【最新2023】168飞艇/幸运168/飞行艇官网/官方开奖直播 GirlGuidesCANBlog

Every year the Change Maker Award recognizes girls who are making a difference in Guiding and creating a better world through community service, friendship, and advocacy. The award highlights girls across all branches, who are taking actions, small or large, local or international, community based or far-reaching. 

The Change Maker Award recognizes and encourages girls who are making an impact and celebrates girls’ confidence, resiliency, and independence. It’s a chance to shine a spotlight on outstanding girls for the whole Guiding community to see. The award builds self-esteem and encourages friendship because girls can choose to nominate themself or another girl in Guiding. Girls’ actions make a difference in the lives of other girls and impact their communities – it’s important that we recognize all the ways they’re making change.  

From forming inclusive friendships to monitoring waterways, each of this year’s award recipients is making a difference in unique ways. Let’s meet a few of this year’s deserving recipients: 

Malina, a Spark from Edmonton, Alberta, makes an effort to be inclusive and play with anyone who may not have any friends. If there’s a new child at school, she’s the first to hold their hand and play with them on the playground so that they don’t feel nervous. She goes to a special speech therapy school and loves to help her friends if they are ever having trouble with words by encouraging them to try again. She’s even learning sign language so she can communicate with many of her friends at school. Great work, Malina! 

Charlee, a Guide from Campbell River, British Columbia, loves all animals and helps care for the environment and her community. Charlee is a part of a local group called Greenways, which takes care of local waterways. Charlee is known in this group as a Stream Keeper. She participates in stream walks to make sure that everything is flowing like it should. She also works with the local hatchery to complete salmon counts and intakes. Charlee was recently recognized by her mayor as a result of her ongoing efforts as a Stream Keeper in the community of Campbell River, which is known as the salmon capital of the world. Charlee not only helps the environment, but also her local community by keeping their streams healthy. That’s pretty amazing Charlee!  

Alyssa, a Ranger from Brooklyn, Ontario, is an advocate for climate change who takes pride in saving our environment and the ground we walk on. She co-founded both a local chapter of Fridays for Future and Sustainability Durham, which has organized and led shoreline clean ups, clothing swaps and more projects in her local community. Alyssa really stands out in her unit – she has the motivation and drive to inspire others to make a difference in our world. She’s been an active leader within her unit with women in politics by helping to explain and lead the future voters challenge in fun and easy ways. She firmly believes we need to give a voice to ourselves and is an inspiring advocate to help other girls understand how they can make a difference by voting. Alyssa constantly works hard to make an impact through her own actions and shows initiative. Thanks to Alyssa for being a Change Maker! 

Ella, a Ranger from Port Moody, British Columbia, has been actively contributing towards her community. At school, she currently runs and facilitates the Kodiak Konversations Club, helping English as an Additional Language (EAL) students to gain confidence in communicating in English through various activities. As a head executive, she feels devoted to this club as she has experience being an EAL student herself, and thus understands others’ hardships and the importance of supporting one another. Ella also launched a project to help students struggling to plan for their future after graduation. Ella was in a similar boat and felt clueless in terms of career choices as she ascended to her senior years of high school. In grade 11, she started the Pathfinder Project, interviewing people with different careers in her community and sharing their stories online for other students to get inspired.  She has also volunteered as a Girl Assistant to spread knowledge and to empower young Sparks. Congrats on all the great work Ella! 

These are only some of the 2020 recipients. Find the full list on our website and read all their extraordinary stories! 

I was a first-year university student when I signed up for a course that included a requirement of 10 hours of community service. “What a great time to get back to Guiding!” I thought to myself. I had been a Spark, Brownie, Guide, Pathfinder, and Junior Leader, but having taken a couple years away from Guiding, I decided it was time to return.

On the occasion of National Volunteer Week , I’m prompted to think about what volunteering with Guiding means to me. What makes so many of us stick around, year after year? What makes Guiding feel like more than just another community service gig? What is it about watching a Brownie tie her first bedroll or watching a Ranger take charge that gives us so much joy?

