Sarasota County resident and Venice High School student Madison Campbell earned Girl Scouting’s highest honor—the Gold Award—with her project titled Bee Aware.

For her Gold Award, Madison focused on the topic of bee endangerment and how people can make changes in their everyday lives to help the pollination crisis. She interviewed apiarists and plant experts, toured nurseries and hives, and presented her findings at the downtown Venice farmers market. Madison collected signatures of people who pledge to be a bee advocate, sold honey in benefit of a local beekeeper, and passed out kits to children so they can become honey bee gardeners at home.

“I learned how to be more confident in what I have to say, schedule my time better, and be more willing to ask for help.”

The Girl Scout Gold Award, open to high school Girl Scouts, recognizes girls who demonstrate extraordinary leadership through take-action projects with sustainable impact in their communities. The Gold Award is so prestigious that some universities and colleges offer scholarships unique to Gold Award Girl Scouts, and girls who enlist in the U.S. Armed Forces may receive advanced rank in recognition of their achievements.

Congratulations, Madison!

Did you notice girls zooming around Young Women of Distinction in lime green shirts? If so, you spotted a Media Marvel! What are Media Marvels, you ask?

Media Marvels is a program series offered to Girl Scout Cadettes, Seniors, and Ambassadors who have an interest in broadcast, print, or digital media and want hands-on learning experiences. Media Marvels have exclusive access to external media opportunities, such as appearances on television and radio, magazine photoshoots, and interviews with newspaper journalists as well as workshops to learn what it’s like to be behind the camera, write news stories, and capture professional photos.

On Sunday, May 19, Media Marvels were deployed to interview their sister Girl Scouts at two prime locations. One interview station featured Media Marvels Allison C. on the microphone and Faith H. behind the camera. They brought girls and volunteers on stage to answer questions about their Girl Scout experiences in front of a massive Media Marvels backdrop.

The second interview station, called the Gold Award Meet & Greet, highlighted the hard work and incredible projects of our 2019 Gold Award Girl Scouts. Here you could find Media Marvels Brittanie W. videotaping, and talk-show host Pepper R. asking thought-provoking questions.

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Some other Media Marvels featured on stage were Gabriella S., one of our three emcees, and two of our Gold Award Girl Scouts, Madison C. and Emily M.

Interested in being a part of the Media Marvels program? We always look forward to growing the program and now is the best time to join! We have two events coming up that are exclusive to current Media Marvels and those interested in joining the program. Girls must agree to a minimum one-year participation commitment. For questions, please email mediamarvels@gsgcf.org.

Media Marvels Safari Photography Workshop: Thursday, June 20 @ Camp Caloosa from 1:00-4:00 p.m.

Media Marvels Portrait and Object Photography Workshop: Friday, July 19 @ Gulfcoast Event and Conference Center from 1:00-4:00 p.m.

Charlotte County resident and Lemon Bay High School graduate Caleigh Cabral earned Girl Scouting’s highest honor—the Gold Award—with her project titled Comfort for Cancer Warriors.

Caleigh completed her Gold Award in honor of her grandpa, who she lost four years ago to cancer. With treatment rooms being kept so cold, she realized cancer warriors needed lap blankets to keep warm. Caleigh taught the members of the Lemon Bay High School Key Club how to make the blankets and arranged for the Englewood Area Cancer Foundation to be the ongoing recipient. Through her community presentations and online presence, she’s reached people as far as Rhode Island who want to help.

“My Gold Award taught me that a good leader listens to other people’s ideas and then works together to make them a reality.”

The Girl Scout Gold Award, open to high school Girl Scouts, recognizes girls who demonstrate extraordinary leadership through take-action projects with sustainable impact in their communities. The Gold Award is so prestigious that some universities and colleges offer scholarships unique to Gold Award Girl Scouts, and girls who enlist in the U.S. Armed Forces may receive advanced rank in recognition of their achievements.

Congratulations, Caleigh!

