Over 120 Girl Scout friends and families participated in the inaugural S’mores Day Fun Run held on August 12, 2023, to support Family Partnership’s annual giving campaign and celebrate National S’mores Day!
The 1.2-mile course around Camp Greene Wood weaved through the scenic fields and wood trails of the camp, allowing runners to enjoy nature and get a tour of the camp in a unique way.
The run was followed by some fun activities, including crafting of s’mores-themed bead buddies and marshmallow catapults led by Camp Greene Wood’s CITs (counselors in training).
Erin Morton, one of the participants, shared her experience and said, “We had so much fun. The counselors in training were awesome and super engaged during the crafting.”
It wouldn’t be an actual S’mores Day without making a s’more! Girl Scouts enjoyed delicious s’mores around the campfire; there were even flavored marshmallows to choose from to make your s’more extra tasty.
The event celebrated the love of s’mores while also raising over $4,000 towards the Family Partnership’s annual giving campaign. The money raised will provide financial assistance, ensuring that Girl Scouts is accessible to all girls. It will also be used to offer training and support for adult volunteers and innovations to camps and properties.
Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana would like to thank everyone who participated and made the day special. The council would also like to thank Talking Rain, the makers of Sparkling Ice®, for sponsoring the bottled water used at the event.
Girl Scouts who participated in our robotics program are reaching new heights!
Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana (GSGCNWI) proudly sponsored 12 FIRST Robotics teams this season in partnership with Motorola Foundation Solutions. There were eight FIRST LEGO League (FLL) Challenge teams (for students in grades 4-8), three FLL Explore teams (for students in grades 2-4), and one FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) team (for students in grades 7-12).
All age groups learned about this season’s STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) theme, which focused on power and energy.
Volunteer coaches created a comprehensive STEAM curriculum that taught the basics of building a moving robot or model. Teams programmed the robot or model with Spike Prime Essential, Spike Prime, or Java programming languages.
Teams also shared a poster, skit, song, play, or engineering presentation to show how much they learned this season with judges who determined awards and advancements.
Some of the notable accomplishments of this season’s teams are:
FLL Challenge team, The Unstoppable Robogirls, from Troop 25237, was a seventh-grade FLL Challenge team that advanced to the Illinois State FLL Challenge Championship at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with their highest robot run score of 245 points. They won the Core Values Trophy at their regional competition in December 2023 with 110 points for their highest robot run.
FLL Challenge team, Saucedo, from Troop 24520, won the Robot Performance Trophy with 200 points for their highest robot run at their regional tournament. This was the rookie year for Saucedo.
FLL Challenge team, Rad Rovers, from various troops based at Oakton Community College, won the Engineering Excellence Trophy with 280 points for their highest robot run at their regional tournament. This was the rookie year for Rad Rovers.
FLL Challenge team, Warriors, from Troop 55557, scored 165 points for their highest robot run at their regional tournament. The Warriors have advanced to the FLL Challenge state championship in past years.
FLL Challenge team, Electric Golden Girls, from Troop 75733, scored 130 points for their highest robot run at their regional tournament. This was the rookie year for Electric Golden Girls.
FLL Challenge team, Hot Potatoes, from Troop 25778, scored 140 points for their highest robot run at the regional tournament. This was the rookie year for Hot Potatoes.
FLL Challenge team, Space Monkeys (Juliettes based in Wheaton), scored 210 points for their highest robot run at the regional tournament.
FLL Challenge team, LEGO Chicago, from Troop 21397, returned to FLL Robotics after being inactive for two years during COVID-19.
FLL Explore team, Saucedo, from Troop 24520, presented at an exhibition in Chicago.
FLL Explore team, The Cookie Crunchers, from Troop 47305, presented at an exhibition in Chicago. They also presented at an exhibition at the FIRST Robotics World Festival in Houston and were chosen for the Core Value Award. And they presented their robotics model at their Girl Scouts service unit meeting.
