Inspired! Newsletter - Fall 2020 | Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana

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Inspired! Fall 2020

Newsletter

SERVICE UNIT DEBUTS DIGITAL CIVICS PANELS When Girl Scouts of the USA released their 24 new civics badges, Service Unit 406 Managers Carrie Parsons and Selena Randecker saw the opportunity to respond to 2020's unexpected turns. The new badges require girls to engage directly with their local political representatives to learn more about the democratic process—and this year, civic engagement is more important than ever. Thus, Carrie and Selena's "brain-child" was born, a series of programming for over 80 troops to meet over Zoom with four major mayors in their area, as well as Judge Patricia Fallon, and two lawyers. The meetings, led by the girls, consisted of question and answer sessions with the representatives, and they were a huge hit, drawing over 100 girls for some meetings. Girls took charge and asked their mayors questions on everything from election processes to favorite ice cream flavors. "The girls are paying attention and want answers," Service Unit Manager Selena said.

"One person and one voice can make a difference." Girl Scout Ameenah, a Girl Delegate for their service unit and moderator for the meeting with Hoffman Estates mayor William D. McLeod, agrees that civic engagement is essential.

"It's amazing what ideas the girls have, and what they can do."

"We should care about what's happening," she explains, "because this is our world, the world we're going to inherit one day."

For girls who are too young to vote, but want to take action and use their voice, Service Unit Manager Carrie says "You can still make a difference, and don't ever think you can't. Your ideas matter."

Girl Scout Rachel, who moderated a Q&A with Judge Fallon, succinctly quoted Girl Scout alumna Tyra Banks: "If you don't vote, you can't complain about the outcome."

GIRL SCOUTS OF THE USA DEBUTS NEW CIVICS BADGES 24 new civics badges are here to help girls of all ages reach their potential and become fierce leaders of the future! Civic engagement is just one way Girl Scouts advocate for positive change and make the world a better place. The new Democracy badges for all ages of Girl Scouts will help politically-minded girls be more prepared than ever to vote, act, and blaze new trails as leaders. @girlscoutsgcnwi

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SPOTLIGHT ON SMART COOKIE CHATS

Sandra Micek Cordova, our 2020 Tribute to Achievement Community Partnership honoree, spoke to Girl Scout Megan about the importance of resilience: “Challenges are going to come your way—how you handle it defines the future.”

Girl Scout Naomi, in conversation with Dr. Lei Zheng Schlitz, our 2020 Tribute to Achievement Luminary honoree, shared her story of transformation from a self-described “shy girl” to a force to be reckoned with. “I have turned into the person who will call out other people when they’re saying something that’s not right… I educate people as much as I can.”

THANK YOU FOR STANDING FOR MORE AT SMART COOKIES! Girl Scouts celebrates the resilience, ambition, and passion of our girls and members. On Sept. 24, we hosted our first ever premiere virtual fundraising event, Smart Cookies: Stand for More, an evening dedicated to uplifting our tireless girls and members. It was a huge success! The night showcased powerful stories from our members and Girl Scout champions, inspiring words from our CEO Nancy Wright and Associate Board members, and a council-wide and community pledge to support the future success of our girls. Thanks to the generosity of sponsors and donors, we raised over $85,000 to help ensure that ANY girl, and ALL girls, can participate in Girl Scouts!

Kathy Scherer, our 2020 Tribute to Achievement Girl Scout's Own honoree heard from Girl Scout Arianna on her hopes for the future of Girl Scouting. "I hope Girl Scouts continue to be a home for girls, a place where they can always be themselves and feel comfortable." 2

www.girlscoutsgcnwi.org/donate

Check out the sidebar for snippets from our Smart Cookie Chats, which featured some of our 2020 Tribute to Achievement Honorees in conversation with girls! We extend a special thanks to our Associate Board for their hard work and generosity in making the event a success.


