Troop 607 in Service Unit 13, enjoyed earning the Junior Geocaching badge so much, that they decided to make it a part of their Bronze Award Project. The second year Juniors, created and followed a budget. They had to choose which GPS units would be easy to use for girls of all ages, learn how to effectively use those units to issue directions for other girls, decide what kind of geocaches to place and where to place them.
Then came the fun part! The girls created swaps to share in one of the geocaches and placed the geocaches at Sky High Ranch.
The 2nd year Juniors can’t wait to have troops that go to Sky High learn how much fun geocaching can be.
This story was submitted via the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too.
Girl Scout Troop 3573 chose to help Alzheimer’s patients as their Bronze Award project. Several of the girls had personal experiences with family members with the disease. The girls had planned to make scrapbooks for the residents of the Alzheimer’s center but when they visited the center they noticed that the patients were cold. Even though the center was quite warm the residents were wearing sweaters and coats. Older people can feel cold easily. They often have little body fat or take medications that can lower their body temperature. The girls worked together to make 35 fleece blankets for the patients. They visited the center as often as they could. They also brought cookies, sang songs and made friends. They were able to complete this project through teamwork, using their cookie money and donations. Thank you to everyone who supported them on their journey to make the world a better place!
This story was submitted via the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too.
What an evening we had in Highlands Ranch at St. Andrew United Methodist Church on Monday, April 29th, as we honored some of the 1,000 Colorado Girl Scouts who earned one of the Highest Awards in Girl Scouts in 2013.
One of the most inspirational moments of the evening for me was seeing several Gold Awardees (Kelsey Coker, Juliana Burton and Ellie Wroble) who I have known since I started working at Girl Scouts in 2004. I was also very touched by the speech given by Kim Crawford, with help from her older sister Cassidy. I’ve gotten to know Kim, who is developmentally delayed, and her family over the last couple of months as we’ve shared her Gold Award and Girl Scout story. Her spirit for Girl Scouts and her Gold Award project touches my heart! Seeing the leadership that all of these girls have gained through the Girl Scout Leadership Experience reminds me that this organization’s work makes a big difference. And I’m very proud to be part of this movement, both as a staff member and Girl Scout alumna (and proud Gold and Silver Award recipient too :)).
The best way to capture the essence of the evening is to view the photos (link above) and video (see below) we took at the event. Also, be sure to check out the 2013 Celebration Program, and vote for your favorite Gold Award project on our blog .
Congratulations to our 2013 Highest Award recipients! You are an inspiration to us all!
Media coverage on our Gold Awardees (as of 4/30/13):
Giving back to those who have sacrificed so much for our country during their time of need was on the minds and in the hearts of six members of 5th grade Girl Scout Troop 2510 this holiday season. The Wheat Ridge girls chose to help homeless veterans in Denver to earn their Bronze Award, the highest award Girl Scout Juniors can earn.
The girls learned about the homeless veteran population in the Denver area and went out into the community to see overnight shelters and day shelters. They saw permanent housing programs for homeless veterans and learned that there are solutions to homelessness. The majority of homeless veterans are single men who suffer from mental illness or alcohol and/or substance abuse. About one-third of the adult homeless population are veterans. Nearly half of homeless veterans served during the Vietnam era. Many more veterans are considered at risk of homelessness due to poverty, lack of support networks, and dismal living conditions in overcrowded or substandard housing.
The Girl Scouts took action by holding a warm clothing drive at Prospect Valley Elementary School to collect hundreds of jackets, hats, gloves, sweatshirts, socks and shoes. They also created 27 care packages for homeless veterans that included toiletries, warm items, basic food items, candy and handmade cards expressing support and thanks. All items were distributed through the Community Resource and Referral Center in the VA’s Health Care for Homeless Veteran’s program. The Girl Scouts who learned about this important social issue and made a difference are Hannah F., Makayla K., Julia R., Daisy S., Julia T. and Kaylin V.
Twenty-five Western Slope Girl Scouts were joined by their families to celebrate the completion of their Bronze, Silver and Gold Award projects at Allen Unique Autos, in Grand Junction, on Nov. 5.
Girls were pinned by their parents and then enjoyed cake, punch and a tour of the auto museum. Girl Scouts of Colorado congratulates all the Girl Scouts who received this distinguished award. We also thank Tammy Allen for allowing us to use her unique venue.
You may or may not remember the story, but back in 2004, a group of Girl Scout Juniors from Lakewood, who were working to earn their Girl Scout Bronze Award, helped designate Yule Marble as Colorado’s State Rock.