FLL Explore team, The Unstoppable Robogirls Junior, from Troop 47305, presented at an exhibition in Chicago. They also presented an exhibition at the FIRST Robotics World Festival in Houston and were chosen for the Best Poster Award.
The FTC team, Newton Busters, from Troops 41302 and 40423, won the Illinois State Championship robot matches. To win the state championship, the team faced other robotics teams in five elimination matches, two semi-final alliance matches, and two final alliance matches. Elimination matches randomly select two teams to compete against two other teams. Alliance matches are self-selected alliances of three teams competing against three other teams. Throughout the season, the team competed in three league tournaments, one league championship, and one state championship. At the league championship hosted at the Grainger Headquarters in Lake Forest, with 600 people in attendance, the team won the FIRST Inspire Award and the Innovate Trophy. At the state championship held at Elgin Community College with 38 teams who advanced to the state championship, they won the 2022-2023 Illinois State Championship Tournament Winning Alliance Trophy and the 2022-2023 Illinois State Championship Tournament Control Trophy. One of the coaches, a 16-year Girl Scout leader, won the 2023 Power Play Chicago Suburban Northeast Volunteer of the Year Trophy.
Congratulations to all teams for your incredible accomplishments!
Coaches and student members of The Cookie Crunchers, Rad Rovers, and Newton Busters.Photo of the McKinley Exhibition for FLL Explore (Saucedo, The Cookie Crunchers, The Unstoppable Robogirls Junior)
Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana is thrilled to bring the Cookie Rally back as an in-person event at the Allstate Arena on January 7, 2023. GSGCNWI’s Cookie Rally is for Girl Scouts of all ages and their families to have some fun while preparing to #GoBrightAhead into everyone’s favorite program, the cookie program!
Doors will open only for Girl Scout Cookie Rally attendees at 3 p.m. There will be many family-friendly activities and photo ops, including:
Dunk your favorite Girl Scout Staff Member with our Dunk Tank
Family-friendly carnival games
Meet the Cookie CEOs
Get a sneak peek of new Programs in STEM, Arts, and Outdoors
Get your photo taken at the Action Photo Booth
Have a pair of ice skates? Open skate will be from 3-5 p.m. Attendees must bring their own skates if they want to go onto the ice. Skate rental will not be available.
At 5 p.m., the Cookie Rally will take the ice to discuss all things cookie-related and tips on how to finish out phase 1 of the cookie program with a bang, and get ready to reach their goals in phase 2.
At 7 p.m., GSGCNWI will drop the puck and host the color guard presentation to kick off the hockey game and cheer on the Chicago Wolves!
Purchasing a ticket to our 2023 Cookie Rally includes entrance to the cookie rally, a commemorative T-shirt, a Chicago Wolves game ticket, and a Rally Patch for the Girl Scout. Tickets are $22 until December 4. Starting December 5, ticket prices will increase to $24.
We’re so excited to launch our programs for winter because we have in-person and virtual opportunities for Girl Scouts to press play and get back in the swing of things. Get ready to start the New Year off with new programs!
Are you a STEAM enthusiast? Then join Team STEAM, where you can connect with other girls who love STEAM and women in STEM careers. Once you complete your first STEM badge as a troop, individual, or council, you can sign up to join the team! You will receive some Team STEAM swag and information about our meetings every other month to connect to other STEAM enthusiasts and hear from women who work in STEM careers.
All Girl Scouts are invited to celebrate our Virtual Cookie Badge Bash on January 8 by joining us for two very special workshops catered to earning NEW cookie badges!
The digital world is run by technology. If you want to change the real or digital world, technology can connect you to people, information, and causes in an instant. It provides tools to help you inform, organize, and mobilize others.
For more than 100 years, Girl Scout camp has brought girls outdoor adventures full of learning, challenges, a whole lot of friendship, and tons of fun. This happens through a community—each girl who comes to camp is welcomed into a group of girls who together can:
Discover their ability to better solve problems and overcome challenges.
Develop leadership skills, build social bonds, and become team players.
Increase their level of overall happiness and gratitude, and care for the environment.
