Smart Cookies: Stand for More, our premiere virtual fundraising event, is coming quickly! We invite volunteers, members, family, and friends to join us for an evening of celebration and inspiration on Thursday, Sept. 24 at 6 p.m. The evening’s program will feature our 2020 Tribute to Achievement honorees in “Smart Cookies Conversations” with our Girl Scouts, and we’ll call on you, our Girl Scout champions, to support the mission throughout the evening through donations and a silent auction!
Our silent auction is officially live, and throughout the next week, awesome items will continue to be added. Every item sold is a direct investment in the lives and empowerment of girls in our council and provides them the opportunities to grow into resilient women. Read on to learn about some of our items up for auction!
Silent Auction Items
Bidders will have a chance to win very special Girl Scout opportunities—don’t miss out on the chance to win a week at a summer resident camp next year! AND, make sure to place your bet on an afternoon at the Albert C. Hanna High Ropes Course at Camp Butternut Springs for a group of ten.
Among the other incredible offers are some priceless memorabilia packs from the Chicago Blackhawks, including a jersey autographed by Brent Seabrook, photos autographed by Dylan Strome and David Kampf, and a hockey stick and puck signed by the 2019-20 Blackhawks team and Olli Maata!
Every week on our blog, we’ve featured young women that are big dreamers, dedicated workers, and true change-makers in their communities, the nation, and the world. Continue meeting our Girl Scout Gold Award Class of 2020 from Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana this week to learn about their incredible acts of leadership, courage, and kindness.
Jordyn, to earn her Gold Award, focused on a subject close to her heart. As someone diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD), Gold Award Girl Scout Jordyn wanted to spread awareness by debunking myths surrounding the disorder, offering tips and tricks for coping, and educating her community on the subject matter. Check out her YouTube channel to learn more and watch her videos!
Fellowship Outreach Program
Gold Award Girl Scout Colleen, to earn her Gold Award, worked to connect her community and parish by creating “parish packets” as a fellowship outreach program. This is Colleen’s particular passion because she went to school there, was an altar server, and belonged to the youth ministry. These “parish packets” included items not only from the church but items from around the community, in order to market the parish and draw new parishioners.
“Senior” Prom
To bring the young and the elderly in her community together for fun and connection, Gold Award Girl Scout Quinn held a “Senior” Prom dance at a senior citizen home. With the younger girls, she lead a paper flower and Valentine’s Day card-making workshop, and with the seniors, she presented about pop culture. She helped 36 residents and 32 Girl Scouts connect with one another for her event!
Flower Power
With plenty of research and brainstorming, Girl Scout Kendall earned her Gold Award for her community garden Flower Power, located in a skilled nursing home facility. Two raised flower beds later, residents now have a new fun task added to their days, where they can get outside and moving and feel helpful picking weeds and harvesting vegetables. She incorporated plants that would get the residents involved and attract butterflies and birds.
Spring Social
Girl Scout Lucy earned her Gold Award for hosting a Spring Social dance event for teenagers with disabilities. The event included spring themed activities, like plant potting, picture coloring, carnival games, and plenty of food. Lucy planned, prepared, and supervised the event with help from the faculty and volunteers from her school, and a great night was had by all!
Blessing Bags
To earn her Gold Award, Girl Scout Jilliann collected, sorted, and personally delivered travel size toiletries and basic necessities to homeless individuals in her community. In order to do this, Jilliann worked with a local shelter for homeless individuals in her community, and was able to distribute 200 bags of toiletries.
Stepping Up to Success
“Individuals with disabilities are always aiming to achieve independence,” Girl Scout Therese describes. “One of the last steps toward independence is the ability to travel alone.” It is especially the increased step size of most buses that can provide a challenge for these individuals. In order to help bridge this gap, Therese created a set of stairs that mimic bus stairs for individuals with disabilities to practice on, and her efforts have already seen great results.
The Summer Shindig
In effort of raising awareness for the Hope and Friendship Foundation‘s summer youth programs, Gold Award Girl Scout Victoria hosted a charity benefit event in her community, The Summer Shindig. The event included dancing, food, raffles, balloon animals, and much more fun, and with the help of local business, friends, and community members, Victoria was able to raise almost $400 for the foundation to put toward summer programs for families in need.