One of the most powerful lessons the girls learned is that you can make a difference, no matter your age. Now Girl Scout alumnae, these young women recently looked back on their journey in a video produced by the Colorado Channel of Open Media Foundation.
The gorgeous El Pomar Foundation’s Penrose House Garden Pavilion in Colorado Springs was the setting for the final Girl Scouts of Colorado Highest Awards event on Thursday evening, May 31st. Three hundred and fifty guests gathered to honor some of the more than 1,000 Girl Scouts from throughout Colorado who earned one of Girl Scouts’ Highest Awards (known as the Bronze, Silver or Gold Awards) during the 2011/2012 program.
And also take a minute to check out the Celebration Program from the event on our website. You will surely be inspired by what our Girl Scouts who have earned our top honor, the Gold Award, have done! If you find a favorite project, vote for it on our blog here*, and share it with your friends on social media to spread the word on how Girl Scouts are making a difference!
*If you can’t find your favorite project on the list on the first page, look for the link at the bottom of the page to be routed to further honoree stories. Once you find the one you want, click on the link, and look for the stars at the top of the page to vote.
For their Bronze Award project, Junior Troop 256 built a potter’s bench for Jennifer, a woman they met who was left a quadriplegic (she has limited use of her arms and hands) after an unfortunate diving accident nearly three years ago. Through a very honest and open conversation with Jennifer, the girls learned that one thing she misses a lot is gardening. They were determined to do something to make her life a little nicer. With the help of Eric Orton (the troop leader’s husband), the girls learned many new skills. They made every cut, every drill hole, and every measure. They chiseled, sanded and varnished. They learned how to use a miter saw provided by MiterSawCorner.com, jigsaw, table saw and power drill. They also learned how to use a wood burning tool and they each initialed the bench. They learned how to use these devises safely and used every precaution to keep injury from happening. They finished the project with only one minor injury and all digits left in place!
It is a sturdy bench made out of recycled fencing. They made a sliding shelf that holds a container for her dirt. They made different sized templates for various sized pots so Jennifer doesn’t have to try to hold the pot steady, it’s held in place for her. They worked in shifts for three weeks (64 girl hours) to finish the project and had the distinct pleasure of presenting the bench to Jennifer at their annual Court of Awards ceremony in May.
“It was amazing to see the girls leave their comfort zone and successfully learn many new and scary skills. They all lead very busy lives, but each one found the time and dedication to build this bench. They kept Jennifer in the forefront of their mind and each one was pleased at the prospect of bringing a little joy to this woman’s life,” said Cindy Orton, their troop leader.
At the Award Ceremony, each girl was asked to speak about one thing she learned over the course of the project. One of the most profound answers came from Sophie…”I learned that you have to be a pretty amazing woman to break your neck, nearly die, end up in a wheelchair and still hold your head up high!”
The bench was delivered and Jennifer has already potted several flowers.
[slideshow] Submitted by Erica Crosby Denver, Colorado
On Earth Day (April 22 2012), Girl Scout Troop 667 in the Park Hill neighborhood of Denver, planted 1,000 trees at the reclaimed Druid Mine near Central City. Sixteen girls in 4th and 5th grade planted the Bristle Cone Pine, Colorado Spruce and the Limber Pine. They planted these trees to earn the Girl Scout Bronze Award. The Girl Scout Bronze Award is the highest award that a junior Girl Scout can earn. The Druid Mine is within a watershed with mine waste everywhere. The trees they planted where tiny little saplings, barely visible to see from afar. The Girl Scouts hope that many of the trees will grow, despite the dry, rocky climate with little rain for the trees to feed on. Hopefully many of the trees will grow to tall, healthy trees.
Written by Emily Turner, a Girl Scout from Troop 667
This story was submitted via the Share Your Stories link. You can share your Girl Scout moments too.
We are the Juniors of Troop 2173 and we are finishing our project for our Bronze Award. Originally, we tried to put together an event where other troops in our Service Unit were to invite non-Girl Scout buddies to come and experience what Girl Scouting is all about. We had planned a craft, songs and games, cooking and even some theater. We presented our activity at a Service Unit meeting and handed out fliers, but sadly not a single troop signed up. The event was to take place on May 19, 2012.
We have now come up with a Plan B. Since our project was about promoting Girl Scouting, we have made a commercial instead. We wrote the script, filmed and edited it and now we are sharing it with all of you! Girl Scouting mean a lot to us and we want other girls to experience this too.