As always, we have plenty of opportunities for v[AC1] olunteers, so be sure to browse those as well! These include resources for the cookie season, our Adult Enrichment series, CPR and First Aid, and more!
Most years, the fall season means L.E.A.P. (Leader Enrichment Activity Program) for many Girl Scout volunteers, an event that carried over to Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana (GSGCNWI) from the former Girl Scouts of Chicago council. L.E.A.P. is coordinated by a group of dedicated volunteers to offer peer-to-peer networking, enrichment activities and fun. This year, L.E.A.P.—“Tricks and Treats with Daisy”—took place at Camp Butternut Springs from October 22– 24. Approximately 90 Girl Scout adults attended L.E.A.P. this year, and about half the volunteers had never attended L.E.A.P. before, so it was truly a “make new friends” event!
Annie Gilmartin, GCNWI Program manager from the zip-lining team, shared, “This year, at LEAP, I had the opportunity to facilitate the zip line course for our adult volunteers. We spent two sessions getting to know these volunteers and their thoughts on heights, zip-lines, and climbing high towers. It was wonderful to see that the majority of leaders who chose to attend this session were nervous, just like girls are! The main consensus between leaders who were zip-lining were that they were challenging themselves to do the zip-line so they could tell the girls how exciting it was. Even though many leaders were a bit scared, they all encouraged each other, just as I saw Girl Scouts do all summer at Butternut Springs. It was wonderful to see leaders encouraging one another and challenging themselves all to be able to share the experience with their Girl Scouts.”
Volunteer and L.E.A.P. attendee Noha ElSharkawy-Aref shared, “My experience attending L.E.A.P. for the first time was incredible! To be honest, it was my first time to ever camp in the woods. I have only ever stayed in family accommodations or hotels before this experience, and I have to say that I went in with a lot of fears and apprehensions. I had so much fun bonding with my co-leaders from my troop as well as other leaders from other troops throughout the Chicago and Indiana region. We talked through common scenarios and challenges and shared so much advice and experiences with one another during meal times and transitions. I learned so much from my peers and I left so inspired and motivated. I definitely think it should be a requirement for any leader who wants to take their girls camping to attend this event or something similar!”
Thank you to everyone involved in making this year’s program a great success!
The deadline to apply to be a National Council Delegate for the National Council Session has been extended to Nov. 21!
Apply to be a part of the 56th National Convention in July 2023 (dates TBD), an opportunity for Girl Scouts and volunteers to play a vital role in providing strategic direction to the Girl Scout Movement.
Named after Girl Scouts founder Juliette Gordon Low, being a Juliette is a great option for girls who:
want to work on Girl Scout activities on their own time
don’t have troops in their grade level at their school or community
whose troop has disbanded or doesn’t work with their schedules
Juliettes aren’t alone; instead of a troop leader, Girl Scout Juliettes have mentors, parents or trusted adults who volunteer to guide these Girl Scouts through girl-led experiences. And we have plenty of resources for Juliettes and their mentors, including:
The Juliette Guidebook – it includes everything available to Juliettes, who to contact information, a suggested layout of how to plan your Girl Scout year for each Girl Scout level
To be inspired is great, but to be an inspiration is an honor. – Juliette Gordon Low
To all the mentors, leaders, changemakers, and explorers who volunteer with us: thank you. Thanks to your leadership and know-how, our Girl Scouts at Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana have learned to listen to their hearts, think on their feet, and speak up for what they believe in. We know being a Girl Scout volunteer isn’t easy, especially recently, so we can’t thank you enough for your commitment, energy, and support. Guiding Girl Scouts—and yourself—through the past few years is nothing short of amazing.
Last month, we were able to gather in celebration of our volunteers for two Adult Recognition Ceremonies at the Joliet and Vernon Hills Gathering Places, formally recognizing just some of the amazing work GCNWI volunteers do. Adult Recognitions are defined by GSUSA and GCNWI, and awarded based on nominations and letters of endorsements reviewed by a dedicated team of volunteers—the Adult Recognition Committee.
