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Raise awareness about wildfires. Basically, let’s learn more! What areas are most vulnerable to wildfires? What can start a wildfire? At what point to people need to evacuate? How many people are impacted by wildfire evacuations each year? What happens to their homes and their belongings? What happens to their pets? What is the impact on the air quality? What is the long term impact of wildfires? What is the long term impact on people’s health? How do firefighters fight wildfires?Once girls learn more, brainstorm ways to take action to raise awareness for others about wildfires. What is it important for people to know, and how can we spread the word? Learn about hurricanes. What actually IS a hurricane? What are the different categories of hurricanes? What areas are most vulnerable to hurricanes? Why do people continue to live in areas impacted by hurricanes? How are people impacted by hurricanes? What are the most destructive or groundbreaking hurricanes in history? Is there a pattern to the severity of hurricanes over time? Why or why not and how can we tell? What can we do to prepare or minimize the risk for hurricane damage? What kinds of people and roles exist in communities impacted by hurricanes, who are responsible for planning the emergency response and strategy? You can also apply many of these questions to different types of natural disasters. What kinds of natural disasters might occur in your community? How can we learn more about the phenomenon itself as well as the response strategy, and planning and preparation? Run a supply drive. It’s really common for girls - and really for all people - to want to make donations or to do a drive to collect donations. The most important thing in these cases is to really find out what supplies are actually needed before you start your drive. It’s super common for people to want to donate clothes after a natural disaster, but often there is an excess of clothing donated and not enough food, medical supplies, baby supplies, and other needs. Make sure you find a place to collect your donations - contact shelters, organizations like the Red Cross, or other local relief efforts to find out what is most needed and what would be most helpful. Support first responders. Other than - obviously - firefighters, what other first responders are involved in different kinds of natural disasters? Are they volunteers or paid professionals? How do their lives change during the response period compared to normal seasons? What is the impact on their health and their families? Brainstorm with girls about how to raise awareness and/or directly support first responders. If you’re local to an area that has been impacted, research what relief efforts and opportunities are going on in your area. Are there volunteer opportunities at shelters? Do they need help serving meals or distributing supplies? Is there any sorting or collection that can be done? Remember that, although troops can make monetary donations to other organizations, they cannot raise money specifically with the intention to donate that money. The ONLY organization a troop can raise money for, per our non profit status, is Girl Scouts itself. However, you can receive monetary donations toward a take action project - so if you are going to use those donations to purchase diapers and canned foods, for example, then you could probably do that. If you aren’t sure if your project idea meets Girl Scouts requirements, make sure to get approval from your council before you take action. Also remember that, oftentimes, as you start to do research and reach out to organizations to see what you can do - especially if you are not local to the area impacted by the natural disaster - it is very common to hear that what organizations need the most of is money. Since this is not really the “girl scout way,” to bring about change, because it is not girl led nor does it involve hands on or cooperative learning activities, sometimes the best thing you can do is to raise awareness. Educate your girls, and encourage them to spread the word and raise awareness to others. Education and access to information IS a form of taking action, even if it feels less… impactful at times. But regardless, it is SO important and it is actually EXTREMELY helpful and you never know what you might inspire. As girls learn more and do more research, you may inspire a passion about something in particular that shapes the rest of their lives. And even if the only thing you are able to inspire is increased awareness, that goes a long way, and you’ll be surprised at how much of that kind of information girls will remember for the rest of their lives, and they’ll tell other people. So awareness campaigns, and taking time for girls to explore information and learn about the information, and then to encourage them to raise awareness in their communities or online, as long as you are practicing safe internet standards, can actually be a lot more high impact than you might think! And, here's a resource for you in the show notes from GSUSA about how to talk to your kids about natural disasters: https://www.girlscouts.org/en/raising-girls/happy-and-healthy/happy/kids-and-natural-disasters-hurricane-earthquake.html#parenting

