Gold Girl Scout Spotlight: Gwendolyn Cochran

Today's Gold Girl Scout Spotlight is Gwendolyn Cochran, who empowered middle and high school girls in her community to be more engaged in the fields of math and science.  Congratulations on earning your Gold Award, Gwendolyn! 

The Dripping Springs community lacked a strong foundation of young women interested in the sciences. There was an absence of female members of the Robotics Club, the Physics Club, and active member’s math and science UIL events.

I targeted this problem in a two part project, first by implementing the Women in Math and Science clubs at the Dripping Springs High School. And secondly, by organizing and leading a symposium to rally young women together and engender them to be more active in the science communities at the middle and high school levels. With this project I engaged young women in my community to be involved in the math and sciences and give them useful contacts and opportunities to get involved in Dripping Springs. 

My club at the school will continue to engender school age girls to be active in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and expand their horizons.  I created a sustainable and beneficial foundation of girls to be inspired and get involved in expanding female influences at school and around our community. 

While the symposium was a one day event, it created a foundation for the group to begin being noticeably active and emphasized the importance of participating in math and science-based extracurricular events occurring locally. The club will be sustained at the high school level by new members taking over as seniors graduate, our teacher sponsor’s continued support, and the affiliation with the longstanding Inventor’s Club on campus. The community now has, and will continue to have, a larger amount of girls empowered to take action in math and the sciences. 

My advice for younger girls would be to first and foremost pick a topic that you feel passionate about, because you will devote a large majority of time and soul into this project. Secondly, never be afraid to ask for help from volunteers and troop members. Chances are if you are passionate about something, so is someone else who would love to get involved. Lastly, keep your head up! This isn’t a project to get just for the prestige of saying you earned it, it is a chance to inspire change. When you face a great challenge, which you undoubtably will, do not give up. Look for a different perspective, because from a different angle a mountain might seem like a molehill.

Gold Girl Scout Spotlight: Hannah Buffington

Today's Gold Girl Scout Spotlight is Hannah Buffington, who established a letter-writing campaign for elementary school children to send notes to soldiers stateside. Congratulations on earning your Gold Award, Hannah! 

At the beginning of my project, I knew I wanted to pick an issue that I really cared about; and something that was going to make an impact on many people. I chose my project because our soldiers are something that are truly close to my heart, and I personally know many people who have fought for our country. Once I had my issue, I started thinking about ways that I could potentially impact our troops. Which is where my project, Letters to Soldiers, originated. 

Many of our troops overseas receive letters and care packages and reminders that we are very appreciative of their service; but what about our troops back home? What about our troops who have been wounded in service? 

So I decided to address this issue directly by writing letters to these soldiers that would hopefully show them that they are appreciated and cared for. But I did not want to just do this alone. I wanted to tell more people about my project and spread my enthusiasm for it to many others as well. 

So I thought, what better way to impact two groups of people than teaching children about our troops and helping them write the letters. This worked out perfectly. I was able to teach the second grade classes at Blackland Prairie Elementary School how to write a friendly letter, and then to put those skills to work by writing letters to the wounded soldiers at Brook Army Medical Center. 

Working with the second grade students was really such a wonderful experience because I got to talk about something that I cared about and watch a group of children start to learn and want to make a difference also. I hope that in my setting an example of how even a teenager can make a difference, these children will grow up and take issues that they care about and also work to make a difference. It doesn't matter how old you are, or how large or small the issue is. Anyone can make a difference; all that’s needed is the motivation and the will to make a change. 

Transformation Tuesday: Made With Code

Guest post from Sarah Y., Gold Girl Scout and intern at GSCTX. Her intern challenge? To get GSCTX girls interested, involved and inspired with computer coding. You can follow her internship at her blog, Journeys to the Summit 

Its Transformation Tuesday!

It was actually a couple days ago that my mom and I were talking about how you can tell just how old a piece of technology is just by its thickness.A computer, a phone, TV's,  movies (VHS vs. DVD), music (cassettes vs. CD's).