Savvy Seniors
“I was grateful to have a close relationship with my grandfather,” Mia shared, and this was her inspiration to address the issue of neglect toward the senior community, provide a safe and interactive environment to stimulate and accommodate them with resources, Girl Scout Mia created a program, “Savvy Seniors,” to teach technology to senior citizens in retirement homes. In addition to weekly classes where she taught residents how to type, compose emails, and more, she also created a website for individuals unable to attend.
DuneLand Micro-Pantries
“Working at a grocery store,” Girl Scout Angelique says, “I see many people on food stamps having to put many of their necessities, like shampoo, toothbrushes, and other things back on the selves because they can’t afford it.” To provide individuals in her community with these necessities, Angelique built Micro-Pantries in her area, which were stocked with basic necessities free to all, so no one has to compromise “hygiene for food, or food for hygiene.”
Bridging the Generational Gap
Girl Scout Tiarra, in order to bridge the gap between generations in her community, volunteered at several nursing homes to learn more about the residents, their experiences, and the history that impacted them. At the end of her research, Tiarra hosted an “Inter-generational Extravaganza,” bringing over 150 people together for an evening of fun.
Busy Hands
Kiley, for her Gold Award initiative, created a volunteer system to create fidget quilts for people suffering from dementia. These blankets, which are covered in “fidgets,” or different tools for them to stimulate their hands with like ribbons, buttons, zippers, and more, are a great help with easing nerves and providing constant comfort. Kiley collected over 35 blankets and they continue being made.
Our Girls are Shining Bright!
We extend our sincerest congratulations to these girls and all Gold Award Girl Scouts this year!
Want to share pictures of your project with us? Post on social media and use the #GCNWIGoldAward! You can also download these images to share your Girl Scout Gold Award pride.
Look out for next week’s 2020 Gold Award Spotlight!
From in-person outdoor programs, virtual workshops and badge starters, or leadership development for adults and volunteers, Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana (GSGCNWI) have a fall season full of incredible opportunities for all girls, troops, and volunteers, to get the Girl Scout year started!
Look out for more programs coming out as the weeks go by!
Daisy Girl Programs
This Fall, Daisy Girl Scouts (K-1) will have service opportunities with our weekly Service Sunday program, try out day camping at our in-person Outdoor Extravaganza, get started on earning badges with our Badge Starter videos, and much more.
Brownie Girl Scouts (2-3) are also welcome to join our in-person Outdoor Extravaganza, as well as celebrate International Day of the Girl, explore careers in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) and continue earning badges like the Inventor badge and My Best Self!
For Junior Girl Scouts (4-5), we’re hosting a Take Action workshop webinar, learning about future entrepreneurship opportunities, visit MetLife for our Virtual Spark Day, along with many other opportunities for Girl Scout fun!
Cadette Girl Scouts (6-8) can look forward to continued Book Club meetings, get civically engaged with our Democracy Badge Starter, join us for our in-person New Heights: High Adventure Day at Camp Butternut Springs, and more!
For Girl Scout Seniors and Ambassadors (9-12), we have plenty of opportunities, including our in-person New Heights: High Adventure Day, Take Action Workshops, Gold Award Training webinars, and more!
Back-to-troop season means all new everything! New fall programs and experiences. New badges and journeys to explore. And a fresh mentality and outlook on the Girl Scout experience to help take it all in stride.
The Girl Scout year is finally (almost!) here— registration for Fall programs opens Sept. 15, the Fall Product Program begins on Oct. 1, and Girl Scouts from Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana (GCNWI) are ready to go! Congratulations to Iliana, Amalia, and Aliyah (pictured above) for bridging into Girl Scout Juniors last week!
This week’s Member Monday is all about the members, from girls to volunteers to Girl Scout champions, that help our organization thrive and make magic. Read on to meet some more of our awesome, inspiring members!
