Girl Scout Latina Twilight Camp - First Time This Summer!

What a neat idea! Read this announcement our friends at Girl Scouts of Western Washington:

Join us during the summer of 2009 for the first Girl Scout Latina Twilight Camp “En busca del Dorado.” We offer a twilight camp where Latina girls and adult volunteers can come together to recognize the diversity of Latin-American cultures and learn about outdoor activities in Girl Scouts. This camp is going to be done mostly in Spanish.

WHO: Elementary School girls
WHEN: July 6-10 from 4-8 pm
WHERE: Redmond, WA Redmond- Woodinville Road (202)
HOW MUCH:$75 per girl. Siblings: the first one pays $30 and the second full price $75
The price includes activities, snacks, insurance, shirt, badge and lots of fun!

Financial Assistance is available through Girl Scouts of Western Washington; applications for financial assistance are due on May 30. (Please request a financial assistance form)

Camp registrations open on April 25 and closes to June 5. All placements will be first come, first serve. Confirmation notices will be e-mailed or mailed upon receipt of registrations. Please contact us to get a registration form.

We are looking for volunteers!!! All volunteers would receive training before camp, and the daughters of FULL TIME volunteers will pay only $30!!.

If you want to request a registration form, to volunteer, to participate, or for further information on the program, please contact the organization's Latina Program Coordinator María Alejandra Gómez at latinacamp@yahoo.com or mariaag@girlscoutsww.org or call 425-614-1126 or 206-399-4612.

Everyone is going to have fun! See website for more!

Last Day to Help Girl Scouts with Cookie Sale!

At the grocery store this morning I was reminded that today's the last day of the big Girl Scout fundraiser--their cookie sale.

And I learned something interesting from this Girl Scout and her mom: That different cookie flavors sell differently depending on who's buying. For example, they say nationally speaking, men tend to buy more mints and samoas (their biggest sellers) than any other variety. Women have a special love for peanut butter patties.

I also learned that the cookie varieties sell differently among different ethnicities. In fact, I brought up their newest flavor, Dulce de Leche, and asked how it was selling in their home neighborhood of Burien.

"Fantastic - it's the big seller among Latinos." And I'm sure that's why Girl Scouts added the flavor to the mix this year. They're working on all kinds of outreach to Latinos nationally, and here in Western Washington as well.

Perhaps Latinos are more likely to buy the Dulce de Leche cookie. And those same purchasers may be parents, who see Girl Scouts selling these terrific cookies can observe what that's doing for these girls' confidence and self-esteem as well as business savvy. Maybe after that experience they're more aware of the benefits of Girl Scouts and more likely to want to see their own girls join in.

In any case, it's your last chance for a box of tag-a-longs. The Girl Scout I talked to and her mom are selling at the QFC at Harvard Market on Capitol Hill all day until 8pm tonight.

Girl Scouts RULE

So yesterday was the Leadership Luncheon for the Girl Scouts of Western Washington. It was a terrific event and very well-attended. I loved talking to the girls about their roles in the event: some sang, some spoke. They wore their sashes with pride!

The organization is clearly reaching out to a multicultural population of girls, as was illustrated by the video shown at the event as well as the scouts in attendance.

I was impressed by the Hispanic initiatives that this organization is committed to. María Alejandra Gómez is the Latina Program Coordinator, and she showed me all the stuff Girl Scouts are doing to meet the needs of Latino families in Western WA. Yes, they've got practically everything translated into Spanish, but it goes beyond that.

It's not just about recruiting Latina girls; it's a program that supports their success as Girl Scouts! María Alejandra has been actively seeking opportunities in the community to share the story--on local Univision 51, at the Latino Youth Summit in Olympia, at Mariners games.

In fact, they've increased Hispanic participation in troops in East King County by 26% this year!

If you would like to volunteer to help change the life of a girl, a troop, a community--call María Alejandra Gómez at 425-614-1126.


As an aside: Turns out, María Alejandra and I are both attending graduate programs at Seattle University, so perhaps I'll see her on campus one of these days! (Just 5 more days of school 'til end of quarter...)