Thanks for your patience over the past month while I have taken some time away from this podcast. While I’ve been on hiatus here, I’ve been focusing on my family, my mental and emotional health, and my business - including launching a brand new podcast that I think you’ll love. It’s called Iconic Women with Sarah Heeter (that’s me!) and it is a family friendly show with 2-3 episodes per week, focused on sharing the stories of women from three categories: women from history, women from today, and women under 30 - who have broken barriers, overcome obstacles, and/or redefined what it means to be a woman. Give it a listen, and let me know what you think by leaving a review! Listen here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/iconic-women-podcast-with-sarah-heeter/id1529198201 ------------- UNICEF: International Day of the Girl 2020 It’s not too late to celebrate International Day of the Girl! International Day of the Girl just passed on October 11. Here’s some background on the day itself! In 1995 at the World Conference on Women in Beijing countries unanimously adopted the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action – the most progressive blueprint ever for advancing the rights of not only women but girls. The Beijing Declaration is the first to specifically call out girls’ rights. On December 19, 2011, United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 66/170 to declare October 11 as the International Day of the Girl Child, to recognize girls’ rights and the unique challenges girls face around the world. The International Day of the Girl Child focuses attention on the need to address the challenges girls face and to promote girls’ empowerment and the fulfilment of their human rights. ------------- DID YOU KNOW? Worldwide, nearly 1 in 4 girls aged 15–19 years is neither employed nor in education or training compared to 1 in 10 boys of the same age. By 2021 around 435 million women and girls will be living on less than $1.90 a day — including 47 million pushed into poverty as a result of COVID-19. 1 in 3 women worldwide have experienced physical or sexual violence. Emerging data shows that since the outbreak of COVID-19, violence against women and girls (VAWG), and particularly domestic violence, has INTENSIFIED. At least 60% of countries still discriminate against daughters’ rights to inherit land and non-land assets in either law or practice. ------------- As adolescent girls worldwide assert their power as change-makers, International Day of the Girl 2020 will focus on their demands to: Live free from gender-based violence, harmful practices, and HIV and AIDS   Learn new skills towards the futures they choose   Lead as a generation of activists accelerating social change Ways to get involved Share stories of inspiring adolescent girls or girl-led organizations who are developing innovative solutions or leading efforts towards positive social change, including gender equality, in their communities and nations. Let’s amplify their leadership, actions and impact to inspire others.   Participate in a youth-led digital activation launching on International Day of the Girl. Young people across the world are developing a digital activism campaign, aiming to raise the diversity of girls’ voices and their vision for a reimagined future.   ------------- UNICEF: The Impact of Coronavirus Public Health Crisis on the State of Girls and Families Around the World UNICEF prioritizes five core programmatic and advocacy actions that recognize the public health, social and economic consequences of this pandemic: Care for caregivers. Prepare for increases in gender-based violence throughout the COVID-19 outbreak. Maintain core health and education services and systems. Engage women's and youth rights networks to support connectivity and the flow of vital information. Ensure gender data are available, analyzed and actionable. ------------- Under UNICEF’s Core Commitments for Children, every humanitarian response has gender equity at the core with a focus on:  An end to Gender-based Violence (GBV) Community engagement with and for women and girls Gender-responsive programming, including a lens on adolescent girls ------------- Sources: https://www.unicef.org/rosa/media/6206/file/Five%20Actions%20for%20Gender%20Eqality%20in%20the%20COVID-19%20Response.pdf https://www.unicef.org/media/65586/file/A-new-era-for-girls-2020.pdf https://www.girlscouts.org/en/for-girls/think-globally/global-action-award.html    

Register here if you are NOT a delegate for your council and you want to attend the National Council Session Oct 23-25 online: https://www.girlscouts.org/en/about-girl-scouts/national-council-session.html DO THIS BY OCTOBER 14!!! --------------------- Here's a breakdown of the proposals and discussion topics: https://www.girlscoutsoc.org/content/dam/girlscoutsoc/documents/2020%20National%20Council%20Session%20Proposals.pdf  --------------------- If you are a delegate or a particularly passionate member who is not a delegate and you want to hop on the podcast and talk about your own ideas and opinions and explain the proposals at hand, I’d be happy to have you! Please shoot me an email at girlscoutpodcast@gmail.com and we will get something scheduled via Zoom.