I am constantly amazed by the girls I work with. They are proud Guides and proud feminists, passionate about evoking change in the world. When I look at the girls I’ve come to know through Guiding, I feel a great sense of optimism. I see girls and women who want to support and build each other up, rather than tear each other down. I see girls who are empathic and accepting, who understand the imperative need for diversity, acceptance, and critical kindness. I see girls who are engaged with issues of social justice, equity, and human rights.

I volunteer because it brings me into contact with some of the most magical people on our planet: girls. Girls who remind me it can be fun to experiment, get messy, and play; girls who have taught me about the power of make-believe, friendship, and teamwork; and girls who have shown me incredible courage and strength while learning who they are, defining their values, and finding their voice.  Today’s world is different, and today’s girl is different, too. I am glad I can walk beside her, holding her hand and having her back, as she learns to navigate the world.

I’m proud to be a volunteer and proud to be a part of an organization that constantly seeks to provide a safe, inclusive, and relevant space for today’s girl. For me, Guiding is more than volunteer service. It’s friendship, community, sisterhood, and inspiration. It’s the Brownie you meet again as a Ranger, and the Ranger you now call a friend. Ten years and certainly more than 10 hours later, I’m still here, swinging along the road with a pack on my back and Guiding in my heart.

Rachel Collins is Youth Forum Coordinator for Ontario Council and a Pathfinder Guider in Guelph.

Our Vision at GGC is a better world, by girls. And it makes sense since the core of the Guiding movement has always been active citizenship. As girls learn who they are and what they can do, their motivation to take positive action in the world is inevitable.

In May, we are exploring the fifth and final pillar of girl-driven Guiding: engage community. Girls in Guiding are supported in identifying local issues that matter to them, engaging in their communities through service, and learning about their rights and responsibilities as citizens. Through these experiences, girls in Guiding are primed to become the compassionate leaders of tomorrow.

Megan Gilchrist, a committed Guider from Ontario shares an inspiring story of girls speaking up:

“Our meeting place is in the centre of a large parkland area managed by Parks Canada. Two years ago, our Brownie unit was outside doing some geocaching, and were horrified at the number of little plastic baggies full of dog poop that the dog walkers had left behind. When we came back inside, the girls were still upset, so we talked about what we could do to help solve the problem. The girls brainstormed some longer-term solutions: go back another week and clean up, make signs to put along the trail, talk to town council, and so on. But they wanted to do something NOW! We talked about how we could help educate people and they eventually came up with writing a letter to the editor of our little town newspaper, which we did as a group. The girls were thrilled to see their letter published and in print, and they felt empowered to speak up about something that was important to them.”

There’s no doubt our world is facing some big challenges. Supporting girl leadership at GGC means they’ll have the confidence and know-how to meet these challenges head-on.

Guider storytelling contest – enter to win…one last time!
This year, we’re celebrating the critical role Guiders play in girls’ lives! From January to May, we’re inviting Guiders to share their stories of girl-driven Guiding.

In May, we’d love to hear your stories of the fifth girl-driven pillar: engage community. How have you supported girls in community engagement or service? How have girls thrived? What have you learned?

Contest details:

• Send your stories of community engagement in Guiding to delivery@girlguides.ca by Tuesday, May 28 for a chance to win a Guider self-care package – and a limited-edition girl-driven crest!
• Please include your name, mailing address, iMIS#, Provincial Council and the branch level of your unit
• Images encouraged (please ensure we have permission to share!)

Girl Guides is the ultimate leadership incubator for girls. In every activity, event and outdoor adventure a girl experiences through Guiding, she can develop her own personal leadership style. It’s not about being the boss – it’s about empowering girls to discover the kinds of leaders they want to be. As the winner of our girl-driven story telling contest focused on shared leadership, B.C. Trex Guider Nycki shares what happens when girls take the lead in planning their own adventures.

I am the Guider of a very small Trex unit in British Columbia. I have watched these girls grow from Sparks to amazing young women. There’s rarely a project, camp or event that they don’t plan, build and execute, however, Nite Trek has got to be their favourite.  Along with a unit from a nearby town the girls take the lead on this huge co-ed multi unit-event.  It has turned into something huge. 

