collected personal hygiene items to give to senior citizens.They also collected teddy bears for the police officers. The bears will stay in the officers vehicles to be given to children who have experienced trauma.

Last but not least—please no more stories like this, or this. Thanks!

GSUSA Board Member Davia Temin Selected a Top Thought Leader in Business

Davia Temin, CEO of Temin and Company and First Vice Chair of the Girl Scouts of the USA Board of Directors, has been selected for Trust Across America’s 2013 list of the Top 100 Thought Leaders in Trustworthy Business Behavior.

“Trust is really the world’s shadow currency today – it enables the smooth flow of international commerce, and progress in a multitude of areas,” says Temin, who works with global CEOs, corporations, universities, and NGOs on leadership, marketing and media strategy, and advises major corporations on their women’s leadership councils. “But trust in business, and governmental institutions, is in terribly short supply. It is up to every one of us to understand the reasons why, and do whatever we can to help rebuild trust not only in the business and financial markets, but in our daily interactions. That is what I seek to do, and am so honored by this recognition.”

Trust Across America is a think tank dedicated to studying, defining, and quantifying trustworthy business behavior. Temin writes a column for Forbes.com entitled “Reputation Matters” covering crisis, resilience, reputation, marketing and branding strategy, social media, women’s leadership, and corporate governance. In addition, she tweets (@DaviaTemin) regularly on these issues, and the Temin and Company website features a section devoted to pertinent thought leadership.

She is also a frequent public speaker on subjects ranging from rebuilding trust, crisis and reputation management and resilience to building brands over social media, executive presence, and presentation training. She appears regularly on local, national, and global television and radio.

BFF Helps Stop Bullying Before it Starts

For Girls Blog has a post on the BFF (Be a Friend First) initiative. BFF takes Cadettes on the aMAZE! Leadership Journey, where they learn what to do if they encounter bullying at school or online, and how to stop it before it starts. They also discover that when a girl intervenes on behalf of another girl, bullying stops almost immediately.

Cadettes on the aMAZE! Leadership Journey focus on building self-confidence, being a better friend, and having better friends.

More often than not, when girls are bullied, almost no one intervenes.

It’s time to be part of the change. But when girls stand up for one another, the bullying stops immediately. BFF gives you the tools to feel safe at school, online, and everywhere in between.

Girl Scouts Coast to Coast - January 22, 2013

Today's Coast to Coast has Bigfoot, robots, badges and much more. Check it out!

HULIQ reports that a group of Girl Scouts in Colorado were in store for a fun camping trip recently, when they participated in the filming of Animal Planet's Finding Bigfoot. Although it may have been likely that a Sasquatch might come screaming out of the woods in search of Girl Scout cookies, luck was not on the producer's side. Either there were no Squatches in the area, or they had prior engagements.

NBC Montana reports that Missoula Girl Scouts took advantage of a day off from school yesterday to commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The girls are working for the Girl Scouts' Global Action Award. The girls walked downtown to meet people on this holiday of peace and positive action. They asked passersby their definition of peace and got lots of good answers.

Missouri's Chesterfield Patch reports that Girl Scouts from Chesterfield Elementary School recently visited the offices of the Chesterfield Chamber of Commerce as part of an effort to earn their Business Owner badge. The troop met Chamber Executive Director Nora Amato and Membership Director Bridget Nations to learn about the role the organization plays in the Chesterfield community. They also had an opportunity to meet with Wendy and Sarah April of Crown Trophy, who talked about being a business owner.

Alaska's KTUU TV 2 reports that nearly 500 aspiring engineers gathered at South Anchorage High School to compete in the FIRST LEGO League robotics state championship Saturday. Six of the 52 teams of kids ages 9-14 were Alaska Girl Scouts, and represented the only all-girl teams in the competition. Challenges included programming a robot, demonstrating teamwork, and friendly competition. Sue Perles, C.E.O. of Girl Scouts Alaska, said the girls started working on their entries last August and are expected to be among the top performers in the competition.

Tennessee's Johnson City Press reports that 80 Girl Scouts took over East Tennessee State University’s Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy Saturday morning in pursuit of the Generation Rx Awaremess badge. Jake Peters, second-year pharmacy student and committee chair for Generation Rx, said the group “focuses on prescription drug abuse and educating the community about what it is and how we can help ourselves and help those around us to avoid the situation or get help for those that have fallen into that trap.” Peters said the group of pharmacy students visit middle and high schools, as well as colleges, because the topic of drug abuse affects every age group and said that’s why they were especially excited to host the Girl Scouts Saturday.

