Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida (GSGCF) welcomes Pamela Sennott as our new Development Manager, effective March 28.
A former Girl Scout and Sarasota native, Sennott has served in several development and communication roles with local nonprofits since obtaining her bachelor’s in social work (BSW) from University of South Florida in 2011. Before joining GSGCF, she served as the Fundraising and Communications Coordinator at Florida Cancer Specialists Foundation and Marketing and Communications Manager at Suncoast Humane Society.
“As a former Girl Scout, I’m thrilled to help further a movement that helps young women lead with courage, confidence, and character. I look forward to working with all stakeholders, past, present, and future, to ensure that we can meet the long-term funding needs and growth opportunities of our council.”
As Development Manager, Sennott will work with the CEO, Mary Anne Servian, to primarily help achieve plan, lead, and oversee GSGCF’s development strategy and oversee all fundraising efforts in pursuit of our mission and maximize its impact on the communities we serve across Manatee, Hardee, Highlands, Sarasota, DeSoto, Charlotte, Glades, Lee, Hendry, and Collier counties.
Twelve outstanding young women across Lee, Sarasota, and Manatee Counties dedicated over 80 hours each to attain the highest award in Girl Scouting, the Gold Award.
The Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida are proud to recognize twelve outstanding young women for earning the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest achievement in Girl Scouting. The Gold Award recognizes high school Girl Scouts who address issues they are passionate about by planning and implementing a project that produces lasting change in their communities and beyond.
Local Gold Award Girl Scouts and their projects include:
Abigail Dalesandro, North Fort Myers High School; Art Through Lee: Behind the Scenes and LOTHCAT Draws
Alexis Morrison, homeschooled in Sarasota; Mental Health Awareness
Alexis Smith, Lehigh Senior High School; Heart to Heart
Autumn Pepper Rhodes, Cypress Lake High School Center for the Arts; Girls Who Soar
Faith Chaney, Sarasota High School; Period’s Aren’t Taboo
Jainley Garcia, Oasis High School; Educating The Youth On Deforestation & Urbanization
Julia Sammons, Lakewood Ranch High School; Reading and the Mind
Madison Witherspoon, Riverview High School; L.F.A Program
Natasha Agarwal, Canterbury School Ft. Myers; PAGETURNER Digital Learning Library
Olivia Thorstad, Cypress Lake High School; Removing Barriers to Student Success
Tristan Blankenship, North Port High School; Tristan’s Blankets of Love
Victoria King, Bonita Springs High School; Volleyball for Confidence
The girls will be recognized for their achievements on Sunday, April 30th at the 3rd annual GSGCF Gold Award Celebration Luncheon at the Plantation Golf and Country Club in Venice, FL, where they will receive their Gold Awards and have the opportunity to speak about their projects to friends, family, and members of the Board of Directors of GSGCF. The girls will also be distinguished at GSGCF’s annual Young Women of Distinction Ceremony, which will be held this year on May 21st at the Charlotte Harbor Convention Center in Port Charlotte, FL.
“Gold Award Girl Scouts are the dreamers and doers who take ‘make the world a better place’ to the next level,” said GSGCF CEO Mary Anne Servian. “These girls tackled issues that are important to them and their communities, and we congratulate them on this momentous accomplishment.”
The Girl Scout Gold Award acknowledges the power behind each Gold Award Girl Scout’s dedication to not only empowering and bettering herself, but also to making the world a better place for others. Through earning the Gold Award, Girl Scouts become innovative problem solvers, empathetic leaders, confident public speakers, and focused project managers. They learn resourcefulness, tenacity, and decision-making skills, giving them an edge personally and professionally.
By earning their Gold Awards, these young women have distinguished themselves as true community leaders and change-makers who have made a meaningful and sustainable difference in the world. Their accomplishments reflect leadership and social responsibility that set them apart from their peers.
