Each year, Girl Scouts – North Carolina Coastal Pines hosts a variety of signature events, with the goal of providing relevant and impactful programming to Girl Scouts of all ages. So far in 2024, our signature events have uplifted, challenged and empowered Girl Scouts, through numerous workshops, activities and the support of community partners and facilitators.
Our most recent signature events, MiniQuest, and newest signature event, Thrive, provided Girl Scouts with opportunities to grow in their courage, confidence and character- all while making new friends and unlocking new interests. Read on to hear more about MiniQuest and Thrive 2024:
MiniQuest 2024
On March 23, 2024, over 200 Girl Scouts and adult volunteers met at Camp Mary Atkinson in Selma, North Carolina for a day of discovery. Specifically designed for Girl Scout Daisies, Brownies and Juniors, MiniQuest aims to provide younger Girl Scouts with an opportunity to identify and apply the four pillars of Girl Scouts- STEM, Life Skills, Outdoors and Entrepreneurship- all in one, exciting day!
Thanks to the generosity of our 2024 MiniQuest sponsor, the W. Trent Ragland, Jr. Foundation, and the participation of 25 volunteers, Girl Scouts enjoyed sparking their curiosity and creativity through diverse workshops. Some workshop highlights from MiniQuest 2024 included:
- Exploring STEM with IBM
- Girl Scouts had the chance to learn about STEM and STEM careers.
- Craft and Tinker with Professional Women in Building Group
- Girl Scouts learned how to construct their own bird house, which allowed them to earn and take home their Craft and Tinker Badge.
- Personality Granola welcome activity presented by BASF
- Girl Scouts enjoyed mixing their own “personality granola” by adding ingredients based on character traits.
Another exciting part of the day was the MiniQuest Expo! Complete with 6 engaging stations, Girl Scouts explored the four pillars of Girl Scouts with the help of expert facilitators. The 6 stations of the Expo included:
- First Aid Kit Making with American Red Cross
- Knot Tying with GS-NCCP Outdoor Camp Staff
- Boba Experiments with the Meredith College Chemistry Department
- Pitch Practice with NC IDEA Foundation
- ARTventures with Girl Scout Program Aids
- Voting Practice with League of Women Voters
Thank you to all of the Girl Scouts and Adults who attended MiniQuest 2024! And a special thank you to the following workshop and expo facilitators, for helping make the day such a success:
- IBM
- BASF
- Professional Woman in Building
- American Red Cross
- Meredith College Chemistry Department
- NC Idea Foundation
- Leage of Woman Voters
Thrive 2024
With much anticipation and excitement, Girl Scouts – North Carolina Coastal Pines geared up to host the first-ever Thrive event on April 20th, 2024. Hosted in beautiful historic Downtown Wilmington, this new signature event allowed Girl Scout Cadettes, Seniors and Ambassadors to pursue their Thrive Challenge Patch through exciting workshops and a comprehensive expo.
The Thrive Challenge is an exciting initiative which allows older Girl Scouts to learn about different people, cultures and customs. Each element of the Thrive Challenge- Think, Hear, Read, Investigate, View, Educate- provides a different method for Girl Scouts to learn and ask questions about the world around them.
For over half of the day, Girl Scouts at Thrive enjoyed participating in conference-style workshops, allowing them to select which topics best aligned with their individual interests. Workshops included:
- What’s the Big Idea? Presented by NC IDEA Foundation
- This workshop kicked-off the event with a presentation to all participants from Kate Wiggins of the NC Idea Foundation.
- The Art of Making Messes presented by The Pony Collective
- Girl Scouts learned how to use different art techniques, and lean into mistakes!
- Empower through Performance presented by Performance Club Kids
- Girl Scouts put on their performance caps, and practiced theatre skills.
- Becoming Whole presented by Marici Yoga & Wellness
- Girl Scouts learned about mental, physical and financial well-being.
- Going Viral presented by @RebekahtheGhostGuide
- Girl Scouts gained tips and tricks from a real-life social media influencer.
- Cadette Woodworker Workshop presented by Professional Woman in Building group
- Girl Scouts strengthened their construction skills through woodworking.
Another super exciting part of Thrive 2024 was the expo. Following lunch, Girl Scouts had the opportunity to dive into their Thrive Challenge Patch activities by rotating through six stations that each correlated with a different element of the Thrive Challenge. Thank you to the following organizations for presenting the workshops and expo stations:
- NC Idea Foundation
- The Pony Collective
- Performance Club Kids
- Marici Yoga & Wellness
- Rebekah The Ghost Guide
- Professional Women in Building
- WILMA
And a big “thank you” to our first-ever Thrive 2024 sponsors for helping make it all happen!
- Wilmington Cape Fear Rotary
- WILMA
- Harris Teeter
- NC IDEA Foundation
- Thalian Association Community Theatre
Thank you again to all Girl Scouts, volunteers, sponsors and community partners for your role in these signature events! We look forward to making more magic with you in 2025!
For more information on Girl Scouts – North Carolina Coastal Pines’ signature event opportunities, or to learn more about Girl Scouts, visit our website today!