Hello Magazine uncovered some childhood photos of Kate Middleton recently and it appears she was a Brownie under Girlguiding UK!
On top of her other extraordinary accomplishments, Tulsa World reports that Laurel Richie is the first black person to become president of a pro sports league. Richie, veteran marketing executive, and mastermind behind the wildly successful Girl Scout rebrand, has been appointed President of the WNBA.
Between November 10–13—the 2011 National Council Session/52nd convention will unfold in Houston, Texas, affirming the unity of the Girl Scout movement and launching Girl Scouts into its next century of existence. Save the date!
A group of Girl Scouts from Ames, Iowa, has invented a prosthetic hand device to help a three-year-old girl write and will receive up to $20,000 to patent their invention as the winner of the inaugural FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®) Global Innovation Award, presented by the X PRIZE Foundation.
The First Lego League all Girl Scout team named Flying Monkeys, topped 179 submissions from 16 countries with BOB-1, a prosthetic hand device that helps users with limb abnormalities hold, grip, stabilize or secure items. The competition tasked FLL teams to explore bio-engineering and discover innovative ways to repair injuries, overcome genetic predispositions, and maximize the body’s potential with the intended purpose of leading happier and healthier lives. Inspired by their teammate, who has a limb difference, the girls created a prototype that has enabled a three-year-old born without fingers on one hand to hold a pencil for the first time.
The Flying Monkeys researched limb differences and decided to help three-year-old Danielle from Georgia after learning her story on www.sammysfriends.org. They sent Danielle an instructional video of how to use the BOB-1 and included a video of their teammate playing the violin to show Danielle that she too could live without limits. Danielle’s family recently has adopted a five-year-old boy who also has a hand difference and hopes that the Flying Monkeys can help him with his own prosthetic device.
The Flying Monkeys are among over 200 Girl Scout robotics teams that have been formed around the country as part of Girl Scouts of the USA’s increasing focus on science, technology, engineering and math.
Yankees.com reports that The New York Yankees honored Tampa, Florida, resident Julianne Ramirez at a recent event. Ramirez is a 12-year-old whose heroism was brought to the Yankees' attention by a report on Tampa Bay News 9's broadcast. At a pool party last June, Julianne saw that a 3-year-old family friend had started to drown and was sinking underwater. Ramirez, using CPR she had learned in third grade with the Girl Scouts, rescued the girl from the pool and began chest compressions, saving her life.
Roll Call, The Newspaper of Capitol Hill, reports that on April 13, 2011, Girl Scouts interested in careers as political leaders shadowed Congresswomen one-on-one for four hours to learn what it’s really like to be an elected official.
Representative Jackie Speier took her scout with her when she talked on the House floor and later brought her to an Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing.
Since 1912, Girl Scouts has built girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. Girl Scout volunteers are a diverse group of women and men whose expertise, skills, interests, and life experiences nurture each girl's individuality and leadership qualities.
The gains being made now by nearly three million girls would not be possible without the adult volunteers who donate their time and talents to serve the girls in their community. Today's Girl Scouts utilize volunteers in many ways other than as troop leader? Women and men, young and old, can share their passion for a particular hobby, become a mentor for an at-risk girl, or organize a tour of their workplace for girls. Once a week, every other month, or even just once a year—all volunteers are welcomed!
During National Volunteer Week, Girl Scouts of the USA pays tribute to innovative volunteers for making a difference. National Volunteer Week is not only our moment in time to celebrate our volunteers, but to enable a nation to share ideas, practices, and stories, wherever they happen, and shaping a movement to re-imagine the notion of citizenship for the 21st century.
This year, National Volunteer Week will be April 10th through April 16. The Girl Scout Blog will be spotlighting stories around Volunteer Week all next week! Stay tuned... Are there any Girl Scout Volunteers you would like to give a shout-out to?
In Delaware, The News Journal reports that Girl Scouts of the Chesapeake Bay are on a good start to making sure their message of keeping young girls healthy throughout their lives.
Thursday evening, almost 400, including 150 girl scouts from the Delaware, Maryland and Virginia gathered at the Wilmington Riverfront for the first annual Thin Mint 5K Run/Walk. Organizers said they were initially expecting 200 people to register but were pleasantly surprised at the turnout.
The event featured children 8 and up who sprinted from the starting line around the 3.1-mile course and clapped for each other. Parents pushed smaller children in red wagons and strollers. A Fun Run, which was for children 8 and under, was also held Thursday night.
