This summer 12 Girl Scout
Cadettes, Seniors & Ambassadors traveled across the country to explore the
American Southwest with Girl Scout staff and volunteers. They visited five
states, six National Parks, hiked 30 miles, slept at five different campsites
and made countless memories and overcame obstacles. Read how Hayley overcame
her own personal challenge on the trip!
June 1st through June 8th I went on a Southwest excursion
where we went to national parks in each state of Colorado, Arizona, Utah, and
New Mexico. We went on multiple hikes that had few challenges along the way but
were very worth it. As we saw what I would say is some of the most beautiful
sites in my life.
One of my favorite sites I got to see was at Arches
National Park, were we got the opportunity to see Delicate Arch. I was told
that it was a hard hike but had the most beautiful site and so I took the
challenge because not only did I want to see the site but I wanted to be able
to say I made the hike. However it wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be for
the hike was long and was basically made up of an uphill that was huge. When we
had started I was trying to motivate myself but I’m not going to lie it was
kind of hard for I felt I couldn’t breathe. It made sense because I have asthma
so that didn’t make things any easier, but I still really tried to make it but
I just couldn’t. I got up a little of the uphill until I told myself I couldn’t
do it. I had felt hopeless as I saw the other girls in the group walk up the
hill because I knew they were much better than me. As I sat there watching
everyone walk past a girl name Adele sat near me she also had challenges. I
almost felt a little comfort because I guess it wasn’t just me that was alone
facing a challenge.
My group leader M.C. was talking to me. It was pretty much
small talk at first but then she started motivating me and Adele she actually
believed we could do it. It was inspiring to see that she actually had belief
in us.
So we decided as a small group to keep going and face every
challenge not alone but together. So we set goals for ourselves as we would go
to whatever we thought was a good place to stop and take a break, but with that
we would go to shrubs or cracks in the canyon and name those things as we took
a break. We thought it was a fun way to waste time and to my shock once I knew
it we were already over the huge hill I thought was impossible to get up. I was
proud of myself I was just so happy I could do it, it’s a great accomplishment
to me.
We passed the other group that had gone up before us as they
were going down and that’s when I finally got it realize I can do it and it’s
not a matter of who’s better than who cause we all only go at our own pace.
When we finally got to delicate arch I was so excited and I finally gained a
little reassurance in myself. So if it wasn’t for M.C or Adele I don’t think I
would of made it so I’m so glad we were all there.
Hayley (left) after completing the hike with MC and Adele
This hike overall means so much to me for it was teamwork
that made it work. It was so worth it because of the challenges that made it so
I guess exciting and then when you finally get to your destination you feel
great. I just want to thank everyone on that trip because I got to experience
things beyond this world and it was amazing. I would 10/10 do this all over
again cause that’s just how worth it, it was.
Our next Outdoor
Excursion is to Rocky Mountain National Park from July 26 – August 1, 2020 and
registration will open in October. Don’t miss the chance to overcome your own
personal obstacles and feel on top of the world!
Joy Broils, Slcket Director of Community Relations
Have you heard about our latest partnership with Slcket?!
We’re teaming up with this rising tech company in Kansas City to connect High
School Girl Scouts with exceptional professionals from our community. But why
is this important? What will girls gain out of this? We caught up with Slcket’s
Joy Broils, Director of Community Relations, to help you get a better idea of
what mentorship is, and why it’s so important as you anticipate and prepare for
your next steps in life!
1.
What does it mean to have a mentor and what can our mentees expect from this
experience? Having a mentor gives each girl a point of contact within a field
of expertise in which they have interest; someone available for questions,
guidance, advice, or hands-on experience to help the girls make more informed
decisions regarding their future.
2.
What advice do you have for girls and their parents / caregivers today to best
prepare for their future?
My number one piece of advice for every girl growing up in today’s
world is to find your voice and use your voice. When I was a teenager, I
was really shy outside of the classroom. I liked raising my hand in class
and answering questions, but that changed when kids started to bully me about
always having the answer. So I let those kids and their mean comments
affect my behavior in class and my shyness completely took over every part of
my life. I lost the little bit of confidence that I had and lost my
desire to share my thoughts and ideas – I
lost my voice. It took me a long time to find it again and realize
that my thoughts and ideas were just as important as everyone else’s.
Fast forward to today, I make sure that if I’m in a meeting or at a networking
event that I’m sharing my thoughts and ideas. Sometimes that takes
persistence, especially if I am in a big group, but I have found that
confidence and persistence are keys to being heard. I don’t have to be
the loudest person in the room, but through confidence and persistence, my
thoughts and ideas (my voice) will be heard.
3.
What does networking with professionals mean and why is it important?
