What's happening this week:

• Shining the Spotlight on Girl Scouts of the U.S.A.
• Paint the Town 2011 from a Sponsor's Point-of-View
• What's On Tap for the Summer

Shining the Spotlight on Girl Scouts of the U.S.A.

In a few weeks, Give Back Cincinnati will host Kids' Olympics, a super-fun event for kids in grades 1-5. In preparation, we're shining the spotlight on the Girl Scouts of the U.S.A., one of our partner organizations for the event. Read on to learn more about the Girl Scouts from troop leader Tracy Bolender, and find out what they’re looking forward to most about Kids’ Olympics. And please join us for Kids' Olympics from 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 16 at the Madisonville Recreation Center. Registration is open now!

Tell us a little bit about what the Girl Scout organization does?
I think the best explanation comes from the Girl Scouts of the USA Constitution: "Grounded in the Girl Scout Promise and Law, Girl Scouting is a non-formal, experiential, and cooperative education program that promotes girls' personal growth and leadership development. Partnering with caring adults, girls design fun and challenging activities that empower them, and raise their voices within a local, national, and global sisterhood." - Girl Scouts of the USA Constitution, Article III

What is the single most important focus of the organization?
The girls. Girl Scouts is all about the girls! Girls are involved in the planning process for activities. Girls lead the activities and make real decisions about the activities. They learn to work together as a team to achieve a common goal. These things aren't just fun for the girls, they also help to develop strong leadership skills as well.

What are some of the organization's goals?
The Girl Scout Mission is, "Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place."

Some of the Council's goals include:
1. Girls will understand themselves and their values.
2. Girls will use their knowledge and skills to explore the world.
3. Girls will care about, inspire, and team with others locally and globally.
4. Girls will act to make the world a better place.

What do you think the Girl Scouts will get the most out of in Kids’ Olympics?
I think that any Girl Scout who participates in GBC's Kids’ Olympics will benefit from exposure to new people, places, and experiences. The girls will be put into teams with other kids they may not know, led by adult volunteers they have no prior experience with, in an environment that is safe, but may be unfamiliar to them. Last year, my girls (who were entering 1st grade) were split up onto 3 different teams (by their own choices) and loved every minute of it! They were able to meet other kids they wouldn't have otherwise met and made some new friends. They enjoyed playing the games and participating in the activities, even though I wasn't there, nor were their parents. They especially liked the team games where their teams got to play against each other!

Paint the Town 2011 from a Sponsor's Point-of-View

Total Quality Logistics was one of the sponsors for this year's 10th annual Paint the Town effort. So what does Paint the Town look like from a sponsor's point-of-view? They made a video to show us! 

What's On Tap for the Summer

Ah, summer! Loungin' poolside with your shades on. Backyard barbecues. And giving back to the community. What's on tap for YOUR summer? Hopefully, volunteering with Give Back Cincinnati We'll clean up in the great outdoors during Don't Rock the Boat (August 13) and enjoy some fun and games during GBC Challenge (August 27). So mark your calendars and plan to join us!