Volunteer Connections by Girl Scouts of Nassau County

 5 Ideas to Keep Planning Girl-Led Girl Scouts shape their experience by asking questions, sharing ideas, and using their imaginations. As a leader, allow girls to take an active role in making decisions and choosing activities, while providing guidance that is appropriate to the age of the girls.  When girls step up and take ownership of their decisions, they develop new skills and grow into empowered, confident leaders. All levels of Girl Scouts can be girl-led! How much responsibility varies based on the age of the girls. It is just as crucial that Daisy Girl Scouts get the chance to lead as it is for Junior Girl Scouts, it is just going to look different. Here are 5 ways troops can incorporate girl-led activities: Hold a Braining Storming Session: To start a brainstorming session, ask the Girl Scouts, “what do you like to do?” Write their answers on a dry erase board or blackboard. Talk with them about how their ideas can be incorporated into the petals or badges they are...

Saying ‘Thank you’ to Cookie Customers There's more to Girl Scout Cookies than what is in the cookie package! When your Girl Scout sells Girl Scout Cookies , they’re learning skills which can be used in business and in everyday life. Whether she is interacting with past customers or new ones, make sure she practices good customer service! For example, when a Girl Scout says “thank you” to her cookie customers, she is learning about business ethics , communication skills , and how to be professional and polite. Saying thank you is so important! By saying thank you, you show how much you value them helping you reach your goals. Here are some unique ways that our Girl Scouts say thank you to their cookie customers. Sarah from troop 2232 and Emily from troop 2531 show their neighbors, family, and friends that they appreciate their support during cookie season by placing fulfilled orders in a hand crafted paper bag that includes a thank you note and a business card. ...

During this season, we take time to reflect upon the good things we have, like our Girl Scouts , volunteers , families, and community partners. We hope your holidays will be filled with joy and laughter through the New Year. Happy Holidays from your friends at Girl Scouts of Nassau County!  We’re the Girl Scouts of Nassau County: We’re 23, 000 strong – more than 16,900 girls and 5,100 adults who believe in the power of every G.I.R.L. (Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-taker, Leader)™  from Nassau County to change the world. Our extraordinary journey began more than 100 years ago with the original G.I.R.L., Juliette Gordon “Daisy” Low. On March 12, 1912, in Savannah, Georgia, she organized the very first Girl Scout Troop, and every year since we’ve honored her vision and legacy, building girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place. We’re the preeminent leadership development organization for girls.  And with pro...

Did you know that Girls in 10 th and 11 th grades have the opportunity to apply for a summer internship at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research in partnership with Advancing Women in Science and Medicine (AWSM)? Those picked for this program work side by side under the mentorship of AWSM Faculty and research a topic of their choice. Hear firsthand from Girl Scout Katie G. as she shares about her experience.   How did you hear about this opportunity? I had originally known only about the regular Feinstein high school internship program, and had no idea a specialized GirlScout opportunity existed until a friend of the family—who happens to be a troop leader—told me about it over summer break. She knew I loved research and thought it would give me a chance to take part in it on a professional level. How did you get to be a part of this program? First, my mom and I attended the open house and information session in October to find out more about the p...

Who are Girl Scouts? Girl Scouts are go-getters, innovators, risk-takers and leaders. They’re G.I.R.L.S who design robots, learn life skills, improve our neighborhoods and go on amazing adventures. They’re making a difference. Girl Scouts is a lifelong adventure, full of friendship, connection, service, and fun! Every Girl Scout Alum has a unique story to tell about their experiences and adventures, and we’re sharing those stories. Girl Scout Alum, Carlie was a Girl Scout for 13 years and continues on as an Adult Lifetime Member. Name : Carlie Mendoza Council : Girl Scouts of Nassau County Tell us about your time as a Girl Scout. Looking back, what were some highlights, important moments, life lessons, and/or favorite memories? My time as a Girl Scout is filled with such great memories and experiences. Some of my favorites include being one of the voices (as a part of the GSNC Chorus) in the background music of a Dove commercial that aired during the 2006 Super Bowl XL, maki...

