Published in Currents

Working for the Girl Scouts is a many layered and very dynamic job - every day it's something new. Sometimes it has little to do with my job description and even less to do with my major, but I have to say I enjoy the positive impact I can have on the next generation of young women.

The other day my boss, the bold and charismatic Octavia, came to me in a flutter because somehow the deadline for the next issue of Currents (our monthly magazine) was in 2 hours, and there was very little written for it. So, under a time pressure, I had my first chance at writing for publication that was not school owned and run.  They accepted and ran all of three of my articles in this month's issue.

Below you will find two of those articles. The first article, is on an upcoming event. The second, on reasons you should go to camp. The third, on ways Journeys (these new awesome options for girls) can help them prepare to earn their Gold Award, I will post at a later point in time, but due to it's length, deserves a post of it's own.



Women in Technology — A Cooperative Project with IBM for Cadettes and Seniors    

“The thing women have yet to learn is nobody gives you power. You just take it.” – Roseanne Barr 

 

Everyone knows that despite the progress in women’s rights over the  last century, women still, on average, make only 75% of what men make with the same job titles. IBM is one company that has looked this statistic in the face and started to tear it down. We are happy to announce that the IBM Corporation and Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson (GSHH) are co-hosting a day of Women in Technology for girls in grades 7 and older on Thursday, April 14, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the IBM facility in Fishkill. The fee is $10 per girl.  A pizza dinner is included.    

At IBM, women have been making contributions to the advancement of information technology for almost as long as the company has been in existence. Where many companies proudly date their affirmative action    
programs to the 1970s, IBM has been creating meaningful roles for female employees since the 1930s.
   
Girl Scouting is committed to building leaders of tomorrow who will stand as equals. Today, nearly 80% of all
women business owners were once Girl Scouts. Judy Scholefield, a current leader, reflects, “When you talk about the difference that you can make in a girl’s life…we gave our Girl Scouts opportunities that they will remember forever.”

This GSHH-IBM sponsored day of learning, exploration, and empowerment will find Girl Scouts and women from IBM enjoying an informative and fun-filled afternoon exploring the world of technology and the ways a woman can build a career in it. The girls will work in teams with IBM Think Pads to make presentations to the entire group on various topics such as “Computers in Everyday Life” and “Desktop Publishing.”

Girls can register on-line or by mail. (See the CONNECTIONS registration information on the GSHH website.)    

SUMMER CAMP: Girls, Sign Up Now for a Priceless Experience!

Registration for summer camp 2011 is in full swing! This year there are six sessions of day and resident camp
being offered for girls between the ages of 5 and 17. You won’t want to miss your chance to have the summer of a lifetime, so be sure to register soon!

Why should you go to camp? Here are five good reasons:

• Meeting positive role models: Have you ever seen the unbelievable energy of a camp counselor? They just love watercolors, and archery, and singing, and climbing, and performing – and they want to share all their time and talent with you

• Learn new skills in a supportive and friendly environment: Counselors want you to secure the harness, trust them, and rappel backwards off the 80-foot cliff! Scary? Yes! The satisfaction you’ll receive from trying something outside of yourcomfort level? Priceless!

• Making life-long friends: Meet people from different schools,communities and cultures. Expand your horizons – there are a lot more people in the world then the ones in your core group of friends, and a lot of them are pretty amazing.

• Practice important life skills: Camp is all about looking at theworld with imagination. You’ll have the opportunity to get creative and have fun with it, and also to plan a lot of your own activities. You’ll learn to think outside the box through team-building challenges and gain the independence and confidence of being able to stay somewhere by yourself. And hey, future employers and college admission counselors love that.

• It’s fun!: Where else will you get to spend all day every day surrounded by a hundred or more other girls whose main goal is to have a good time? Activities include swimming, boating, archery, arts and crafts, campfires, games, special events, ropes courses, and many others specific to your program of choice.

Enrolling in a Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson camp is an experience you will remember for a lifetime. They offer some of the most rewarding summer activities you can imagine! And tell your mom — all of our GSHH camps are accredited by the American Camp Association.