                                                                      

And along with these advances in... size, came the advancement in how they work. I see this advancement every second and fourth Friday of every month when I work with my Made w/Code girls. Coding and programming have come a long way and I am so glad that I get to help the next generation get ready to make the next big advancement!

I would love to talk to your troop, youth group, club, and/or school about the Made w/Code project. If you're at all interested, please contact me at sarah@discovergreenyel.org

Ready to code? Start now!

Until then, Happy coding!

Yours in coding,

Sarah Y.

This Is Me

Your opportunity to create, define and be yourself happens on June 12 at Texas State University. Register now and tell the world "this is me."

A Promise & A Sign

I've been a Girl Scout for a long time and in a variety of capacities. No matter my age or type of involvement though, camp has always been my favorite part of Girl Scouting. And one of my favorite camp activities is not one you necessarily expect to find at camp. It's not horseback riding, not swimming and not eating s'mores.

It's sign language.

I first discovered American Sign Language at Girl Scout camp and the first thing I could sign beyond the alphabet was the Girl Scout Promise. Since learning the Promise brought so much joy, interest and pride to my childhood camp experience, I want to share it with all Girl Scouts.

Click here to open a PDF with step-by-step instructions for signing the Girl Scout Promise. A big thank you to Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas for having this PDF readily available on their Web site!

Now in no particular order, here are some reasons I think its cool to sign the Girl Scout Promise.

• It allows Girl Scouts to share the backbone of Girl Scouting with more of their Girl Scout sisters.
• It can be a great addition to any of your Girl Scout ceremonies or activities.
• It is a relatively quick introduction to American Sign Language.
• A slightly longer reason - American Sign Language can be a good second language option for students who struggle with foreign language or reading. My family discovered this firsthand when a very bright high school counselor suggested it for my brother. Once in the class, he excelled.

Learning this fun and useful language can build girls' confidence and empower them to try even more new things. I hope you find signing the Girl Scout Promise to be as exciting as I found it to be.

-Cheryl Black

P.S. Mastered the alphabet and the Promise and ready to move on? Try teaching yourself the signs to a favorite song! I once learned "Yellow Submarine" and when The Lion King was all the rage, I learned "Can you feel the love tonight."

Girls Conflicted About Body Image, Role of Fashion Industry

New research from the Girl Scout Research Institute (GSRI) supports what many parents, educators and youth advocates have believed for years:

The increased scrutiny of the fashion industry and its use of ultrathin models isn’t without validation, as nearly 9 in 10 American teenage girls say that the fashion industry is at least partially responsible for "girls' obsession with being skinny," according to a national survey released today by the Girl Scouts of the USA.

The research also indicates that girls would prefer to see more natural beauty in the media. In fact, 81% of girls would rather see natural photos of models as opposed to the adjusted and airbrushed versions and 75% say they are more likely to purchase clothes shown on real-size models as opposed to stick thin models.

Yet despite these findings, it's clear that girls have a love-hate relationship with fashion and body image. Contradicting the aforementioned findings, 48% of girls wish they were as thin as the models in fashion magazines and 41% prefer to see the latest fashions modeled on thin women than fuller-figured women.

Other findings from GSRI's research include

• 47% say fashion magazines give them a body image to strive for yet,
• 65% say the body image represented by the fashion industry is too skinny and 28% say the fashion industry body image looks sick.
• 31% of girls admit to starving themselves or refusing to eat as a weight loss strategy and
• 20% of girls consider plastic surgery and/or weight-loss surgery acceptable.
• However 79% of Hispanic girls, 76% of African-American girls and 72% of Caucasian report being satisfied with their bodies.

The tangled web of girl body image can be seen in nearly every one of these findings.