CEO Anna Maria Chávez Takes Part in Panel on Women and Leadership in Washington, D.C.

Anna Maria Chávez, chief executive officer of Girl Scouts of the USA, is in Washington, D.C., for presidential inauguration festivities. On Friday, she took part in a Women's Leadership Roundtable panel discussion hosted by the United States Office of Personnel Management. The panelists explored ways to increase women in public leadership positions.

The wide-ranging conversation was moderated by Newsweek columnist Eleanor Clift and along with Anna featured an address by Tina Tchen, assistant to the President and Chief of Staff to the First Lady of the United States, U.S. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema from Arizona's 9th Congressional District; and Rhea Suh, Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management and Budget at the U.S. Department of the Interior. The event was held  in the Campbell Auditorium of the Theodore Roosevelt Building, where the Office of Personnel Management is headquartered.

Girl Scouts Releases “Girl Scouts Speak Out: Dear Mr. President” Video: PSA Winners Tell the President How to Help Girls

Girl Scouts of the USA is proud to release a public service announcement that features the two winners of its “Girl Scouts Speak Out: Dear Mr. President” contest, in which girls across the country were invited to make PSAs addressed to the presidential candidates telling them how they can support girls.

The professionally produced 60-second video, which was filmed in Washington, D.C., is narrated by the two Girl Scouts who submitted the winning entries: Amanda, 15, from Girl Scouts of Central Illinois, and Hareem, 14, from Girl Scouts of the Nation’s Capitol. The PSA is aspirational, as the girls look to a world “that supports girls so that they reach places where big decisions are made; where one of us gets to sit where you do now.”

The “Girl Scouts Speak Out: Dear Mr. President” contest was designed to provide a national platform for girls to engage with the presidential election. As part of the contest, girls could submit ideas and concepts for PSAs addressed to the presidential candidates telling them how to support girls and the next generation of leaders.

Girls submitted videos, slide shows, and other material that drew more than 10,000 votes. The “Dear Mr. President” contest is part of the “Girl Scouts Speak Out” series, in which GSUSA asks girls to submit PSAs on key national or global issues. The program provides girls with a dynamic platform for their voices to be heard and recognized on issues that are important to them, inviting them to engage in the elements of leadership and their own ability to influence their future.

Girl Scouts has posted the video on its Web site at (speakout.girlscouts.org/finalists) and will share it broadly through social media channels and on YouTube.

Visit speakout.girlscouts.org to see the next “Girl Scouts Speak Out” PSA contest entries on bullying.

Girl Scouts Coast to Coast - January 18, 2013

Today's Coast to Coast illustrates Girl Scout leadership at its best. Check it out!

Yahoo! News reports that Anna Maria Chávez, National CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA, will be joining several other national female thought leaders on a Women's Leadership Roundtable on Friday, January 18th, in Washington D.C.  The panel discussion, hosted by the United States Office of Personnel Management, will address the question: How Might We Increase Women in Public Leadership Positions? "Women make up more than 50% of the American electorate, meaning we are the entire margin of victory," said Ms. Chávez   "Though the 113th Congress features more women than any time in American history, the fact is women still account for less than 20% of Congress and an even smaller percentage of government leadership positions nationwide.  Addressing the gender gap in public leadership is not simply about creating a more inclusive workplace; it is a major public policy issue affecting everything from tax policy and education, to healthcare and national security.  Only by bringing more voices to the table and leveraging the full intellectual capacity of American women can we hope to meet the many challenges we face in the 21st century."

The Washington Post takes a look at 14-year-old Hareem Abdullah, who is a member of the Girl Scouts of the Nation’s Capital. Hareem has loved writing since she was in kindergarten. Last fall, the 11th-grader from Sterling entered a contest called “Girl Scouts Speak Out: Dear Mr. President.” Her letter, which talked about our nation’s need for leadership and the great things girls have to offer, won the contest. In the letter, Hareem wrote, “Girls are making the world a better place each and every day! We HAVE to support these girls by helping them find the right way to succeed.”