Networking is a large part of what I do in my role at
Slcket. Networking is meeting new people, building relationships, having
a one-on-one conversation to get to know each other better. It is very important
to make connections in whatever industry you are in. The friendships I
have developed through networking are vital and those friends are among the
first people I go to for advice, referrals, and opportunities. Those
friends are champions for me and I am in turn champions for them. So many
times, a person will walk into a networking group for the first time and be
discouraged that they didn’t come out of that event with multiple sales and/or
referrals. That person didn’t take time to build relationships with other
people at the event. They were just looking for the quick sale. In
the business world, most people feel more comfortable doing business with
someone that they have built a relationship with rather than someone who is a
complete stranger. People feel good about making a referral to a friend
if the person they are referring has done work for them before or is a
friend. Imagine if you referred a complete stranger to your friend who
needed help with painting their house. That referral could work out great
or be a complete disaster. If you had referred someone who had painted
your house or you had built a relationship with through networking, you know
that your friend will have a much better experience.
4.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
I have a bracelet with the inscription “Admire someone else’s
beauty without questioning your own.” I think this actually goes
beyond beauty. Admire someone else’s sports skills… Admire
someone else’s character traits…. The list could go on and on. We
spend so much time looking at what other people around us are doing and
comparing ourselves to other people. Instead I think we should admire
someone else’s ________ (you can fill in
the blank) and at the same time admire our own. Having that
confidence is hard, really at any age, but especially when you are a
teenager. Remember you have your individual, unique qualities and embrace
those qualities as uniquely YOU!
Are you ready to embrace your own qualities and start building
connections with those in fields you aspire to join one day? Register
for this mentorship program that kicks off with a casual pre-meeting on Sept.
11 where we’ll get you prepped and ready for the kick-off event at Slcket on
Sept. 18 where you’ll meet perspective mentors!
Last year, Girl Scout Brownie Troop 4070 participated in the
FIRST LEGO League Jr. (FLL) program thanks to support from KC STEM Alliance and
IBM! These go-getters split their bi-weekly meetings up, alternating between
traditional Girl Scout meetings and working on the FLL Jr. curriculum which is
designed to introduce kids to STEM concepts. From September through March Troop
4070 worked in three sub teams to build and program their WEDO 2.0 robots and
design an outer space city. The program culminated with the FLL Jr. EXPO where
they showcased all they learned and what their robot could do with a little friendly
competition!
Troop leader Alanna Beare was instrumental in facilitating the program in collaboration with KC STEM Alliance and additional material funds provided through IBM, where she works. Through FLL Jr., Girl Scouts earned badges in both Think Like a Programmer and Think Like an Engineer journeys.
“The FLL program is directly aligned to the new STEM programs
developed by Girl Scouts of the USA. Overall the skills they learn by working
in small teams lends itself to Girl Scout Mission,” Alanna said.
Troop 4070 enjoyed their experience so much, they are going to do a second year with the program with new challenges and more LEGO robot programming next year!
“The
KC STEM Alliance is pleased to partner with GSKSMO by embarking on a new
strategy to engage girls in creative problem solving through the development of
STEM skills. The core values of FIRST LEGO League are directly aligned with
the mission of Girl Scouts. The KC STEM Alliance partnership with GSKSMO
provides an opportunity to reach more girls helping them create their own
future and building a talent pipeline for Kansas City,” Martha McCabe,
Executive Director of KC STEM Alliance said.
Is
your troop interested in participating in the FLL program? The KC STEM Alliance
will be sponsoring additional teams this year and your troop could be one of
them! For more information, contact our STEM Community Program Manager, Kate
Pankey at kpankey@gsksmo.org. There will be an informational meeting on Aug. 24 for
those interested in learning more!
by
Joy Wheeler, CEO, Girl Scouts of NE Kansas and NW Missouri
It’s
time for the Girl Scouts to put a stake in the ground. That stake marks a
future where girls and women – who represent 51% of our population – become the
solution to the serious workforce challenges that are weighing down our
economy. A future where the gender gaps in pay, socioeconomic status, funding
and power no longer exist.
You
probably realize that we’re pretty far from that future right now. But I want
you to know today that the Girl Scouts are driving us there. We’re preparing
Kindergarten – 12th-grade girls for a lifetime of leadership and
workforce impact. And we need your help to succeed. We need you to join us in
Standing Up for G.I.R.L.s (Go-getters, Innovators, Risk-takers, Leaders).
Imagine an equitable
future
Take a few minutes and imagine with
me what is possible. Picture a world where the United States is the definitive
leader in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) – precisely because
we have learned to harness the power of all people to lead in those jobs,
regardless of gender. Consider how your business could excel if you had access
to a complete, well-trained and flexible pipeline of workers at all times. What
would it be like if Capitol Hill, our board rooms and our leadership teams
reflected the gender balance of our adult population?
Now,
just think about the possibilities for our country if every child had the
opportunity to succeed. What would happen if girls had the same socioeconomic,
mental and physical health status as boys? And how would it affect our economy
and our social programs if women received the same pay as men doing similar
work?
