Here we are – it's December. At Girl Scouts, that means we are transitioning from fall product to the cookie program, summer camp, spring programs, and much more for 2024!

This time of year – though hectic – also affords us time to reflect – professionally and personally.

We are grateful for all that you helped us accomplish around accessibility this year through your generosity! In this issue, you'll read about our Girl Scouts for Every Girl program, an effort to ensure all girls have access to the robust Girl Scout Experience, innovative programming, and supportive volunteers. You'll also love reading about our improvement at camp, including a new amphitheater at Camp Libbey that ensures girls, regardless of their disabilities, can enjoy this area.

As I reflect on this year, I want to thank you for your warm welcome into the Western Ohio family. I was attracted to this council for many reasons and have continued to fall in love with it, but your support is what I love the most.

I look forward to a wonderful 2024 and am excited for what we will achieve together!

Happy Holidays!

Yours in Girl Scouting,

Aimée Sproles

Chief Executive Officer

Girl Scouts of Western Ohio

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Creating Girl Scouts for Every Girl Together

One of our key focuses for 2023 was access- ensuring every girl in every neighborhood has access to the robust Girl Scout experience. Your support of Girl Scouts for Every Girl ensured every girl in western Ohio and southeast Indiana got to be a Girl Scout and experience our programmatic pillars and activities- thank you!

As part of Girl Scouts for Every Girl, troop support mentors, like DJ, started troops in areas where forming troops has been challenging. Her troop recently participated in Girl Scout Day at the Toledo Zoo! We can't wait to see what adventures these girls go on next.

In Lima, 185 girls participated in Girl Scouts through various six-week series, exploring a topic, like health and wellness, through making a healthy habits book, yoga, breathwork, and making trail mix. But the fun didn't end there! Some of the girls also experienced a summer day camp to see camp and experience Girl Scouts outside of series.

Your support in 2023 ensured every girl in every neighborhood got and had the opportunity to be a Girl Scout. Thank you!

Amphitheaters for Access

The Empower Her Comprehensive Capital campaign ended in 2023 with close to $6 million raised for state-of-the-art improvements and the programmatic camp experiences girls deserve. We couldn’t be more grateful for your support-thank you!

One of the last projects completed was the complete overhaul of the Great Spirit Amphitheater at Camp Libbey. Through the generous donation of the MLM Foundation, the amphitheater at Camp Libbey became accessible for the first time ever! Now all girls can participate in the opening camp circles and closing camp songs.

Thank you MLM Foundation for making this space accessible to all girls!

The Believe In Girls (B.I.G.) Expo

The B.I.G. Expo was even BIGGER in 2023! In June, we debuted the event in Cincinnati and in September, Toledo held the event for the 8th time. The B.I.G. Expo is a premier community event free to the public. With more than 2,000 members, families, and community members in attendance, western Ohio and southeast Indiana experienced the magic of Girl Scouts!

The B.I.G. Expo exposed girls to our different community partners who host Girl Scout programs and events. Activities booths exposed girls to activities they could experience at a Girl Scout event, like doing a plié with Ballet Theatre of Toledo or coming face to face with a corn snake with Dino Buddies. This large, free family event is the kind of event we love in Girl Scouts-one where every girl can participate.

We are grateful for our community partners that make the B.I.G. Expo possible! It's a fun-filled learning opportunity that helps us deliver our mission of building girls of courage, confidence, and character.  

Thank you for investing in girls, and supporting the visionary leaders, doers, innovators, creators, and thinkers of tomorrow. Together, we help girls discover their untapped potential and build girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place. 

Celebrate the holiday season and our successful year with a gift to Girl Scouts!