From thanking our National Council Delegates, who influence the strategic direction of the Girl Scout Movement at the national level, to announcing the recipients of our formal recognition awards, these gatherings were wonderful opportunities to say hello and thank you to volunteers who have made an incredible impact in our community.
Honor Pin recipients Scott Bennett, Zahra Lalani and Heather Socie.
Every volunteer honored by an award has a storied connection to our council, whether through their enthusiastic leadership of a Service Unit, their preservation and recounting of our council’s history, their innovative and dynamic approach to Fall Product and Cookie sales, or over their 50+ year service. They include the Honor Pin recipients, Scott Bennett, Cathy Briggs, Robert Gale, Zahra Lalani, Scott Saunders, and Heather Socie. Zahra, as President of the Associate Board, initiated the Board/Associate Board mentorship program, which continues as a great success.
Hall of Fame awardees Gwen Ferguson, Levita Anderson and Lis Christensson
The Hall of Fame inductees this year, Levita Anderson, Lis Christensson, Gwen Ferguson, Heather Linehan, and Tresa Radermacher, have had a long and lasting impact on Girl Scouting in our council and have gone above and beyond their expectations of their positions as volunteers. As Service Unit Manager in the 2020-2021 year of challenges, Levita has used every form of communication to help her leaders: virtual meetings, additional telephone calls, emails galore, and even quick stops at leaders’ homes to deliver materials. She has passed on messages to find out who still had cookies when our cookie sales changed direction, connecting buyers with cookies.
Michelle Ptack, Thanks Badge honoree, shared: “I was honored to receive the Thanks Badge from Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago & Northwest Indiana. Even more celebratory was being in a cohort with 4 other volunteers with whom I served on our council’s 2017 National Delegation, Beverly Suen Macrito, Denise Urban, Catherine (Cathy) Ziemkiewicz Neely, and Kathy Scherer. Many thanks to a volunteer even more deserving of recognition than all of us combined…the woman who nominated me, Karen Schillings. Congratulations all around, Girl Scouts!”
Thanks Badge honoree Denise Urban worked tirelessly to help the delegation draft proposals and actively assisted delegation during the National Council Session, culminating in her representation of our council by presenting our proposal to the entire 2020 NCS live. With her help fielding questions as part of the resource room and advocating for the good of all Girl Scouts, two proposals, authored and presented by GSGCNWI were passed, the first time two proposals from the same council have been approved at NCS. We are incredibly proud of everyone who made this happen!
Volunteer Jodilyn Machota
Volunteer Jodilyn Machota shared, “Today I was surrounded by Girl Scouts as I received my 25-year Volunteer pin from Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago & Northwest Indiana. Thank you to the women who set me on this path in 4th grade—my mom and gram, Mrs. Kroth, Mrs. Richards, and then Mrs. Betty Koran & Mrs. Joan Marchese who helped me earn my Gold Award & travel the world. They led by example and started me on my journey of service to empower girls by nurturing their courage, confidence, and character. Thank you to my Girl Scout sisters who always have proved to me that family is what you make it and I’m never truly alone. I love you all and hold you close.”
The deadline to apply to be a National Council Delegate for the National Council Session has been extended to Nov. 21!
Apply to be a part of the 56th National Convention in July 2023 (dates TBD), an opportunity for Girl Scouts and volunteers to play a vital role in providing strategic direction to the Girl Scout Movement.
We had an incredible time celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month here at Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana (GSGCNWI), from our rhythmic Latin Dance Night to Global Girl Scouts presentations! Hispanic Heritage Month, recognizedfrom September 15 to October 15, is a celebration of the rich culture, heritage, and traditions that Latinx people have in the United States and around the world. Read on to learn how we did it at GSGCNWI!