Body image, the fashion industry's role and these survey results, will be addressed at New York City's Fashion Week by Girl Scouts of the USA. The conversation can be viewed live via online streaming video at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/beauty-redefined on Wednesday, February 10, 5 p.m. CST.

What's Happening Locally

Girl Scouts of Central Texas (GSCTX) recognizes that adolescence is an especially challenging time for girls and their self-esteem. With programs, volunteer trainings and merchandise, GSCTX continually strives to help girls develop into confident young women. Through its "grow strong" initiative, Girl Scouts of Central Texas hopes to help girls untangle their body image and develop a strong, healthy sense of self. Programs such as the Girls' Respect Conference encourage open, healthy conversations about relevant issues like body image and self-esteem, and ultimately assist in the development of confident young women.

Additionally, GSCTX offers merchandise through the shops that girls can feel confident and stylish in no matter what their size or shape. With 75% of girls citing fashion as very important; stylish, affordable and age-appopriate merchandise is essential to meeting the needs and interests of all girls.

For More Information

• For more survey results visit http://girlscouts.org/news/news_releases/2010/nationwide_study_feelings_about_fashion.asp  
• For more about Girl Scout programs visit http://www.gsctx.org/?nd=gsctx_calendar_list 
• For more about Girl Scout merchandise visit http://www.gsctx.org/?nd=shop
• To contact GSCTX visit http://www.gsctx.org/?nd=contact_us

-Cheryl Black

What does a Girl Scout Brownie Do?

My daughter, Isabel, is a Girl Scout Brownie. She loves her troop, Camp Texlake, leading the pledge at school, participating in service projects, and her troop leaders.

I was so moved when she recently attended a back-to-school fashion show and talk organized by a local author. She surprised me by pulling out her pen and taking notes during the lecture, matching her friends, teachers, and troop leaders to various virtues.

She has also become quite a little salesgirl which amazes me because I am such a reticent seller. In first grade she partnered with another troop to sell cookies because she was so incredibly passionate about it, selling over 120 boxes. Her favorite was getting donated boxes which she handed out to panhandlers. In second grade she joined her troop and sold at booths, selling just above the minimum for a basic patch. This year her troop are participated in Fall Product Sales, something I had not realized until she left the first meeting order sheet in hand. She had prospects in mind and had closed four sales before dinner. A few days later we went to a school distict-wide meeting downtown and she eagerly sold to many of our friends. The polite "no thank you’s" didn’t stop her and she continued to tell them about how much she loved her troop, the service project which would be funded by the sales, and other details. Many of these are new customers who are interested in buying cookies in 2010.

It reminded me of a young woman I had recently discussed strengths with. As a young girl she became incredibly motivated to sell subscriptions and with her mother’s support became a top seller. I lag behind my daughter who is thirty years younger than I in gaining confidence in this area, a necessity for my current profession.

I am so grateful for how Girl Scouts is raising myself and my daughter and how the Girl Scout Law applies to so many aspects of our life. I will do my best to be honest and fair, friendly and helpful, considerate and caring, courageous and strong, and responsible for what I say and do, and to respect myself and others, respect authority, use resources wisely, make the world a better place, and be a sister to every Girl Scout.

-Claire M., Girl Scout Mom

Meet Isabel
Watch Claire's daughter in this video about Girl Scouting and Girl Scout Cookies!




P.S. Girl Scout Cookie sales begin January 20.

Girl Scout Grows To Be Homecoming Queen

Q. How did you first get involved in Girl Scouts and what kept you involved through high school?

A. My first encounter with Girl Scouts was when I was at four months old and my sister was a Girl Scout Daisy. When I got older, I wanted to get to do the things she was doing, so I became a Daisy. I have stayed in Girl Scouting because of the wonderful people and the unique opportunities. My Dad is in the Air Force and Girl Scouts has been great way to get active in new communities. Also enjoyable for me are the opportunities I have to work with younger girls.