According to recent research, Gold Award Girl Scouts are more likely to fill leadership roles at work and in their personal lives and are more civically engaged than their non-Girl Scout peers. Eighty-five percent of Gold Award Girl Scouts say that earning their Gold Award gave them skills to succeed in their daily lives, and eighty-seven percent say it gave them skills to help them succeed professionally.
As a bonus, the Gold Award opens doors to a variety of scholarships, preferred admission tracks for college, strong networking and amazing career opportunities, and much more. About 4,000 Girl Scouts earn their Gold Award every year, placing Abigail Dalesandro, Alexis Morrison, Alexis Smith, Autumn Pepper Rhodes, Faith Chaney, Jainley Garcia, Julia Sammons, Madison Witherspoon, Natasha Agarwal, Olivia Thorstad, Tristan Blankenship, and Victoria King among a prestigious community of change-makers who have achieved this honor. Since 1916, over 160,000 Girl Scouts have earned the Gold Award or its equivalent.
The Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida were invited to the Red Sox’s Inaugural Spring Training Girl Scout Day on March 26th. Two Girl Scouts were presented with $5000 scholarships in a pre-game ceremony.
Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida recently partnered with the Boston Red Sox to host the first ever Inaugural Spring Training Girl Scout Day at JetBlue Park Stadium on March 26th for girls and their families to enjoy. A total of 60 Girl Scouts and their family members purchased tickets for the weekend game.
Those who attended reported they had a wonderful time and are already looking forward to attending future Girl Scout events with the Red Sox.
“This was a lot of fun for the girls,” said Christine DiBenedetto, a Girl Scout parent who attended the game on Sunday.
Every Girl Scout with a game ticket was given access to special events, including a pre-game announcement welcoming the Girl Scouts to the ballpark, an in-game video shot and a pre-game parade along warning track. All of the Girl Scouts who attended also had the opportunity to announce say “Play Ball” before the game over the PA system. Girls had the chance to meet and fist-bump with players, as well.
In a pre-game ceremony, the Boston Red Sox also presented 15 high school seniors each with the Lee County Red Sox Scholarship, a $5,000 scholarship for academically talented Lee County public high school seniors who are making meaningful impact through service in their community. This prestigious scholarship award is for students pursuing a two-year or four-year degree at any college or university.
Two of the recipients, Autumn Pepper Rhodes and Alexis Smith, are Gulfcoast Girl Scouts and Gold Award Girl Scouts. The Gold Award is the highest achievement within the Girl Scouts of the USA, earned by Senior and Ambassador Girl Scouts. Gold Award Girl Scouts in high school complete projects to make the world a better place and earn the highest award available to Seniors and Ambassadors. Only 5.4% of eligible Girl Scouts successfully earn the Gold Award.
“It was really cool to attend a game like this,” scholarship recipient Autumn Rhodes said. “It was something I have never done before, and it was really cool to meet the other scholars, to talk to them and to see how diverse everyone was. Next fall, I am going to college at Rice University in Houston and I am going to be a dual major in mechanical engineering and astrophysics.”
“Attending the game was better than I would have ever imagined,” said Alexis Smith. Girl Scout Day was her very first experience attending a baseball game. “The staff were extremely friendly and seeing all the Girl Scouts there made the experience even better. This scholarship is really going to help take off some of the financial burden and stress I was having. I am working towards becoming an orthopedic surgeon and will be attending Florida International University in the fall to major in health science. I am also pursuing an internship in sports medicine while there.”
The March 26th game was between the Boston Red Sox and the Minnesota Twins. According to ESPN, the Twins won, with a game score of 7 – 2.
For every ticket purchased a portion of that ticket was generously donated by the Red Sox back to Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida.
March 26, 2023, Fort Myers, FL: Girl Scouts say play ball before a Grapefruit League game against the Minnesota Twins at jetBlue Park at Fenway South in Fort Myers, Florida Sunday, March 26, 2023.