Girl Scouts are getting back to meeting in-person, and Daisy Troop 56024 got together for an outdoors, masked-up ice-cream making meeting! They said it was definitely different, but “absolutely daisy-tastic!” Great job, girls!
Other Girl Scouts, like the girls from Troop 45575, are continuing to meet online through Zoom, and we’d like to shout out their leader Amy H. for her incredible enthusiasm and creative ideas. The request she put out to her Facebook friends was simple: “Do you have an interesting profession, skill, or talent? Can you show it off to a group of Girl Scouts in a Zoom meeting as a special guest?”
8 hours later, her page was bursting with volunteers, including a radiologist, an international kettlebell competitor, a mindfulness coach, a professional musician, a stage combat actress, a NASA epidemiologist, a florist, a neuroscientist, and many more interesting people, from Florida to New York to Texas to Los Angeles. The girls are thrilled, and look forward to seeing a new face and hearing from accomplished women every meeting. Amy was once nervous, but now she is more ready than ever for the Girl Scout year! Awesome ideas, Amy!
Join Girl Scout Troop 20000 for Girls in Medical Care
Girl Scout Troop 20000 is a brand-new troop launched just for girls impacted by illness or disability to enjoy virtual troop meetings, pre-recorded meetings, badge workshops, virtual events, and independent badgework. Girls in this troop will be paired with a mentor to assist them through their work!
Check out this throwback Girl Scout photo from new member of our Associate Board, Alexandria S.! “My experiences as a Girl Scout undoubtedly shaped me into the woman I am today,” she says, “I am honored to reconnect with the organization and to have the opportunity to ensure girls have the resources and exposure they need to achieve their dreams.” We’re so excited to have you, and congratulations!
Did you know we’re hosting our first ever Go-Getters Virtual Race to coincide with the virtual Bank of America Chicago Marathon? Girl Scout champion Michele is participating, and she shared with us how far she ran (and she’s just getting started!).
Interested in joining the race? Register and 100% of the proceeds you raise will go directly to girls and families in our council through financial assistance for membership, troop activities, and virtual programs. You can run anywhere, choose your distance, and set your pace!
Have you heard? 24 new badges are here from GSUSA, and they’re designed to help girls of all ages reach their potential and become fierce leaders of the future!
Civic engagement is just one way Girl Scouts advocate for positive change and make the world a better place. And though some girls may be too young to cast a ballot, they can still mobilize their communities to take action. Funded by the Citi Foundation, the new Democracy badges for all ages of Girl Scouts will help politically-minded girls be more prepared than ever to vote, act, and blaze trails.
Learn more about the new Democracy badges from GSUSA!
Democracy for Younger Girls
The Democracy badges for Girl Scout Daisies, Brownies, and Juniors lay the groundwork for girls to understand both local and national government, what they are responsible for, and how they make large-scale changes throughout the country. The badges will also require them to explore political issues that interest them, draft legislature, and debate their friends and family!
As well as exploring the structure of the United States government at the state and federal levels, the Democracy badges for Girl Scout Cadettes, Seniors, and Ambassadors continue the work of growing political awareness and civic engagement. Girls will research key legislators in their state, the importance of voter turnout, and more, as well as develop ideas for service projects.
Girls of all ages interested in continuing their political education should also check out the Girl Scout Suffrage Centennial patch, which gives girls and troops a chance to explore the important history of the fight for gender and racial justice and voting rights in the United States.
When a Girl Scout imagines a better world, it doesn’t stop there. Gold Award Girl Scouts take their visions to the next level, enacting community service and civic engagement that creates lasting, effective change.
Gold Award Girl Scout Amelia envisioned a world where all girls and women have equal access to eco-friendly menstruation products—so she took action to make that a reality. To earn the Gold Award, and become a part of the fight for gender equality, Amelia partnered with the organization Days for Girls to create and distribute reusable menstruation materials to girls without proper access to them in her community.
Community Shower of Love
Girl Scout Kara received her Gold Award for her project, “Community Shower of Love,” addressing the needs of new mothers and families in her community. In partnership with the Martha and Mary’s Maternity House and local families in need of supplies, Kara impacted the lives of many families and adolescents with newborns by providing basic necessities including formula and sanitary supplies.