Girl Scouts is a beneficial program and the best way to recommend it to others is to set an example like my sister did for me. My two younger sisters are following in mine and my older sister’s footsteps and I hope there are other girls I have influenced in such a way. After receiving the honor of Homecoming Queen at my high school, a mother came up to me with her 7 year old daughter and told her daughter that I was a Girl Scout too.

Q. What is your proudest Girl Scout accomplishment?

A. My proudest accomplishment as a Girl Scout was earning my Gold Award. Thanks to my incredible leader, Sharon, our troop was able to focus, work around our crazy schedules and keep the troop together and strong. We worked extraordinarily hard to finish our goal of the Gold Award and Sharon was there the entire way guiding and supporting us.

Q. How has Girl Scouts influenced or changed your life?

A. It has helped me accomplish goals and to be a better role-model for the people around me. It has also helped me improve my communication skills, organizational skills, and of course outdoor and campfire skills! I am an expert S’more maker!

Q. What advice can you offer girls who are considering leaving the Girl Scout program?

A. Girl Scouts can really help you in the future. You have so many opportunities to positively impact your community that it is worth sticking with it. In addition to the many traits Girl Scouting builds, there are many opportunities down the road such as scholarships.

Q. If you could tell the whole world one thing about Girl Scouts, what would it be?

A. Although tasty, there is so much more to Girl Scouting than cookies! It is so neat how Girl Scouting incorporates character building through fun activities like skiing, horseback riding, rock climbing and more. There have been opportunities for me to make a positive impact on the world by working at soup kitchens and through clean up and restoration projects all over the country. I have served as a Girl Scout Council delegate during the national restructuring of Girl Scouts. All these experiences have made me a better person.

Q. What are your plans for the future?

A. I plan to attend at least four years of college. Currently I am undecided, but I have considered becoming a physician or a marine biologist. I also plan on keeping Girl Scouts as a part of my life so I can continue to have a positive influence on younger children. Like my older sister, I plan on becoming a Lifetime member of Girl Scouts when I graduate from high school. Just as all my amazing Girl Scout leaders, Linda, Dorthey, Barbara and Sharon have done, I hope to someday serve as a troop leader.

-Mary, Girl Scout Ambassador

Mary was recently crowned Homecoming Queen at Wall High School. She is an active athlete at her high school and participated in the 2009 Girl Scout Race on the River in San Angelo. 

Scary Movies & Kiddos

One of, if not the, hottest movie out right now is New Moon of the Twilight saga. If you've seen the ads, and how could you not have, you know that one of the iconic visuals is a werewolf jumping down on you, the innocent movie-goer. And it's likely that at least one kiddo under the suggested viewing age of thirteen will see this and get a little scared.

So what do you do? Maybe its not New Moon that strikes fear into the heart of a movie-loving kid; maybe it's The Lion King or The Wizard of Oz. Whatever the movie, we all know that sometimes kids who are too young to see a scary scene in a movie, do in fact see it. It's up to us to make sure kids either 1. don't see that scene that's too scary or 2. calm their fears.

A recent article on CNN.com gives parents tips for helping their children overcome scary movies. In summary, children who are old enough to understand the difference between reality and fiction can have it explained to them that way. Younger children can't always accept that idea though so a commonly successful tactic is to reframe the scary culprit as not so scary. "The boogie monster just wants to be friends" kind of approach.

Plenty of child-appropriate movies include potentially scary scenes and by helping a child stay calm during those can build their confidence. That little explanation and confidence boost unleashes their potential. Just knowing, for example, that they can make it through that movie at their friend's sleepover party makes the party more fun and empowers the child for more social growth.

It might seem like a little thing to make it through the flying monkey-Wicked Witch of the West scene in the Wizard of Oz or the werewolf infested New Moon, but for a kid, a whole world of social confidence can be born.

-Cheryl Black

Wicked Witch of the West image is a downloadable file from Warner Bros.