(Photo by Kelly Gavin/Boston Red Sox)
All of the Girl Scouts who attended had the opportunity to announce say “Play Ball” before the game over the PA system.
March 26, 2023, Fort Myers, FL: Girl Scouts walk the field before a Grapefruit League game against the Minnesota Twins at jetBlue Park at Fenway South in Fort Myers, Florida Sunday, March 26, 2023.
(Photo by Kelly Gavin/Boston Red Sox)
Every Girl Scout with a game ticket was given access to special events, including a pre-game announcement welcoming the Girl Scouts to the ballpark, an in-game video shot and a pre-game parade along warning track.
Girl Scouts met and shared fist-bumps with players.
March 26, 2023, Fort Myers, FL: Girl Scouts walk the field before a Grapefruit League game against the Minnesota Twins at jetBlue Park at Fenway South in Fort Myers, Florida Sunday, March 26, 2023.
(Photo by Kelly Gavin/Boston Red Sox)
The Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida were invited to the Red Sox’s Inaugural Spring Training Girl Scout Day on March 26th.
March 26, 2023, Fort Myers, FL: Girl Scouts walk the field before a Grapefruit League game against the Minnesota Twins at jetBlue Park at Fenway South in Fort Myers, Florida Sunday, March 26, 2023.
(Photo by Kelly Gavin/Boston Red Sox)
Every Girl Scout with a game ticket was given access to special events, including a pre-game announcement welcoming the Girl Scouts to the ballpark, an in-game video shot and a pre-game parade along warning track
Autumn Rhodes, 2023 Red Sox Scholar
Autumn Rhodes and Alexis Smith, both Gold Award Girl Scouts from Gulfcoast Florida, received the Lee County Red Sox Scholarship on March 26th, a $5,000 scholarship for academically talented Lee County public high school seniors who are making meaningful impact through service in their community.
March 26, 2023, Fort Myers, FL: Scholarship winners are recognized before a Grapefruit League game against the Minnesota Twins at jetBlue Park at Fenway South in Fort Myers, Florida Sunday, March 26, 2023.
(Photo by Kelly Gavin/Boston Red Sox)
Three members of the Girl Scouts Gulfcoast Council were among those representing the Girl Scout movement and serving as delegates at the 67th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women at the United Nations headquarters in New York City in March.
The Gulfcoast delegates included Girl Scout Seniors Mackenzie Shockey, Olivia Trader, and Mackenzie Valenza.
Each year, more than 5,000 women and girls from around the world gather for this session focused on the worldwide state of gender equality. Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida is one of only five Girl Scout councils, out of more than 100 councils nationwide, selected to send a delegation to the 2023 session.
The girls submitted applications to the council and were selected to join fellow Girl Scouts from California, Florida and Oklahoma.
During the Commission on the Status of Women, girls attended sessions, listened to speakers and advocated for what they believe is important and relevant for girls today. They engaged with non-governmental organizations, U.N. agencies, country missions and other youth delegates from around the world. Delegates also took part in and spoke at Girl Scout parallel events about STEM, digital literacy, access to technology in rural areas, and the importance of Girl Scouts and other organizations to champion digital literacy for girls.
Along with attending inspirational events led by women leaders and professionals from across the globe during their visit to the U.N., the girls were also part of advocacy groups, conversation circles, assisted with girl statement writing, and moderated their own event in collaboration with the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. They also met people from all over the world, visited GSUSA headquarters, sat in on the UN General Assembly and more.
To prepare for their roles during the experience, Girl Scouts participated in bi-weekly Zoom training beginning in August 2022.
1/6 Update – Applications are now open! The links to the guidelines providing eligibility criteria for the 2023 award year and the application for the Dr. Elinor Crawford College Scholarship Fund of Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida, Inc. are available below:
The completed application, including required attachments and letters of recommendation, must be received by February 28, 2023 as stated on the application.
