With Gratitude: Top Mission Moments of 2024

Strategic Plan Launches on International Women’s Day

On International Women’s Day, we hosted a special event on our Balboa Campus to celebrate and announce the launch of our 2024-2028 strategic plan. The room was filled with inspiration and joy, thanks to GSSD staff, volunteers, Girl Scouts, and community partners who share in the mission of elevating girl and women leaders in the region.️ 

Our strategic vision is: To be viewed and valued as the go-to partner for developing and elevating girl and women leaders in San Diego and Imperial counties. Beyond traditional leadership development, our relevant programs and experiences foster a sense of well-being in girls, so they are well-rounded individuals poised for success in life. 

Learn more about our 2024-2028 strategic plan and initiatives at sdgirlscouts.org/future. 

Sweet Success: 2024 Cookie Program Highlights, Milestones, and a Look Ahead

With the support of 1,340 registered cookie program volunteers, 9,377 Girl Scout entrepreneurs built key business skills and reached huge goals, marketing 2.3M+ packages and 152,500 donations for Operation Thin Mint during the 2024 Girl Scout Cookie Program. 

We look forward to the 2025 season and our new partnership with ABC Bakers, the oldest Girl Scout Cookie baker in the United States. Girl Scouts and their cookie customers will see a new cookie lineup with easy-to-recognize fan favorites, featuring nine varieties of America’s Most Beloved Cookies—Trefoils®, Thin Mints®, Peanut Butter Patties®, Caramel deLites®, Peanut Butter Sandwich, Caramel Chocolate Chip (gluten-free certified), Toast-Yay!®, Lemonades®, and Adventurefuls®.💚

Save the date: the 2025 Girl Scout Cookie Program begins on Sunday, Jan. 26! 

The Power of Philanthropic Giving  

In 2024, Girl Scouts San Diego experienced the incredible power of philanthropy. This community of supporters fuel programs that empower girls, support leadership development, and create transformative experiences. Read on to hear about some of our most significant grant awards of the year.

Prebys Foundation Grant Supports Youth Mental Health First Aid Trainings

Thanks to a vital grant investment from the Prebys Foundation, we made strides in our efforts to certify adults in Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA), an early intervention public education program that teaches adults how to recognize signs and symptoms of mental health challenges in youth, give reassurance, and refer them to appropriate services. In 2024, we certified 41 adult learners in YMHFA and hired a full-time staff member to coordinate the expansion of this initiative. We are eager to engage more community partners in this work next year to support the youth in our region. To learn more, check out the Prebys Foundation’s Stop and Talk podcast, featuring our CEO, Carol M Dedrich.  

Capital Improvement Project Pioneers Wildfire Fuel Reduction Processes in Julian, CA 

In addition, during Wildfire Awareness Month in May, we unveiled our new vegetation treatment plan, supported by a multi-year, capital improvement grant of $759,000+ from the San Diego River Conservancy (SDRC). The plan is comprised of three key projects—Fuel Reduction, Tree Nursery, and Water Treatment Plan Emergency Generator. Leveraging new technologies, we are leading efforts to safely mitigate wildfire risks with air curtain burners and building climate change resiliency while preserving natural landscapes in Julian, California—home of our two mountain properties, Camps Whispering Oaks and Winacka.

Girl Scouts Take Action to Make an Impact 

More than 675 Girl Scouts took action this year to earn Highest Awards—the Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards. These incredible leaders completed projects that addressed important themes like public safety, environment and sustainability, mental health and well-being, LGBTQIA+ advocacy, disability inclusion and access, civic engagement, financial literacy and entrepreneurship, DEI-RJ (diversity, equity, inclusion, racial justice), and more.

California Girl Scouts Go Gold

Alongside our sister councils in California, we were proud to announce that 415 California Girl Scouts earned the prestigious Gold Award this year. Girl Scouts from San Diego and Imperial counties make up nearly 20% of the California Gold Award Girl Scout class of 2024. We are so proud of our local Girl Scouts who are making California—and the world—a better place. 

Angela King Receives Medal of Honor for Saving a Life

We also presented the GSUSA Medal of Honor to Gold Award Girl Scout Angela King for saving her classmate’s life on a trip to Washington, D.C. Angela is one of only fifteen Girl Scouts nationwide to be awarded this honor (as of Aug. 2024) in 2024 and the fourth from San Diego and Imperial counties in the last decade.