You
would like that, wouldn’t you? I mean, who wouldn’t?
We have a long way to
go There’s no disputing we are
quite far from achieving that vision of the future. And it seems like we’re
actually going backward right now. The U.S. can’t fill the increasing demand
for STEM workers – not with men and not with women. And is it any wonder? We
know that more than 80 percent of young girls are interested in STEM jobs, but
only 13 percent push through the gender bias and pursue this career path. The
Smithsonian estimated that 2.4 million STEM jobs would go unfilled last year.
And
women are hugely under-represented in government: Around a quarter of state and
federal legislators are women. Women hold only 20 percent of corporate board seats.
And only 6 percent of CEOs are female.
With
that level of representation, is it any wonder that the health and
socioeconomic status of girls is lagging, too? Sadly, our Girl Scout research
tells us more girls are living in poverty today than they were 10 years ago. And at the current rate of change, the
gender pay gap – with women earning just 80 cents for every dollar made by men
– isn’t expected to close for another 90 years. Fully two-thirds of minimum wage
jobs in the U.S. are held by women.
Girl Scouts
can get us there Clearly, women can be the solution to these social and economic gaps.
And Girl Scouts are a key contributor to the 51% solution. The Girl Scouts
bring 100+ years of experience and a research-based approach to providing
topnotch, innovative programming in financial literacy, STEM, healthy living,
environmental stewardship and global citizenship, delivered in the way girls
learn best. We are preparing girls for a lifetime of leadership – ensuring
women have a voice in all settings that is commensurate with their 51% stake.
Our programs connect girls with
female role models in their communities. They immerse young women in a wide variety of opportunities and
experiences so they can pursue their full potential. And they challenge girls
to the highest standard of achievement through the Gold Award.
The path of a young girl to teenager largely
defines the path of the next generation. Will she become a pregnant teenager,
leading to a lack of education, hopelessness and economic instability? Or will
she become a woman who is supported and nurtured to have the courage and confidence
that comes from enriched experiences and education? A woman who knows her worth
and is prepared to reject domestic violence and pursue equity? By changing a
girl’s confidence to pursue opportunities and reach her full potential, we decrease
the demand for social and rehabilitative services. We drive more leadership for
female equality, representation and inclusion. In short, we expand the
potential for success among everyone in our society – all genders, all ages,
all socioeconomic strata.
Single-gender
learning is the right thing to do So let’s address the
elephant in the room – the Boy Scouts’ attempt to add girls to their
programming. On the surface it sounds kind and equitable, right? We should
allow girls to have the same experiences as boys. But let’s be real for a
moment. Most of us can agree that boys and girls are different. While they
deserve equitable opportunities, pursuing those together doesn’t always make
sense.
Our research bears this out. Girls who attend single-gender schools
have measurably higher academic success. Did you know a girl will generally
lose 30 percent of her confidence between age 8 and 14? The single-gender
learning environment provided by the Girl Scouts gives her a safe space to
explore, step out of her comfort zone, take risks and become a leader. Her courage,
confidence and character grow as she pursues outdoor adventure,
entrepreneurship, STEM and civic engagement activities.
Girl Scouts
are THE KEY to increasing STEM staffing and leadership Here again, research
underscores the role of the Girl Scouts in helping girls lead the way. Among
female tech leaders, an astonishing 80 percent are Girl Scouts. Girl Scouts are
twice as likely to be interested in STEM careers. That’s why Girl Scouting
provides STEM programming to girls from kindergarten to age 18. We are
committed to adding 2.5 million girls to the STEM pipeline by 2025.
Girl Scouts
are more successful overall It’s not just about
STEM, though. The Girl Scouting program produces concrete outcomes in almost
every measure of success. If you’re a Girl Scout:
Your
sense of self, community involvement and confidence in the future is going up
during middle school, while your peers are declining in confidence.
You
are twice as likely to have a bachelor’s degree.
You
earn 23 percent more than other women.
You’re
more likely to engage in a variety of fun and challenging activities, have
supportive relationships and be an active learner.
Adding to that, if you’re a Gold Award Girl Scout –
representing five percent of the 50 million alums in the U.S. – you’re more
successful, engaged and happy as a worker. And you have more positive life
outcomes – measured by volunteerism, community and civic engagement, education
level and socioeconomic status.
Girl Scouting
fuels civic and business leadership If you’re wondering
whether Girl Scouts make a meaningful difference in achieving that future we
discussed earlier, consider this: In 2018, 58 percent of women elected to
Congress were Girl Scouts, and nearly three-quarters of women in the Senate are
alums. Five of the current nine female state governors are Girl Scouts. And
every female secretary of state has been a Girl Scout. It’s clear that Girl
Scouts builds leaders who make a lasting impact on their communities.
Girl Scouts are well represented in business, too, with 66
percent of professional women and more than half of female entrepreneurs and
business owners being alums. And you thought it was all about cookies!