Since last week we talked about the State of Girls from the 2017 study, I think this is a great follow up because it's absolutely related to the State of Girls and what we need to be mindful of regarding our role in girls' lives and how we can make sure we are positive leaders affecting real change!  It's been 4 months since I first addressed the Black Lives Matter movement on this podcast but even though these hashtags might not be trending like they were when the episode was brand new, we CANNOT STOP talking or thinking about this.  It is so important to me that we keep revisiting this topic and I VERY MUCH want to revisit this conversation with new content when I'm ready to return from my hiatus on this show. If YOU are a woman of color and want to lead the way (as it is really not my place to do so), then I want to highlight YOUR voice. Reach out to me at girlscoutpodcast@gmail.com. ------------------------- Buckle up because I've got another potentially unpopular episode for ya today!  We're taking a break from COVID-19/Social Distancing/Virtual Girl Scouting discussions to talk about the current events, protests, and anti-racism movement happening both in the streets and all over social media right now. Yes, the host of this podcast supports #BlackLivesMatter, but this is not a podcast about that. If you are looking for some good episodes about the current anti-racism movement and the ways you can personally acknowledge and challenge your own privilege and inherent biases, here are some recommended links to episodes with Black hosts and producers: https://shuntagrant.com/what-you-can-do-about-racism/ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/importance-nationwide-protests-over-george-floyds-death/id1515152489?i=1000476365582 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nikole-hannah-jones-on-george-floyd-history-systemic/id1234429850?i=1000477790377 If you're sick of this topic all over the news and social media, and you just don't want to talk about it or hear about it anymore, I urge you to hang in there with me for this episode. This is not about anything political - it's just about where Girl Scouts as an organization stands regarding all of this and how Girl Scout programming is built to engage with this subject matter, and your role and responsibility as a volunteer when it comes to handling these issues. We're going to cover all the basic reasons why volunteers are inclined to leave this subject matter and this work out of Girl Scout meetings and events: "I am against rioting and looting, and therefore I can't show support for this movement." (It's not about peaceful vs violent protests, and it's not even about current events. It's about all the time, every day ways we are either actively creating an anti-Racist environment within Girl Scouts or are contributing to the perpetual institutionalized and systemic racism of our society.) "These protests are unfounded, the murder of George Floyd and others can be rationalized or even understandable, and in general I believe that Blacks are responsible for the way they are treated and the inequality they think they experience." (Girl Scouts is for ALL girls, and if you aren't willing to do the work to open your mind about how to be welcoming and inclusive to ALL girls and their families, then I'm sorry to say this is not the organization for you.) "These conversations belong at home and it should be up to girls' parents and families to decide how they want to address these issues." (We can't just do what's safe or easy, because it's in our comfort zones. We are Go Getters, Innovators, Risk Takers, and Leaders and we are building girls of COURAGE and CONFIDENCE and CHARACTER. It is written into our brand to address these issues. Furthermore, girls are following YOUR cues and learning from you. What are they learning if you are avoiding or silencing these issues? "I know some families in my troop will not approve and may even pull their girl from my troop if I broach these subjects." (The idea of alienating families and losing girls is scary! But this isn't about telling girls what to think, it's about creating a welcoming and inclusive environment that helps girls take the lead in establishing their own ideas and world views.)  "My girls don't see color. Won't talking about it have the opposite effect and actually teach them to be racist?" (In short, no. We depend on our brain's ability to recognize, categorize, and process patterns to live. It's important that we tap into that to address these issues head on so that our girls are establishing healthy, positive associations with conversations around race and diversity.) "My girls are too young for this." (It's never too early to be inclusive and welcoming for ALL girls, with a specific emphasis on racial diversity and equity. But yes, there's always a need for progression!) Here are some strategies you can start considering regarding your troop and Girl Scouts in your area immediately: Make it a priority to diversify guest speakers, field trip options, and subject matter experts - especially Black women Diversify your troop leadership - and where to find potential troop leaders if you have a pretty homogenous (read: white) friend group Consider the diversity in your troop - and if there isn't any, why is that? Does your troop reflect the neighborhood you're serving? If not, why? If so, why isn't your neighborhood diverse? Where are people of other races living near you, and do they have robust Girl Scouting opportunities? What areas of your state/council/community are underserved by Girl Scouts, and does that correspond to any patterns in racial demographics? How can you help recruiting efforts? What media are you consuming with your troop? Do you read together, watch movies, and so on? How can you diversify this media, AND how can you help girls notice patterns in the media they're already consuming, even outside of Girl Scouts? Have you done this year's World Thinking Day and Global Action badge activities around Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Gender Equality? If not, how can you ensure that you are specifically addressing racism and race identities when implementing the program?   Having questions or concerns? Contact me at girlscoutpodcast@gmail.com Have resources to share, or best practices? Contact me at girlscoutpodcast@gmail.com Are you a woman of color - especially a Black woman - who wants to join me for a podcast episode about what we can (and need to!) do as Girl Scout volunteers to combat racism? Contact me at girlscoutpodcast@gmail.com    Don't forget to visit my website at BuildingGirlsofCourage.com - and check out our brand new SHOP link!    Related episodes: Is the traditional World Thinking Day fair event Cultural Appropriation? The State of Girl Scouts and Why Girl Scouts is Critical GSLE Outcomes and Progression: Put the Outcomes into Practice