3K Run for Children in Need
As part of Girl Scout Muskan’s Gold Award mission, she organized and hosted a 3K run in support of children undergoing abuse or neglect. All proceeds raised at that race were then used to purchase new park supplies for a park in her area for children to de-stress and communicate with each other. She also hosted speaking engagement to address the issue of child abuse and neglect with her community.
Blessings in a Backpack
Gold Award Girl Scout Kaitlyn, in partnership with organization Blessings in a Backpack, sought to supply underserved families in her community with healthy, reliable food over the weekend. Kaitlyn, to earn the Gold Award, brought the national program to her school and provided food for students at Wheaton Elementary School! She was featured on WGN Radio– listen to learn more about her project!
Bags for Foster Care
Girl Scout Morgan’s Gold Award endeavor focused on providing children in foster care with belongings of their own. For her Gold Award, and in order to bring more awareness to foster care and adoption processes, Morgan compiled and delivered 60 bags for children in foster care including toiletries and comfort items for them to keep and cherish. The project continues to be carried on by her Service Unit!
Board Book Drive
To earn her Gold Award, Girl Scout Mia coordinated a board book drive between the Advocate Children’s Hospital Resource Center, the Glenview Public Library, and the bookstore the Book Market, to provide children’s books for the Resource Center. She regularly collected books from the library and bookstore and helped set up a “book nook,” a mobile bookshelf wheeled into children’s rooms at the hospital. Due to her efforts, they received over 200 books in total!
Supplies for Foster Care
Gold Award Girl Scout Lauren, also in an effort of providing resources to children in the foster care system, earned her Gold Award by collecting needed donations for the kids, including toiletries, clothing, blankets, hats, gloves, and flashlights. In her community, Lake County, she was able to reach many kids and provide them with new supplies collected just for them.
A Home Away from Home
Gold Award Girl Scout Elizabeth, in collaboration with Ronald McDonald House Charities, sought to bring comfort to families staying near Comer Children’s Hospital in Chicago, IL. With the help of her community, Elizabeth was able to donate family games, craft kits, and comfort items for families to enjoy. She also hosted a McDonald’s night to educate her community on Ronald McDonald House Charities.
Comfort for Family Court
Before Girl Scout Alyssa got to the scene, there was no steady supply of comfort items available for children in family court in Chicago, an experience that can be frightening without an object to hold for a sense of security. To solve this issue, Alyssa created a supply chain for comfort items, like stuffed animals, to be distributed to children undergoing family legal processes in the city, of which more than 1,000 kids are seen a year.
Diabetes Awareness
Girl Scout Sydney’s mission was to raise awareness on the medical condition Diabetes. To earn her Gold Award, Sydney created informational pamphlets to hand out to community members, as well as presented information on the condition, how to live with it, and how to prevent it. Her presentation reached over 75 people in her community!
Adeline’s JR. High Survival Guide
Gold Award Girl Scout Adeline took her efforts to YouTube, creating her very own channel and series “Junior High School Survival Guide.” Topics range from body confidence (shown above), social media, friendships, and much more, and Adeline worked with a counselor and CEO of a local youth organization to ensure the channel can be a safe, trusted resource for middle schoolers. Make sure to check out her YouTube channel to learn more about her project!
Strength in Girls
Nikhila, to earn her Gold Award, focused on the empowerment and education of young girls on the subject of mental health. Partnering with the In Her Shoes Foundation, Nikhila presented at several galas and other workshops in order to raise awareness about the stigma around mental health, particularly for women and girls. She has been able to help over 200 girls through her presentations!
The Mark of the Truly Remarkable
We extend our sincerest congratulations to these girls and all Gold Award Girl Scouts this year!
Want to share pictures of your project with us? Post on social media and use the #GCNWIGoldAward! You can also download these images to share your Girl Scout Gold Award pride.
The new Girl Scout year is upon us, and though it will be unlike any before, we are ready to get “back to business!” There is a lot in store: read on to learn all about our Girl Scouts and what we have planned this month.
