Vision Board Night

Hey Everyone!

Hope that you're having an awesome week!

Need a fun bonding activity for your next Scout Meeting?

This is a program that I created for my floor when I was a Resident Assistant at my college last semester. I brought a bunch of old magazines, some scrapbooking paper, fancy scissors, tape, glue and sharpies to my building's TV Lounge, and people came flooding in to craft and collage!

This program turned out a range of creative pieces-many people created vision boards filled with their dreams and inspirational quotes, others made hilarious collages of silly words and advertisement pictures from magazines. No matter which they chose to create, everyone had a blast!

This is a super cheap and super fun activity, and would be awesome to do at a troop meeting/retreat! This would be a great activity to do before starting the Silver/Gold Award, or during a fun movie night.

According to About.com, a Vision Board, "Also known as a dream board or an inspiration board, a vision board is a collage of words and images that make you feel positive and empowered."

• Old Magazines you may have in abundance like Better Homes and Gardens, Seventeen Magazine, etc.
• Scrapbooking paper/Patterned Paper
• Glue
• Glitter
• Scrapbooking Materials
• Fancy Scissors/Regular Scissors
• Ribbon
• Sharpies/Markers

Before you get down to the collaging and creating, have the Scouts brainstorm their goals, passions and dreams on a piece of paper so they have some direction.

It is important to remember that everyone has different ways of learning and creating. Some girls may be able to jump into the activity without any direction, while others may be frustrated with such an open-ended project. Offering the option of structure and methodical planning can make the project more accessible.

Have your troop really think about what inspires them.

• What is your dream job?
• What are your goals for the Bronze/Silver/Gold Award?
• What career path would you like to follow?
• What are your goals?
• What are your passions?
• What's your favorite subject in school?
• Who do you look up to?
• Who are your role models?
• What is your favorite color?
• What are your plans/goals for this summer? For the next school year?

Some Vision Board Examples:

When I create a Vision Board, I usually start out by cutting out all the images and words that I'd like to put on my Board. Next, I'll take a piece of patterened scrapbook paper and position all of my cut-outs on top of it. Lastly, I glue everything down. It's a pretty simple process, so there's a ton of room for creativity!

Is your head spinning yet from all of the creative possibilities!?!?

Want more tips and tricks about creating the perfect Vision Board? Log onto Pinterest for some cool examples, or check out these sites!

• http://www.huffingtonpost.com/elizabeth-rider/the-scientific-reason-why_b_6392274.html
• https://uk.pinterest.com/scrappinmichele/vision-board-samples/
• http://lesliefandrich.com/articles/vision-board
• http://christinekane.com/how-to-make-a-vision-board/
• http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Vision-Board
• http://www.lexieskitchen.com/lexies_kitchen/2012/1/30/how-to-make-a-vision-board.html

Goodluck and have fun with this project! Vision Boards rock!

Much love,

Gold Girl Allie <3

P.S. As for an update on my travels, here's a pic of me, Professor Bill and my friend at Stone Henge from last weekend!

Photo Credits (Click for link):
Ariel Gif
Light yellow scrapbook background
Flower png
Paris Background
Notepad Background
Flower Background
"Now What" gif
"Be Inspired" gif
Lizzie McGuire Gif

Vision Board Examples:
First Image: I made this one on Photoshop! Vision Boards can be digital as well!
Second Board: http://www.lexieskitchen.com/lexies_kitchen/2012/1/30/how-to-make-a-vision-board.html
Third "Woohoo" Board: http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/vision-board-mastery-tickets-15179108121
Fourth "Focus" Board: http://lesliefandrich.com/articles/vision-board
Fifth "Big Vision" Board: http://teazurs.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/vision-boards.html

What I learned from being an Orientation Leader this summer...

Hey everyone!

These past few months I have been working at my college as a summer Orientation Leader.

What is an Orientation Leader?

Orientation Leaders (OLs) are role models as well as sources of support and information for new first-year and transfer students. They play a major role in facilitating the adjustment of new students and their families to the college community.

Me and a fellow OL lookin groovy in our polos and sunglasses!

At my school, we run 8, 3-Day Orientation Sessions to help students register for classes, adjust to College life, get to know the campus, and meet new people. I've learned a ton of things in this role, and recommend that any seniors graduating from High School and current college students to apply for this on-campus opportunity at some point in their college careers. 

1. Focus on the fun, and be a little weird!

Summer Jobs and tasks can be challenging-it's important to have fun everyday and make boring situations into fun, exciting ones! 

The weird moments are the most memorable and hilarious moments.

2. Teamwork makes the Dream work

...Having a team is the coolest thing in the world! 

They are a great source of support, love and joy. There are some jobs that you just can't do on your own-like running a social program for 300+ students, or stuffing thousands of Orientation folders with pamphlets and information.

You need people to depend on that will catch you so you don't fall.

3. Setting attainable goals is extremely important for growth

During training, we were all required to set leadership goals for Orientation. Our supervisors hung the goals all around our office so that we would hold ourselves and each other accountable throughout the summer. It was cool to see ourselves, and to see our peers grow and work towards achieving their goals!

