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The Heartbeat Newsletter -October '26
More than 70 Girl Scouts, along with their families and friends, enjoyed a season of outdoor fun this summer, thanks to the Community Engagement and Design Taskforce. Looking to build creative programming in the Western Footprint, the girl-led taskforce hosted two exciting events: River Vibes: A Tubing Adventure on the Delaware River in August, and Cache and Capture: A Golden Hour Geocaching Adventure at the Hunterdon County Arboretum in late September.
Behind the scenes, Taskforce leaders took the lead in designing engaging experiences that helped girls connect, explore river habitats, and navigate the arboretum. These events also allowed the taskforce leaders to step into the role of researchers. Through youth-led focus groups, they gathered valuable feedback from Girl Scouts. This fall, the Taskforce will compile their findings into a summary report to help shape future adventures that truly reflect the voices of girls across the region.
Programs like River Vibes and Cache and Capture highlight the real impact of girl-led leadership. By taking action through the Taskforce, these young leaders are not only building their own confidence and skills—they are actively shaping what exciting adventures come next for Girl Scouts across the region.
GSHNJ, alongside our sister Councils, proudly served as a strategic partner for the inaugural New Jersey Girls Leadership Summit, hosted by Leading Young Women at Montclair State University.
More than a convening, the summit created a platform for turning research into action. Using the New Jersey Girl Report: Her Future in Focus as its foundation, the summit engaged educators, nonprofit leaders, policymakers, and youth advocates in identifying challenges, exploring solutions, and strengthening partnerships to advance opportunities for girls.
Through interactive workshops, cross-sector discussions, and a youth voices panel, participants examined how research, lived experiences, and collective leadership can inform meaningful investments and coordinated statewide action.
Building on this commitment, collective advocacy efforts led by Tenisha Malcolm-Wint, GSHNJ's Vice President of External Affairs, helped secure a $250,000 New Jersey state budget appropriation, benefiting all four Girl Scout councils across the state.
This statewide investment will support expanded opportunities in leadership, STEM, entrepreneurship, and outdoor experiences.
The conversations cannot end when the summit concludes, and advocacy cannot stop when funding is secured. Real progress requires sustained partnerships, bold investments, and a shared commitment to ensuring every girl can thrive. GSHNJ remains committed to translating research into action and elevating girls' voices in the decisions that shape their futures.
To learn more about GSHNJ's External Affairs Department, explore our advocacy portfolio, or discuss opportunities for collaboration, contact Tenisha Malcolm-Wint, Vice President of External Affairs, at tmalcolm@gshnj.org.
While Girl Scouts across the country will soon be introducing customers to Patch Pals and Sparkables, two new Girl Scouts cookies, we have an extra reason to celebrate here at Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey.
GSUSA’s national campaign created to introduce these new products was photographed at Camp DeWitt and features Girl Scouts from our council. That means GSHNJ Girl Scouts appear in marketing materials shared by GSUSA, Girl Scout councils and media outlets across the country.
We are incredibly proud to see our Girl Scouts representing the movement on a national stage and helping bring the excitement of these groundbreaking new products to life.
Generosity Keeps History Alive
The story of Girl Scouting in our area is a story worth preserving—and thanks to the generosity of donors and volunteers, that story continues to grow.
The GSHNJ History Museum at the Westfield Service Center offers visitors the chance to discover more than a century of Girl Scout memories. The core of the collection was gathered from the closets and basements of the three councils that came together to form Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey in 2008, as well as from former Girl Scouts and their families who continue to share treasures every year.
99% of the museum’s collection was donated. Displaying, maintaining, and preserving those treasures is where donor support made all the difference. Before the museum opened in 2016, monetary donations from individual donors helped renovate the original space. When the museum moved, borrowed display cases were returned and new ones purchased. Council funds provided shelving, storage equipment, and protective clothing bags, and helped transfer many historical media to digital formats.
Each new artifact the Museum acquires offers another opportunity to connect today’s Girl Scouts with those who came before them—to discover how the organization has evolved, celebrate its enduring values, and imagine the possibilities ahead.
The History Museum is one example of how donor generosity can bring a vision to life, creating lasting value for future generations. Whether supporting the Museum or another GSHNJ program or initiative, donors turn their philanthropic priorities into meaningful, lasting impact.
Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey is proud to celebrate Olivia Ivy Altidor, one of the Rising Stars award winners being honored at the 12th Annual Women Business Leaders Forum this month.
Olivia is a Girl Scout, a National Girl Scouts of the USA Representative for New Jersey, a Rutgers University student, a Congressional Intern with the U.S. House of Representatives, a global youth advocate, and a speaker at the United Nations.
Her leadership reflects the courage, confidence, and character at the heart of Girl Scouting, and we are thrilled to see her recognized among this inspiring group of emerging leaders.
Congratulations, Olivia! We are so proud of all you continue to accomplish.
Preparing Girl Scouts for the World as It Will Be
Girl Scouting has never been about preparing young people for the world as it was. It’s about preparing them to lead the world as it will be.
At Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey, we’re always looking forward—to new possibilities, new opportunities, and a future shaped by confident, courageous leaders.
