Our Promise, December 2019

December 2019

OUR PROMISE

Welcome to the holiday edition of Our Promise !

young women who earned our organization’s highest awards. In September, we launched a subscription pilot program designed with our troop leaders in mind! Please turn the page to find out more. Thank you again for all you do—because of your time, talent and treasure, more Girl Scouts are becoming the leaders they want to be, and the ones the world needs them to be!

The holidays are a time for reflection, and I want to tell you how grateful I am for your support. Because of you, more girls in our region have the opportunity to build skills that will fuel their success today and tomorrow. As a loyal donor, you are integral to our mission of building girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place. Your participation enables Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri to continually incorporate new innovations into our already rich traditions.

Yours in Girl Scouting,

Bonnie Barczykowski CEO, Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri

Within this edition of Our Promise, you’ll find remarkable stories about our Girl Scouts—in June, we honored those

Meet the Daisy Drop Box

To meet the evolving needs of our new Daisy Troop Leaders, Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri launched a pilot program this fall called the Daisy Drop Box. The Daisy Drop Box is a free, 10-month subscription that includes everything a new Daisy Troop Leader needs to hold successful troop meetings. Each box has a different theme (one focuses on diversity and inclusion and others dive into STEM, money management and health) and they all contain fun, skill-building activities. When Lindsay Biedenstein registered her daughter as a Daisy this past summer, the troop didn’t have a leader. Determined to ensure her daughter had access to the best leadership development program in the world, Lindsay stepped up and volunteered to lead. And, since this was her first foray as a troop leader, she wasn’t sure how to coordinate and organize the monthly meetings. So, when Lindsay heard about the Daisy Drop Box pilot program, she immediately registered for the opportunity. “I think this tool definitely takes the pressure off of the leader,” Lindsay said. “As a new leader, it can be challenging to be responsible for planning new events and activities. It’s nice to know how exactly to run a successful troop meeting during this first year.” Lindsay has already incorporated the Daisy Drop Box into her troop meetings and is looking forward to receiving her next month’s installment. So far, the Girl Scout Council is projected to support more than 200 new troop leaders through the Daisy Drop Box this year.

An innovative new resource mailed right to their door helps first-year Daisy Troop Leaders complete fun and enriching meetings with their Girl Scout Daisies.

For more information about the Daisy Drop Box pilot program, please contact Kathy Dabrowski, Chief Programs Officer at kdabrowski@girlscoutsem.org .

From Green to Gold , Leaders are Born This summer, Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri recognized 885 G . I . R . L .s ( Go-getters , Innovators , Risk-takers , Leaders ) TM who earned the highest community service awards in Girl Scouting – the Girl Scout Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards. each girl devoting a minimum of 50 hours toward making a big change in the community. Several Silver Award projects included creating educational resources for children newly diagnosed with diabetes and organizing and assembling pre- packaged meals for area residents in need. Eastern Missouri Girl Scouts put their ideas into action while earning the highest community service awards in Girl Scouts.

Hundreds of parents, family members, troop leaders and sister Girl Scouts attended the Girl Scout Council’s annual Reflections Ceremony during which 591 young women were awarded the Bronze Award, 250 with the Silver Award and 44 with the Gold Award, a 9 percent increase over last year. The Bronze Award is the highest honor for Girl Scouts in fourth or fifth grade. The award is completed by a girl, a group or a troop with each girl working a minimum of 20 hours toward the project. Some of this year’s Bronze Award projects included planning and promoting a food drive for a local pantry and repainting the bathroom walls at an elementary school. The Silver Award is the highest community service award a girl in sixth through eighth grade can earn. This award is completed by a girl or group of girls working together, with Gold Award Girl Scout Reese Pecoraro Reece is a shining example of what a girl can achieve when she takes matters in her own hands and changes the world for the better. After hearing survivors’ accounts from the shooting at a high school in Parkland, Fl., Pecoraro felt compelled to step up and help ensure local students feel even more secure in the classroom. To earn this prestigious award, she assembled 32 buddy buckets for Pheasant Point Elementary School. Pecoraro designed the buckets in the event of a natural disaster or school shooting so each one includes a Stop the Bleed brochure, tourniquet, gauze, a liter of water, Dixie cups, band-aids, hand sanitizer, Kleenex, puzzles, crayons and stickers. Pecoraro, along with her team of volunteers, equipped each classroom at Pheasant Point with a buddy bucket. For this G . I . R . L ., earning her Gold Award was a chance to embrace her leadership skills and make a positive difference in her community.

Open only to G . I . R . L .s in high school, earning the Gold Award is the pinnacle of the Girl Scout experience. These bold and confident young women have demonstrated extraordinary leadership through a sustainable community service project that addresses real-world challenges at local, national and global levels. Gold Award Girl Scouts dedicate at least 80 hours to their projects spending months, even years, finishing it while simultaneously juggling intense homework and extracurriculars. This year’s Gold Award projects span sewing feminine hygiene products for young women living in West Africa to creating sensory boards for local students on the Autism Spectrum.

Celebration Luncheon This past June, Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri hosted its annual Women’s Leadership Network Celebration Luncheon at the Ritz-Carlton St. Louis. More than 150 eastern Missouri G . I . R . L . ( Go-getter , Innovator , Risk-taker , Leader ) TM champions attended the event dedicated to lifting up the next generation of big thinkers, groundbreakers and innovators. Throughout the morning, local business leaders and community supporters engaged with Girl Scout robotics teams who were also in attendance. These teams used the platform to talk about their STEM-related research and findings. A seated lunch followed with Mira Iyer, a 14-year-old Girl Scout, serving as the afternoon’s keynote. Five years ago, Mira helped form the Girl Scout robotics team called P3, and today, they are dominating robotics competitions across the eastern Missouri region. Because of Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri’s robotics program, Mira has had the opportunity to ignite and explore a passion of hers – technology. Although she still has several years of high school to go, Mira knows she eventually wants to be the person controlling the robot that is performing life- saving operations. Like Mira, G . I . R . L . s as young as kindergarten, are engaging in STEM-related activities through Girl Scouts. They learn early in life STEM can take them anywhere they want to go! Girl Scouts is the future STEM workforce pipeline. Last year, Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri supported 92 FIRST® robotics teams, more than any other youth-serving organization in the region.

