Drawing on the strength of Girl Scouting

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Katarina (center) in the orange hat

Camping. Selling cookies. Helping the community. Building lifelong friends. Learning compassion and respect for others. Never giving up. This is how Colorado Springs Girl Scout Katarina Lucardie, 11, from Troop 4043 describes her Girl Scout experience.

Katarina joined Girl Scouts four years ago as a Girl Scout Brownie, and she is now a Girl Scout Cadette.  Her mother, Carmela Aranda, is the co-leader of her troop.

And, recently, it is the strength she has found in her Girl Scouting experience, particularly the friendships she has made, that has helped her find the courage to reveal something many didn’t know about her.

Katarina was born with an autoimmune disease, Alopecia Areata, that causes hair loss. Several years ago the condition worsened to the point Katarina went bald and had started wearing a wig.

As Katarina coped with this new reality, her Girl Scout sisters were right by her side, supporting and encouraging her every step of the way.

“Girl Scouts will help you through hard times, and you will always have a friend in Girl Scouts,” said Katarina.

About a month ago Katarina decided she wanted to stop wearing her wig to school, Skyview Middle School. She worked with administrators, and just before Thanksgiving, put together a touching video which was played at a school assembly to explain her disease and reveal her condition.

“The Girl Scout Law has helped me greatly in learning how to deal with people, especially to be courageous and strong,” said Katarina. “Each part of the Girl Scout Law applies to me, my condition and now in my situation in telling the truth to my classmates.”

Three of Katarina’s Girl Scout sisters have been so inspired by her story that they have donated some of their hair to Locks of Love in her honor.

Katarina’s mother and Girl Scout troop co-leader, Carmela, couldn’t be prouder of her daughter. As a child, Carmela lost her hearing after suffering a severe ear infection and was routinely alienated by her peers.

“Katarina has grown up with deaf parents and has developed a caring and compassionate nature for other people, and being part of Girl Scouts has just expanded on that,” said Carmela. “I was a (Girl Scout) Brownie myself growing up, and I wanted the same positive experience for Katarina. It has been a wonderful and fun experience volunteering for Katarina’s troop, and worth all the hard work! I believe that Girl Scouts is a wonderful organization to be part of, and both Katarina and I have met so many caring people and made our best friends through Girl Scouts.”

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Katarina and her Girl Scout troop

Support Girl Scouts of Colorado on Colorado Gives Day 2013

When you support Girl Scouts of Colorado, you support girls like Katarina in helping them find their courage, confidence and character. Make a donation to Girl Scouts of Colorado for Colorado Gives Day 2013 on Dec. 10th. Donations can be made at any time up until Dec. 10th, and will be increased by the FirstBank Incentive Fund. Thank you in advance for your support!

Congratulations to the Silver Award Recipients October – November 2013 & Prior

Silver AwardAll of the Colorado Girl Scouts who have achieved Girl Scouts Highest Awards this year have done amazing things! With your accomplishments, you have shown yourselves to be leaders in your community and advocates for others. Girl Scouts of Colorado is very proud of you all and the example you set!

Individual or combined Service Units are encouraged to plan celebrations honoring the highest awards recipients. Please contact your local Program Support Specialist for additional support.

Silver Award Recipients Oct – Nov 2013 & Prior

Troop11804 – Grand Junction
Mira Mercier
Troop43496 – Colorado Springs
Ashley Emmons
Cora Ferguson
Natalie Brown
Troop51166 – Denver
Helen Threlkeld
Maura Turner
Sara Francone
Zoe Haller
Troop51427 – Lakewood
Eilish Brennan
Madeline Melton
Rachel Zekowski
Troop60182 – Parker
Alyssa Schmidt
Ashley Wright
Catherine Schifano
Clare Weisiger
Grace LaClaire
Kathryn Conrad
Kelli Maroney
Oksana Alvarez
Sofia Gratton
Troop70480 – Longmont
Avery Haskins
Troop73830 – Firestone
Anastacia Lowe
Anna Weingartner
Kathryn Holbrook
Troop83334 – Fort Morgan
Abigail Harman
Akela Ratcliffe
Mikayla Klimper
Shanna Schnegelberger

Congratulations to the Bronze Award Recipients from October – November 2013 & Prior!

Bronze_Award_Starburst_HRAll of the Colorado Girl Scouts who have achieved Girl Scouts Highest Awards this year have done amazing things! With your accomplishments, you have shown yourselves to be leaders in your community and advocates for others. Girl Scouts of Colorado is very proud of you all and the example you set!

Individual or combined Service Units are encouraged to plan celebrations honoring the highest awards recipients. Please contact your local Program Support Specialist for additional support.