MEET THERESE MALINOWSKI GCNWI'S NEWEST NATIONAL GOLD AWARD GIRL SCOUT

Therese Malinowski, a Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana alum, earned her Gold Award by creating Illinois' first database of sexual assault on college campuses. Her dedication to community engagement, and the continued act of service she spearheaded to earn her Girl Scout Gold Award, led Therese to be nationally recognized by Girl Scouts of the USA for her impressive work. “Looking at all the girls’ projects, I thought it was an amazing opportunity for girls to make a difference in their communities,” Therese explained. “I realized the Gold Award isn’t just about getting an award, but an opportunity to make the world a better place, and yourself a person who can go into the world and continue to make positive change.”

“I didn’t want to keep the idea to myself. I felt like I had the capacity to make a lot of change.”

Therese’s drive to change society is global, but the root of her Gold Award initiative, Project Dandelion, is personal to her. The trauma of knowing a survivor of sexual violence at a young age made a lasting impression on Therese and set her up to become passionate about justice for other survivors. After watching the documentary, The Hunting Ground, which details the nationwide sexual violence crisis at colleges and universities, something didn’t sit right with Therese.

Currently, the project encompasses every college in Illinois and is being continued in the future by the Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault.

“At the time, my friends and I were getting ready to pick our future colleges. We were passionate to find a school that was safe, and after researching the subject, found most of the information to be buried in hundred-page documents.” She saw a need: for order, for ease, for access to information, for herself and her peers to feel secure choosing their prospective schools.

She did not keep the idea to herself, and with the help of a team of 25 high school students and several other professionals in the field of sexual violence prevention, Therese researched, organized, and published mass amounts of data, now available for the public to easily look through and comprehend.

Her vision culminated in the first resource of its kind, a database organizing information, resources, and statistics concerning sexual violence at colleges and universities in Illinois.

“If I was a high school student, I would absolutely want this resource. Because I knew I wanted it, and because other people wanted and needed it, I realized there were many people that could benefit. I didn’t want to keep the idea to myself. I felt like I had the capacity to make a lot of change.”

“I’m glad I got to earn my Gold Award doing something I care so much about,” Therese shared. “Hearing the stories of people with personal relationships to the issue of sexual violence, and hearing their enthusiasm for change, kept me going.”

@girlscoutsgcnwi

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WHAT’S NEW - THANKS TO YOU!

TROOP 20000 For many girls, the dream of joining Girl Scouts has been delayed or prevented by health or disability challenges. This fall, Girl Scouts GCNWI is launching Troop 20000, a new opportunity to provide restorative, recuperative, beneficial Girl Scouting for girls impacted by illness or disability. Organized for girls who have been incapacitated for three months or longer, Troop 2000 will enable girls to enjoy virtual troop meetings and events, badge workshops, and access to a personal mentor - all bolstered by financial assistance.

Philip J. Becker Eco-Advocacy Awards Launched Enjoying and taking care of our natural world is one of the cornerstones of the Girl Scout Movement, reflected in the encouragement in the Girl Scout Promise and Law to “use resources wisely.” Thanks to a generous endowment fund established by the Becker family, local Girl Scouts have a new resource to develop their advocacy for environmental conservation. The Becker Eco-Advocacy Award grants funds to girls in 4th through 12th grade who are leading a service project or a Highest Award project dedicated to bettering the environment in their communities. Four individual Girl Scouts and one troop have been selected as the inaugural recipients. Their projects range from building eco-friendly bat houses at 4 www.girlscoutsgcnwi.org/donate

GCNWI campsites and bee houses at their schools, to planting pollinator gardens featuring native plants and trees across their neighborhood to improve air quality for residents. The Philip J. Becker Eco-Advocacy Endowment Fund honors the memory of Philip J. Becker, a life-long educator who was devoted to inspiring young people to embrace careers in the sciences, especially physics, energy, and astronomy. He felt a deep calling to help his children, grandchildren, and all young people understand the urgency of transitioning to innovative, renewable, and sustainable energy sources. His family, with strong Girl Scout ties, honors his memory and his passion for the environment by funding these grants to inspire girls to take action to make the world a better place.


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