This week's REPLAY is about the 2017 research study about The State of Girls. Sadly, we do not have an updated version of this study from GSRI just yet but I think it would be EXTREMELY important circa next year on the heels of this pandemic to look at how much things have changed for girls and to really understand where they are coming from when they find their way to us!  Regardless, even the outdated statistics are important for us to understand. Hope this helps!

This week's replay is all about Guest Speakers, because if you're struggling coming up with something to do with your girls in social distanced meetings, then this is an easy idea!  ---------------------- If you're feeling burnt out, here's my BEST KEPT SECRET for planning an AWESOME and ENGAGING Girl Scout troop meeting with VERY little effort on your part... GUEST SPEAKERS. Who makes a good guest speaker? Here's a MASSIVE list of ideas! EXERCISE/ACTIVITY Yoga instructor Zumba instructor POUND Fitness instructor Dance teacher/coach Self Defense instructor Kickboxing/boxing instructor Tumbling (gymnastics) coach Stretching CAREER DAY Small business owner Flight attendant Doctor/nurse Lawyer Teacher/principal CEO/C-Suite executive Real Estate Agent Therapist Speech Therapist Dentist/dental hygienist  Police Officer/Law Enforcement Fire Fighter Crime Scene Investigator News Reporter/Producer Engineer Military serviceman/woman or veteran Local elected official Baker/Chef College Reps or alumni MEDIA/CREATIVES Painting/drawing artist Professional singer Professional actor Professional Dancer Writer (screenwriter, novelist, poet, journalist) Graphic Designer Videographer/Photographer HOBBYIST/UNIQUE Reptile Handler or Bug Specialist Balloonist Ventriloquist Juggler Beekeeper Life Coach Jewelry Maker Candle/Soap Maker LIFE SKILLS Baker/Chef Seamstress/tailor Manners/Etiquette EMT, Nurse, Doctor / First Responder (First Aid & Safety) Marketing/Sales/Advertising Science/Engineering   WHAT TO DO/ASK Guests may have program prepared to bring with them -this could be free or paid Try to be ACTIVITY based - girls respond best to learning by doing/hands on learning, NOT sitting still and listening for long periods of time Can tie to badge work - or can just be for fun/to learn... and can still be tied in to GSLE! Send questions ahead so the guest can prepare some thoughts, but here are some sample questions to ask: What is a typical day in the life What characteristics does it take to be successful What training or education, or certification process, is required What qualifications are required Male or female dominated field/role? Is there a difference or gap in men and women in the same role? What are their favorite parts of their role? What is the biggest challenge they've had to overcome in their role? Interesting thing that has happened to them/a good story! Let girls ask questions