Girl Scouts Love the Outdoors 

This summer, more than 1,850 campers experienced the magic of Girl Scout Summer Camp, from day camps at Balboa Campus and Escondido Program Center to sleepaway camps in Julian at Whispering Oaks and Winacka. A heartfelt thank you to our incredible staff and volunteers—your leadership, dedication, energy, and passion brought these experiences to life.

Engagement Events for Our Incredible Volunteers

The sold-out 2024 Volunteer Conference on Saturday, Aug. 24 brought more than 500 adults to our Balboa Campus for a dynamic day of engagement and fun. Volunteers learned new skills during enrichment sessions, networked with peers, previewed events and programs, engaged with more than 50 community partners and sponsors at exhibitor booths, and left feeling inspired. 

The 2024 Volunteer Celebration at the Mingei International Museum in Balboa Park recognized more than 40 stellar volunteers and partners with special awards, including the highest award for volunteers—the Thanks Badge—which highlights adult members whose service has benefited the national Girl Scout Movement. 

Girl Scout Outreach Reaches Big Goals and More Girls

Since 1980, Girl Scouts San Diego’s Outreach Program (GSO) has delivered the magic of Girl Scouts to girls (K-12) from under-resourced communities throughout San Diego County. During the 2023-24 school year, GSO served 2,527 girls attending 40 Title I schools in our region. Plus, we welcomed 29 girls in grades 4-5 to the annual Mountain Adventure Weekend where they made lasting memories while camping away from home for the first time.  

Cool Women Celebration and Urban Campout Celebrate the Power of Girl Scouting 

Our annual ‘fun’ fundraiser, Urban Campout: Fortune Favors the Bold, was a tremendous success, highlighting how Girl Scouting creates bold, impactful leaders, and raising nearly $500,000 for our mission. And in March, we commemorated Women’s History Month with our sold-out 24th annual Cool Women Celebration. During a mentoring session, luncheon, and ceremony, we recognized five incredible Cool Women honorees and our largest-ever class of 50 Emerging Leader Girl Scouts (grades 10-12). 

These two special events collectively welcomed more than 850 guests into the Girl Scout community to make connections and experience the power of the Girl Scout mission. 

Save the date: the Cool Women Celebration returns on Friday, March 14, 2025. Learn more at sdgirlscouts.org/coolwomen.  

Celebrating Our 2024 Award Wins and Recognitions

2024 has been a remarkable year of recognition for Girl Scouts San Diego! We were honored as a finalist for the RISE San Diego Inclusive Leadership in Action (ILIA) Awards in the Organization for Change category, with Gold Award Girl Scout Maya Murchison nominated as a Next-Gen Influencer.

Additionally, our Director of Marketing and Communications, Nickie Peña, earned a spot on the San Diego Business Journal’s (SDBJ) Latino Leaders of Influence list, Board of Directors Chair Natasha Bowman and Board Member Suzanne Frontz made the SDBJ’s Board Leaders of Influence list, and CEO Carol Dedrich and Board Vice Chair Emily Rex were celebrated as finalists in San Diego Magazine’s Celebrating Women Awards. 

We were proud to be finalists in the San Diego Business Journal’s Nonprofit Corporate Citizenship Awards and the Cybersecurity Stewardship Awards, thanks to partnerships with organizations like Booz Allen Hamilton and Qualcomm.  

Lastly, congratulations to volunteer Marin Vaughn for being honored as a North County Philanthropy Council Volunteer of the Year. These accolades highlight the extraordinary impact of Girl Scouts San Diego and our community. Thank you for supporting and celebrating these milestones with us!

Girl Scouts in Action During Election Season and Year-Round  

For more than 100 years, Girl Scouts San Diego has prepared girls to lead, to serve their communities, and to make the world a better place. From Daisies in Kindergarten to Ambassadors in high school and beyond, we empower girls to learn about the world around them, discover their passions, and use their voices for positive change.  

In October, more than 800 national council delegates from across the country—including GSSD CEO Carol Dedrich and nine representatives from our service area—gathered virtually for the Special 57th National Council Session, a proud display of our Movement’s democratic process. Together, they discussed, debated, and defined our collective path forward with enthusiasm, which signaled the need to invest in our girls. Read more about the results of the Special Session on GSUSA’s website.

The 2024 General Election was an exciting time for many of our older Girl Scouts and alums who voted for the first time. Read more on our blog about their experiences and to see how our Girl Scouts take civic action year-round to make their voices heard through advocacy, earning democracy badges, championing youth voices, and more. We are so proud of our Girl Scout community!