Scholarship recipients will be honored at the Young Women of Distinction celebration on May 21, 2023. For assistance, contact Marie Graziosi at marieg@gsgcf.org or 941.921.5358 ext. 338/800.232.4475.
The Dr. Elinor Crawford Girl Scout College Scholarship Fund was established to recognize and celebrate graduating high school Girl Scouts who demonstrate the characteristics of the Girl Scout Mission, Promise, and Law; leadership to self and the community; and outstanding academic success.
It is named for the late Dr. Elinor Crawford, a former Gulfcoast board member. In 1987 she was a member of the Girl Scout Scholarship Committee which was subsequently renamed The Dr. Elinor Crawford Girl Scout College Scholarship Fund, in her honor. She served on the committee up through her death in 2016, and was proud to read each application and girl story.
As a professor of physical education at the University of Northern Iowa for thirty years, she served as a member of the committee that contributed to the writing and passage of Title IX, the most significant piece of federal legislation impacting girls and women in education. Dr. Crawford was fiercely committed to lifting up Girl Scouts in support of their education.
The application will be available January 6 and is due no later than February 28. Scholarship recipients will be recognized at the Young Women of Distinction celebration in May.
Eligibility requirements and applications and will be available here, January 6, 2023.
Over the years, individual donors have also given generously to the college scholarship fund, to increase opportunities for Girl Scout graduating seniors. Dr. Crawford believed, as do we, that when girls succeed through education, so does society. Today, we are proud to continue her legacy. Please join us in continuing her legacy and providing more opportunities for girls by donating.
Property Update 10/19/22 – We are happy to share, except for the Collier Girl Scout House which remains closed for the foreseeable future , council properties have been assessed and are beginning to reopen. If a location is available, the property reservation system will allow booking through the standard process. Anyone who had an existing reservation has been contacted by customer care with updates. We appreciate the patience and understanding of our members as we ensured that properties were safe and ready for use.
10/13 Council Update: We are still currently in the process of assessing our Girl Scout properties to determine damages caused by Hurricane Ian. GSGCF will be closing our properties for the foreseeable future to facilitate repairs caused by the storm. It is unsafe to be on property until we complete these repairs. Thank you for your patience as our property management team works to get you back to camp safely. Contact has been completed by Customer Care to all with reserved usage and follow up communication will continue as updates are known. If you have any further questions, please contact our Customer Care team at customercare@gsgcf.org.
10/6 Council Update: All of us at Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida wish to express our gratitude to GSUSA and the GSUSA Board of Directors who have lifted fundraising restrictions which enables councils to raise money for members and communities directly impacted by Hurricane Ian.
As of October 6, 2022, through the end of December 2022 Girl Scout councils, troops, and members can assist as follows:
Financial Support: Council members can make financial donations directly to an affected council. All money will be allocated to council scholarship funds at the affected council(s) to assist girls with current membership year dues and replacement uniforms, credentials, and materials, or future opportunities.
Troop-to-Troop Support: Troops can allocate part of their own funds to an impacted council scholarship fund or to support a remote sister troop doing a service project or a sister troop in direct need.
Direct Work with Relief Projects: If girls are able to safely travel to an affected area or relocation areas and permitted to do so, consider helping with on-site relief activities or local activities that benefit the impacted areas.
In response to this news, a Facebook Group has been established to connect sister Girl Scouts from across the movement who wish to support the efforts of local Girl Scouts and our council. See below about how to join the Hurricane Ian Action Team.
The rebuilding process for some will take much longer than for others, however with this support from GSUSA and our sister Girl Scouts, Girl Scouting in Gulfcoast Florida will continue for those who need the support our program provides now more than ever.
10/4 Council Update: Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida is currently open, with staff working remotely and office hours by appointment only. We will update this page as necessary for the operations of Girl Scout camps, activities, and facilities. For any immediate inquiries, please contact our customer care team at customercare@gsgcf.org.