This week's throwback episode is a deep dive on why there is SO MUCH FOCUS on STEM in Girl Scouts and why we can't seem to get away from it!  ---------------- STEM and STEAM are serious buzzwords these days and it seems like Girl Scouts as an organization is DRINKING the KOOL-AID. Are you sick of STEM... or do you LOVE it?  Girl Scouts is focused on STEM and STEAM because.... Girl Scout STEM programming WORKS. The four ways that Girl Scout STEM programs impact girls are: STEM Interest (girls are excited about STEM subjects and want to learn more) STEM Confidence (girls have confidence in their STEM skills and abilities) STEM Competence (girls think scientifically to solve problems) STEM Value (girls learn the importance and relevance of STEM to people and society)   Statistics show the reality is that... Girls and boys are NO different in their actual abilities to do math and science, what is different is their interest and CONFIDENCE in those subjects As early as SECOND GRADE, that’s FIRST YEAR BROWNIES, kids agree that “math is for boys and not for girls” Women are more likely to earn a college degree than men in GENERAL, but LESS likely than men to earn a degree in engineering, computer science, and physics Although women make up more than ½ the US workforce, they comprise less than a quarter of STEM jobs, with the greatest gap occurring in engineering and computer science   These days STEM pervades every part of our lives -  Scientists conduct research and make discoveries that help us learn more about the world.  Technology, like computers and smartphones, connects people and makes our lives easier.  Engineers design and create so much of our environment, from buildings to roads to electronics. Math helps us make sense of information, understand how things work, and solve problems in the world.   But, it is undeniable that girls and women are underrepresented across all levels of what GSRI calls “the STEM pipeline:" from their initial interest as CHILDREN to majoring in a STEM subject in college or higher level degrees, to pursuing a STEM career as an adult    STEM goes hand-in-hand with GSLE Principles: Girl Led, Learning By Doing, Cooperative Learning Discover, Connect, Take Action Sense of Self or Self Confidence, Positive Values, Seeking Challenges, Healthy Relationships, and Community Problem Solving

Let's look back at the short and long term impact of Girl Scouts and where GSLE came from, and why it matters! -------------------------   It's easy to sometimes get caught up in behavior management, time management (or lack thereof!), and just general exhaustion, stress, and drama as a troop volunteer. Sometimes we wonder, is this all really worth it? And what are the girls even getting out of Girl Scouts, anyway?  Let's take a look at the impacts and outcomes, short term, intermediate, and long term, of Girl Scouts and GSLE. What do Girl Scouts get from participating in Girl Scouts that non-Girl Scouts don't get? Why is Girl Scouts called "The Success Factor" for girls and women? What activities specifically drive the GSLE outcomes for Girl Scouts? And where are Girl Scout alumnae now, and what impact did Girl Scouts have on their lives long term? www.girlscouts.org/research for more! 

If you liked the replay about GSLE, you'll dig this one! Even if you've heard it before, I try to consistently remind myself of these examples AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE because it makes me a better leader!    --------------------   Did you listen to our other GSLE episodes? Check out Cookie Cast Parts 1 & 2 - GSLE & the 5 Skills Girls Learn!   Okay, great, we've established that the Girl Scout Leadership Experience has 5 outcomes - a strong sense of self, positive values, seeking challenges, developing healthy relationships, and community problem solving. And these are achieved through Girl Led, Cooperative Learning, and Learning by Doing, as girls Discover, Connect, and Take Action. But what does that look like at each of the different Girl Scout levels? How can we use these outcomes with our girls as they grow? How can we tell if the girls are really getting all of this out of our meetings and events?    Are episodes like this helpful? Informative? Interesting? Leave us a review and let us know what you think!