In Chicago, CBS News reports that about 70 Girl Scouts from the Portage Park and Jefferson Park neighborhoods turned a photo session with Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Thursday into an opportunity to make their case for more neighborhood recycling. WBBM Newsradio Political Editor Craig Dellimore reports the Girl Scouts from Troop 483 brought a basket of cookies for the mayor, but the scouts were also on a mission. “We are juniors, Troop 483, and we are excited to meet the mayor. We are asking him to give us blue cart recycling,” Girl Scout Junior Ashley said.

Virginia's Your 4 State reports that five girl scouts had the luck of the draw and were selected in a lottery system to volunteer at this year's Presidential Inauguration. "It's like a big opportunity for me," says high school junior Maddie. "I didn't even know that people could go to this because it's the first year I actually knew about inaugurations from classes, so this is big." They're among 750 girl scouts who were chosen to volunteer.

Indiana's Evansville Courrier and Press reports that  local Elementary School girls are participating in aMAZE, a Girl Scout Leadership Experience self-esteem and leadership program. The girls discuss issues related to middle school and life, including first impressions, bullying, cliques and peer pressure and learn diplomatic skills to use with others. The Girl Scouts of Southwest Indiana is delivering GSLE programs to girls in the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp.'s Title I schools.

Girl Scouts Coast to Coast - January 16, 2013

Today's Coast to Coast is a mixed bag of goodness. Check it out!

• Girl Scouts of Greater LA’s CEO, Lise Luttgens, was named a Southern California Community Champion by PBS SoCal. They will be running a PSA, below, constantly and consistently through the month of January and sporadically throughout the year.
• In Pennsylvania, The Tribune-Democrat has an article titled, "Girl Scouting evolves to meet today’s challenges, provide for future". “Just as it was in 1912 – when Girl Scouts were founded – right through today, it is always about what is best for the girls,” Pat Burkhart, chief executive of Girl Scouts Western Pennsylvania, told The Tribune-Democrat Editorial Board on Monday.
• Also in Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that Girl Scouts USA has set an ambitious goal of achieving gender equality in all forms of national leadership within a generation. Locally, the Western Pennsylvania council is advocating more participation of girls and women in science, technology, engineering and technology and in trades, such as plumbing, welding and construction. In addition, the Girl Scouts have been increasing efforts to recruit participation among urban girls.
• AnnArbor.com reports that The Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan is relocating its Ann Arbor regional office to a 30,000-square-foot building in Ypsilanti Township.
• And yes, along with countless others, ABC News reports that alongside Tagalongs, Thin Mints and Samoas in this year's Girl Scout cookie repertoire are Mango Crèmes. Not to fret Mango Crèmes, as the saying goes—"If there is anything more annoying in the world than having people talk about you, it is certainly having no one talk about you.

Girl Scouts Coast to Coast - January 15, 2013

Girl Scouts across the country are busy preserving wildlife, honoring the victims of Sandy Hook, and learning the marketing side of the Girl Scout Cookie program. Check it out in today's Coast to Coast!

• Alaska's KTUU TV 2 reports that Anchorage Girl Scout Troop 301 has adopted the popular wildlife-viewing location, Potter Marsh, as a site it will help protect and manage. The Girl Scouts and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game came to the agreement that the Girls Scouts would be responsible for the upkeep of the boardwalk and other facilities, the assistance of public use and educational activities, the surveillance and protection of the wildlife, as well as other age-appropriate duties.
• Via Outward Bound: Costa Rica—"Every year, Girl Scouts from across the nation join us in Costa Rica to participate in meaningful service projects across the country. Some girls help protect the habitats of endangered sea turtles. Others visit remote villages to work on projects such as cleaning and painting cabins and up-keeping plant nurseries. This past summer, Katie Maher did both. Katie was one of the 20+ Girl Scouts to join us for our Service Challenge course, offered every year through our partnership with the GSUSA destinations program." Read more here.
• In Louisiana, The Advocate reports that two Girl Scout troops, moved to action following a mid-December shooting tragedy that claimed the lives of eight of their fellow Daisy Scouts, organized a day for remembrance, service and celebrated their “sisterhood” Saturday afternoon in Baton Rouge. Daisies, Brownies, Cadets and Junior Scouts recited “The Girl Scout Promise,” sang songs and gathered around a table containing eight green candles glowing in memory of each Sandy Hook Elementary School Girl Scout who died on Dec. 14 in Newtown, Conn., where a gunman killed 20 students and six adults.
• California's Marin Independent Journal reports that Girl Scout Troop 31092 is collecting gently used coats for the Bay Area Rescue Mission this week at Bacich Elementary School, 699 Sir Francis Drake Blvd. Girl Scout parent Katie Benson said the third-grade girls have been working hard. They had collected about 35 coats as of Monday.
• Also in California, The Hanford Sentinel reports that 200 Girl Scouts came to Naval Air Station Lemoore for the Girl Scouts Central California South’s Cookie Biz, a workshop in which the girls each earned a cookie badge by learning about cookie marketing and how to increase their cookie-selling skills. At the NASL Navy College, the girls were taken into classrooms in which volunteers and regional Girl Scout staff talked with the girls about selling cookies and did various activities with them.

