They chose to focus on Lebanon, because Eva and her father, who is Lebanese, would be traveling there during the summer. They found out about SOS Children’s Villages and researched the orphanages in Lebanon. During her trip, Eva visited a local orphanage and met with Mr. Jean-Paul Salameh, the Executive Director of the SOS Village. She visited the children and learned that shoes are donation items that can always be put to use.

Upon returning from Lebanon, Eva taught Caroline and Amani what she learned during her visit. During National Night Out this summer, the three girls compiled what they knew from research and Eva’s visit to create informational donation booths in their neighborhood. Community members learned about orphanages in Lebanon and donated shoes for the children.

Once all the shipping arrangements were made, the girls sent the shoes and a letter with pictures of themselves to the children in Lebanon. They were proud to complete their project and help other kids in need across the world.

To complete 100 acts of kindness, the girls used their resources to inform the community and other Girl Scouts about the project and encouraged everyone to contribute. They created posters to display in local businesses, started a website for people to post their acts of kindness and created a commercial that has played on the local community access channel.

The girls have been dedicated throughout the project, which has involved many detailed steps and required them to step outside their comfort zones.

“One of the hardest parts for the girls was working with adults and asking the community for help,” explained troop leader, Laura. “When we first started, the girls were really shy to ask businesses to display the posters, but their confidence and courage has really grown.”

Anyone who completes an act of kindness can post on the website, where it is tracked and added to the total. Each post from a community member is extremely rewarding for the girls and gives them the confidence that they will meet their goal.

Have you completed an act of kindness lately? Visit 100 Acts of Kindness to help Hannah, Mattea and Allyson reach their goal by the end of the year.

Last year, Alexa traveled to Tanzania with her mom, Kelly Lynn, and spent a month teaching English, art through literature, math and science to kids ages three to 13.

Researching and planning her Gold Award project and trip took about two years. Prior to the trip, she gave presentations about poverty and education issues affecting Tanzania to schools and churches in her community. She asked kids to clean out their desks at the end of the year and donate the school supplies they no longer needed. With these donations, Alexa and her mom brought four full suitcases (200 pounds) of school supplies and books with them to Tanzania.

Alexa connected a local element to everything she did abroad for her project. She worked with Minnesota school kids to create English-to-Swahili translation books that she gave to Tanzanian children. Each book had a personal message from a child in Minnesota.

In Tanzania, children take a national test at the end of their Class 7 year (equivalent to 8th grade in the U.S.) which determines if they can go on to high school. If they don’t score high enough or can’t afford high school, they can’t go. This is one of the issues that Alexa hoped to address with her project. She knew there might be only a few textbooks in the classroom in Tanzania, but once she and her mom were there, they discovered that the three- and four-year-olds they taught had never seen a story book. “Their teachers didn’t know why you would read a story book to them,” Kelly lynn added. And the middle-school-age kids had never had chapter books.

“By giving them tools to learn like books and art supplies,” Alexa said, “we are better preparing them for these national tests so that when the time comes, they can hopefully get into high school, to give them more opportunities to support themselves later in life.”

While in Tanzania, Alexa lived with a local family and had the opportunity to climb halfway up Mount Kilimanjaro, visit a Maasai village, swim with wild dolphins in the Indian Ocean, tour three national wildlife parks and experience many other new adventures.

Now that she’s back, she is planning to build a library for the school where she taught through continuing donation projects and presentations. Half of the books she collects will be donated locally to a Christmas sharing program. She hopes to inspire others to take action.

“I can see that this could become part of Alexa’s life work,” commented Kelly lynn. “I know it’s really shaped how I look at things. . . . We have kids who cut a pencil in half over there, or share a pencil because there’s not enough pencils to go around.”

For other Girl Scouts who might be starting their Gold Award project, Alexa shared some encouraging words, “Think big,” she said. “There’s nothing you can’t do. If you find an issue or a topic that you feel passionate about and you feel like you can help with it, go for it.”

UPDATE:

If you are interested in supporting Alexa’s work or sending supplies to Africa, submit your information below:

Four Girl Scout Cadettes from Eden Prairie completed their Silver Award this fall by raising awareness about bullying. Together they created videos that were shown in Eden Prairie schools during the month of October.

Ellie, Kaitlyn, Rachelle and Star, members of troop 10785, brainstormed ideas for the videos, wrote scripts and then shot footage of kids in different bullying situations. The videos, posted at YouTube GS Bully Busters, show kids how to respond to each situation and stand up for themselves.

The videos were part of a series of events hosted by the Eden Prairie Disability Awareness Committee and Eden Prairie Schools Parent Teacher Organization for National Bully Awareness Month. As part of their Silver Award project, the girls also volunteered and helped with planning and running the events which included a screening and panel discussion of the movie “BULLY”, a presentation and discussion about what parents can do, PACER’s Run, Walk, Roll Against Bullying, and a day to wear orange to show solidarity against bullying.

To learn more about the events and how the girls helped raise awareness, read the article from Eden Prairie News.

