Connections Newsletter | May-June 2024

Girl Scouts San Diego Pioneers Processes for Wildfire Fuel Reduction in Julian, CA

For decades, Girl Scouts San Diego has provided the magic of outdoor programming to thousands of campers at our 672-acre mountain camp properties (more than six times the size of the San Diego Zoo) in Julian, CA.

This Wildfire Awareness Month, we are proud to unveil our vegetation treatment plan, comprised of three key projects—Fuel Reduction, Tree Nursery, and Water Treatment Plan Emergency Generator—which are supported by a $759,000+ grant from the San Diego River Conservancy.

Leveraging new technologies, GSSD is leading efforts to safely mitigate wildfire risks with air curtain burners, accelerate the removal of wildly overgrown vegetation, and build climate change resiliency while preserving natural landscapes within the San Diego River watershed in Southern California. Girl Scouts San Diego is the first non-government organization in San Diego County to use permitted air curtain burners.

Learn more about this partnership and GSSD’s forestry and wildfire management efforts at sdgirlscouts.org/vegetationplan.

Celebrating 23 Years and 4.2+ Packages of Operation Thin Mint^SM

During the 2024 cookie program, Girl Scouts in San Diego and Imperial counties marketed more than 2.3 million packages of cookies and secured 152,500 packages of donated cookies for Operation Thin Mint^SM (OTM), a service project that originated in San Diego in 2002 that shares Girl Scout Cookies with U.S. military personnel.

On Saturday, May 4, we celebrated those successes with the Operation Thin Mint℠ Sendoff and Family Festival aboard the USS Midway Museum. The event welcomed more than 1,500 guests and commemorated 23 years and more than 4.2 million packages of OTM. Attendees enjoyed bustling community partner stations, the GSSD pop-up shop, picnics on the USS Midway’s flight deck, and an epic dance party to end the night.

GSSD CEO, Carol Dedrich, and Sky Williams, Co-Host of The Show on Rock 105.3 and event emcee, led a patriotic pep rally to honor Girl Scout cookie entrepreneurs. The program featured remarks from CDR Robin Dirickson, Executive Officer for Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron Fourteen on Coronado, who highlighted the special impact of the OTM program for military troops.

Check out photos from the event on our Flickr page.

Discover Your Magic at Girl Scout Summer Camp

At Girl Scout Summer Camp, girls dive into activities that ignite their courage, foster new friendships, and unleash creativity. Whether they are conquering the climbing wall, navigating a canoe across a serene lake, or crafting among nature’s beauty, they are building skills and creating memories that last a lifetime.

Jump-start your next adventure and register for summer camp today! Learn more about Day or Sleepaway Camp sessions and reserve a spot at sdgirlscouts.org/camp.

Interested in powering up her next life-changing adventure? Support our campership fund, which provides financial aid opportunities to families across San Diego and Imperial counties. Donate today at sdgirlscouts.org/campership.

Help Girls Reach New Heights at Mountain Adventure Weekend

Mountain Adventure is a weekend-long Girl Scout Outreach (GSO) Program, where girls attending Title I schools in our community have the opportunity to explore nature, build independence, and foster lifelong friendships.

During a special weekend in April, our Outreach and Outdoor teams traveled with 30 4th and 5th graders to Camp Whispering Oaks for the 24th annual Mountain Adventure Camp. This weekend was full of firsts for many of the girls—first experience in the outdoors, first time away from their families, and first time outside the city. Every moment at our mountain camp is designed to leave a lasting impression, fostering growth and a positive sense of well-being in girls.

With your generous support, we can ensure that more girls have the chance to explore, learn, and grow in the empowering environment of Mountain Adventure. Learn more and donate at sdgirlscouts.org/outreach. Check out photos of Mountain Adventure Weekend.

EmpowerHer Well-Being Panel Welcomes Experts to Discuss Mental Health in Girls

In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, we hosted a panel discussion, EmpowerHer: Navigating Adolescent Well-Being, moderated by Girl Scouts San Diego’s CEO, Carol Dedrich. A big thank you to our panelists: long-time Girl Scout volunteer and Clinical Director, Founder of Healthy Within, Dr. Divya Kakaiya and Licensed Psychologist and Clinical Supervisor at Rogers Behavioral Health, Dr. Maya D’Eon.

To ground the conversation and topic for the evening, Carol shared alarming statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which last year reported on the emotional state of U.S. teen girls. This is an unfortunate, stark reality for our girls and their parents/caregivers.

As the conversation continued, our esteemed panelists shared their expertise on working with youth patients who are struggling with anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, identity issues, or experiencing any mental health challenges. They discussed warning signs, strategies for early intervention, and how social media has impacted the daily lives of youth.

Girl Scouts San Diego has the power to be a solution to these issues. Through partnerships with trusted adults—staff, volunteers, camp counselors—we create a safe space for girls to build connections, grow confidence, and have hope for their futures.

Girl Scouts San Diego offers Youth Mental Health First Aid trainings, which teach adults how to recognize signs and symptoms of mental health challenges, give reassurance, and refer youth to appropriate resources. Sign up for an upcoming class at sdgirlscouts.org/events.