The power of Girl Scouts goes beyond skill-building I’d like to share a story with you that helps illustrate the tremendous impact our program can have on a girl’s life. Paige Taylor has experienced mental illness in her family and has been struggling with depression and anxiety herself since age 10. The high school senior from Lansing, Kansas, has been a Girl Scout since kindergarten. She calls her girl squad her “safe place” to share and says her sister Girl Scouts are her real sisters. The confidence Paige has gained through Girl Scouts has allowed her to achieve a level of successshe otherwise wouldn’t have dreamed of. She recently completed her Gold Award, where she bravely shared her personal story, opened a door for other teens to share their stories, got school officials to acknowledge the statistics and add more resources, and stood with the Kansas governor who signed a state-wide proclamation. Paige plans to pursue sports psychology and counseling when she attends college next fall. When we asked what gave her the courage and confidence to break away from the stigma and challenges of mental illness, Paige gave Girl Scouts the credit: “Without Girl Scouts, I wouldn’t be who I am today. I know my voice matters and I’m empowered to continue to use it as I pursue my dreams.” Now, that’s the kind of difference we can make!
Why your
support is critical right now The value of Girl
Scouts and the essential role of our contributions to solving these issues is
clear. Now, more than ever, we need your help – your money, your influence and
your passion.
Funding: Cookie sales make the Girl Scout experience memorable. The program
supports girls to grow their financial literacy and entrepreneurial skills as
it builds their confidence. But how many other organizations require their
beneficiaries to fund their own services by the sweat of their brows? We need
your private funding, too. Based on the latest reports available, Girl Scouts received
just half the private funding of Boy Scouts, while serving approximately the
same number of youth.
Influence: We’re asking you to talk about the Girl Scouts. Use your connections to
bring us to the table to represent girls and all the potential they bring to
EVERY discussion about workforce development, economic equality and diversity.
Daily Advocacy: We are asking you to use your power to advocate for girls
and women everywhere. If you’ve participated in Girl Scouts or have Girl Scouts
in your family, you ARE Girl Scouts! Yes, gentlemen, even you. Are you Man Enough
to be a Girl Scout? We want you to wear the Girl Scout identity and do things
like follow and share the powerful stories of our Girl Scouts locally and
beyond.
The only way we’re going to bring this solution to life is by
proactively championing girls and women in our everyday lives – giving them a
seat at the table and Standing up for G.I.R.L.s. Advocating isn’t enough – we need you to be
their champions – when they’re in the room and when they’re not. Because there’s
something missing today – that’s the other 51%. None of us is as powerful as
all of us!
A family connected in Girl Scouting! Meet Barbara Hanson, a former Girl Scout troop leader, Kaw Valley Council staff member, Juliette Gordon Low Society Member and all around awesome G.I.R.L. (Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-taker, Leader)TM! For more than 30 years, Barbara helped raise Girl Scouts as a leader and inspired so many more when she worked at the former Kaw Valley Council for nearly 15 years and served in several volunteer roles. Following in her footsteps, her daughter Lori is a Gold Award Girl Scout as well as a Membership Manager at GSKSMO. Barbara also has four granddaughters, three of which are Girl Scouts – Claire, Kate & Aidin. As a volunteer, Barbara led her granddaughter Claire’s troop when she was in the program and is currently involved in Aidin’s Girl Scout journey! Being Girl Scout Green runs in the family!
Girl Scout adventures for the Hanson’s!
Barbara started leading troops in the mid-1970s in Topeka,
KS when Lori was in elementary school and continued until about 2008. As her
daughter Lori recalls, “My mom became the leader when the former leader handed
her the Brownie stuff and said she ‘we’re moving, you’re the leader now”!” That
turned into decades of service to Girl Scouts and too many family experiences
to count.
One of the best parts for Barbara was watching her own
daughter, as well as her Girl Scout sisters, grow as people. “I loved watching
them in Girl Scouts because girls had experiences they wouldn’t have had
otherwise,” Barbara said. From trips to Kansas City that let some girls visit
Missouri for the very first time, to camping adventures, there were so many
opportunities that came from Girl Scouts. Many times, these experiences
impacted the adult volunteers just as it did the girls.
Lori remembers her mother gaining from the experiences just as the troop did. “My mother found a passion for the outdoors that she didn’t know she had. About 6 years after become a volunteer she led a council backpacking trip with other Girl Scouts while I was on my Destination trip,” Lori said. Exposure to things that push you outside your comfort zone is a hallmark of Girl Scouting and in this case helped Barbara discover a new passion.
Left: Aidin, Lori & Barbara Hanson; Right: Larry, Barbara and Lori Hanson
Beyond troop life, Barbara found that Girl Scouts let her
get closer to her daughter. “I believe that Lori and I’s closeness came from
our Girl Scouting experiences,” Barbara said. She also found a close community
with Girl Scouts, making friends and growing her circle of amazing families.