We have participants from the U.S. and Alberta join us every year. Watching these girls plan, participate and build upon this every year is truly inspiring. While these girls are truly active outdoor enthusiasts they understand the need to include and accommodate everyone, including first-time campers. They offer help and expertise, including helping other patrols put up their tents if they are struggling.  They help lay trail and plan stations, give menu plans and basically run the weekend of hundreds of youth.  Each year they strive to build this better and improve upon the year before.  They also get to participate in the event themselves and the mentorship we have had feedback on from the trail is amazing. 

These girls cheer on those who struggle and encourage them to keep on going.  Some days I wonder if these capable young women even need me and that’s when I know I have done my job.  These girls are the future of Guiding and will be amazing leaders. I can’t wait to watch it unfold.

Thank you to Nycki Wannamaker from Fernie, B.C. for sharing this story. She receives a prize pack for her winning story. Look for this month’s girl-driven storytelling contest – focused on community engagement – to launch later this week.

Want to learn more about supporting girls in leadership roles in Guiding? Check out our resources for volunteers and girls.

Imagine a place where you can spark extraordinary moments for girls in your community – and for yourself, too. That’s what being a Guider is all about. On National Volunteer Week, here are 10 reasons why our adult members say being a Guider is the ULTIMATE in all that is fun and inspiring:

1. You get a ‘code name.’
   It can get a bit awkward when you bump into a parent on the street and they only know your Guider name: “This is… Sparkles.”

2. Kids say some funny and adorable stuff.
“Does it taste like rainbows? But what if I don’t like the taste of rainbows?”

3. You gain some pretty lit skills and experience for your resume.
Teamwork. Check. Leadership. Check. Responsibility for budgets. Check. Communications skills. Check, check and check.

4. You know some serious life hacks.
When the apocalypse hits, you won’t be fazed with all of those life hacks you’ve developed. “Let me just build a shelter in the snow, start a fire and cook a delicious meal from nothing but the contents of my small backpack and the forest

5. You’ll always have a reason to pull out your passport.
Whether you’re travelling to an international Girl Guide camp or taking a group of girls on a trip to Europe or South America

6. And you’ll always have a place to crash, at home and abroad.
Guiding can be found all over the world, and with all that travelling you’re bound to have made a few friends around Canada and the globe.

7. Energy is way more contagious than germs.
At the end of a end of a long hard workday, the girls bring so much joy and enthusiasm it’s often the perfect antidote to a bad day. And when they start laughing, just try not to join in.

8. It’s like a pair of hot, new glasses.
Guiding will have you seeing the world in new ways. From self-esteem and self-acceptance to eco-awareness hunger, programming stretches your own thinking just as much as the girls’.

9. You’re always in the cookie know.

10. Best of all – ultimate squad goals.
Nothing beats the friendships and support network you build at Guiding. Your fellow Guiders will always have your back and the fun and mischief you get up to together is priceless.

Are you interested in volunteering with Girl Guides? Get started on our website.

Scientific innovation – it’s  what propels the world forward and leads to the discoveries that make our lives healthier and better. On International Day of Women and Girls in Science (February 11), ideas for how to balance the gender equation in the scientific world will be under the microscope. Here’s how one Guider and engineer inspires girls to be innovators and STEM explorers.

The fact is, companies, post-secondary educational institutions and nonprofits have researched gender inequity within STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields for years. A quick Google search with the keywords “women” and “STEM” will return plenty of research studies, statistical reports and opinion-pieces. Amidst all of this information, how can we – as advocates for women and girls – help drive the change required to achieve gender equity in STEM fields? Based on my experience, I propose implementing a tried-and-true problem-solving process: ideate, implement, and iterate, with girls in the lead every step of the way.

First, ideate with a girl-driven approach mindset. Identify the challenges faced by women in STEM fields and the skills required to overcome them, then brainstorm ways to learn those skills as a unit. Interview a local science teacher, professor, or parent at your unit meeting, or consult some current literature – I recommend the Harvard Business Review for Pathfinders and Rangers, and National Geographic for Sparks, Brownies and Guides. Plan activities, projects and field trips that build girls’ confidence, teamwork and problem-solving skills. Ideating as a unit requires proactivity, goal setting and prioritizing, and sets the stage for effective unit meetings.