Bronze Award Recipients Oct – Nov 2013 & Prior

Troop40921 – Colorado Springs
Meranda Remick
Miriah Remick
Troop43479 – Colorado Springs
Erin Kofahl
Hannah Pompeii
Troop43496 – Colorado Springs
Skyler Lorash
Sophia Witt
Tyanna Guitierrez
Troop53435 – Denver
Emilee Burke
Madelyn Morris
Troop54370 – Denver
Bethany Mekonnen
Cherysh Williams
Hannah Chavez
Julia Mcgee
Kya Yeast
Kylee Schadegg
Madisson Danner
Troop62804 – Aurora
Alyssa Burks
Troop63240 – Highlands Ranch
Abby Hoerler
Ashleigh Willette
Graycelin Hare
Jennifer Thompson
Makenna Butts
Troop64145 – Centennial
Alyssa Korte
Arwen Graham
Ashlynn Raymond
Christa Ohlgren
Courntey Menefee
Destiny Levin
Emma Donovan
Emma Harma
Emma Korte
Macie Carson
Mia Hulac
Rachel Mazotti
Troop71290 – Fort Collins
Elizabeth Priebe
Troop83334 – Fort Morgan
Hope Huffman
Jamie Ketcham
Marissa Cervantes

Girl Scout Gold Award Project: Caitlyn Fitch, Northglenn, “Kicks for Confidence”

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Caitlyn Fitch
Northglenn
Fairview High School
Kicks for Confidence

What did you do for your Gold Award project?

I taught self-defense classes for girls and boys between the ages of 6 and 18 to promote the value of confidence in everyday life. I also posted self-defense videos online so that they can be accessed by everyone who is interested.

Why did you pursue this Gold Award project?

I have always been astounded by the number of people who are hurt because they are unaware of how they can protect themselves. Low confidence is one of the top reasons why people find themselves in dangerous situations.

How did your Gold Award project make a difference?

I feel as though people who know how to protect themselves will be far more confident than those who aren’t and will help to eliminate as many problems as we can.

What skills did you gain through earning your Gold Award?

I gained the confidence I needed to improve my public speaking and I also gained more knowledge about techniques to use to defend myself.

What will you most remember about your Gold Award project?

Watching as the people I taught turned around and were able to protect themselves afterwards. Also the laughs and smiles that they all shared during the class.

How will earning your Gold Award help you in your future?

Working with people has become easier now that I have put myself into an unusual situation and now I get along better with people in general.

Why do you feel the Gold Award is an important part of your Girl Scout experience?

It enabled me to use many of the skills I have learned and perfected over my years as a Girl Scout to make a difference in at least a few lives.

Girl Scouts make a global difference

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On Saturday, Nov. 16, more than 300 Colorado Girl Scouts gathered at Children’s Hospital Colorado in Aurora to assemble medical kits for families in need in Guatemala.

Girl Scouts of Colorado partnered with Project C.U.R.E. on this event. All participants brought items, such as antibiotic ointment, bandages, lice shampoo, scissors and toothbrushes, for the Kits of Kids or Infant Cure Kits that they assembled at the event. The group assembled more than 600 kits, which will now travel with doctors and nurses from Children’s Hospital Colorado to Guatemala to fulfill local medical needs.

To help the Girl Scouts understand the medical needs and challenges facing families in Guatemala, participants also took part in some hands-on activities at the event, including learning more about water filtration and clean water, basic first aid, the importance of hand washing and proper nutrition. This event fulfilled the requirements for Girl Scouts to earn the Girl Scout Global Action Award. Each Girl Scout who completes the Global Action Award joins the international movement through the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts of 10 million girls who together are sowing the seeds of social change.

This event had been planned well in advance of the devastation in the Philippines due to Typhoon Haiyan. But the concepts taught to the Girl Scouts through this event helped them understand how they can be engaged and responsible global citizens. Girl Scouts is proud to help the United Nations to reach their Millennium Development Goals for reducing world poverty and making an impact on major world concerns.

For more information on Girl Scouts of Colorado, visit www.girlscoutsofcolorado.org. There is still time to sign up a girl in your life between K-12 grade to be a part of Girl Scouts and be part of the annual Girl Scout Cookie Program. Volunteers are also needed to serve as troop leaders and help out at events. Both men and women over the age of 18 who want to make a difference in the life of a girl are encouraged to get involved as a Girl Scout volunteer.