"We want our girls to be healthy and happy," said Anne T. Hogan, CEO of Girl Scouts of the Chesapeake Bay. "This was a great way for us to incorporate fun into our message of healthy living and healthy lifestyles," Hogan said. Hogan said in a world where reports about childhood obesity abound -- and the medical problems that come from it -- it's best for the Girl Scouts to be proactive in combating it.
The walk also served as a fundraiser for programming for local girl scouts. More than 50 troops were represented at Thursday's event.
As you know, Girl Scouts of the USA and Dove®, the leading personal care brand, partner to deliver Girl Scout leadership and self-esteem programming to millions of girls nationwide and abroad with the latest Girl Scout leadership journey It's Your Story-Tell It!. It's Your Story-Tell It! uses a storytelling theme in a fun and relevant way for girls to better understand themselves and their potential.
Keeping with the storytelling theme, I reached out to a volunteer recently to get an on the ground perspective on a journey in progress. “I have enjoyed the journey with the girls. Most of what we did came directly from the journey books, as we didn’t think we could truly test the journey unless we followed it closely,” she states. “As we progressed, the girls were more and more outspoken and confident in expressing their ideas… A number of them said they would try it again. It was evident that the effects of the project are both positive and sustainable, potentially reaching many more students and their families.”
Specifically, the girls were participating in a remake project—taking stock of the media in their lives, of issues in the community, creating a piece of media that better reflects the realities of their world. To continue sharing this message (which is the final step to the Influence Award), the girls were creating a public service announcement.
“I asked the girls what they have gotten out of our journey. They told me that they had never thought about the power of the messages in the media. They said that they gained leadership skills by bringing their media remake into their schools and being guides and leaders for all the other students. It was evident that the girls felt empowered by the fact that so many students followed their lead and participated in their remake project. They reported that they learned how to work with adults, and how important communication is and how difficult at times.”
Do you have any Journey success stories to share?
Next Week is National Volunteer Week. The Girl Scout Blog will be spotlighting stories around Volunteer Week. Stay tuned...
The EastWest Institute reports that on April 4, 2011, the EastWest Institute hosted the International Youth and Technology Forum in partnership with Columbia University, where the event was held. It brought together everyone from cybersecurity experts and activists to government representatives and Girl Scouts to lay the groundwork for a new alliance aimed to protect – and empower – kids and teenagers in our digital world.
Dominique Napolitano, a fifteen year-old Long Island Girl Scout who has testified before the U.S. House of Representatives, described the new risks kids face online, from “sexting” to cyber bullying.
“We need to empower youth to take this problem into our own hands and find solutions that will work for us,” said Napolitano, stressing the need for early education on cybersecurity.
The call for education resonated throughout the day, as did the call for people of all ages to become better “digital citizens,” capable of applying real-world knowledge, ethics and personal responsibility to cyberspace.
The International Youth and Technology Forum grew out of a working group aimed at protecting youth online at EWI’s first Worldwide Security Summit in Dallas in May 2010; participants include AOL, Common Sense Media, the iKeepSafe Alliance,UNICEF, Movements.org, and others. On May 31, 2011 in London, EWI’s first International Youth Congress on Digital Safety and Citizenship, which will include many forum participants, will precede EWI’s Second Worldwide Cybersecurity Summit (June 1-2).
“The EastWest Institute may be one of the first organizations who have really recognized that child online safety plays such a large role in our worldwide cybersecurity,” said former FCC Commissioner Deborah Tate.
Last Summer, I was honored to attend Dominique's testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives - video below:
Established in 1974, National Volunteer Week has grown exponentially in scope each year since, drawing the support and endorsement of all subsequent U.S. presidents, governors, mayors and other respected elected officials.
National Volunteer Week is about inspiring, recognizing and encouraging people to seek out imaginative ways to engage in their communities. It’s about demonstrating to the nation that by working together, in unison, we have the fortitude to meet our challenges and accomplish our goals. National Volunteer Week is about taking action, encouraging individuals and their respective communities to be at the center of social change—discovering and actively demonstrating their collective power to foster positive transformation.
During National Volunteer Week, Girl Scouts of the USA pays tribute to innovative volunteers for making a difference. National Volunteer Week is not only our moment in time to celebrate our volunteers, but to enable a nation to share ideas, practices, and stories, wherever they happen, and shaping a movement to re-imagine the notion of citizenship for the 21st century.
This year, National Volunteer Week will be April 10th through April 16. The Girl Scout Blog will be spotlighting stories around Volunteer Week all next week! Stay tuned...
Billboard reports that when most people think of the Girl Scouts, they immediately associate the organization with cookies.
Electronic instrument manufacturer/distributor Roland aims to add "rock star" to that list. The company has partnered with Girl Scouts of the USA to launch Girl Scouts Rock! Powered by Roland-a series of interactive workshops designed to empower young girls through music.