Because of you, and donors like you, GSHNJ Girl Scouts have the experiences, relationships, and support they need to discover who they are and move forward with confidence.
Soon, our year-end appeal will arrive in your mailbox. When it does, we hope you’ll take a moment to look forward with us—and make a gift to help ensure Girl Scouts have even more opportunities to grow, lead, and shape the future.
The future is moving forward. Together, we can help Girl Scouts lead the way.
On October 9, 2026, sixty-four Girl Scouts joined Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey (GSHNJ) at the New Jersey State House for International Day of the Girl Celebration: Her Future in Focus, a day of civic learning, leadership, and advocacy. Inspired by the New Jersey Girl Report, the event connected girls with state leaders and provided hands-on experience in government and public service.
Held ahead of International Day of the Girl, the program included State House tours, the “Make a Law” workshop, and conversations with women serving in state government. Participants learned how laws are made and explored how young people can influence issues affecting their communities.
Girl Scouts also practiced advocacy by delivering short speeches on issues important to them while a bipartisan group of Assemblywomen and state leaders listened and offered feedback. For many, it was their first opportunity to discuss issues they care about directly with elected officials, helping build confidence, public speaking skills, and civic engagement.
GSHNJ CEO Natasha Durant emphasized that girls’ voices matter today and that leadership grows through opportunities to engage with decision-makers. As one Girl Scout shared, “I learned it’s okay to be scared if you are talking in front of somebody, but face your fears because speaking up gets things fixed.”
The event reflects GSHNJ’s ongoing commitment to turning insights from the New Jersey Girl Report into meaningful leadership opportunities for girls.
Mother Nature changed the course. She didn’t change the cause.
When a late September nor’easter forced GSHNJ’s I Run for Girls 5K to go virtual, our community didn’t miss a step. Girl Scouts, families, volunteers, friends, and supporters found their own ways to participate—running and walking through their neighborhoods, on treadmills and tracks, with family members, friends, and even four-legged companions.
And they did more than cross a finish line. Together, they raised nearly $50,000—exceeding our fundraising goal and demonstrating the extraordinary power of our community.
Every dollar raised helps Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey create opportunities for Girl Scouts to discover their strengths, build confidence, develop leadership skills, explore STEM and the outdoors, and learn that they have the power to shape their communities and their futures.
That’s the impact of philanthropy at GSHNJ: a gift doesn’t simply fund a program—it helps create an experience that can change the way a young person sees herself and the world around her.
We are grateful to everyone who ran, walked, fundraised, donated, sponsored, volunteered, and cheered from the sidelines. Your support helped turn an unexpected change of plans into a powerful demonstration of what we can accomplish when we move forward together.
Thank you for helping Girl Scouts go the distance.
Growing Our Girl Scout Community
Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey proudly closed out the 2025–2026 membership year with more than 22,400 members! We’re especially proud of our 76% member retention rate, ranking #3 nationally in both overall and youth member retention. This achievement reflects the strong connections, meaningful experiences, and supportive community that keep girls and families engaged in Girl Scouting.
As we begin a new membership year, we’re excited to welcome even more youth members, families, and volunteers into our growing community. Know someone who’s ready to discover the fun, friendship, and adventure of Girl Scouts? Or perhaps they’re interested in starting a new troop?
Invite them to visit our website or email info@gshnj.org to learn more.
Together, we can create even more opportunities for Girl Scouts to grow, lead, and thrive!
Since 1912, the Girl Scout uniform has told the story of the girls who wore them and what they accomplished. Much to the surprise of many, the very first Girl Scout uniforms were blue. They were soon changed to khaki, which better suited girls’ outdoor adventures. In those early decades, each hard-earned badge was hand stitched right onto the uniform sleeve.
In the 1950s, a new tradition took shape: the badge sash. Worn from shoulder to hip, the sash gave girls room to display their badges, patches, and awards together creating a visible record of skills learned and challenges met.
As the Girl Scout program progressed, color became an important aspect of the Girl Scout uniform. Since the 1920s, Brownie Girl Scouts have worn brown, while older girls wore green uniforms. During the program redesign in 1963, Girl Scouts USA introduced four age levels: Brownie, Junior, Cadette, and Senior that each had a distinct uniform and color, so a girl’s level could be recognized at a glance. Insignia vests joined sashes as an option, and each level still has its own signature look today.
Trace this journey in person at the GSHNJ History Museum at the Westfield Service Center, where decades of uniforms show how the look has changed while the meaning has stayed the same. Visit daily from Monday-Thursday 11:00 AM -7:00 PM, Saturday 10:00 AM-2:00 PM, located at 201 E Grove St, Westfield, NJ 07090.
Every girl deserves the opportunity to discover her strengths, build confidence, and lead with courage. You—and donors like you—make that possible.
Because of your support, Girl Scouts across New Jersey gain access to life-changing experiences, caring mentors, and a community where they are encouraged to grow, lead, and thrive. These moments don’t just shape their today—they define the leaders they will become.
But this impact only happens with you.
Your gift today fuels opportunity, unlocks potential, and ensures every girl has the support she needs to succeed.
Make your gift now—and be part of the reason she discovers just how powerful she truly is.
Contact The Heartbeat at FundDevelopment@GSHNJ.org
October 28, 2026