For Girl Scout Daisy Madeline, being a Girl Scout has meant a summer full of exploring. Madeline is excited about basically everything: cooking, planting milkweed in her backyard, earning “every badge possible,” and eventually becoming a troop leader. She even made a recipe of her own: roll-up S’Mores (a crescent roll sprinkled with cinnamon, rolled up with chocolate and marshmallows, baked and topped with sprinkled graham crackers) which is absolutely inspired.
Madeline’s parents are also grateful for Girl Scouting amid social distancing since the activities have fed into her growing curiosity and have kept her both happy and occupied. “She’s ready to go,” her father Paul told us, “and it’s amazing how much she looks forward to and enjoys it.”
It’s true that experiences like these for young girls are especially important now as girls face a confusing world—according to the Girl Scout Voices Count survey conducted by GSUSA, Girl Scouts provides a safe haven for girls in a tumultuous world and helps girls thrive even in challenging times.
Our Girls are Gold!
Gold Award Girl Scout Bria with her Congratulations Box!
As we continue honoring our Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana Gold Award Girl Scouts, we’d like to feature a comment we received on social media this week, celebrating one Gold Award Girl Scout, Bria:
“Congratulations Gold Award Girl Scouts! Bria, proud leader does not even touch my emotions right now! It has been an honor and privilege to have been your leader along your Girl Scout journey! I am blessed to have watched you grow into the amazing young leader that you are today. Continue to use your voice and lead the change our world needs! I believe in you, I am so proud of you, and I will always be your biggest cheerleader!” – Troop Leader Donna McWilliams
Girl Scouts Addison and Sophia from Troop 75111 have been loving participating in the Cadette Book Club this summer, and they can’t wait for the next meeting at the end of the month (register here by Sept. 24 to join!). Looks like they already started the book, Genesis Begins Again by Alicia D. Williams!
Resilience, ambition, and activism: those three essential qualities link all Girl Scouts, volunteers, and members, and are what drive us to continue championing the power of the girl. Girl Scouts, this year especially, have shown how vital it is to stand up and act for the good of the nation and the community.
On Sept. 24, we invite all to celebrate this and much more at our first ever premiere virtual fundraising event, Smart Cookies: Stand for More, featuring stories of the unstoppable drive, compassion, and flexibility of our girl and adult members.
We are calling on you and everyone in our community to stand behind our girls as they stand up for themselves, others, and their communities through their continued service and civic engagement.
Continue reading to learn about the program for the evening!
What to Expect
At Smart Cookies, you will hear from some of our very special 2020 Tribute to Achievement honorees in conversation with Girl Scouts from our council in “Smart Cookies Conversations.”
We will feature Kathy Scherer, Managing Partner of Business Tax Services at Deloitte, who is also this year’s Girl Scout’s Own honoree; Lei Zhang Schlitz, Executive Vice President of Automotive OEM at Illinois Tool Works Inc., our Luminary honoree; and Sandra Cordova Micek, CEO of WTTW and recipient of the Community Partnership Award.
Additionally, you’ll hear from many of our council’s own trailblazing Girl Scouts and hear from them what it truly means to Stand for More and live the Girl Scout Promise, as well as how best to fulfill their needs and wishes for Girl Scouting in the next year and beyond.
You will also have many opportunities to show your support by donating to Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana (GSGCNWI) throughout the evening or by participating in our Silent Auction (items to be previewed soon!).
Our Fall Product Program is about to start! From Oct. 1 to 21, don’t miss out on your chance to participate and earn awesome rewards AND a personalized patch with YOUR name and avatar on it!
Watch your inbox for more information to be released soon!
Continue Your Girl Scout Journey!
Even though our world has changed plenty in the last six months, you can still count on Girl Scouts and GCNWI to provide reliable, impactful, and fun experiences for girls across the council.
Gold Award Girl Scouts don’t just change the world for the better, they change it for good. The mark of the truly remarkable, the Gold Award is earned by Girl Scout Seniors and Ambassadors who demonstrate extraordinary leadership in their neighborhoods, nations, and the world.