Girl Scouts ages 8-14 were introduced to various instruments, tried their hand at songwriting and performed for their peers. Participating alongside the girls was former Girl Scout/Disney star Shelby Spalione, who fronts the Rockin' Roland Girls Band. Spalione, ex-lead singer of female teen rock band KSM, will appear at all of the workshops.
"Music stores are very male-dominated," says Roland president Chris Bristol, who developed the initiative. "I want to give young girls a positive, hands-on experience playing musical instruments and making their own music. It's difficult for them to do that in school now because of all the budget cuts."
Michigan’s Observer and Eccentric reports that Girl Scout camps will be offering arts programs this Summer at Camp Linden. The 400-acre camp will offer sessions in painting, drawing, sketching and sculpting, along with jewelry craft and art from nature. Campers will also enjoy swimming, hiking, boating and archery. No prior membership in Girl Scouting is required.
According to the Michigan Council on Arts and Cultural Affairs, public funding for school art projects in the state has been reduced to $2 million, down from $26 million in 2006, despite research that continues to pour in on the positive impact of arts education.
Highlights from a 2004 UNESCO report include the following: Three-year-olds who had 10-15 minutes of piano instruction and 30 minutes of singing lessons each day scored 80 percent higher in spatial intelligence (as measured by puzzle assembly). Training in piano and singing improved students' abstract reasoning skills better than computer instruction did. Piano and voice students scored 34 per cent higher than did their counterparts who had computer instruction. Research conducted on fourth graders in 24 elementary schools showed that children exposed to arts education experienced test score increases of: 7 percent in reading in humanities; 10 percent in social studies; 25 percent in math; and 7 percent in science.
Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan officials said according to the College Entrance Exam Board, students who had studied arts for more than four years scored 59 points higher on the verbal section of the Scholastic Aptitude Test, and 44 points higher on the math section of the exam, compared to students who had less than four years of arts education.
Additionally, according to a 2008 Dana Consortium Report on Arts and Cognition, neuroscientists at seven major universities have found strong links between arts education and cognitive development in children. Students involved in the arts develop attention and memory skills that also apply to other subject areas.
“We know that arts education enhances all learning, “said Julie Yeager, Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan outdoor program promotions specialist. “This summer, Camp Linden offers girls the unbeatable combination of arts exploration in a non-competitive natural setting.”
I personally feel very strongly about the importance of arts funding in public schools. What are your thoughts?
In Kansas, KSAL News reports that Girl Scouts of Kansas Heartland would like to thank the community for another successful Cookie Sale. Girl Scouts across 80 Kansas counties sold nearly 1.5 million boxes, a 7.6% increase over last year. The 2011 Cookie Sale took place Janury 22 through March 13.
The 2011 Cookie Sale by the Numbers:
1,496,500 total boxes sold, up 7.6% from 2010
9,165 total Girl Scouts participated
Additionally, 15,328 boxes were collected for the Cookie Share Program, up 48% from last year. These cookies will be distributed to the Kansas Food Bank, Catholic Charities, McConnell Air Force Base, the Kansas National Guard and local food pantries.
Congrats Girl Scouts of Kansas Heartland! How have recent cookie sales been in your community?
In Minnesota, The Osakis Review reports that Girl Scouts Bria Nienaber and Brooke Waldorf are working their way to earning the Girl Scout Gold Award. To earn the Gold Award the girls have to complete a project that fulfills a need in their community, creates change and has potential for lasting impact. For their project, Nienaber and Waldorf intend to have a skatepark built in Osakis.
“It will be a place for skaters to hang out instead of skating on private property,” Nienaber explained. “It will be a teen hang out spot, a place to go and talk with your friends,” Waldorf added. “Skaters get a bad reputation because of the places they skate, so this will give them somewhere cool to go.”
The girls said they’ve heard comments from kids their age, and parents, that it would be nice to have somewhere to go that’s close to home. Plans are preliminary, but the girls expect the skatepark to be about 100-by-60 feet. The skatepark will feature several fixtures for doing tricks – like rails, ramps, a pyramid and a bowl (it’s like a big, empty swimming pool sunk into the park). Parks like this are generally used by skateboarders, but this park will also be designed to be functional for rollerbladers and BMX bike riders. Sounds awesome!