Collier County resident and Seacrest Country Day student Saffron Buxton earned Girl Scouting’s highest honor—the Gold Award—with her project titled Canine Comforters.

Inspired by her passion for rescue dogs, Saffron partnered with Humane Society Naples to tackle the issue of overcrowding in shelters. Her goal was two-fold: educate the community about the importance of successful adoption and improve the dogs’ overall experience. Saffron collected fabric and taught classes on how to craft K-9 security blankets, created resources for new pet parents, and hosted informational workshops for teens and special needs groups.

“Because of my Gold Award I have become more confident. It certainly helped that I believed in my cause because it gave me the courage to keep going.”

The Girl Scout Gold Award, open to high school Girl Scouts, recognizes girls who demonstrate extraordinary leadership through take-action projects with sustainable impact in their communities. The Gold Award is so prestigious that some universities and colleges offer scholarships unique to Gold Award Girl Scouts, and girls who enlist in the U.S. Armed Forces may receive advanced rank in recognition of their achievements.

Congratulations, Saffron!

Manatee County resident and Braden River High School graduate Hannah Arduini earned Girl Scouting’s highest honor—the Gold Award—with her project titled Nourishing Nature.

Hannah, a champion for nature, filmed a public service announcement broadcasting the negative effects of pollution and human impact on our environment, most recently manifesting as Red Tide. Leading by example, Hannah conducted local beach and lake clean-ups. She collected footage around the U.S. and interviewed officers of her school’s Environmental Club to share ways we can reduce our carbon footprint and all be stewards of the earth.

“My leadership skills have blossomed from my Gold Award project. I am truly grateful for this opportunity and am excited for what the future holds.”

The Girl Scout Gold Award, open to high school Girl Scouts, recognizes girls who demonstrate extraordinary leadership through take-action projects with sustainable impact in their communities. The Gold Award is so prestigious that some universities and colleges offer scholarships unique to Gold Award Girl Scouts, and girls who enlist in the U.S. Armed Forces may receive advanced rank in recognition of their achievements.

Congratulations, Hannah!

Girl Scouts is excited to celebrate the 49th anniversary of Earth Day! This year marks 107 years of Girl Scouts’ blazing the trail of girl leadership in the outdoors, providing countless opportunities to explore, learn about our planet, and access resources to learn how to protect it.

From learning to care for our planet to minimizing our ecological impact outdoors to advocating for nature, Girl Scouts of all ages become stewards of our precious environment.

For instance, in the It’s Your Planet—Love It! Leadership Journey, girls learn about environmental topics, such as clean water and air, noise pollution, global warming, soil contamination, and agricultural processes. Each Journey is packed with current environmental information and offers ways to improve life for everyone on the planet.

Environmental Stewardship badge offerings for girls in grades K–12 encourage girls to prepare for outdoor experiences and take action on environmental issues they care about. Although Girl Scouts have been advocating for the environment since the organization’s founding 107 years ago, these badges are the first to specifically mobilize girls to be environmental advocates who address problems, find solutions, and take the lead to protect the natural world.

At Girl Scouts, we believe that we all have a role and responsibility to take action to create a more sustainable future for our earth. In honor of Earth Day, we’re encouraging every member and supporter to protect and preserve our planet for generations to come. Together we can:

• Educate and raise awareness about the importance of Earth Day. Making it a national holiday is one way. Stand with us and our partner The North Face by signing the Earth Day Petition here to make it happen!
• Support policies that protect broad groups of species as well as individual species and their habitats.
• Build and activate a global movement that embraces nature and its values.
• Encourage individual actions, such as recycling, conserving water, or reducing the amount of plastic we use.

Read on for a healthy dose of Girl Scout inspiration from leaders who are already doing great things for our planet.