¡Pasamos un tiempo increíble celebrando el Mes de la Herencia Hispana aquí en Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago y Northwest Indiana (GSGCNWI), desde nuestra Noche de Baile Latino rítmica hasta las presentaciones del grupo Las Global Girl Scouts! El Mes de la Herencia Hispana, reconocido del 15 de septiembre al 15 de octubre, es una celebración de la rica cultura, herencia y tradiciones que los Latinos tienen en los Estados Unidos y en todo el mundo. ¡Siga leyendo para saber cómo lo hicimos en GSGCNWI!
Yo Soy Una Girl Scout
We started off with our Virtual Latin Dance Night, an opportunity for all ages of Girl Scouts and families to learn some of the most famous dances like Brazilian samba, Cuban salsa, and traditional Mexican dances. We had an awesome time moving and learning with you all!
Comenzamos con nuestra Clase Virtual de Baile Latino, una oportunidad para que las Girl Scouts de todas edades y sus familias aprendan algunos de los bailes más famosos como la samba brasileña, la salsa cubana y los bailes tradicionales mexicanos. ¡Pasamos genial moviéndonos y aprendiendo con todos ustedes!
Girl Scouts también aprovecharon la oportunidad de completar nuestra caminata de Pilsen donde exploran los murales históricos, la comida deliciosa y otras maravillas escondidas en el vecindario Mexicano de Chicago. Todavía puedes completar este programa de parches y comprar el parche cuando completes tu paseo del vecindario.
Our Global Girl Scout group also hosted a program about Hispanic Heritage Month, focusing on several Latin American countries including Belize, Peru, and Argentina, and sharing their distinct traditions, cuisines, and fashion senses. Girl Scouts and sisters Maysa and Mali presented on the country Venezuela: “I learned that Girl Scouting began in Venezuela in 1958,” Maysa shared. “I presented on fashion in Venezuela and drew a traditional Venezuelan dress (video above!).”
“One thing I really enjoy about [being a part of] Global Girl Scouts is being able to learn new things about different places, and teaching them to others,” Maysa added.
Nuestro grupo de Las Global Girl Scouts organizo un programa sobre el Mes de la Herencia Hispana, enfocado en varios países de Latinoamérica, incluyendo Belice, Perú, y Argentina, y compartieron sus distintas tradiciones, comidas, y sentidos de moda. Girl Scouts y hermanas Maysa y Mali presentaron sobre el país de Venezuela. “Me enteré de que Girl Scouts comenzó en Venezuela en 1958”, compartió Maysa. “Presenté sobre moda en Venezuela y dibujé un vestido tradicional venezolano (¡video arriba!).”
“Una cosa que realmente disfruto de ser parte de Global Girl Scouts es poder aprender cosas nuevas sobre diferentes lugares y enseñarles a otros,” continuó Maysa.
Honoring our Ancestors | Honrando a nuestros Antepasados
The party continued at our second annual Trunk or Treat and Day of the Dead celebration! Girl Scouts, friends, and family gathered at Camp Greene Wood for a tour around decorated trunks for trick-or-treating, and decorated some calaveras, made their own marigold flowers, and other fun crafts! Our Girl Scouts really went above-and-beyond with the costumes; look through the pictures above.
We were also impressed and moved by the altars and costumes Girl Scouts made for their at-home Day of the Dead celebrations. Day of the Dead is a two-day dedication to family, friends, and loved ones that have passed, during the first two days of November. Altars are traditionally decorated with bright yellow marigold flowers, photos of the departed, and favorite foods and drinks of those honored. We loved seeing your at-home dedications!
¡La fiesta continuó en nuestra segunda celebración anual Trunk or Treat y el Día de los Muertos! Girl Scouts, amigos y familiares se reunieron en Camp Greene Wood para un recorrido por los baúles decorados para pedir dulces, y también decoraron algunas calaveras, hicieron sus propias flores de caléndula y otras manualidades divertidas. Nuestras Girl Scouts realmente hicieron mucho más allá con sus disfraces; mira las imágenes de arriba.