Girl Scouts of the USA Unveils 2013 National Young Women of Distinction

Girl Scouts of the USA, the premier leadership organization dedicated to building girls of courage, confidence and character, has unveiled its 2013 National Young Women of Distinction.  These 10 young ladies have earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award in Girl Scouting. Requirements for the award culminate, by completing a "take action" project that has made a measurable and sustainable difference in their communities.

Gold Award recipients have already changed the world – as high school students. The Gold Award honors leadership in the Girl Scout tradition: two-thirds of America's most accomplished women in public service are former Girl Scouts. The 2013 Girl Scout Gold Award recipients implemented diverse projects, ranging from building libraries for children of migrant workers, hosting large scale events for travel to  Tanzania  to build water retention systems, increasing knowledge and level of interest of high school young women towards STEM Careers, to name a few.

The 2013 National Young Women of Distinction were selected by an external selection committee with representatives from leading nonprofit organizations, Girl Scout partners and funders.  GSUSA thanks the following for their participation. 

Alcoa

Justine Magazine

Kappa Delta

Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.    

Teach for America

The Duke of Edinburgh Award

Young Women’s’ Leadership Network

Youth Service America   

Sricharana from Girl Scouts of Northern California

Learning about the lack of clean and accessible water in Africa, Sricharana (Sri) created an African culture awareness show, called “Taste of Africa” to educate her community on African culture.  Over 500 people attended Sri’s event and its proceeds were used so she could travel to Tanzania to construct a water retention system and a goat pen for a cooperative of ten women and their families.  Villagers no longer need to travel miles for accesses to clean water. 

Nicole from Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey

Nationally, one in three women experiences relationship abuse, an issue Nicole wanted to address, particularly as it relates to middle and high school students. First, she ran a program in her local middle school educating them on dating abuse and violence in the media. Nicole was so impassioned that she then championed legislation that requires safe dating education be provided to middle and high school students as part of their health curriculum. After the law passed, she created a school club called MASK Theater, which takes the spirit of the new law and joins that with an innovative creative program for students in her HS.  Among other performances and events, MASK has created PSAs, an informational DVD for other schools and has even run a Girl Scout Workshop on healthy relationships and the media.

Katherine  from Girl Scouts of Citrus

Recognizing the importance of reading to long term success, Katherine (Kathy) created a library at the Apopka Family Learning Center.  The goal is to help children of migrant workers, a population with the lowest high school graduation rate living well below the federal poverty line. Kathy, a survivor of human trafficking in the United States understands the hardships of learning English as a second language.  Lacking parental support she relied heavily on books to learn English and understands books as a way for families to share learning.  Additionally, she created a website to talk about her project and to raise the funds needed to build out the library space.  The Library is maintained by the Center, and Kathy is proud to report that 70% of students at the Center have improved or maintained passing reading grades within the first year of the Library opening.

Zoë from Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta

Increasing the knowledge and level of interest of high school young women towards STEM Careers is Zoe’s passion.  Zoe created The W.I.S.H. Careers Network for High School Girls.  The project is three fold with career seminars, the W.I.S.H. careers website, and the W.I.S.H. science clubs.  The Network’s impact will be sustained through the W.I.S.H Science clubs, website and seminars and continued partnerships with key organizations like the NSTA.  W.I.S.H. in a Box guides educators and girls through hosting their own event. 