Zoé

Silver Award Girl Scout Zoé quickly realized the problem that plastic bags pose to the environment. One day, during her trip to a grocery store, she watched how many plastic bags were being carried out to cars. She realized it was happening in her community and all over America. So, she started researching after she came back home and found that there are over 160,000 plastic bags used globally every second. She also learned that it takes 1,000 years for each bag to decompose. In true Girl Scout fashion, Zoé took action even though the state of Florida has made it against the law to ban single-use plastic bags or to tax their use. How? She created the Plastic Bag-Free Mount Dora campaign. Zoé decided that she could make a positive change despite the existing Florida law banning bag bans. Her goal was to make consumers more aware of positive choices with custom reusable shopping bags that highlight the businesses that voluntarily participate in a #PlasticBagFreeMountDora—way to go!

Learn more about Zoé’s project.

Rachel

Gold Award Girl Scout Rachel took on environmental action in a big way! For her Gold Award project, she cultivated more than 100 mangrove seedlings for an entire school year. Every Saturday she worked with her mom to clean and rid the sprouts of bugs as well as collect data. Rachel then teamed up with Florida International University to rehabilitate mangroves in Biscayne Bay and gathered volunteers from a local middle school to help plant the propagules she’d so patiently raised. This go-getter also organized a coastal cleanup and hosted an invasive species removal effort to make sure the newly planted mangroves had a safe ecosystem. It’s no surprise Rachel will be majoring in environmental science at Florida Atlantic University—we look forward to seeing this green blood’s green thumb continue to impact our environment for years to come!

Learn more about Rachel’s project.

Shelby

After volunteering at a local aquarium, Shelby was struck by the environmental issues facing our oceans—so she decided to take action. Jr Ocean Guardians was Shelby’s Girl Scout Gold Award project, allowing her to share her passion for saving our oceans and marine life. As part of her project, she and her Jr Ocean Guardian Ambassadors visit young schoolchildren and host beach cleanups to spread the word about alternatives to single-use plastics and the importance of recycling. Shelby also led a “No Straw November” push to increase awareness of the amount of disposable plastic straws discarded daily. Her efforts were so successful that the California Coastal Commission unanimously approved Shelby’s resolution by the same name.

Learn more about Shelby’s Jr Ocean Guardians.

There’s no age limit when it comes to making changes that positively impact the environment. If you or your girl is interested in taking civic action, G.I.R.L. Agenda Powered by Girl Scouts resources are available to help. Get started now!

Girl Scouts unleashes the G.I.R.L. (Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-taker, Leader)™ in every girl, preparing her for a lifetime of leadership.

Source: Celebrate Earth Day Like a Girl Scout—Easy Tips to Make a Difference TODAY!

Your Top Lifetime Membership Questions Answered!

April is Volunteer Appreciation Month—and what better way to say thanks to our dedicated volunteers than with a discounted lifetime membership for volunteers with ten or more years of service? We know you have questions about this exciting limited-time offer, and we’ve got answers!

What are the benefits of becoming a lifetime member? 
All Girl Scout lifetime members are eligible for a suite of benefits:

• You’ll stay connected with our new monthly alum and supporter enewsletter.
• Of your dues, $25 will automatically fund one year of Girl Scout membership for an underserved girl in your local council.
• Enjoy 10 percent off at Girl Scouts’ Official Online Shop by using a special code at checkout.
• You’ll be the first to know when the soon-to-be released official Girl Scout lifetime member scarf is available for purchase.
• You’ll get an invitation to join the national CEO call for lifetime members to hear updates on what’s going on across the Movement.
• As a lifetime member, you can enjoy a discount at the Edith Macy Conference Center in New York.
• A new lifetime membership pin, currently in production, will be available free of charge to anyone who signed up after October 1, 2017. Those eligible for a free pin will receive emailed instructions.

How do I take advantage of this limited-time offer and purchase my discounted lifetime membership? 
If you have been a member within the past five years, please upgrade through MyGS. If you have not been a member within the past five years, please visit www.girlscouts.org/lifetime.  The discounted lifetime membership will be available starting April 1, 2019, and end April 30, 2019, at 9:00 PM EST, so don’t wait!