“[Girl Scouts] has so many great experiences, especially when you get involved
as an adult. You gain just as much as the girls do and you make friends,” Barbara
said. Combining service, leadership and community – that’s what Girl Scouts has
always been about. The Hanson family is an amazing example of what it means to
be Girl Scouts through and through!
Today, Barbara continues to support the mission as a member
of the Juliette Gordon Low Society. She truly exemplifies what it means to a
Girl Scout for life – finding new ways to support the mission as life changes!
From serving as a leader, to becoming a staff member, to being an advocate and
now through generous financial giving, we thank Barbara, Lori and the entire
Hanson family for all they’ve given to girls!
Girl Scout leaders are inspirations for the girls in their
troops and create a lifetime of memories. For Karen Ebert, and all the girls in
her troop, that inspirational leader was Lela Mae Knipp. Not only was Lela Mae
a fantastic troop leader who pushed the girls to be the very best versions of
themselves, she stayed involved in Girl Scouting for more than 60 years! Karen
was a Girl Scout in the early 1960s, a time when women were not always
encouraged to dream big about their careers – but Lela Mae gave them that
confidence through Girl Scouting! This lasting legacy of service and supporting
generations of girls inspired Karen to do something incredible – invest in the
future of girls in Lela Mae’s name.
For Karen Ebert, creating a fund for Girl Scouts that will
leave a legacy was the best way to honor Lela Mae. “I believe leaving a legacy
is important. As a Girl Scout alum, I wanted to give back to the organization
that meant so much to me,” Karen says. To honor Lela Mae’s 60 years of
volunteer service, Karen set-up the Lela Mae Girl Scout Adventure Fund in 2018
at the West Region Volunteer Celebration. This fund will provide financial
support to girls in Westmoreland and throughout Pottawatomie and Wabaunsee
Counties so they experience incredible adventures in Girl Scouting.
As a girl, Karen remembers Lela Mae’s generosity and the
courage she instilled in her. “To Lela Mae, every girl was unique and special,”
Karen said. One memory Karen has of this generosity happened when she was
selling cookies to raise money for camp. “I took my money from my cookie sales
to Lela Mae, and she said to me ‘oh you are so close, but you are short $14.’
My heart sank and I know she saw that. Later that night, she called to say she
‘miscounted’ and I had just enough to
go to camp. I will always think she had something to do with me having ‘just
enough,’” Karen said.
With all these amazing memories and life skills that Karen
learned from Girl Scouting, she wanted to make sure today’s girls have access
to the same opportunities she did. “If people look back at the experience they
have in Girl Scouting, I think they would want every girl to have that
experience. As adults, I hope we all want to give to the future,” Karen said.
Thank you, Karen, for investing and honoring Lela Mae!
Karen Ebert, Lela Mae Knipp and family members, Sonja Stanley, Bonnie Taylor and Melissa Phipps as they presented Girl Scouts with the check to establish the fund.
In March 2019, Lela
Mae celebrated her 95th birthday, and Karen Ebert and the Knipp
family created a shower of gifts to help local Girl Scouts by donating to the
fund, and you can still make a gift as well! A gift of any size to the Lela
Mae Girl Scout Adventure Fund in honor of her birthday can be made by via www.gsksmo.org/donate. Thank you to
Karen Ebert for establishing this fund to honor an amazing Girl Scout!
Spotlight on 2019 Gold Award Girl
Scout Twins Claire & Grace Genis
Reaching for Gold is
the ultimate goal for every young Girl Scout. However, achieving the Gold Award
is much more difficult than one might expect. Gold Award Girl Scouts must take
all they have learned from their time as a Girl Scout and develop a project
that will create sustainable lasting change in their community.
To earn a Gold Award, Girl Scouts epitomize
what it means to be a G.I.R.L., by being a go-getter, an innovator, a risk-taker
and a leader. These are the reasons the Gold Award is the most prestigious
award for Girls in the world! Grace and Claire Genis are two Girl Scouts in the
2019 Gold Award class who have a special sisterhood beyond the Girl Scout
community. They are twins!
When asked to describe
their sister in three words, Claire describes Grace as “intelligent,
hardworking and kind.” Grace describes Claire as “bubbly, creative and happy”. Since
joining Girl Scouts in kindergarten, Grace and Claire have gone on to earn all
three of the Highest Awards in Girl Scouting, the Bronze, Silver and Gold
Award.
The girls still look
back at the beginning of their Girl Scout journey fondly, recalling a visit to
the fire station as Daisies. “The firefighters talked to us and we got a tour […]
I just thought it was super cool,” Grace said. “I really liked the camp outs
when we learned about astronomy and the telescopes,” Claire said.
The idea of two girls
Going for Gold in one household seemed impossible but these Go-Getter Girl
Scouts and their family worked together to help their local community. Claire
and Grace have grown up inspired by their mother who followed her heart and works
with special needs students. Her suggestions helped the girls use their own
passions to form strong and innovative project plans.