We continue honoring the Gold Award Class of 2020 from Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana (GSGCNWI), and this week, we’ll be learning all about the girls whose Gold Awards centered on the arts and interpersonal relationships. Read on to meet these impressive young women!
Mural for Our Lady of the Sioux Prayer Circle
In partnership with the Parish of Our Lady of the Sioux, located in Pine Ridge, South Dakota, Gold Award Girl Scout Clara designed and created a mural for their parish grounds. Working with the parishioners, Clara incorporated Native American imagery and live flowers in her work, all in the aims of creating a beautiful symbol of worship for the people of the parish.
The CURE
Gold Award Girl Scout Elizabeth’s initiative started as a pro-kindness presentation to students at her school and continues as an established school club. For her project, which was awarded a Power of the Children award by the Indianapolis Children’s Museum in 2017, Elizabeth spoke to her classmates, developed a website, and installed a sign in her school. Her project is sure to have an impact on countless students for years to come!
A Lesson in Japanese American History
Gold Award Girl Scout Elyse earned her award by developing a history lesson plan designed to educate high school students about the process, development, and effects of mass hysteria in the United States before, during, and after the Second World War. Elyse’s curriculum focused on the Japanese American experience, and how a single group of people was discriminated against based on fear.
Adding Dazzle to the Special Stars
Gold Award Girl Scout Rebecca saw the need to add some dazzle to the special needs program at the local dance studio Special Stars—so she acted. Rebecca’s efforts to expand their curriculum culminated in brand-new lesson plans for differently-abled dancers, and she was able to teach 8 students in her class on a regular basis.
Standby Project Playhouse
Rebekah, inspired by her own experience as an actor, earned her Gold Award by developing an enriching curriculum for students at Children’s Playhouse. She knew that show directors always have their hands full and that older kids had trouble staying engaged in the program. To solve this challenge, Rebekah created a new curriculum for older students, which is now being used in a new class!
Our War Against Mental Illness
Gold Award Girl Scout Monica believes “it only takes a few kind words to have an everlasting impact on someone’s self-esteem.” To spread this message to her community, she engaged them in activities, encouraging others to spread kindness and positivity. Together, Monica and her community painted kindness rocks and positive phrases in her high school’s bathroom.
Puppet Show for Church
For Girl Scout Hailey, getting involved with her local parish in the form of theater was the focus of her Gold Award. Hailey built a puppet theater, wrote scripts coordinated to the day’s Sunday school lessons, and she drew quite a crowd for the final puppet show! Hailey said the best part was interacting with the kids in her parish.
Art for Kids
“As someone who has benefited greatly from a strong arts education,” Gold Award Girl Scout Audrey says, “[I] sought to address the issue of fine arts education funding by providing supplies for local Chicago Public Schools.” In partnership with the Schools Count Corporation and other community organizations, Audrey founded Art for Kids, a multi-district wide annual art supply drive, collecting an estimated $5,000 worth of supplies to benefit 14 different schools in Chicago.
Music Therapy Awareness
Gold Award Girl Scout Bailey saw the need to raise awareness about the benefits of music therapy as a form of treatment for people with disabilities, so in response, she created over 200 pamphlets and a YouTube video to do just that. In preparation, she was guided by a professional music therapist and sat in during several of his classes. Every pamphlet of hers was picked up by the schools, libraries, and offices in which she left them.
Middle School Band Promotional Video
Girl Scout Bria’s Gold Award had two major components: the making of a promotional video to encourage elementary students in her area to join the Brooks Middle School band, and leading students and scouts in the refurbishing of the band’s display case. The video continues to be shown in elementary schools to inform students on what brand has to offer, and her efforts have overall improved the marketing of the band to the community!
The Gold Award is the standout achievement of girls who develop meaningful, sustainable solutions to challenges in their communities and the world. These girls each have completed anything but a one-time service project, but have changed the world in tangible and lasting ways.
We extend our sincerest congratulations to these girls and all Gold Award Girl Scouts this year!
Want to share pictures of your project with us? Post on social media and use the #GCNWIGoldAward! You can also download these images to share your Girl Scout Gold Award pride.
Look out for next week’s 2020 Gold Award Spotlight!