Camp Update – We are currently in the process of assessing our Girl Scout properties to determine damages caused by Hurricane Ian. Thank you for your patience as our property management team works to get you back to camp safely. Contact has been completed by Customer Care to all with reserved usage and follow up communication will continue as updates are known.
Ways To Help
This category 4 hurricane came ashore along the southwest coast of Florida and has greatly impacted Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida families and council staff. We appreciate the outpouring of offers for support and compassion from our sister Girl Scout councils, troops, and community. However, we are still assessing the impact and will share updates and information about how you can support recovery efforts as they become available. Donations towards recovery can be made at made via our website. For any additional questions or inquiries, please contact us at customercare@gsgcf.org.
Girl Scouts Can Help
We will have more information in the near future about how you can help sister Girl Scout troops within our council who have experienced the most devastating impact from the hurricane. Stay tuned.
Join the Hurricane Ian Action Team
Earn a Hurricane Ian Action Team Patch. Take action with the recovery from Hurricane Ian and then fill out the Hurricane Ian Action Team Story Form to share the impact you made for others. Include photos or video that we can use to highlight your efforts. Within a month of submitting your story, you will receive a 2022 Hurricane Ian Action Team Patch at no cost to you or your Girl Scouts.
Here are some age-appropriate ideas for your Girl Scout to consider:
Take Action Idea
All Girl Scouts
Older Girl Scouts
Join Clean Up Efforts
Help your family, neighbors, place of worship, sports field or other community location to clean up leaves, branches, and debris from storm.
Register as a Hurricane Ian volunteer at COAD in Port Charlotte.
Care for Animals
Collect items shelters need like blankets, food and toys.
Put together foster kits that shelters can deliver to foster pet parents.
Volunteer at shelters walking dogs and cleaning kennel spaces.
Learn about ways to help local animal shelters by donating supplies or fostering animals.
Show Gratitude & Kindness
Paint a gratitude poster and drop it off to a local firehouse, sheriff’s office, hospital, etc.
Put out signs in your windows thanking emergency workers.
Organize a first responders’ night at a local restaurant.
Highlight Our Hurricane Ian Action Team
Every time you see GSGCF highlight one of our Hurricane Ian Action Team members, share the post and spread the word that Girl Scouts makes a transformative difference in the lives of girls.
During a natural disaster like Hurricane Ian, Girl Scouts courageously step up to help others in their community and beyond. Everything that Girl Scouts teaches and stands for, prepares us for moments like these. Through unimaginable hardships, Girl Scouts strive to make a difference and make the world a better place.
In March of 2020, we stood by our television screens in awe as the nation believed with hesitancy that they would only be spending two weeks at home. Here we are about two years later, still dealing with the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, while striving to bring ourselves back to what we once knew as normal.
Girl Scouts, as well as many other non-profits, took a hard hit when our usual in-person fundraisers, events, meetings, and programs came to a screeching halt. Even our iconic Girl Scout Cookie program was cut short, resulting in unsold inventory. Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida took challenging pivots to re-strategize what the Girl Scout experience looked like in this new world of uncertainty.
Staff, caregivers, volunteers, and board members rose to the occasion to provide creative virtual programming, at-home projects, and scheduled online meetings to keeps girls engaged and hopeful during a time when hope was hard to come by.
This unwavering commitment to community and well-being of others was never more evident than demonstrated by our frontline workers. Their heroism is what inspired our 2020 Giving Challenge theme, “#BeTheOne To Honor.” Our girls and volunteers welcomed the opportunity to personally deliver excess inventory to our Hometown Heroes in hopes of raising their spirits.
Also, early on in the pandemic, Girl Scouts recognized the stress and loneliness that seniors were facing, especially those in assisted living facilities. Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida launched a council-wide service project, “Across The Generations.” Girls and their families honored seniors by sending them cards, pictures, and letters connecting them to the outside world. This program was a success and as a result #AcrossTheGenerations has been implemented at a national level within our Girl Scout organization and continues to brighten the days of seniors across the country.