Second, implement with a curious mindset. As a Guider, I have observed that girls engage the most with STEM activities that challenge their assumptions about the world. For example, I once gave a group of girls a temperature gun and told them I discovered that my cat’s paws are colder than its belly. Ten minutes later, the Guides were still completely immersed in measuring the surfaces temperatures around them. Another time, I demonstrated a typical Newtonian mechanics problem by dropping balls with different masses on top of each other. I will never forget the girls’ expressions when they discovered that a basketball can transfer enough momentum to a tennis ball to send it rocketing across the room. These moments of excitement and discovery are powerful, and learning to harness them equips girls with an invaluable motivational tool. Implementing as a unit requires synergy and teaches girls valuable communication and collaboration skills.

Third, iterate with a continuous improvement mindset. Debrief after your unit meeting and determine what worked, what didn’t, and how you can improve. Were you prepared for your activities? Did your experiments surprise you? Did you prefer building circuits or writing code? Did working together speed up your progress or cause conflict? Did your unit accomplish its goals? Iterating is analogous to analyzing your unexpected experimental results and developing a new procedure, or observing your malfunctioning prototype and taking it back to the shop for an adjustment. Iterating as a unit requires focus and creativity, and kick-starts the entire process all over again.

As sisters in Guiding we have the ability to help drive the change required to achieve equity in STEM fields. We are also mentors and friends, with countless opportunities to offer encouragement and support to girls who absolutely need it. When a girl tell you she’s “bad” at math, tell her that math can be tricky but it gets easier with practice. When a girl becomes frustrated or begins to lose focus during a problem solving activity, find a way to keep her engaged. Research has told us about the challenges women and girls face in the pursuit of STEM careers. Let Guiding be an environment where girls learn to overcome them.

Erica Glatt (BESc, MESc, EIT) is an Improvement Engineer with Dow Chemical Canada ULC and a Sparks unit Guider in Parkland Area, AB.

Girl Guides of Canada’s new Girls First program is exploding with opportunities for girls to innovate, experiment, design and create, including our Engineering Instant Meetings.

Girls need a safe space where they feel supported, respected and valued for exactly who they are. A safe space where they can use their voice. Fortunately, Guiding offers just such a space. And our volunteer Guiders play a huge role in creating the ultimate supportive and safe space for girls. As the winner of this month’s girl-driven storytelling contest, Guider Mandy from Burlington, ON shares how one Pathfinder found her voice in Guiding. We dare you not to be inspired by her story.

A girl came to us four years ago as a first year Pathfinder. She apologized profusely at our first meeting – for everything. Sorry for bumping into you. Sorry for being in your way. Sorry for having done nothing at all. She also struggles with anxiety. When asked to speak or share in front of the group, she freezes, stutters and clams up. You always want to give her an opportunity to share, but you often want to pass over her to spare her the embarrassment of freezing up. The silence is piercing in the room when it is her turn to speak.

She comes to everything. Camps. Parades. Every meeting. Her attendance is perfect. But we as a volunteer team wondered if her parents just signed her up for everything. She never indicated that she was happy at any of our events because she never spoke.  One of our Guiders was making strides in building a special connection with her. But we still didn’t know…  was she happy in Girl Guides?

We got our answer in her final year of Pathfinders. There was a talent contest being held at our meeting place. We put a call out to our girls to share their talents – guitar, dance, musical theatre. She said she wanted to participate in the contest. Now, we knew she was a talented artist – she doodled all the time while we were talking and the images were magnificent. But she did not want to share her art work… She said she wanted to sing.

We couldn’t have been more surprised. We had never heard her utter a word. We were worried for her – that she was setting herself up to fail, to feel embarrassed in front of her peers, who by this point were very used to the awkward pause when it was her turn to share. But as you do in a safe space, we of course encouraged her to sign up. Dress rehearsal day came and everyone was on edge as it approached her turn to sing. Would she freeze again?