Also in Minnesota, The Country Messenger reports that Laura Epland, a sophomore at North High, and Sammy Nielsen, a sophomore at Roseville High School, worked together to construct a garden at the Immigrant Hus at Gammelgarden in Scandia, Minn. Sammy and Laura have been friends since they were 3 years old. After achieving their Bronze and Silver Awards, they have now earned the highest achievement in Girl Scouting, the Gold Award. The garden consisted of perennials and annuals that were typical during the 1800’s. They included the garden as part of the ongoing children’s program “Coming to Amerika” over the past several summers. The plants were donated by Abrahamson’s Nurseries. Sammy and Laura have volunteered at Gammelgarden over the last several years. They put in 155 plus volunteer hours each as a part of their award. Laura and Sammy maintain the garden with the children as well as educating the public on Scandinavian immigrant life.
In Texas, Ultimate Clear Lake reports that Girl Scout Ambassador Emily Rose recently earned the Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council Gold Award. To earn the award, Rose created a soccer training manual for a 10-year-old girls soccer team. Her training manual contained soccer drills she developed through her own research and experience. She and her volunteers attended the team's practices, where they taught the drills during warm-ups and cool-downs. She also held biweekly meetings with the team's coaches to assess the girls' progress and goals. By the end of the five-month training season, the team had progressed to playoffs.
"I chose this project because I love soccer and wanted to help younger girls learn the importance of organized sports and better their soccer skills," said Rose, a senior at Clear Lake High School.
In New York, The Garden City Patch has an excellent run-down of four girls on their way to earning the Girl Scout Gold Award. From a project that aims to raise awareness around hunger issues to a project that focuses on increasing the pool of potential bone marrow donors, the article is definitely worth checking out.
Do you have any outstanding Girl Scout Gold Award stories to share?
NY1 reports that New York City Girl Scouts showed they are about a lot more than just cookies. As part of Time Warner Cable's Connect a Million Minds Week, the Girl Scouts took part in a program called "Cracking The Codes In The Wireless World." It gave the girls a chance to experience the technologies behind the wireless products they use every day.
"I learned how a call is processed, and also different fields that Time Warner Cable has, and also how text messages and videos, and all that, they all have a certain space that they take up when you send them," said girl scout Jill Brigham.
"We're striving to get the kids to know that there's something different, that they can be our future, they can be our innovators, they can be our creators," said Michelle Black of Time Warner Cable.
Sounds like a pretty awesome program! Do you think girls will someday lead the way in STEM fields?
In Illinois, The Chicago Tribune reports that The Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana annual event celebrated the achievements of leaders from the civic and corporate community and the impact they have on today’s girls. The annual Girl Scout Leadership and Innovation Awards: A Tribute to Achievement event was held on Monday, March 7, in Chicago. The event, which raised nearly $500,000, funds programming that prepares girls for careers in science, technology, engineering, math, environmental sciences, entrepreneurship, healthy living, arts, culture and global awareness.
Similarly, The Detroit News reports that more than 400 people came out to support the Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan at the organization's annual Cookie Gala, where 13 chefs from some of Metro Detroit's finest restaurants served dessert creations with Girl Scout cookies as the main ingredient. For the past several years, WXYZ-TV (Channel 7) news anchor Glenda Lewis has been mistress of ceremonies and dubbed "Cookie Diva."A highlight of the program was the introduction of Kyla Wright, a 14-year-old Cadette Scout from Detroit Troop 40393.A devoted Girl Scout for 81/2 years, Wright has been a consistent top cookie seller, topping 3,000 boxes in 2010. Tickets to the gala, which was co-chaired by Maggie Allesee and Irma Elder, started at $65, with proceeds supporting Girl Scout activities for the more than 30,000 girls in the Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan's eight-county jurisdiction. More than $80,000 was raised at the gala.
Fundraising is a huge aspect of success in the nonprofit world. Do you have any fundraising success stories to share?
In Farmington, NM, my hometown, thousands of thin mints, caramel delights and other classic cookies are bound for war zones around the world. The Daily Times reports that San Juan County Girl Scouts participated in a Four Corners fundraiser that has gained considerable momentum in recent years, said Megan Saiz, the membership coordinator for San Juan County Girl Scouts. While selling their cookies, the Girl Scouts offered customers a chance to buy an additional $3.50 box of cookies to be mailed to local soldiers who are serving overseas.
Girl Scout Cookies were sold from January 15 through March 27 this year. In that time, county residents purchased 1,786 boxes for troops overseas, Saiz said. That's $6,251 worth of cookies.
Dozens of local Girl Scouts recently packed their cookies into a gift for a soldier. "People buy cookies to support the Girl Scouts," said Girl Scout Aiyana Austin, a 9-year-old third-grader at Central Primary, "and maybe make a soldier happy because they don't get any Girl Scout Cookies from home."
Do you have a similar program in your Girl Scout Council?