To learn more about the Women’s Leadership Network, please visit girlscoutsem.org/wln .

Photo Captions, Left to Right 1. Celebration Luncheon attendees

2. Girl Scout Jane Kramer, Pixelated Pelicans robotics team

3. Jean Primm, Megan Present, Aidan Dunne, John Villier and Girl Scouts Anushka Rawat and Gracie Steinmeyer, P3 robotics team

4. Girl Scout Josie Renaud, Viper Bots robotics team

5. Girl Scouts Lizzy Forget and Addy Kramer, Pixelated Pelicans robotics team

6. Jenny Bartlow and Bonnie Barczykowski with members of the P3 and Pixelated Pelicans robotics teams

7. Girl Scout Mira Iyer, P3 robotics team

STEM STARTS HERE

Whether it’s coding, chemistry, robotics or cyber security— Tomorrow’s STEM leaders start at Girl Scouts.

For more than a century, Girl Scouts has designed innovative and unrivaled programs to meet girls where they are now—and grow along with them. In July, Girl Scouts of the USA introduced 42 new badges curated exclusively for girls in kindergarten through 12th grade. The new programming enables girls to choose how they want to experience and influence the world, while preparing them to address some of society’s most pressing needs through hands-on learning and real-life problem-solving in cybersecurity, coding, space exploration and environmental stewardship. The new programming also includes 18 Coding for Good badges, which not only teaches girls the basics of coding, but also details every stage of the coding process. Thousands of eastern Missouri G . I . R . L .s ( Go-getters , Innovators , Risk-takers , Leaders ) TM kicked off the new Girl Scout membership and school year by registering for programs that reflect this new badge work!

These Girl Scouts are already discovering their passions and tackling new challenges at the Berges Family Girl Scout Program Center and with our more than 190 local Program Collaborators!

Our Girl Scout Year

2019 By the Numbers

MEMBERSHIP

13,611 Adult Members and Volunteers Strong leader engagement makes the troop experience an impactful one

40,327 Girl Members Across the City of St. Louis and 28 surrounding counties

HIGHEST AWARDS 885

PROGRAMS

190+ Program Collaborators Bring their expertise to our girls in three focus areas: STEM, Money Management and Health 92 FIRST® Robotics Teams

( Go-getter , Innovator , Risk-taker , Leader ) TM Eastern Missouri G . I . R . L .s Earned Girl Scouts’ highest community service awards: Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards. The awards acknowledge the power behind each recipient’s dedication to not only empowering and bettering herself, but also to making a permanent and positive mark on our world.

Girl Scouts have access to hands-on, girl- focused STEM programs, including Robotics. Our exponential growth demonstrates girls’ interest and our commitment to STEM.

COOKIES

65,000 Badges Earned

2.6+ million Cookie Packages Sold 97,000+ Donated to USO of Mo. powering amazing adventures for girls

Through badgework, girls build relevant skills to lead in our technological world.

New badges continue to be released providing girls experiences in space science, cybersecurity and the outdoors/environment.

Through our donation program to the USO, Troop to Troop, Girl Scout customers purchase cookies for members of the U.S. armed forces. In FY19, our donations increased 6.6% over the previous year. Participation in the Girl Scout Cookie Program teaches girls essential money management skills.

SERVICE

Girl Scouts are committed to making a difference in their communities. 872,768 Hours of Service

CAMP 19,344 Girl Scout Camp Experiences Troop Camp 9,137 girls Resident Camp 2,442 girls

1.5 million Personal Care Items Collected

Day Camp 2,010 girls

Camp Programs 5,869 girls

We made a promise—no girl left inside—and we have been steadfast in that commitment. With three camping properties (Cedarledge, Fiddlecreek and Tuckaho) spanning more than 1,400 acres, girls challenge themselves to try new things, sharpen problem-solving skills and create a lifetime of memories.

April Showers is our annual Council-wide community service project. Girl Scouts and their families collect personal care items for local families and individuals in need.

Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri 2300 Ball Dr. St. Louis, MO 63146 314.592.2300 800.727.GIRL (4475)

Upcoming Girl Scout Events

Young Alum Mentor Breakfast, Jan. 3 Berges Family Girl Scout Program Center

Calling all college-aged Girl Scout alums! Join us in the new year to reconnect with old friends and engage with mentors who can guide you today and in the future. You’ll network with other Girl Scout young alums as you join professional women for breakfast and participate in roundtable discussions. These mentors will help you discover what it takes to find professional success and happiness as you enter the next chapter of your life. Please RSVP to Kate Tichelkamp at ktichelkamp@girlscoutsem.org .

Dessert First, Feb. 27 The Chase Park Plaza

Join us as we celebrate the extraordinary achievements and contributions of the two amazing Girl Scout Dessert First scholarship awardees and three Legacy Builders! The evening begins with prominent St. Louis chefs flexing their baking skills and showcasing one-of-a-kind Girl Scout Cookie-inspired creations. Guests taste the desserts and vote for their favorites during cocktail hour, and enjoy a formal seated dinner. To purchase tickets or for more information, visit girlscoutsem.org/dessertfirst .