A cell phone tucked into a coffee mug to amplify the sound played her background music. The song started quietly and she opened her mouth to sing. She seemed comfortable in her own world of music –  seemingly unaware that she had an audience in front of her. And her voice was beautiful! More words than we had ever heard her speak in three years were shared in that song, in that meeting place, at that rehearsal. No one quite knew what to do. There were tears from her leaders and even some of her peers for what that moment represented for her and for us.

Guiding created a safe place for this young woman to find her voice. It took years, and consistent work and connection from our Guiders. But she speaks often now as a Ranger, after discovering that Guiding is a safe space. She will raise her hand and contribute to discussions. And everyone is so happy to hear her beautiful voice!

Thank you to Mandy for sharing this story. She wins this prize pack for her winning story. Look for this month’s girl-driven storytelling contest – focused on growth mindset – to launch later this week.

“Sparks made me feel confident and independent. I loved that it gave me a chance to be the silliest, truest version of myself with a group of other girls.” Yes! For 30 totally amazing years, our Sparks program has sparked amazing experiences for younger girls in Guiding. We catch up with two alumni who share how Guiding sparked amazing things in their lives. 

Alyssa Newell – Sales Manager, Avid Apparel (who makes our Sparks 30th anniversary T-shirt)

What was your favourite thing about Sparks?

I loved everything about my time in Sparks so it’s hard to narrow down just one thing! I really enjoyed getting to go away to my first weekend camp (I still love camping to this day!). I loved the sense of independence it gave me – being away from home for the first time can be a bit scary when you’re young, but knowing I was with my Spark unit made it the easiest experience.  Plus, sharing bunk beds with your best friends is always a blast!

How did you feel attending Sparks?

Sparks made me feel confident and independent. I loved that it gave me a chance to be the silliest, truest version of myself in front of a group of other girls. It helped me learn how to make new friends, how to be confident enough to speak in front of large groups, and how to set goals and achieve them (earning badges was the MOST fun!).

Can you share a favourite memory or experience from Sparks?

My favourite memories from Sparks definitely revolves around cookie selling (and cookie eating – they’re still my favourite!). I loved getting to go to the local mall with my Sparks unit to sell cookies and talk to everyone about all the fun we had in Girl Guides. I still love sales and have been in a professional sales role for over eight years. 

Would you encourage young girls to join Sparks? If so, why?

Absolutely! I can honestly say that my time in Sparks (and then Brownies, Guides, and Pathfinders) shaped me into the woman I am today. Girl Guides helped me learn to be comfortable in my own skin, taught me that it’s okay to be a girl and be a leader, and gave me the confidence to meet new people and try new things. 

Courtney Wong – Store Director, J.Crew  

What was your favourite thing about Sparks?

My favourite thing about Sparks was meeting new friends both from my elementary school, as well as neighbouring schools. Most importantly, I met my best friend Natalie in Sparks and we have been friends for over 25 years!

How did you feel attending Sparks?

I was super shy growing up, so naturally at first I was a bit nervous! Once I realized many of the other Sparks went to the same elementary school, as well as lived in the same neighbourhood as myself, we would countdown the number of sleeps to our next meet-up!

Can you share a favourite memory or experience from Sparks?

My favourite memory from Sparks is wearing my pink Sparks T-shirt with my childhood best friends and singing our favourite camp songs at the top of our lungs. I am the oldest sister in my family and my pink Sparks T-shirt was passed down to each of my sisters. To this day, we still know all the words to our favourite songs from Girl Guides!

Would you encourage young girls to join Sparks?

Totally! Everyone, especially young girls need a safe and inclusive space to explore. By joining Sparks and continuing on with Girl Guides, I learned the importance of female relationships, feeling empowered to learn and explore new things, and to gain the confidence to use my voice. There is something really special about watching young girls grow into strong, powerful leaders and building positive relationships with one another. One of the most rewarding things about my job, is to guide my team and to watch them grow from associates into strong, fearless leaders!

Be part of the Sparks 30th anniversary celebration – get your classic Sparks T-shirt and join in our promise to ‘share and be a friend.’