Do years as a Girl Scout count toward the ten or more years of service? 
No. Years as a Girl Scout (Daisy, Brownie, Junior, Cadette, Senior, Ambassador, and Juliettes) do not count toward the ten years to qualify for the promotion. However, the ten years do not need to be consecutive and you do not need to be a current volunteer to qualify.

How can I gift a discounted lifetime membership to a dedicated volunteer in my life? 
To assist in processing the gift of lifetime membership, please provide the following details in an email to lifetime@girlscouts.org and someone will be in touch to finalize your purchase. Please submit your request no later than April 22, 2019, to allow for processing your request by April 30, 2019.

You: Name and Phone Number
Recipient:  Full Name , Maiden Name (if applicable) , Full Address , Email Address  Phone Number, Date of Birth 

Where do I purchase the new scarf? 
The new lifetime member scarf will be available in summer 2019. Stay tuned for updates.

Ready to take advantage of this amazing promotion and enroll as a lifetime member? Starting April 1, upgrade through MyGS or visit the lifetime membership website for all these benefits and more!

Labels: April Promotion, lifetime membership, LTM, Volunteer Appreciation Month

Girl Scouts unleashes the G.I.R.L. (Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-taker, Leader)™ in every girl, preparing her for a lifetime of leadership.

Source: Your Top Lifetime Membership Questions Answered!

by Katie Becker and Jessica Maxon-Berrier, United Way Suncoast

At United Way Suncoast, we fight for the education and financial stability of everyone in our community. One of the ways we do that is through mobilizing caring people in our community to volunteer. Volunteering not only helps build our communities, but helps to strengthen our character and challenges us to better understand how we can each make a difference. Joe Calinski, United Way Suncoast HandsOn volunteer leader, noted that “we really embodied the Girl Scout Law in the service projects at Camp Honi Hanta last month.”

Joe helped lead a team for United Way’s Day of Caring, a day when United Way Suncoast launches business teams across the region to give back to our community through direct volunteer service. We were proud to partner with Girl Scouts and brought large teams from Publix and other community organizations to give their time at Camp Honi Hanta on October 12. Several volunteers returned throughout the month to complete more technical projects. They spent several days rebuilding an ADA-accessible ramp, so that all our girls have a place that makes them courageous and strong. Volunteers also updated the paint in bath houses that will inspire girls to respect themselves and others by drawing in beauty and strength. As we are constantly asking ourselves how to make a friendly and helpful impact on our community, Day of Caring is one of our opportunities to be responsible for what we say and do and make the world a better place for the youth in our community.

As we continue to envision a future that is bright for our youth, may we always continue to help other people, to live by the Girl Scout Law, and Live United.

The Girl Scout Law:

I will do my best to be
    honest and fair,
friendly and helpful,
considerate and caring,
courageous and strong, and
responsible for what I say and do,
and to 
respect myself and others,
respect authority,
use resources wisely,
make the world a better place, and
be a sister to every Girl Scout.

Written by: Tim Holliday, Guest Blogger

From the corporate world, I’ve seen the “good-old-boy” network, but, as a dad with a daughter who has learned to be a Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-taker, and Leader, I can say without a doubt that the future belongs to G.I.R.L.s because of what they learn in Girl Scouts.  From starting entrepreneurs on their famous Girl Scout Cookie Program, to experiencing everything outdoors by camping at Camp Honi Hanta and other places, Girl Scouts provides an amazing program that is a safe place for girls, led by girls.   My daughter has been involved since she was small, and I am so happy to see her in an environment where girls can be comfortable with each other, as that is not often found in school and in other organizations and activities, especially through middle school and high school.  During this time, I’ve watched my daughter grow, flourish, and do some amazing things that include: work with local media through the Media Marvels program; represent the Gulfcoast council at the national convention as a national delegate; and coordinate two projects to benefit the community, resulting in her earning the Girl Scout Silver Award, and ultimately, the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award in Girl Scouting.  She has truly become a Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-taker, and Leader, and there are many others in the Girl Scout program like her. Watch out world, here come the G.I.R.L.s!

Tim Holliday

Proud Girl Scout Dad