As Girl Scouts, we are part of a sisterhood of Girl Scouts and Girl Guides from all around the world. As sisters, we should learn more about each other—our cultures, our history, and what makes us unique. Between September 15 and October 15, use these ideas to incorporate Hispanic Heritage Month into your troop’s meetings and help your girls learn more about the cultures of their sister Girl Scouts and Girl Guides: Learn about Hispanic Heritage Month. Why and how it is celebrated? Who founded it? When it was founded? What is the difference between Hispanic and Latino? Develop an understanding and appreciation of the Hispanic culture through history, dance, and the arts. Work toward GSNC’s Hispanic Latino Task Cultural Patch Program . Brownies can earn their Dancer badge while learning about history of the Hispanic-Latino dances and where they originated. (Some examples: Cha-Cha, Argentine Tango, Salsa, Pachanga, Merengue, Bachata, Samba, Bomba, etc.)  **Special Bonus – Thi...

With some many Girl Scout spending their summer outdoors and at camp, now is the perfect time to talk about sit-upons... a great item to bring on any outdoor adventure . So, when we were challenged to make a sit-upon, we decided to do what Girl Scouts do and use our resources wisely... so, we used some items that we had on hand. Here is what we came up with: Supplies needed : Scissors Already read newspaper Reusable shopping bag Duct tape (we used gold glitter duct tape of course, but an type of duct tape will do) Instructions: Cut the sewed seams of the reusable shopping bag.  Lay the reusable bag out flat (waterproof/plastic side down) and place the newspaper on one half of the laid out bag as shown.  Fold the other side of the bag over the newspaper so that the newspaper is sandwiched between the two sides of the reusable shopping bag. Using the duct tape, tape the seams of the bag that are open so that the newspaper is sealed i...

Have you ever wondered what is the benefit of earning your Girl Scout Gold Award? A 2012 study by the Girl Scout Research Institute, titled Girl Scouting Works:  The Alumnae Impact Study reports that overall, Gold Award Girl Scouts do well in life. Here are some of their findings Gold Award Girl Scouts tent to... Higher education and career Distinguish yourself in the college admissions process Earn college scholarships Enter the military one rank higher Life skills Be seen as a role model and distinguished leader Master time management skills Make the world a better place Community Use your vision for change Tackle an issue, locally or globally Establish a lifetime network Create your community legacy with a sustainable solution to a problem To learn more about earning your Girl Scout Gold Award, visit www.gsnc.org .  

All that glitters is BOLD! As we celebrate 100 years of Girl Scouting in Nassau County, we also celebrate all of the bold and beautiful things our girls, troops, and council are able to do – powered by the Girl Scout Cookie Program. This Entrepreneurial Program, fitting the Girl Scout Leadership Experience model of learning by doing, isn’t just money earning – it’s skill building. Girls learn the five skills of goal setting, decision making, people skills, money management, and business ethics.   Here’s what one GSNC parent had to say about her daughter’s experience in response to our 2018 end of season survey:   "It was my daughter’s first year in Girl Scouts and I felt that she learned a lot about how to sell cookies and how to always greet a person with a smile. She also learned some math as a kindergartener, counting and returning proper change with the supervision of an adult. Overall, it was a good experience for her to know the value of a dollar and how to...

  b y Emille B., Emma V., Allison T., Setu M.   Recently, we had an amazing opportunity to attend “Seneca Falls Revisited: A Women’s Equality Conference and Retreat.” We engaged with a plethora of inspirational women and sister Girl Scouts channeling the spirit of past female leaders who championed women’s rights, including Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott, and Susan B. Anthony. Rochester and Seneca Falls are two places that are no strangers to the women’s equality movement. Rochester was home to Susan B. Anthony and served as headquarters of the women’s suffrage movement, and Wesleyan Methodist Chapel in Seneca Falls was the location of the first ever Women’s Suffrage Convention, where 68 women and 32 men signed the Declaration of Sentiments. We want to share with you some highlights from our trip:   What was the best advice you received this weekend? Emilee B: Honestly, so much amazing advice was shared with us this weekend from all of the accomplished w...

We are pleased to announce a change in requirements for the Girl Scout Silver Award and Girl Scout Gold Award . Girls may now do Take Action projects that benefit the Girl Scout community. In order to make sure that this change doesn’t dilute the prestige, leadership efforts, or impact of each girl’s project, Silver and Gold Award projects must still meet the requirements that are key to taking sustainable action: The project makes a lasting difference in the local community, region, or beyond The project puts the Girl Scout Promise and Law into action The project includes provisions to ensure sustainability The project identifies national and/or global links to the girl’s selected issue And the project inspires others Take Action projects must go beyond community service. When choosing to benefit Girl Scouts, the projects must identify an issue in the world that needs improving, then determine if Girl Scouts could be one of the audiences to help propel the change you want to ...