Ellie, one of the Cadettes, also wrote an opinion piece that was published in September. She offers some advice to parents about how to talk with kids about bullying. “Most of the time, we can handle it,” she writes, “but don’t just assume that we can. If we say we want your help, then please help us . . . but whatever you do, please don’t take over. We just want your support.”

Girl Scouts who have recently earned Silver or Gold Awards are particularly good candidates. Girl Scouts can apply online at spirit.prudential.com or nassp.org/spirit. Applications must be submitted to Girl Scouts River Valleys by November 6, 2012.

Girl Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin River Valleys can nominate one local honoree for every 1,000 Girl Scouts in grades 5-8 and one local honoree for every 1,000 Girl Scouts in grades 9-12. More information is available at spirit.purdential.com. With additional questions, please email Tiana.Woitas@girlscoutsrv.org.

For Troop 52691 from Balsam Lake, Wisconsin, Centennial Day of Service was not only a day to help prevent debris and leaves from entering their local waterways; it also marked the completion of their Silver Award project. Divided into three teams, the troop began their Silver Award journey this summer. Each team planned separate phases of the project with the goal of informing the community about proper water preservation and natural resources conservation.

When asked how the troop’s project impacts their community, troop leader Lisa explained, “In our Wisconsin community we heavily rely on our natural resources, so environmental issues that affect our waters, fish and other wildlife are very important to us.”

One of the first steps of the project was teaming up with the Water Quality Department at the Polk County Fair this summer. The girls created and handed out informational buttons, magnets and flyers to fairgoers.

The next step was planning and hosting a workshop regarding water and natural resources preservation. Hard work and creative planning resulted in a great turn-out for the workshop, which included an opening ceremony, learning stations, speakers, food, door prizes and even the Girl Scout flash mob!

For the final piece to their Silver Award project, the girls participated in Centennial Day of Service in Balsam Lake. After completing their Silver Award, the troop is already planning their next service project. “We have always been a troop truly dedicated to service and we are always looking ahead to our next area to explore,” said Lisa.

In order to make the troop planning process as easy as possible, River Valleys replaced Program Essentials with Planning Guides this year. The online, interactive guides help you customize your year as your girls become well-rounded leaders through Journey awards, badges and patches.

Each skill-building area offers a variety of ways to engage in learning and earning, from completing activity plans to attending special badge-earning events. Using your grade level’s online Planning Guide is the easiest and most efficient way to ensure your troop has a successful year. Each award includes links to activity plans, events, the Girl Scout Shop and other supporting resources.

While the Planning Guides make planning simpler, they still include the wide variety of activities and awards available through Girl Scouts. In order to help each girl make the most of her experience, we expect all River Valleys’ troops to use the Planning Guides to carry out their activities this year.

Check back in early 2013 for a new way to report on activities and earn pins.

You’re the Expert!

Do you have ideas for activities girls can do as they work towards badges and Journey awards? We invite you to submit your ideas using our online form or template.

Note: The print version of the Girl Scout Junior Planning Guide includes incorrect images of the Journey awards and the Bridging to Girl Scout Cadettes badge. The online images are accurate.

Looking for a fun troop or family outing? Attend the Girl Scout Centennial exhibit at River Falls Public Library and complete some steps towards earning your Follow Me Girls history patch!

Celebrating 100 Years of Area Girl Scouting is a display of Girl Scout historical artifacts and memorabilia that covers the entire lower level of the library. It celebrates the first 100 years of Girl Scouts in the United States, with a focus on Girl Scouts in the area.

Library staff have all the information for the Follow Me Girls patch so girls can complete requirements while viewing the exhibit.

Check out library hours and information and attend the exhibit anytime from now through October 25. There is no admission fee for the gallery, which is generally open during regular library hours beginning at 10 a.m.

A number of local alumnae, including Centennial Honoree Mary-Alice Muraski, contributed items to the Girl Scout Centennial display. It was coordinated with strong support from River Valleys Heritage Committee members Bonna Scherer and Midge Andreas. An opening reception held on Sunday, September 30 was very well attended by Girl Scouts from the community.

If you have an interest in Girl Scout history, you won’t want to miss this fun, informative exhibit.

We encourage you to reach out and invite members of your network, both personal and professional, so we can show our community what amazing women are leading the way. If you are interested in volunteering for this event, please contact Stephanie Pommier.

To complete the project, the Junior troop worked together, used resources wisely and made decisions as a team. They decided to plan and organize a pancake breakfast in order to raise money and buy supplies for two animal shelters. They generated community interest in the breakfast by hanging posters at local gas stations and by doing some free local advertising. Each girl contributed to making the breakfast a success by greeting customers, pouring coffee, serving breakfast and even holding signs in a safe area by the road to attract more customers.

With the money they raised, the Girl Scouts purchased three large bags of pet food and two large bags of treats and delivered them to Almost Home Animal Shelter in Mora, MN. They also delivered pet food, treats and toys to Ruff Start Rescue in Princeton, MN, and participated in an Adoption Day event. Staff members at each shelter were glad to have so many helpers, and the girls hope the money and awareness they raised will help rescued animals find permanent homes.

Congratulations, Girl Scout Troop 13021, on taking action in your community and earning your Girl Scout Bronze Award!