Article in YourHub/Denver Post Denver and Aurora

Aurora Channel 8 covered the event for their 11/19 newscast (see the 13 minute mark of the video below):

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Girl Scouts honor Highest Awards recipients on the Western Slope

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On Friday, Nov. 8th, Allen Unique Autos graciously hosted the Western Slope Girl Scouts Highest Awards Ceremony. This event celebrated girls receiving one of Girl Scouts’ Highest Awards, or the Bronze, Silver or Gold Award, in the 2012-2013 membership year. With their friends and family in attendance, 41 girls received awards from area Girl Scouts of Colorado Board Member Shauna Shafer. Also in attendance and showing their support for Girl Scouting were 2013 Girl Scouts Women of Distinction from the Western Slope, Lois Dunn and Elisabeth Boyd. Keynote speaker was former Girl Scout and area Attorney Catherine Norton-Breman, who inspired the girls with stories about how the courage she learned in Girl Scouts helped her succeed in the business world.

Annamarie Pritt from Rifle was the sole Girl Scout in attendance who received the highest award in Girl Scouts, the Gold Award. For her project she created a camp for girls between the ages 11 and 16 to learn wilderness survival skills, self-confidence and leadership skills.

KJCT and KKCO TV from Grand Junction did a story on the event

Colorado Girl Scouts help Katie Couric collect 5,000 coats

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Girl Scouts from all over the state teamed up with the crew from The Katie Show for Katie’s Challenge for Change to collect an amazing 5,000 coats for 7News and Dependable Cleaners’ Coats for Colorado drive. Denver was one of five cities Katie Couric chose to bring her challenge to, and we were thrilled that our famous alum wanted to partner with Girl Scouts of Colorado to make her challenge happen.

Troop 4394 from Loveland and Troop 2510 from Wheat Ridge helped at the Colorado Avalanche’s coat drive at the Pepsi Center on Friday, Nov. 8 before the hockey game. The Loveland girls were no strangers to coat drives, having just led a drive at their school for coats and household items to benefit the victims of the September flooding in Colorado. Third-grader Annika Thayer told me that many families from their school had their homes lost or damaged, and they felt badly for them and really wanted to help.

On Saturday, Nov. 9, the drive picked up again at the Highlands Ranch Town Centre and the Belmar Shopping Center in Lakewood. Troops 3894, 3895, 1369, 2131 and 4394 collected at the Belmar site and celebrated as Dependable Cleaners revealed that 4,600 coats had been donated and Old Navy donated another 500 new kids coats to put the drive over the 5,000 goal set by Katie’s Challenge for Change.

The Girl Scouts had a great time at the Pepsi Center and Belmar with Katie Couric’s special correspondent Cameron Hughes, who interviewed them for the show, got them even more excited about Coats for Colorado and even played some Girl Scout games with them. The Katie Show featuring Girl Scouts of Colorado will air on ABC at 3 p.m. on Nov. 19, so be sure to see our amazing girls being recognized for helping to make the world a better place!

Colorado Springs Service Center under contract

As we have communicated in recent months, one way Girl Scouts of Colorado is becoming more efficient on a smaller budget is to focus our resources on people instead of property. We have good news to share — we have a contract to sell the Colorado Springs Service Center. We plan to better serve our members in the Pikes Peak area by locating and securing new office space that is more in line with our needs:

  • In a more centrally-located area
  • With better access to staff for members
  • To reduce expenses so more resources can go toward service to girls

The move is expected to happen in late January. This philosophy of people over property is driving action statewide. We have sublet part of our Fort Collins Service Center. Our Durango Service Center has closed and moved to a direct-service model. We are pursuing options for creative office space use in Pueblo. We are also exploring options for a smaller, more affordable space for the Denver Service Center.

We want to assure our members that we are 100 percent committed to excellent service in the Pikes Peak area and throughout Colorado. Our staff will be more in touch with volunteers, and we have set standards for improved response times. The online ordering of merchandise from GSUSA is working well statewide, especially taking advantage of special free shipping opportunities. In addition, we have weekly merchandise deliveries to Colorado Springs and mobile shops at major events. We thank you for your patience as we transition to a leaner, grassroots council.

Girl Scout Gold Award Project: Annamarie Pritt, Rifle, “Wilderness Survival Camp”

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Annamarie Pritt
Rifle
Rifle High School
Wilderness Survival Camp

What did you do for your Gold Award project?

For my Gold Award project I created a camp for girls between the ages 11 and 16 to learn wilderness survival skills, self-confidence and leadership skills. The camp ran for two days and one night. The girls learned the skills mentioned above and much more.

Why did you pursue this Gold Award project?

I pursued this Gold Award project because I believe that every girl should be self-reliant and have leadership skills in order for them to have a better future.

How did your Gold Award project make a difference?

My Gold Award project made a huge difference in the girls who came to the camp. They learned new leadership skill and they learned how to be confident.

What skills did you gain through earning your Gold Award?

I learned how to be a better leader and a better listener. Each girl learned a little differently and I had to conform to their needs in order for them to learn.

What will you most remember about your Gold Award project?

