Girl Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin River Valleys » careers

Photographer with Girl Scout Roots

Jackie Kastner — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 23:56:56 +0000

When viewing Girl Scouts River Valleys’ website, Facebook page or publications, it’s likely that you’ll come across the beautiful work of professional photographer Rebecca Pavlenko.

Rebecca photographs many Girl Scouts River Valleys events, capturing the Girl Scout spirit while at the same time, enjoying a personal nostalgia.

Rebecca was a Girl Scout in Troop 425 in White Bear Lake, MN and enjoyed art and theater projects, canoe trips, attending camp and earning awards and badges. One of her proudest awards was the First Class Patch, the highest award in Cadette Scouting at the time.

Rebecca recently went back to Camp Lakamaga to capture pictures of Girl Scouts at camp and was flooded with memories. “The names on the signs were familiar, and I remembered learning how to build a fire and manage a canoe along with many songs that still echo in my mind,” says Rebecca. “It’s so fun to hear that girls are still singing them today!”

Rebecca attributes a lot of her abilities and successes in adulthood to what she learned as a Girl Scout. From a young age, Rebecca has dealt with a neurological disability that has affected her speech. For someone with a minor disability, Girl Scouts really gave her confidence to help her become who she is today.

Today, Rebecca is a successful photographer and has her own studio in downtown Minneapolis, MN. She’s proud of her ability to easily troubleshoot by herself and with a group, a life skill she learned as a Girl Scout. Cookie activities were also a great teaching tool for self-employment.

When Rebecca isn’t capturing images of Girl Scouts, she is busy working on client projects as well as her own projects. She was recently awarded a Midwest Regional Arts Council Grant for pre-press work for a book on Japanese gardens.

Rebecca would love to connect with other women business owners who have been Girl Scouts. Visit her website for contact information and to see some of her recent work.

Girl Scouts Learn About Nuclear Science and Technology

Girl Scouts River Valleys — Mon, 14 May 2012 13:51:05 +0000

Nearly 90 River Valleys’ Girl Scouts attended the recent council-sponsored event Behind the Scenes — Nuclear Science and Technology, where they toured the Xcel Energy Nuclear Power Plant in Monticello, MN. A reporter from the Saint Cloud Times was on hand to cover the exciting event that empowered girls to learn about engineering, physics and technology. Read the article to learn more about the girls’ adventure and Xcel’s Women in Nuclear Program, the plant’s group of female scientists who sponsored the event to show girls that they can pursue careers in science and technology despite it being a male-dominated profession.

Are you interested in learning more about engineering, science and technology?

Sign up for one of River Valleys’ upcoming Robotics Day Camps! We have three-day, level one adventures coming up this summer in Minneapolis, Farmington, St. Paul, Mankato and Rochester. Additional events exist for levels two and three; visit our events page to learn about these and other science and technology opportunities.

General Mills Women in Careers Day

Girl Scouts River Valleys — Sun, 08 May 2011 14:27:54 +0000

On Monday, May 2, 140 girls of color in our River Valleys College Readiness Program attended a Women in Careers event sponsored by General Mills. Tiffanie Boyd, vice president of human resources, bakeries, and food service for General Mills, set the tone for the day when she encouraged girls to dream big and develop a plan to accomplish their dreams.

Throughout the event, girls learned from General Mills employees in a wide range of occupations such as marketing, finance, human resources, legal, information technology, sourcing, and engineering. Girls actively talked with and asked questions of professionals who acted as table hosts during lunch. Event activities included workshops, panel discussions, and luncheon roundtables where girls participated in small group conversations with the professionals.

Girls learned about career development and educational paths at a resource fair. Representatives from the Army, St. Paul Police Department, General Mills, and Hennepin Tech College talked with the girls and provided information.

“I want to work in a place like this in the future!” said a 12th grade Girl Scout from the Beta Gamma Girl Scout troop from Central High School in St. Paul.

The Women in Careers event is part of River Valleys College Readiness program for girls of color and girls from low-income households. The 12-session curriculum is designed to help girls discover more about themselves, be inspired and excited about future possibilities, and learn critical information that will help them be successful in high school, college, and beyond. Most of these girls will be the first in their families to seek post-secondary education.

During the 2009-2010 inaugural year of the College Readiness program, more than 700 girls in grades 9-12 and 100 girls in grades 6-8 from across the Twin Cities metropolitan area and Rochester participated in troop meetings, council-sponsored program events, and college tours.

“I want to thank the person who was responsible to put this together for give us this great opportunity!” a Girl Scout Hmong Women’s Circle girl from New Millennium Academy shared with us during the event.

Campus Life – Sunday, April 10

Girl Scouts River Valleys — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 14:47:31 +0000

See what college life has to offer you! Step onto the Minnesota State Univiersity campus in Mankato for a full tour led by college students. The tour includes the student union, dorms, arenas, library, and education buildings. You will also play a game of bowling or shoot some pool.

Grades 9-12
Saturday, April 10
1-4 p.m.
$8/girl