Grace’s project, titled
Operation Explore the World, addressed the lack of materials in her community
for visually impaired students. Grace is visually impaired and built four light
boxes, which are used to develop awareness of light, color and objects for
students also challenged with a visual impairment. As a student who has faced
the same obstacles, Grace knows the power this project will have on young kids
who are just beginning their educational journey.
Claire’s project,
titled Music for Everyone, addressed the lack of clubs and activities offered
to special needs students in her high school. Claire developed a music club for
these students and received 12 donated instruments; a total value of over
$10,000 dollars. A majority of the instrument donations were supplied by Band
of Angels, an organization that collects donated instruments and distributes
them to children in need.
Claire and Grace
implemented their leadership skills by getting their community members involved
with their projects. Grace successfully recruited high school students and
family members to help build lightboxes that are sturdy and will last for years.
Claire recruited and organized students at her high school to teach music to
special needs students each week. “Once I told [other band students] about my
project, they immediately jumped in and said, ‘Hey I want to help!’” said
Claire. She also inspired students to become leaders themselves and continue
the music club next year after Claire graduates from high school.
By stepping out of their
comfort zone and being risk-takers, the girls were able to meet people from all
different walks of life. “I have made connections and relationships with people
I may not have known if not for Girl Scouts” Grace said. Girl Scouts has given
the Genis sisters friendships and a life-long sisterhood. “I am so humbled that
I could be part of this organization from such a young age.”
After Claire and Grace
graduate high school in May they plan to attend college together in the fall at
Johnson County Community College. Claire plans to pursue her passion of playing
music and Grace will pursue a career in nursing. The twins hope Girl Scouts who
plan to Go for Gold will find a project they are truly inspired and passionate
about. Claire says, “The amount of work you put into it WILL pay off! Keep [Girl]
Scouting!”
Learn about all 47 of our 2019 Gold Award Girl Scouts and what they did to make our world a better place at gsksmo.org/inspire
What a
truly inspiring day we had on April 7 at the Overland Park Convention Center!
Girl Scouts, volunteers, alums and supporters joined us to celebrate our 47
Gold Award Girl Scouts!
These
young women have made an extraordinary impact on their communities through the
Gold Award. Each Girl Scout completed a Take Action project with a minimum of 85
hours in planning and implementation. They have created lasting change through sustainable
projects and their impact will be felt for years to come. Their Take
Action projects included educating youth to vote, building a vegetable garden
for families with food insecurity, education programs on mental health and music
programs for students with special needs, just to name a few. Read about all of their projects
here!
2019 Gold Award Girl Scouts
We
kicked off the day with a special breakfast for Gold Award Girl Scouts and
program investors, hosted by GSKSMO CEO Joy Wheeler. Each Gold Award Girl Scout received her very
own Kendra Scott necklace, courtesy of GSKSMO board members and Kendra Scott.
To
encourage Girl Scouts to take action, inspire others and change the world, they
visited a combination of Community Partner and GSKSMO Program booths, to
collect focus area stickers, building the foundation of their path to Gold! Activities
included “Throw like a G.I.R.L.” where Girl Scouts mastered the bullseye with
Blade & Timber Axe Throwing, decorating enrichment items for the animals at
the Kansas City Zoo, seeing how liquid nitrogen acts as a cooling agent with
Honeywell and learning the power of code with Microsoft! Upstairs Girl Scouts
visited Bronze and Silver Award Girl Scouts, collecting their respective sticker!
They completed their activity card by visiting with at least four Gold
Award Girl Scouts and earned their Inspire a Girl patch!
Our
very special guest, Gold Award Alum and Miss Kansas USA, Alyssa Klinzing joined
in on the expo fun and helped Girl Scouts declare themselves a G.I.R.L. by
hosting a special photo op with future Gold Award Girl Scouts!
Alyssa also
moderated the newest addition to Inspire a Girl, the Gold Award Alum panel with
Skylar Clark, Taylor Edwards and Jolly Patro. Girl Scout Juniors and older were
invited to hear from these outstanding women on all things Gold Award. From how
they got their project started to how it’s played a role in their future life
plans!
Also
new this year, we celebrated our 2019 Volunteer Honorees in a special VIP
Lounge where they received their award and networked with other outstanding
volunteers! Every day our volunteers make fun, friendship, and awesome new
experiences possible for girls. They support our G.I.R.L.s (go-getter,
innovator, risk-taker, leader) every step of the way!
This
extraordinary day culminated with our Gold Award Ceremony where Girl Scouts
officially received their Gold Award Pin.