Addison from Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Badgerland

After witnessing the aftermath of her cousins suicide and grappling with her own depression/anxiety feelings, Addison decided to change the stigma around mental illness. To do so, she started a club at her school designed to be an alliance for those suffering with mental illness.  The club hosted “Break the Silence”, an event that featured speakers who presented different viewpoints of depression/suicide and community organizations who offered information on mental illness.  She will continue to lead and strengthen the club during her senior year so it’s mission will continue after graduation.

Miranda from Girl Scouts of Heart of Michigan

Miranda wanted to encourage and connect teens with service opportunities.  For her project, Miranda developed and implemented a comprehensive volunteer service program using social media and a Ning website to match service-based organizations with the 2,000 high school students who reside in the Northville school district.   Twelve communities/schools have requested a CIA (Community Impact Awards) implementation.  CIA has applied for a non-profit status.  Over 350 Northville high school students are already working on one or more awards, which translate to over 10,000 hours of community service.  Averages of 6.4 new members join each week.

Jamila from Girl Scouts of West Central Florida

In seventh grade, Jamila was introduced to Invisible Children Organization and wanted to raise awareness about the youth of war torn Northern Uganda and bring to light the heinous crimes of Dictator Joseph Kony and the need for education and rebuilding of Uganda.   Working in partnership with the Invisible Children, Jamila started the Global Outreach Club that brought to light the Invisible Children to local school peers.  She held Roots for Peace Festival.  Proceeds went to purchase education supplies for sister schools.  Jamila showed documentary films to peers and worked to feature a student guest speaker from Uganda. Finally, Jamila advocated with local legislators about the importance of the Invisible Children Organization and their work.  She established a committee and worked with her Inter Club Council to ensure that participation will continue.

Mandy from Girl Scouts of Central Texas

           

Passionate about the health of the ocean and how youth education impacts global problems, Mandy designed an aquarium and a three-day curriculum that would expose 5^thgrade students to ocean health and environmental threats to the ecosystem.  Carefully designed, the aquarium and curriculum serve together, providing basic information on an assortment of aquatic topics and linking the classroom to bodies of water all over the world.  Mandy is currently expanding the curriculum based on teacher request and continues to host lectures at the school.  She hopes to soon expand the program to include other schools and communities.

Brianna from Girl Scouts of Spirit of Nebraska

Growing up, Brianna loved to put on plays and puppet shows for her little sister. She donated a children’s puppet theater to the non-profit organization, Completely Kids. With help from her friends and family, Brianna designed and created the puppet theater and sponsored thirty puppets. She also wrote ten different scripts emphasizing “heart” lessons and led a donation drive to collect costumes so the children could dress up and role-play as their favorite “Community Hero” such as firemen, policemen, and doctors and be part of the plays. The puppet theater will help the children at Completely Kids learn to share, be kind to one another, gain confidence and many more valuable skills. Completely Kids has allocated funds to replenish the puppets so children may enjoy the theater for years to come.

Katie from Girl Scouts of Great Iowa

Bats in Katie’s community were considered a nuisance.  Through research, Katie found that bats play a huge part in the ecosystem so Katie built bat houses that can hold roughly 6,000 bats.  Katie also speaks to young students about the benefits bats provide for us.  The bat houses are now under the care of the Warren Country Conservation Board.

“We celebrate these 10 inspiring young ladies for implementing community action projects that will serve those in need for years to come. These young ladies truly exemplify the Girl Scout motto of building girls of courage, confidence and character who make this world a better place," said Anna Maria Chávez, chief executive officer, Girl Scouts of the USA.

The 2013 National Young Women of Distinction program is made possible through support from the Kappa Delta sorority.

2013 National Young Women of Distinction Honorable Mentions

Thanks in part to the Kappa Delta Sorority Girl Scouts of the USA have selected five Young Women of Distinction Honorable Mentions.  These Girl Scouts have demonstrated exceptional leadership through their Gold Award projects and were among the finalists for the Young Women of Distinction title. 

Hannah from Girl Scouts  Heart of Michigan 

Amelia from Girl Scouts Heart of Central California

Sierra from Girl Scouts of Northeastern New York 

Eleanor from Girl Scouts of Central Texas

Jamie from Girl Scouts Heart of Hudson

Vote Now for Girl Scouts!