También quedamos impresionados y conmovidos por los altares y disfraces que las Girl Scouts hicieron para sus celebraciones del Día de Muertos en casa. El Día de los Muertos es una dedicación de dos días a la familia, amigos y seres queridos que han fallecido, durante los dos primeros días de noviembre. Los altares están decorados tradicionalmente con flores de caléndula de color amarillo brillante, fotos de los difuntos y las comidas y bebidas favoritas de los homenajeados. ¡Nos encantó ver sus dedicatorias en casa!
Celebrations continue | Continúan las celebraciones
Las Girl Scout Daisies, Brownies, y Juniors, y sus familiares, pueden acurrucarse alrededor de una fogata (¡y la computadora!) Con chocolate caliente en la mano y celebrar los dias festivos de alrededor del mundo. Únase a nosotras el 11 de diciembre para aprender más sobre el Día de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe y Las Posadas, fiestas que se celebran en México. Este programa incluye cantar canciones, cocinar buñuelos y mucho más.
In 2011, the United Nations declared October 11 as International Day of the Girl “to recognize girls’ rights and the unique challenges girls face around the world.” Girl Scouts of the USA adopted International Day of the Girl (IDG) as a global action day and for the past four years, we at Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana (GSGCNWI) have proudly hosted programming for our area Girl Scouts to honor this day by working together to envision a better world for girls.
In October, Girl Scout Brownies and Juniors learned what farmers—and they!—can do to help slow climate change. The Cook County Farm Bureau shared how farmers help to grow all of the ingredients in Girl Scouts’ newest cookie, Adventurefuls. It was a delicious way to learn about climate action!
Cadettes, Seniors, and Ambassadors joined INVENTORCLOUD for a program about fast fashion and low waste lifestyles. We had two experts in these fields share with Girl Scouts how they, too, can affect climate change—with the clothing they wear and the items they buy.
The older Girl Scouts then used INVENTORCLOUD’s online platform to work through the creative design process to come up digital ideas for sharing climate action with their peers. Girl Scout Grace shared her idea to create a website for people to check if the clothing brands they wear participate in fast fashion, and Ellie thought up an app to address air pollution, where users can see if their activities have any pollutant output.
Our girls need us, now more than ever. Girls younger than ever are facing unprecedented challenges navigating mental, social and emotional wellness and it is affecting how they navigate their daily lives.
Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana recognizes the effects lifestyle changes presented from a pandemic can have on our members. Girls have not been interacting with friends and family in a manner that they are used to. Their social interactions at school or extra-curricular activities had been paused or severely adjusted. Some girls encountered challenges with being in quarantine for extended amounts of time. Other girls had to process and deal with the aftermath of societal responses to racial injustices.
There has never been a more urgent time to help girls connect with others, make friends, and learn techniques that build resiliency in times of great stress, anxiety, and uncertainty.
Advocating for the health and safety of girls in a physical sense is what we have always done. Extending that care and concern to the emotional and social health and wellness of our members is critical. As we enter a new membership year, Girl Scouts is committed to building an ecosystem of wellness, health, and social-emotional wellbeing around girls.
GCNWI has provided training for staff and volunteers designed to help them anticipate an increase in unpredictable and unusual behaviors that indicate a girl may be experiencing a mental, social, or emotional struggle.
Our curriculum and training modules help volunteers and families recognize trauma and put into practice ways to resolve conflict and build empathy, mindfulness, and coping skills. Log in to your Girl Scout account, select gsLearn from the menu on the left, and click on “content library” to take the available trainings:
Trauma-Informed Practices – Support all girls (and yourself) with best practices in social-emotional learning, developed with Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago’s Center for Childhood Resilience.
Basics of Inclusion– Inclusion is at the core of who we are—sisters to every Girl Scout!
Grade Level Training for Bridging Leaders – Empower yourself with the confidence to lead girls as they bridge into their next program level.
“Girl Scouts is no longer a nice thing to have; it is a necessity,” says Girl Scout GCNWI CEO Nancy Wright.
It is time to do more than worry about girls and their well-being. It is time to act. If you haven’t already, renew your membership for FY22 and get ready for a fun, yet safe return to Girl Scouting!