Help Her Grow Strong Now

“Growing strong” usually means to eat your broccoli and get some exercise. While those are both important for growing strong, there is so much more. Physical, mental, spiritual, emotional and fiscal strength are all important for our girls to grow into strong, independent women. It can be daunting so here are ten things you can do now to help her grow strong.

1. Be engaged. Keep an eye on her, know her moods and take note when they change. Ask questions and really listen to the answers. Make sure she knows you are there for her.
2. Help her spiritual growth by teaching her that there is something bigger than you and I out there. Whatever you call it talk to her about what is greater than us.
   
3. Talk to her about living within her means. Discuss smart money practices and the pitfalls of bad credit. Use today’s economy as a teaching point, not just a crisis. Explain that while things are nice, it’s what you can’t buy in life that matters most.
4. Encourage her to be socially responsible. From holding the door for others to reading to the elderly, help her identify how she can care for others. Its small acts of kindness that will make her life and the lives of others more fulfilling. (See service project ideas.)
   
5. Allow her to make mistakes and to learn from them. When she’s discouraged because she caused something to go awry, help her see what she can learn from the experience and how she can be a better, stronger, wiser person in the future.
6. Teach her to care for our planet. We only have one chance with our Earth and we shouldn’t take it lightly. Turn off the lights. Take shorter showers. Pick up your trash. There are so many ways you and she can care for our planet together. (See our Forever Green project.)
   
7. Encourage her to be passionate about what she does. If only half her heart is in piano lessons, help her find something her whole heart can be in. Let her experience the joy of really loving whatever she does. Help her go all in.
8. Show her how to be conscious of her surroundings. By knowing where she is, what’s around her, who is nearby and what’s happening, she will be safer. She’ll make smarter decisions about where to go and when to go there. Help her identify safe practices, like parking in well-lit places, and dangerous risks like, walking alone at night.
9. Let her know she’s not alone. No man is an island; we’re all here on this big beautiful Earth together and that’s how it’s going to stay. Each one of us is as important as the next and we should treat each other that way.
10. Set the example. Think of the traits you want her to have and teach them by modeling them. Teach healthy eating by cooking and eating vegetables yourself. Encourage safe driving by practicing it. Educate her about service by serving others. Actions speak louder than words and being a good role model is your opportunity to take advantage of it.

I hope you find these suggestions helpful as you help the girls you care about grow strong. And remember, these don’t just apply to girls; growing strong applies to all of us.

-Joel Franklin

Glamorous Women

Most girls are five going on thirteen, twelve going on twenty and sixteen going on twenty-five. They want to dress older, wear more make up and read grown-up magazines.

This month Glamour Magazine has given us, adults and girls, a grown-up magazine article that we can all get behind - the 2009 Women of the Year. The women honored show us how to be glamorous without mascara and without stilettos but with inner strength and perseverance. Their stories can teach girls important lessons while allowing them a moment in that grown-up world they so much want to be a part of. To help get that conversation started, here's a little commentary on just two of the women honored this year. 

First Lady Michelle Obama is from a less than ritzy background yet pulled herself up by her own (very stylish) bootstraps to earn a law degree from Harvard University. She exudes the ideal of choice, having chosen a career when it made the most sense for her and choosing to be a full-time mother and wife when that made the most sense. Regardless of our personal preferences about careers and family, we can encourage girls to make their own decisions about their future, to be independent and to do what is best for them, just as Michelle has done. Her personal style, which has been compared many times to the famous Jackie O, provides another important teaching point: you can look beautiful and be fashionable while being modest and tasteful. Michelle's many fashion-forward outfits, bright colors and impressive accessories make her a great example of how class and style can mesh perfectly. Finally, when using Michelle as a teaching point, don't forget to mention, she is the National Honorary President of Girl Scouts of the USA.