We're so excited . . . and can use your vote! AdWeek and Parham Santana have selected Nestle Crunch Girl Scout Cookie Candy Bars as one of the top ten brand extensions of 2012. Please vote at http://bit.ly/UP1XzW until January 22.

Celebrity Spotlight: Ryan Gosling

Today in celebrity news, Huffington Post reports that Canadian actor and musician Ryan Gosling used to buy "hundreds and hundreds" of boxes of Girl Scout Cookies from Girl Scouts. He would then hand them out for free.

"I had a car full of them and I didn’t know what to do so I started throwing them out the window to people on the street," he admitted while doing an interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

If you want to locate Girl Scout Cookies to buy and give away as gifts, please visit www.girlscoutcookies.org.

Girl Scouts Coast to Coast - January 9, 2013

Today's Coast to Coast gets down to business with a stunning Op-Ed in Pennsylvania and ends up in California at Disney On Ice's "Dare to Dream". Check it out!

• In Pennsylvania, The Patriot-News published an Op-Ed by Josette Plank about the overwhelmingly positive benefits of Girl Scouts. "My middle child is a Cadette Girl Scout in sixth grade," writes Plank. "With the money her troop earned selling cookies – taking orders door-to-door on cold winter afternoons and “manning” day-long cookie booths – the scouts have visited the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, spent the day with hundreds of sister troops at the Newseum in Washington, D.C. learning about the history and freedom of the press, got up close and personal with great works of art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, and learned how rocks rock at Lincoln Caverns." Be sure to read the entire piece.
• The Gleaner, KY, reports that two Girl Scouts received high praise Tuesday from Henderson Fiscal Court as they presented their plan for increased safety at the fairgrounds by installing traffic control signs. "They've done an outstanding job and put a lot of work into it," said Judge-executive Hugh McCormick, noting the girls refused the county's offer to pay for the signs. They insisted on presenting the county with a check for $200 that they raised.
• In Massachusetts, the Northborough Patch reports that Girl Scouts from Troop 30484 are working on their Silver Award Project, which involves helping to give underprivileged children a good start to the new year. Collection boxes placed at the four elementary schools in Northborough will a place to collect new school supplies, as well as gently used books, to support the needy children in Worcester.
• Iowa's KWQC News reports that business and civic leaders from Iowa are expected to join forces at an annual fundraiser for Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts organizations in the state. The event aims to raise money for the Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa and the Mid-Iowa Council Boy Scouts of America. Nearly 40,000 children in the state are involved in the organizations.
• California's Press-Telegram reports that more than 60 girls from at-risk Long Beach neighborhoods wwere invited to "Dare to Dream" recently - just like one of Disney's most popular princesses did. Whether it's becoming a doctor, lawyer, nurse or astronaut, the girls were encouraged to follow their hearts and realize their dream is special and achievable. After the event, the Girls Scouts and their families were provided tickets to attend the opening night performance of Disney On Ice's "Dare to Dream".

From Camp to Corps: An Interview with Teach for America's Caroline Rubin

We’re excited to once again bring you a great interview from one of Teach for America’s movers and shakers. Caroline Rubin, Manager of Matriculation Strategy at TFA, and eleven year member of Girl Scout Troop 1051 spoke with us about her time in Girl Scouting and as a 2008 Teach for America corps member.

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When and why did you decide to join TFA?

My senior year of college I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with myself, but I knew I wanted to do something that would serve others, which is the same reason I initially joined the Girl Scouts all those years ago! I heard about TFA, and I realized how lucky I had been to receive the great education I did. I felt that as long as I had that privilege and others didn't, I had to work to make it right.

Both Girl Scouts and TFA are about leadership and change. How did your Girl Scout experience translate into your corps and/or staff experience at TFA?

I was a counselor at Girl Scout day camp for several summers, and then became a Leader-in-Training for a local Brownie troop. I eventually earned my Gold Award, even while taking a lot of AP classes and participating in other extracurriculars. So, one thing I learned was how to plan efficiently – how to work smarter, not harder – a skill that has served me well ever since. Leading my Brownie troop also drilled “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail,” mantra into me. If I didn’t have a solid plan for our meetings and outings, there would be chaos, likely in the form of glitter and pipe cleaners flying everywhere. By the time I got to my classroom, I basically had lesson planning down as a result!

What unexpected skills and/or characteristics did you learn as a Girl Scout that you still use today?