Building on this effort, Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida’s Giving Challenge virtual event, “Across the Generations Virtual Singalong,” was presented in partnership with local senior living facilities delivering smiles and the joy of music, benefitting not only the residents but the frontline workers caring for them.
In the two years since the 2020 Giving Challenge, the long term effects on mental health across all generations due to the pandemic has become more apparent. Scrolling on social media platforms increased significantly. This easily becomes an endless, vicious cycle that can be taxing on one’s body image and self-worth and results in heightened stress and anxiety.
In recognition of this issue, our 2022 Giving Challenge theme is “#BeTheOne to be Resilient, Courageous and Strong.” With a focus on mental health, we want to discover new ways to help girls strengthen their well-being, while providing them with skills to assist others in our community.
We are pleased to announce our partnership with Prospect Riding Center, who share our common values and strive to create a nurturing and safe environment for those in which they serve. This partnership with Prospect became seamless and a perfect match as they serve a community for therapeutic and recreational riding. Their therapeutic equine activities help individuals improve strength and balance, build confidence, and reduce anxiety.
Together, we can encourage the young women of our community to become the future philanthropists, change makers, and leaders. Because of the Giving Challenge, our donors and supporters are able to help us make an impact with 1:1 matches up to $100 per unique donor gift from The Patterson Foundation, and additional cash prizes in a variety of categories.
Mark your calendars from noon to noon on April 26-27, the challenge is on. #BeTheOne to support us in our mission of building girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place.
It’s National Volunteer Month, and there’s no doubt that our amazing Girl Scout volunteers deserve a standing ovation. Yes, the Girl Scout experience may have looked a bit different last year, but from finding new ways to connect online to being in touch through phone calls and texting to coming up with safe ways to meet in person while following local guidelines, our troop leaders, cookie captains, and other volunteers have risen to the challenge and done their absolute best in trying times.
For all they are and all they do, we hope you’ll join us in saying thank you. Let them know their actions, both big and small, matter to you personally and make a difference in your community.
Whether you’re short on time or want to make a whole project of it with your troop, check out these simple ways to show your appreciation.
Personalize one of our super cute (and free!) thank-you cards designed just for this purpose.
Give them a shoutout with a special social media post.
Send a quick video thanking them for all they’ve helped your troop accomplish.
Choose a project from Girl Scouts at Home to make and give to your volunteer.
Team up with other troop families to purchase a token of appreciation for your volunteer from the Girl Scout Shop—plus, when you use code VOLUNTEER2021, you’ll get a sweet 10% off!*
When it comes to showing gratitude, we’ve got this! *The code is active April 1 through April 30, 2021, for a 10% discount at girlscoutshop.com. The code is for one-time use per customer, online-only, at girlscoutshop.com. The discount is not taken on any applicable shipping, handling, or taxes for each order.
Chippy is anxiously awaiting all of you to return to camp this holiday season! She did not anticipate everyone being gone for so long due to the coronavirus, so she is so excited to have you back soon. Here are some of the things Chippy noticed since the last time she updated you in spring.
Highlights at Camp Honi Hanta
Council staff organized the following:
Key Builders installed new bathhouse doors at Eagles Perch so they can be locked for additional safety.
Our handyman, Tom, painted all the interior doors in the lodge so everything looks fresh as you walk in and out.
Some camp signs were repainted and installed.
The pool company was able to fix some major leaks, so we should not see as much reduction in the water level as we have had in the past.
Shell has now replaced all the pine park mulch in the pool area landscape beds so the area will stay much cleaner.
Adult volunteers and staff assisted with the following:
The boat ramp was pressure washed and treated.
A small window unit air conditioner was installed in the lodge kitchen to help keep that area cooler during service unit encampments.