I will always remember Alice. She was very shy and timid, but by the end of the camp she was outgoing. She gave me the wilderness name of “Golden Eagle.” She explained to me that I was a strong leader and I had just earned my Gold Award, hence the name Golden Eagle. I will remember all the girls. They all made a lasting impression on my heart.

How will earning your Gold Award help you in your future?

By earning my Gold Award it has given me more confidence and leadership skills. Both of these will prove to be helpful in my future by making me a stronger woman and a more efficient leader.

Why do you feel the Gold Award is an important part of your Girl Scout experience?

The Gold Award is a very important part of Girl Scouting. Every girl should earn their Gold Award. It is such a good experience and makes you a better leader. It is a huge accomplishment and it is very rewarding.

Girl Scout Gold Award Project: Josephine Natrasevschi, Fort Collins, “Protect Yourself”

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Josephine Natrasevschi
Fort Collins
Fort Collins High School
Protect Yourself

What did you do for your Gold Award project?

My Girl Scout Gold Award project “Protect Yourself” became very real. “Protect Yourself” is a program I developed to teach young women to defend themselves against sexual assault with fighting methods and strategic thinking. I researched, trained and developed a class that teaches how to defend against sexual assault, blogged (http://protecty0urself.wordpress.com/), taught students and trained teachers. I identified a community issue, sexual assault, and decided to make a difference both locally and globally.  I dove head first into teaching anyone I could. I taught people at Fossil Ridge High School, Girls State in Gunnison CO, at the National Youth Leadership Forum of Medicine in Boston to my group the Nightingales, at Brown University to my floor in the dorms, and students and teachers at Fort Collins High School. After participants finish the class they gain basic self-defense skills as well as strategic thinking methods that will aid in surviving an assault. Through participating in the project many find themselves with confidence, which previously they were lacking. This project also provided information about sexual assault and what to watch out for when traveling alone or in a group so as to avoid being assaulted. To date I have 310 hours on my project effecting more than 4,900 people and counting, and ending the cycle of violence one class at a time.

Why did you pursue this Gold Award project?

I had been inspired to tackle this issue due to family members and friends being sexual assaulted and the exponential amount of victims. I had naively believed that teaching a few classes would somehow halt the progressive increase in victims but sadly that was not the case. The realization that I had not prevented anything came when my sister fell victim to a man who believed his sexual urges outweighed the well-being of a child who was just starting her life. Fueled by the disappointment I had in myself and the desperate need to prevent sexual assault I began integrating my program into the Poudre School District. This allowed me to reach and instruct a wider audience as quickly as possible.

How did your Gold Award project make a difference?

After participants finish the class they gain basic self-defense skills as well as strategic thinking methods that will aid in surviving an assault. Through participating in the project many find themselves with confidence, which previously they were lacking. This project also provided information about sexual assault and what to watch out for when traveling alone or in a group as to avoid being assaulted. It will be self-sustained program after graduation with teachers who have undergone training in order to continue on without me.

What skills did you gain through earning your Gold Award?

I learned I could do something special and that I could change the world. I am most proud of the fact that whoever is touched by this project will be more prepared to take on the world head on. They will be less hindered by the fears that come with living alone or walking the streets at night because of the information that they learned by taking the class. I have taught them to be safe and know that they are safer just by taking my class. I developed healthy relationships of trust and respect between myself and those I taught. I have learned how to teach, speak and communicate effectively.

What will you most remember about your Gold Award project?

Throughout my project I felt empowered to make a difference in the world and I acted on that empowerment by educating as many as I could about sexual assault and self-defense. I developed a deep connection to my community, locally and globally, by teaching the class to those who live as close as Fort Collins and as far as China. I identified a community issue, sexual assault, and decided to make a difference both locally and globally by developing a class and blogging. I made a difference because I acted. I did not sweep it under the rug or cover up the shame. I tried to solve the problem through positive actions.

How will earning your Gold Award help you in your future?

My Gold Award project shows how passionate and dedicated I am through the hundreds of hours in commitment. I followed through adversity, exhaustion and the sheer craziness of my life; let alone senior year of high school. I believe my project will show the caring, compassionate adults Girl Scouts has helped mold. I believe this makes me stand out. I am more than a number or a formula. I do not give up when the going gets tough. I follow through, and am ready to lead the way.

Why do you feel the Gold Award is an important part of your Girl Scout experience?

Dr. Peter J. Jannetta said, “Success is giving more than taking”. I whole heatedly believe this and live by that rule in my life. The most meaningful commitment I have taken on has been community service with my Girl Scout Gold Award project. It has opened my eyes and transitioned me from child to adult. My Gold Award, “Protect Yourself”, has helped shape me into the adult I want to be.

Girl Scouts of Colorado