Our hearts remain with everyone affected by the tragic events in Chippewa, Wisconsin. In true Girl Scout spirit, Girl Scouts have been asking what they can do and how they can get involved and offer support to troop 3055 during this difficult time. We are encouraging Girl Scouts to honor their Girl Scout sisters in troop 3055 in whatever way is most meaningful to them. The Wisconsin Girl Scouts community has come together as a unit to support their sisters with Days of Action to honor troop 3055. They are inviting all of their sister Girl Scouts to participate in service projects during the month of November to pay tribute to Troop 3055’s commitment to public service and making the world a better place. We encourage volunteers to balance their interests and needs to participate while taking into consideration the girls’ awareness of the tragedy and understanding of the reason for the service. Service projects already happening can also be dedicated to the memory of the Gir...

The end of summer doesn’t mean the end of camping and being outdoors! Fall is a great time to get your troop active outside and have them earn a badge or two. Camping Fall is a great time for your troop to go camping. Traditional Troop Camping is a unique experience planned and carried out by a group of girls and their camp-trained volunteers/leaders. Under the guidance of trained and enthusiastic adults, girls may take their first hike, build their first campfire and sleep under the stars for the first time—so cool! Girls take part in planning of meals and activities, learn outdoor skills and work as a team to enjoy a fun outdoor adventure. And, if you’ve never been to Camp Blue Bay before and want to check it out? We have a Council Camp opportunities available for those troops that don’t have camp trained volunteers, for those troops who are new to the camping experience, and for those who just want to try a new camping experience! With our Council programs, no tra...

by girls, FOR GIRLS By Mikaela M. On Tuesday, February 20, Girl Scouts from Nassau County assembled at the DeMatteis School of Engineering and Applied Science at Hofstra University for Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day! The day started with a presentation on the different fields of engineering and how Hofstra helps students gain positions within companies. We learned that engineering encompasses all fields, in fact, many doctors have roots in engineering. Following the presentation, two female engineers held a forum where they spoke about their experience in the field and at work. They offered two important pieces of advice; math is important, if you don’t like math the chances of you enjoying engineering are slim and that social skills matter. Both women agreed that their social skills helped them rise in their respective companies and that being able to communicate with their team is crucial in technology careers. The final speakers were two engineering professors from Hofstra...

Girl Scouts of Nassau County (GSNC) is counting down to the start of our Centennial Celebration! During the 2018-2019 Girl Scout year, we will be celebrating 100 years of Girl Scouting in Nassau County! Join us for our Centennial Celebration year. GSNC's Centennial Celebration Starts in: Countdown

Thanks to our coaches and mentors, the Girl Scouts of Nassau County’s robotics teams had a fantastic year! We thank them all for their dedication and for the example they set for the girls. Here are the results of our 2017 – 2018 season: FIRST® LEGO League Junior (Jr. FLL) 6-9 years old: The Magical Bots and The Sassy Hot Dogs attended the SBPLI’s FLL Jr. EXPO, where the girls showcased their LEGO robot design and research. The Magical Bots were awarded the OUTSTANDING TEAMWORK AWARD and The Sassy Hot Dogs were awarded the JOURNEY Award! FIRST® LEGO League (FLL) 9-14 years old: Our five teams this season were the LEGO Lovelies, Smart Cookies, Soaring Rockettes, Tech Time Girls and The Dream Stream Robotics Team! The teams competed in the School Business Partnership of Long Island’s (SBPLI. Inc.) FLL Qualifying Tournaments, where they showcased their LEGO robot design, research and invention. During the course of the tournament, each team’s robot competed on the playing field. Then...

Girls don’t like camping . Our first myth is far from the truth. Girls aren’t afraid to roll up their sleeves, build a fire, pitch a tent or explore the outdoors and nature. Sixty-two percent of girls said they enjoyed almost all of the outdoor activities they participated in through Girl Scouts , with camping ranking in the top three activities. Girls described camping as “fun.” They enjoy the opportunity to overcome challenges, and the feelings of accomplishment. Girls use this time to build and strengthen social bonds and hang out with friends. Girls will get bored at camp . This is not the case at all; finding the time to fit in all your favorite activities is actually the problem. Taking a break from technology might scare some girls… and the volunteers who agreed to take them to the woods. Including the girls in the planning will keep them enthusiastic and engaged. Go for a hike, collect shells on the beach, play a game of GaGa, roast marshmallows or star gaze. The oppo...