4. It's okay to take baby steps towards a goal...

Some of the goals that we set for ourselves at orientation were huge-many of us sought to improve our communication or group facilitation skills. Taking small steps like interacting with students one-on-one or volunteering to complete an intimidating task were important. Monuments aren't build in one day, and neither are great skills!

5. Icebreakers are the answer to EVERYTHING!

Standing in an awkward group of people? Unsure how to meet someone new? Bored in an information session? Try doing an Icebreaker!

Icebreakers, according to Urban Dictionary, are defined as "something which can break the ice, i.e. something to focus on to start a conversation, in order to prevent any awkwardness in a social situation." 

At Orientation, we played Icebreaker games that helped to introduce individuals to a group, push people out of their comfort zones, and induced awkward laughter.

6. Deciding on where to eat with 19 other people can be tough...and also an adventure!

(Also, leftovers are your friend in college.)

My team and I were given a credit card every weekend with a $8 per person budget, and were told to order/cook food to suit every one's needs. Our group was an awesome mix of vegetarians, omnivores and self-proclaimed carnivores. We also had people who liked to eat really plain food and had fruit allergies. However, we were united by the single fact that we all LOVE FOOD.

Ordering food with all of these special limits in mind taught us a lot about compromise, communication, and food preparation. We rose to the challenge, and no one ever went to bed hungry.

7. Selfie Sticks are pretty handy tools! 

You never know when you'll need to cram 20+ people into one photo...

When trying to take large group pictures of OLs and Orientation students and College staff, the Selfie Stick became a way of life for us. Soon we were all accustomed to cramming ourselves together in odd positions and angles with a phone suspended above us. It may have looked stupid, but we had a ton of fun, and the pictures will surely be cherished for years to come! 

8. It's important to find ways to de-stress

It's okay to treat yourself to a break every now and again.

Working 7 am to 11 pm could be overwhelming. On off days we went hiking, saw movies, explored our College's town and Commons, played Frisbee and remained as active as possible. This was awesome, but sometimes we'd have too much planned on the weekends. Everyone realized quickly how important it is to step back and have some alone-time to chill before work started the following week.

9. Uniforms are easy to "spice up"

Required to wear the same polo and khakis everyday? No problem!

There's nothing a pair of funky socks, brightly colored shoes and glittery headbands can't spruce up!

These boots were a great conversation-starter! They matched my uniform (my school colors are blue and gold) and made every one's day alittle brighter! They are the ultimate fun accessory.

10. On that note...if you're lucky enough to work at a place that has regular "Fun Pants Fridays," then you're lucky enough.

11. There are some dance moves that will just stay with you forever...

AKA the Wobble, The "Stanky Leg," and the Sprinkler

At Orientation, we all became dancers. During the "opening ceremonies" of Orientation, the OLs were introduced to about 600+ students and family members via a 2 minute dance routine. We spent weeks choreographing the perfect dance moves and mashing up songs, and now I can proudly do some sort of modified "whip."

The Whip dance move

12. It's ok to let loose and act a little wacky (even in front of a 600+ audience) :

13. Be open to gaining new skills...whether it's learning to stack 20 glue sticks with chopsticks, discovering the perfect way to make a balloon hat, or developing better communications and interaction skills, there is always something you can take away from a new experience!

14. Office Work and answering phone calls isn't as boring as it sounds...

You can meet really cool people, have really great conversations with families and callers, and learn a lot about your school's wifi capabilities.

The Orientation Office Team

15. Public Speaking can be terrifying, but completely rewarding.

After your speech or introduction is over...there's an incredible feeling of victory:

16. "It's ok to make mistakes, and then to learn from them."-Will the OL

17. Pointing isn't always rude...sometimes it's the only way to give directions and dance fabulously.

18. Live every day with joy 

(giant rainbow chairs are a sure-fire way to brighten any one's day!)

...and it's okay to have other emotions and to share your feelings (as my staff learned while watching Inside Out)

19. Awkward photos will make great memories later on...

(See Selfie Stick Section above!)

...Also, Ice Pops are the BEST SNACK EVER (And your staff team may or may not eat 400 of them within a month)

20. It is totally possible that your staff will become your family...

My 2015 Orientation Staff was a wonderful group of people. Together we accomplished some amazing things and made some incredible memories.

 I wouldn't trade this past summer with them for the world!

So What?

Basically what I'm trying to say is that Orientation was a job that has brought me a ton of joy, and made me feel like I was using all of my skills and potential. I encourage all of the Girl Scouts looking for jobs next summer to find a position that makes them feel happy and useful. 

If you can't find a paying job that you love for the summer, find a volunteer position for a cause you support and do it on the side! 

There are so many opportunities to enjoy your summer job-take initiative, believe in yourself, and bring your creativity to the table!

Much love,

Gold Girl Allie

P.S. To learn more about becoming an Orientation Leader, check out your school's website and read this great (and accurate) BuzzFeed article!