Gold Award Girl Scouts Taylor Edwards and Logan Rader were presented with the newest Girl Scout scholarship, The Spirit Scholarship. This scholarship was established by Gold Award & Lifetime Girl Scout Connie Ehrlich Davis, in memory of her parents. It is in the “spirit” of the Ehrlichs’ wisdom that this scholarship is awarded to girls who demonstrate academic excellence and uphold the highest ideals of Girl Scouting.
Left: Logan Rader, Connie Davis, Taylor Edwards. Right: Skylar Clark, Charles Winters, Joyce Termini, Morgan Neal.
The
ceremony was keynoted by Missouri Senator and GSKSMO Board Member Lauren
Arthur, who shared her story on how to reach “From Green to Gold: How Leaders
are Born.” Senator Arthur shared her inspirational message to Girl Scouts
encouraged them to implement what they learn through Girl Scouts and continue to
be leaders and go-getters in their community.
As Dr.
Seuss so greatly said, “Congratulations, today is your day. You’re off to great
places! You’re off and away!”
The 5th Annual Cookie Construction Build Day is a
wrap! After six months of planning, practicing and preparing, seven Cookie
Construction teams comprised of 30 female design professionals and 100 Girl
Scouts descended upon Crown Center to finally bring their “Underwater
Adventure” builds to life on March 2. Each team was given an 8×8 space to build
their structures and after 4 ½ hours of build time, girls dropped the glue guns
and tape, stepped away and marveled in their completed builds!
Brr… Welcome to the icy waters at the ends of the Earth! You might think that due to the frigid temperatures and harsh conditions here that there isn’t a lot to do or much to explore, but that couldn’t be further from the truth! While there is a lot of fun happening above water, just like icebergs, there is even more to explore under the surface! Penguins, seals, whales, fish and even plants have found ways to make these icy waters their homes.
A Surprising Discovery By: Jaws Squad Mentor Firm: Hollis + Miller Architects
Our team wanted to
make a major statement with our build and focus on a few bold elements that
would catch the viewer’s attention. We were most inspired by underwater
discovery in movies, the goggles left by a scuba diver from the movie “Finding
Nemo” and the shocking and powerful shark from the movie “Jaws”. Through the
process of sketching and brainstorming as a team, we found that we could put a
creative spin on these two major elements. By playing with scale and creating a
lens for the viewer, the design is meant to make the viewer feel like they are
an underwater explorer making a surprising major discovery. In Girl Scouts and
in life, you never know what you might discover!TEAM PHOTO + BULD
Treasure Untold By: Let’s Get Kracken Mentor Firm: International Architects Atelier
Our team, Let’s Get
Kraken, decided to make “Treasure Untold:” a beautiful piece made of different
colors and types of cookie boxes. The piece shows a purple octopus opening a
treasure chest that has many items to represent treasure. Around the octopus
and treasure is colorful vibrant coral. On the bottom of our display are
shredded boxes to represent sand. The whole piece represents an underwater
exploration. The creators are showing how Girl Scouts all work together and how
we can come to an agreement. When you have teamwork, you can accomplish BIG
THINGS!T
Shipwreck of the North By: Oops, I Inked! Mentor Firms: Midland Steel Company, Tompkins Architects, Ellison-Auxier Architects, River Bluff Architects
The Girl Scout Pirates
of the North had to deliver Girl Scout cookies to SpongeBob. They set out on a
stormy night. Then, lighting struck the side of the ship. The ship fell down to
the bottom of the sea, hit the rocks and broke in half. SpongeBob wanted his
cookies, so he decided to go on an adventure to find them. He hopped on a
turtle for a ride, but the turtle got stuck in seaweed. The turtle had to eat
the seaweed to make his way out. He then followed a school of fish to a
colorful coral reef. There, SpongeBob found part of the ship, but also saw a
shark guarding it! The turtle helped him out by distracting the shark.
SpongeBob ran into the ship and found a treasure chest. Inside he found the
cookies he had been searching for!T
A Window to the Sea By: Queens of Argentine Mentor Firm: BRR Architecture
Our build showcases a picture window to the ocean with all the unique creatures of the sea living in harmony. Our main structure implies the frame of a picture box with many different tiers featuring a wide variety of sea creatures swimming together through colorful underwater plant life. The structure is formed using a stair step method in order to achieve the highest visibility for all the creatures and to give them the illusion of floating through the water. The largest element of our build is the Girl Scout octopus who pushes the boundaries of her container, climbing out and fearlessly setting off to explore other worlds outside her own. Wearing her Girl Scout sash and her crown as a Queen of Argentine, she sets off to find new adventures and new friendships.
T
Mer-Catopolis By: Team MerCats Mentor Firms: Populous, All Tile CCS, Roth Living, Built Interiors
Our team invites you
to explore the depths of the ocean and the fantastic ruins of Mer-Catopolis.
This underwater world is home to mythical hybrid creatures named Mer-Cats.