Girl Scouting definitely instilled craftiness and resourcefulness that has been useful in and out of the classroom – can’t afford dividers for your students’ lab binders? You can make your own for a fraction of the cost by folding construction paper! I am also still pretty good at cat’s cradle!

In your opinion, why do you think a Girl Scout would make a good TFA candidate?

Girl Scouting is all about developing you into a leader, and that’s what it takes to be a successful corps member. Setting big goals, investing in others, planning purposefully, executing effectively, working relentlessly, improving your effectiveness – these are the tenets of TFA’s “Teaching as Leadership” model, but they are also all skills you learn in Girl Scouts. Whether you are leading a fundraising campaign or a brownie troop or a classroom, the foundation of what it takes to succeed is the same.

What advice do you have for current Girl Scouts?
Make time to continue doing fun things with your troop – don’t just work all the time! I am almost a decade out of high school and my troop still gets together when we are all in town for the holidays and most of us are still good friends. I met my best friend in Girl Scouts! I was in her wedding, and she was in mine. I fell out of touch with most people I knew in high school, so I am very glad I took the time to build, and maintain, strong friendships with my fellow Girl Scouts. They are all strong, fascinating women, and I am very thankful that they are still in my life!

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Teach For America is the national corps of outstanding recent college graduates and professionals—of all majors, backgrounds, and career interests—who commit to teach for two years in urban and rural low-income communities and become lifelong leaders in expanding educational opportunity.  APPLY NOW to the 2013 Teach For America corps. 

SECOND-TO-LAST APPLICATION DEADLINE: Friday, January 11, 2013.  If you’re interested in learning more, find out who we look for and explore how you can get involved.

Girl Scouts Coast to Coast - January 8, 2013

Today's Coast to Coast has everything from an interview with Anna Maria Chávez to Crazy Crayons. Check it out!

• Business Insider has an article titled: "How To Stay In Business For 100 Years". Anna Maria Chávez, the CEO of GSUSA, which at 100 years old is the largest girls leadership development organization in the world, says that because every generation is different, continual research must be done to ensure that the organization serves the changing needs of its customer and moves at the speed of girl. “Today’s girls are on Facebook and have smart phones, so naturally we’ve had to adjust,” says Ms. Chávez.  “We created the Girl Scout Research Institute as a focal point of our understanding of the lives American girls lead.”
• Florida's Tampa Bay Online reports that Ronnie McLaughlin's Girl Scout Troop 867 meets at Brandon Christian Church and recently wanted to give back to the church in appreciation for being allowed to meet there. The troop supplied individually wrapped desserts for Meals on Wheels deliveries and also provided Christmas gift boxes for the Meals on Wheels recipients, which included items homebound seniors might need, such as shampoo, playing cards, note pads and candy.
• The Middletown Transcript, DE, reports that the giant snowflakes and banner Girl Scout Service Unit 13 made for the Middletown Holiday Parade have arrived in Connecticut. The decorations will be a part of the new school being set up for the Sandy Hook Elementary School students, said Kai DuBose, organizer for Service Unit 13 of the Chesapeake Bay Girl Scouts. "The Sandy Hook PTA made a request for snowflakes to be sent and we thought our giant snowflakes would be perfect," DuBose said. " The school was overjoyed at our offer."
• North Dakota's Valley News Live reports that shoppers at West Acres Mall got a surprise from a troop of local girl scouts Thursday Night. The girls were going around doing as many random acts of kindness as they could. They wanted to do their part to remember the 26 people killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting.
• In Illinois, Commercial-News reports that Six members of the Westville Girl Scout Troop 2611 collected broken or unwanted crayons and sent them to a recycling center recently. For their efforts, the girls earned their Bronze Award, the highest award they can earn as a Junior Girl Scout. The National Crayon Recycle Program, in conjunction with Crazy Crayons, is a community service effort that has made it possible to keep more than 86,000 pounds of unwanted crayons from going into landfills. The program has drop-off bins nationally.

Valley News Live - KVLY/KXJB - Fargo/Grand Forks

REMINDER: Calling All Girl Scouts: The White House Equal Futures App Challenge

Do you know any Girl Scouts who use apps on their smartphones, tablet computers, or other mobile devices? If you do, the White House has a fun and educational challenge for them! The Equal Futures App Challenge asks girls to create an app that promotes civic education and/or inspires other girls to serve as leaders in our democracy.

