It’s officially the first week of Summer Camp Revamp, and summertime with Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana (GCNWI) is in full swing! And it seems like our girls are moving at the speed of light, keeping up with weekly virtual troop meetings, completing badges, Highest Awards, service and good deeds, even organizing their own events! We have to hand it to the Girl Scouts; they really know how to get things done.
We have some awesome Girl Scout stories to share–– read on!
Let’s Hear It for the Girls!
Girl Scout troops are still celebrating the end of a year full of accomplishments, but they’ve had to get creative! These Daisy, Brownie, and Junior girls stopped by their leader’s “Rainbow Porch” to pick up their badges, cookie prizes, and other goodies, and move up to the next level of Girl Scouting. Congratulations to Troop 65646, and all Girl Scouts from GCNWI, on a great year!
Girl Scouts haven’t let distance stop them from staying connected and earning badges. When troop meetings went virtual, this dedicated handful of girls from Troop 45133 kept meeting, and they earned up to 12 badges in 12 weeks! The most popular badge with this group was the Junior Detective badge, where they extracted DNA from strawberries, dusted for fingerprints, and solved a mystery with bags of physical “evidence.” So cool! They’re looking forward to meeting in person again someday, but they’ll stay connected with their sister Girl Scouts all summer long!
Girl Scout Service Spotlight
Girl Scouts have also continued to provide service and resources to essential workers and people in need–– and one very special Girl Scout, Olivia T. from Chicago, IL, was recently featured on My TODAY Plaza’s Celebrates America series for going above and beyond for her service to the community.
Olivia, during her stay-at-home time, fueled by her passion and inspired by her parents, started her own non-profit to ensure people without masks, especially those without homes, can get them for free. Her determination and kindness for her community had a huge impact–– watch the video above (her story starts at the 1:55 mark) to learn more about her efforts.
Troop 45116 raised money through their cookie booths for donations–– they were poised to donate their cookies to a free community dinner hosted in Park Ridge before everything was rescheduled. Instead, the girls donated 50 boxes of cookies to Lutheran General Hospital, and 30 boxes to the Maine Township Food Pantry, along with thank you notes to the healthcare workers.
The troop was also nearing completion of the aMuse Journey when they had to shift gears to virtual meetings, but the girls stayed on track and finished the Journey, making a video about breaking down negative stereotypes against women in the sports world! The girls are now ready to tackle their Bronze Award next year!
Check out this tweet from the Franklin School Library in Grayslake, IL: it looks like Girl Scout Troop 45315 has something cooking!
Thank you to all the amazing girls who have shared their stories with us–– we are forever impressed and proud of you!
Take the Spotlight!
Tell us all about your plans, ideas, and dreams, whether you’re joining us for Summer Camp Revamp, thinking up a big way to help your community, or coming out with the next great American novel––share your story with us on our website or on social media @GirlScoutsGCNWI.
As a girl-led organization, we wholeheartedly support the passion and desire Girl Scouts have for seeking justice and making change. Our Girl Scouts and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access page now has a living list of resources for girls to start on that path.
Looking for something fun to do with your troop or on your own? The Girl Scouts from Home page is full of Badge How-To’s, videos, and more resources you can access from home!