Mer-Catopolis inspiration comes from ancient Greek and Roman architectural
elements such as ionic columns, arches, and monumental buildings. The city is
full of colors and textures that are derived from many types of coral and
algae. This lively environment and flora attract fish and sea life of different
varieties and sizes. The main square has a fountain displaying Poseidon’s
trident, where Mer-Cats gather to meet their friends. Everyone in Mer-Catopolis
feels happy and safe, as magical narwhals guard the doors to the city. These
guards protect the residents and the coveted treasure of the ocean, which hides
in a cave located at the edge of town. Welcome to Mer-Catopolis!
T
Life Lost By: Absolutely Remarkable Things Mentor Firms: Scott Rice Office Works, DLR Group, Treanor HL, Working Spaces
Our sculpture
represents life lost by depicting an underwater plane crash as well as various
stages of sick coral reef. The plane is thought to have traveled around the
world exploring until it crashed in to the ocean, ending up on the ocean floor.
Shown are various forms of sea life and plants interacting with the crashed
plane and other depictions of past life are represented through other elements
such as the helmet. The dying coral is also thought to show past life because a
coral reef is a living organism that is an important part of the ocean
ecosystem. Throughout our research we discovered that we know more about parts
of space than we do about the ocean floor.T
While the panel of Jurors evaluated each build, 41 Action
News Meteorologist Lindsey Anderson emceed program and Master Lego Builder Joe Nunnink
entertained the audience by speed building a seahorse out of Legos!
A panel of Jurors evaluated each structure on creativity in design, structural design, use of colors/labels, craftsmanship and adherence to rules & regulations. While all the builds had incredible details, personality, and were creative in their own right, the MerCats were presented with the Juror’s Choice Award! They loved their unique interpretation of the theme, use of narrative and their demonstration of knowledge of the history of architecture. The MerCats created depth and vignettes utilizing ionic arches to frame the scene, and incorporated the 2019 Cookie Program Mascot into those arches!
Juror’s Choice Award: MerCats
Thank you to our Jurors, Nick Lawler, Meredith Stoll, Whitley
S. Fields, Andrew Pitts and Samantha McCloud and Amy Slattery!
This program wouldn’t be possible without the support and
dedication of our female design professionals in the Kansas City and St. Joseph
areas. Thank you for sharing your knowledge, expertise and time with our Girl
Scouts!
The awards aren’t done yet; you can still cast your ballot
for People’s Choice Award! Visit Crown Center and see these impressive builds yourself
and vote for your favorite structure through March 22!
The 2019 Cookie Construction Program is a partnership with
AIA Kansas City and made possible with the support of Crown Center, BRR
Architecture & McCownGordon Construction.
Whether you’re a Girl Scout alum, a current member, a dedicated volunteer, or you simply have an extraordinary Girl Scout in your life, you’re an important part of the Girl Scout family. And you know what families do together? Celebrate!
Girl Scout Week is definitely something to celebrate—seven straight days to show off your Girl Scout pride and lift up all that this worldwide sisterhood has given you, your community, and the world. Join us in treating each day from Sunday, March 10, through Saturday, March 16, as a day of action focused on a powerful yet simple way to get involved.
Sunday, March 10 Girl Scout Sunday is a special day dedicated to thinking about your beliefs and how they’re reflected in the Girl Scout Law.
Monday, March 11 STEM Day is the day we celebrate everything cool about science, technology, engineering & math. Try out one of our STEM activities or show us how you celebrate STEM.
Tuesday, March 12 It’s Girl Scouts’ 107th birthday! Learn about G.I.R.L.s (Go-getters, Innovators, Risk-takers, Leaders) who are Girl Scouts who changed or are changing the world.
Wednesday, March 13 Get out your green gear—it’s Girl Scout Spirit Day! Girls, wear that sash / vest or fave t-shirt. And adults, whether you sport a Girl Scout tee under a blazer at the office or rock a trefoil sweatshirt at the gym, let everyone know you’re a G.I.R.L. at heart.
Thursday, March 14 Daisy’s Circle Day! Philanthropy supports Girl Scouting across our 47 counties. If you are a member, wear your Daisy’s Circle pin and ask someone to join you as a member. If you’re new to Daisy’s Circle, consider joining this powerful circle on this special day of Standing Up for G.I.R.L.s! Friday, March 15 Take Action Day! Kick off the weekend by giving back to your community. Could the local park use a cleanup? Does the food bank need volunteers? As always, the best person for the job is a Girl Scout!
Saturday, March 16 Girl Scout Sabbath – Besides reflecting on your beliefs and how they’re echoed in the Girl Scout Law, we urge you to take some time this Girl Scout Sabbath to learn something new about someone else’s faith. So, are you with us? Ready to go green and shout your Girl Scout love from the rooftops? Follow along on Instagram,Twitter, and Facebook for more fun all week long. (Link to our social media)
Looking for a special Girl Scout Week keepsake? Check out the 2019 Girl Scout Memorabiliain the Girl Scout Shop.