Rihanna is now best known for her struggles with domestic abuse but girls knew her for her music even before then. The pop-idol demonstrates to girls that domestic abuse is sometimes a reality even for the coolest, most confident girls and women. Use Rihanna's experience to talk to girls about domestic abuse, both physical and verbal, to help them identify it and to educate them about how to stop it. (For  insights about how girls reacted to Rihanna's experience, read results from the Girl Scout Research Institute.) Beyond abuse, Rihanna can also teach girls how to take a terrible thing and use it to make a difference in the world. It may have been scary for her to speak so publicly but because she has, many women may now be better educated and more able to end or avoid abusive situations. Remind girls that to impact the world, they cannot be silent observers; they must lead by example and speak up.

Glamour Magazine's Women of the Year can provide many important lessons - that are potentially cool and grown-up since they come from one of the hottest women's magazines. The women are athletes, visionaries, peacemakers; clearly we've only just touched the tip of the iceberg here. If these lessons ring true to you, learn more about the women on Glamour.com or by watching the highlights from the event (above).

Go on, be glamorous.

-Cheryl Black

Supporting Our Military & Community

To Our Members:

Girl Scouts of Central Texas is deeply saddened by the tragedy at Ft. Hood on Thursday, November 5. GSCTX has a prominent, grassroots involvement with the Ft. Hood community and our thoughts and prayers go out to all the families affected. As Central Texas heals from this tragedy, it is important that all Girl Scouts remember the key messages in the Girl Scout Promise.

The Girl Scout Promise
On my honor, I will try:
To serve God and my country,
To help people at all times,
And to live by the Girl Scout Law.

Our compassion for and service to one another is especially important now. GSCTX is committed to helping our communities become stronger in the event's wake and encourage all members to join us as we care for our families, friends and neighbors. Together, we can empower Central Texas, and especially its military families, to be strong and healthy again.

If you and your family are seeking ways to give back to the Ft. Hood community, please consider donating blood to help area hospitals cope with the increased demands. More information about Thursday's tragedy and supporting Ft. Hood can be found online at http://pao.hood.army.mil/.

All Girl Scout services will continue as normal and staff is fully available to assist members. If GSCTX can help you or your family through this especially difficult time, please contact the council via email or at (800) 733-0011.

Sincerely,

Etta Moore, the GSCTX staff and Board of Directors

Ladies & Gentlemen, allow me to introduce…

Girls today have instant access to a world wide pool of knowledge that must be filtered and used wisely.

GSCTX is assisting girls in navigating through this process by identifying four program focus areas. These focus areas ensure that our programs are the premier leadership experience for girls. The focus areas were selected based upon what we know girls need to succeed today and tomorrow as well as what the needs are of the local and global community. By discovering, connecting and taking action within these four areas, girls will be armed with the skills they need to navigate through life and positively impact the world around them.

The GSCTX’s four focus areas are…

Girls Go Tech

As technology flattens the world and connects us across the globe, Girl Scout programs equip girls to compete and win in school and in their future careers. Through fun, mentally-stimulating activities, girls learn practical skills, adaptability and problem-solving, key components to gain the competitive edge in this fast changing technology driven world.

Girls Go Creative

Self expression through the visual, performing and literary arts helps provide life balance, fosters creative thinking and strengthens problem solving abilities. The arts experience in Girl Scouts allows for innovation and personal reflection while providing fun and entertainment for others.

Girls Grow Strong

Activities related to personal responsibility, self sufficiency and courage empower girls to care for themselves and lead others. Girl Scouts learn about ethical leadership and community trusteeship through a variety of programs. By participating in leadership and community service activities, girls build strong minds, bodies and character. Girls learn that “to make the world a better place” is more than words; it is a commitment to a cause greater than one’s self.

Girls Go Green

We must be responsible stewards of our planet in order to live healthy and productive lives and to maintain that opportunity for future generations. Girl Scouting gives girls the platform to learn, practice and teach what it means to respect the environment and wisely use our limited resources. (Check out our new program, Forever Green, to get a glimpse of exactly how we’re going green.)

-Etta Moore