The rickety ramp to the Armadillo Cabin #3 was demolished.
Archery and kayak/canoe program area equipment was inspected and repaired.
Troop/service unit members worked on the following projects:
A fun and playful mural entitled “SPLASH ZONE,” was designed and painted by artist Amber Hill, one of our volunteer leaders of troop 7.
Highlights at Camp Caloosa
Our Girl Scout dad, Jason, was busy mowing camp regularly to keep the trails cleared every month. Plus, he was able to complete the following:
Installed a new railing by the lake edge where the old pier was taken out
Installed a rope swing near the rain forest on the north side of the property
Repaired the front access gate
Installed a partitioned area of the Equipment Depot for low ropes equipment
Painted the stairs to the Chalet
Adult volunteers and staff assisted with the following:
Organizing the portable low ropes equipment in the secured area of the Equipment Depot and providing directions for use. Only leaders who have been certified/trained for this skill will have access to this area.
Both floors of the bathhouses were cleaned and freshly painted.
Don’t forget—there’s a Honi Hanta Hero and a Caloosa Champion patch that girls can earn for doing a service project at each respective camp! We have painting projects, cleaning projects, signage projects, trimming trails, and much more. There’s always something to do to improve camp and leave it better than we found it.
Camp Reminders
VERIFICATION OF OUTDOOR SKILLS TRAINING – We are now verifying certifications when a reservation in our system takes place to ensure your troop/service unit will be meeting all the requirements of your desired camp out.
If you borrow a piece of equipment from another campsite while you are at camp, please return it to its original location so all of our equipment can be accounted for.
You must have authorization to visit any of our camps while NOT during a reservation. Please make sure you are calling to get approval to be on site so we can inform our volunteer caretakers that you will be visiting the property.
You are responsible to adhere to all new COVID-19 guidelines and requirements during camp activities.
You must leave a Camp Check Out form in the mailbox by the camp front gate. We need this to ensure all of the Kapers are completed to leave the camp better than you found it, but more importantly to find out if there are any repairs that are needed. You should print a form BEFORE you come to camp, but if you forget, there are typically forms by the mailboxes just in case you need an extra.
The best tool any girl has for changing the world—and creating an equal future—is her voice. As a society, we can help girls use their voices for change by ensuring they have the tools and confidence to speak up and speak out, actively listening to what they say, and amplifying their messages.
At Girl Scouts, we are proud to celebrate the International Day of the Girl by introducing ten of the most amazing world changers in our Movement—the 2020 National Gold Award Girl Scouts. Keep it locked on our social media platforms for this big announcement and more! Here’s everything you, your troop, and your girls need to know to get in on all things International Day of the Girl 2020!
2. Spread the word and lend your voice on October 8: Invite your troops to spread the word and lend their voices by sharing stories with pictures of how they’re changing the world! Be sure to use hashtags: #worldchanger #IDG2020
3. Attend the United Nations Girls’ Rights Town Hall: On October 9, 2020, 10:00 a.m.–11:30 a.m. EDT, secure a front-row view to the Girls’ Rights Town Hall as a National Gold Award Scout and girl activists take the UN floor. This virtual event gives young leaders access to global decision-makers and a space to discuss justice, human rights, and equity for girls. Learn how to participate.
4. Celebrate with girls all around the world: On October 11, 2020, 2:00 p.m.–3:30 p.m. EDT., celebrate International Day of the Girl by hosting a Girls Speak Out watch party. The hour-long program showcases girls’ poems, creative performances, and art about what girls’ equity means in their communities. After the event, use the debrief questions in the debrief guide to reflect on and discuss what you’ve just seen. The prerecorded event featuring a live chat will be hosted on YouTube Prime across five different time zones and in English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese. Visit the website to learn how to join.
(Please note: due to the potential for sensitive topics that could arise during these events, we strongly suggest you have troop members complete sensitive issues forms.)
Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida, Inc. 