When one of our Sparks dressed as a police officer for our Halloween party, another girl told her ‘That’s a boy’s job.’ Our response? We invited six local women police officers to our meeting the following week to show what girls CAN do. Here’s how it all went down:

After our Spark was told that policing was a boy’s job, she took her costume off before leaving for home. She didn’t even want to wear it anymore for Halloween. My heart broke.

My co-Guider, Jellybean (aka Melissa Hedges), and I were concerned to say the least and simultaneously came up with the idea to see if we could invite some women in policing  to come to a meeting to turn this into an empowering opportunity for our unit. With a little help from my best friend in New Brunswick with policing connections, I was soon in contact with so many officers wanting to participate that I lost count.  In the end we were able to have six members of the Ottawa Police attend our next meeting. It was simply amazing!

One brought a story, another brought pins and activities, and three were in full uniform.  We invited one Brownie from another unit – she’d worn a police officer’s costume for Halloween as that is what she wants to be when she grows up. (Even my daughter in another Guiding unit wanted to come because she ‘knows a police officer.’) Our own Spark and the Brownie both wore their police costumes, and the Brownie even wore a T-shirt underneath that had pictures of women in non-traditional roles with the words “She can do it” underneath.  Seeing girls choosing to be a police officer for Halloween gives hope. It wasn’t a pretend costume; this is something they can do.

Melissa and I were amazed and so happy this all worked out, especially to see how many police officers WANTED to come to our Girl Guide meeting. Part of Guiding is showing girls they can be what they want and how they can help bust stereotypes. We were able to show our Sparks and Brownie that girls and women CAN be in positions of power and that even within the police force there are many different types of roles.  I felt their sisterhood just like I feel the Girl Guide sisterhood when I go to events with fellow Guiders.

For me this was overwhelming, but in a good way.  I recently lost my dear friend Robb Costello, a member of the Fredericton Police Force who was shot in the line of duty. Seeing these girls took my breath away, because it reminded me there are others to take up the mantle.  Being able to have these extraordinary role models attend our little meeting left Melissa and I with a great sense of accomplishment and hopefully with an evening the girls won’t soon forget.

Guest post by Andrea Cook, a Sparks Guider in Kanata, ON.

My favourite part of volunteering with Guiding is that light bulb moment – when you see a girl’s face light up with understanding, pride, or a feeling of accomplishment. One such moment happened early this Guiding year with a Brownie named Callie. It was just one of those moments that made me stop, smile to myself, and think, “This is why I do this.”

As the Guiding year was getting started, we asked the girls to choose their own circle leaders.  The parameters we gave them were simple: their circle leader needed to be a second-year girl; they could use any method to choose their leader; any second-year girl not chosen as a circle leader would be a circle second; and most importantly, they all had to come to an agreement.

One group did rock paper scissors, and one group just instantly came to an agreement. But one group had a lot of trouble choosing and they just could not agree. Finally, the two second-year girls agreed to let the two first-year girls choose their leader. After a very serious conversation, the girls announced they had chosen Callie. And Callie’s face immediately lit up in a huge smile. “Really!?” she said. “That’s so nice! Thank you! I never get chosen as leader for anything!”

“Callie was so excited to be circle leader and the whole walk home all she talked about was how she got chosen and how the other girls picked her,” Callie’s mother Janice told me later. “I think being chosen circle leader by her fellow Brownies will definitely help boost her confidence and drive to do better.”

I love watching each girl come into her own, finding empowerment in her own way.  It might be a girl who’s struggling with a certain skill, but finally getting it. Sometimes it’s the look on a girl’s face when she does an experiment and proves her hypothesis right, or the look of pride when a girl overcomes her homesickness to stay the night at camp. Sometimes it’s a shy girl coming out of her shell and making new Guiding friends.

I also love watching the girls learn to work together to accomplish a team task. You can almost feel the confidence growing, and the message soaking in that girls can do great things when they work together.

I’ll keep volunteering to keep giving girls those moments of awesomeness, knowing that I’m doing my part to empower these amazing girls to be anything they want to be.

Guest post by Jennifer Pierce, Brownie Guider and Deputy District Commissioner in Eastern Passage, NS.