Anna Maria Chávez, CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA, will serve as a judge in the White House's Equal Futures App Challenge, alongside some great people like Jack Dorsey, creator and co-founder of Twitter, Representative Barbara Ballard, Andrew Shue, co-founder of dosomething.org, Senator Lisa Murkowski, and many more. Notable apps will be highlighted on the White House website and in the White House blog. For more on the challenge, go tohttp://equalfutures.challenge.gov/

Building on President Obama’s challenge at the UN General Assembly in September 2011, the United States will be working with countries around the world as part of a new international effort – the Equal Futures Partnership – to politically and economically empower women.

Individuals can submit their app on http://equalfutures.challenge.gov/ until January 12th, 2013 at 12:00am EDT.  Individuals whose app will be hosted in an app store must submit the app to the store by January 12th, 2013 at 12:00am EDT.  Individuals should submit screenshots or video of their working app as well as a link to the app itself.  Please provide continuous access to the app, a detailed description, and system requirements.

Girl Scouts Coast to Coast - January 7, 2013

Today's Coast to Coast is a mixed bag of Girl Scout Cookies, STEM initiatives and care packages for service members. Check it out!

• In South Carolina, The Times and Democrat reports that Friday, Feb. 8, has been designated National Girl Scout Cookie Day. Girl Scout councils will be working to remind the public what a cookie can do through PSAs, social media and video campaigns. Purchases of Girl Scout cookies go to benefit girls in your community. A box of cookies can go toward funding camp for inner-city children, cheering up soldiers overseas and helping girls learn the importance of managing money.
• In Illinois, the Daily Herald reports that more than 5,300 girls and their family members attended the annual Girl Scout Cookie Program kickoff Saturday where the buzz was all about learning to take payment via credit or debit card. All you need is a smartphone or iPad to which you connect a small device to swipe the cards. Customers then get an email, not paper, receipt.
• The Philadelphia Tribune reports that Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., an African-American sorority founded amid segregation and educational injustice, has joined a unique program spearheaded by Girl Scouts of the USA to provide a new approach to getting middle and high school female students more interested in STEM-related coursework and possible careers. As part of the program, the Girl Scouts have crafted an encompassing website, http://www.fchiase.com/imagineengineering, which breaks down the seven major engineering disciplines — aeronautical, biomedical, civil, electrical/computer, environmental, industrial and mechanical/design — and provides a breakdown of each specific discipline while giving advice how to approach the industry.
• Amarillo Globe-News, TX, reports that six female engineers from B&W Pantex will host an engineering workshop for Girl Scouts on Jan. 12. The Smart Cookies program encourages middle school and high school girls to pursue careers in engineering with introductions to electrical, mechanical, civil and chemical engineering. It includes team-building activities that emphasize communication skills and a question-and-answer session.
• Florida's Palmetto Bay News reports that members of Girl Scout Troop 714 recently completed a special project to benefit American soldiers overseas by participating in the “America’s Moms for Soldiers” program. The troop sent 68 care packages to people in the military. Alexandra Flinn, whose daughter is one of the Girl Scouts involved in the project, said that gathering the items to send to soldiers had special meaning for them.

Girl Scout Alumnae Account for 70% of Female Senators

On a historic day for the nation and the Girl Scouts of the USA, five new women were inaugurated into the United States Senate today, bringing the total number of female Senators to 20, the largest proportion in history.  Of the 20 women now serving in the Senate, 14, or 70 percent, are Girl Scout alumnae.  In response, the Chief Executive Officer of the Girl Scouts of the USA, Anna Maria Chávez, today released the following statement:

“For 100 years, Girl Scouts has been at the forefront of creating positive social change for girls, developing young women of courage and character who are today advancing into leadership roles in our society.  Through Girl Scouting these women learned that there was nothing they couldn’t accomplish through hard work, commitment and dedication.  Today, 14 of our alumnae have entered one of the most powerful legislative bodies in the world, clearly demonstrating that the core principles on which Girl Scouting was founded are alive and well in the 21st Century.  We are seeing the impact that Girl Scouting can have in the life of a young woman.  I am so proud of our alumnae today, and look forward to the great things they will accomplish as national leaders and role models in the United States Senate.”