Y'ALL KNEW THIS WOULD BE MY FIRST REPLAY, RIGHT?! Flashback to the first time I started digging in to the research and the fundamentals of this amazing program!  Enjoy! --------------------------------------------   This week is part 1 of CookieCast! This week I am diving in to the framework of GSLE - the Girl Scout Leadership Experience - and how that relates to the cookie program!  Check out some more from the Girl Scout Research Institute here: https://www.girlscouts.org/en/about-girl-scouts/research.html Check out It's Your Journey, Customize It here (if your council doesn't have any left): https://www.amazon.com/Its-Your-Journey-Girl-Scout/dp/B003YQDD6U Check out Transforming Leadership here: https://www.girlscouts.org/content/dam/girlscouts-gsusa/forms-and-documents/about-girl-scouts/research/transforming_leadership.pdf 

What and where is Edith Macy Conference Center? Here's another little tidbit of Girl Scout history that you can still be part of today!

Today we're talking about Emergency Contacts and the two common ways Girl Scout volunteers handle points of contact in case of emergency! Whatever you do, make sure you have a plan!

What influences new badge topics? Feedback. Funding opportunities and national partnerships. Curriculum standards. Research. Current events.   New Badge Topics this year!: Entrepreneurship (D,B,J,C,S,A) STEM Career Exploration (B,J,C) Automotive Engineering (D,B,J) Civics (D,B,J,C,S,A)

The new World Thinking Day & Global Action themes are HERE!  World Thinking Day 2021: Peacebuilding Global Action 2021: Climate Action   And, as a refresher, here are some helpful reference links to related topics: WORLD THINKING DAY - Is it Appropriation? Why are so many council events canceled? iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wtd-2020-is-world-thinking-day-cultural-appropriation/id1439828810?i=1000464659345  General: https://girlscoutpodcast.libsyn.com/wtd-2020-is-world-thinking-day-cultural-appropriation-why-are-so-many-council-events-canceled-this-year  ANTI-RACISM & GIRL SCOUTS - Should we address this with our troops & if so, how? iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/should-i-address-current-anti-racism-movement-my-girl/id1439828810?i=1000477845903  General: https://girlscoutpodcast.libsyn.com/should-i-address-the-current-anti-racism-movement-with-my-girl-scouts-and-if-so-how GSLE - What is the Girl Scout Leadership Experience (the foundation of current Girl Scout curriculum)  https://girlscoutpodcast.libsyn.com/012-gsle-and-the-cookie-program-cookie-cast-part-1 GSLE Outcomes & Progression - Putting the Outcomes into Practice https://girlscoutpodcast.libsyn.com/015-gsle-outcomes-and-progression-put-the-outcomes-in-to-practice 2019 & 2020 Global Action Award & Requirements: https://www.girlscouts.org/en/about-girl-scouts/global/global-action-award.html 2020 GSUSA World Thinking Day: https://www.girlscouts.org/en/for-girls/think-globally/world-thinking-day.html 2020 WAGGGS World Thinking Day: https://www.wagggs.org/en/what-we-do/world-thinking-day/badge/  

What are Girl Reward and Individual Incentives and how do they work compared to Troop Rewards and Incentives? Let's chat about it!

There are so many new things from GSUSA to talk about, but we're starting with the VTK... 1) Look for the new "at home" symbol in the VTK plans to indicate activities that can be adapted to social distancing.  2) NEW TROOP LEADER pathway to give first year troop leaders a detailed introduction to Girl Scouting and troop management

Today is a 4 for 1! We are covering Digital Cookie, DOC, eBudde, and Smart Cookies on today's Phraseology... because all of these are related to Cookie Technology. 

This week's Phraseology is all about ABC Bakers and Little Brownie Bakers (AKA LBB). Did you know there are two official Girl Scout bakers? Let's talk about it!

This week we are going back to the dreaded Journey conversation... today we're catching up with Christine Olson, a long time troop leader and Girl Scout. She shares a lot of personal stories and experiences with DBJ girls and their journeys, the pros and cons of a Journey in a Day, how to get media acknowledgment for the most amazing things Girl Scouts do, and more! She also has some great resources to share! Check out her troop's site and specifically, their media mentions here: https://www.troop46466.xyz/media-mentions