Weekly Girl Scout Gold Award Spotlight

Check out this week’s sampling of go-getting, innovating, risk-taking Gold Award Girl Scouts—young women who know what it means to lead with true G.I.R.L. spirit!

Noelle, Girl Scouts Nation's Capital

Noelle went for the Gold in a creative way! She developed her Girl Scout Gold Award project, Cancer Kickin’ Critters (“handmade with love for you!”), to help ease the loneliness, depression, and anxiety of children fighting cancer. Thinking especially of those patients who remain in hospitals for long stretches, Noelle works with knitters and crocheters from all different fields to craft stuffed toys for kids at more than a half dozen hospitals in the U.S. Not only has this innovative Girl Scout turned her project into a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, she’s also created and delivered more than 1,000 Critter Creation Kits for kids to create their own stuffed animals in hospitals across the U.S. and Canada.

Learn more about Noelle’s project.

Gabriella, Girl Scouts Western Pennsylvania

Gabriella’s Girl Scout Gold Award project, Taking Care of Your SELFie, consisted of a workshop she developed for girls in sixth through eighth grades to help them reduce stress and boost self-confidence. The one-day event taught girls about social media safety, how to identify positive role models, and even yoga to release endorphins. Considering Girl Scouts builds girls of courage and confidence, it’s no surprise Gabriella was equipped to foster these attributes in other girls in her community! 

Learn more about Gabriella’s project.

Adriana, Girl Scouts of Southern

When Adriana found out that 43 percent of Hispanic people in Arizona were on the organ transplant waiting list but only 13 percent were registered organ donors, she took action—Gold Award style! To raise awareness of organ donation in her community, for her Girl Scout Gold Award project she teamed up with Donor Network of Arizona, visiting local schools and healthcare centers where she educated members in her community about organ donation. As a result, Adriana inspired many people to sign up to be donors.

Learn more about Adriana’s project.

Melissa, Girl Scouts of Nassau County 

With this account, we’re honoring Gold Award Girl Scout Melissa, who died of sudden heart complications in 2016. 

In true Girl Scout fashion, Melissa loved giving back to her community. After learning that a fire had destroyed a local Veterans of Foreign Wars post and a new construction had gone up in its place, for her Girl Scout Gold Award she combined her passions for art and giving back to help decorate the interior of the new space. To inform her approach and bring an educational touch to her art, she interviewed local veterans on the different services they provide and learned about the various branches of the U.S. armed forces.

Melissa’s dedication to leaving her corner of the world better than she found it is what Girl Scouts is all about. Rest in peace, Girl Scout.

Gold Award Girl Scouts are recipients of one of the most prestigious awards in the world for girls. By the time they put the final touches on their seven-step projects, they’ll have addressed a significant problem in their community—not only in the short term, but with a plan to sustain the work for years into the future. They’re also eligible for college scholarships and to enter the military one rank higher than non–Gold Award Girl Scouts.

Got a Girl Scout Gold Award story to share? Send the details and relevant photos to socialmedia@girlscouts.org for a chance to have it featured.

4 Reasons Prince Harry is Lucky to be Marrying a Girl Scout

Life is always better with a Girl Scout by your side, and Prince Harry truly hit the jackpot when Girl Scout alum Meghan Markle agreed to let him put a ring on it. Here’s why the royal family should be super thankful she’s joining their ranks.

She’s got that Girl Scout work ethic
Earning badges and completing journeys teaches girls that hard work pays off, and it seems that lesson has stuck with Meghan throughout the years. From working at a frozen yogurt shop as a teen to starting her own blog and designing her own fashion line while also starring in Suits (phew!), the soon-to-be royal has proven time and time again that she’s got a can-do attitude. But what’s next for her? Meghan has said that with her acting career winding down, she’s excited to do even more work in the field of philanthropy. We can’t wait to watch her save the world!

She’s always up for an outdoor adventure

Being a Girl Scout is one of the best ways to fall in love with the great outdoors, a passion that Meghan and Prince Harry seem to share. This self-described California-girl loves nature and has biked through Vietnam and traveled in a camper van through New Zealand. Who wants to bet she makes a mean S’more, too?

She stands up for what’s right

Girl Scouts gives girls the tools to speak up for what they believe in and use their voice for good, and that’s something Meghan has been doing since a very young age. When she was just 11, she got an advertiser to change their campaign and remove sexist language (you go, Girl Scout!) and just last year, she wrote an article for TIME magazine about how a lack of menstrual hygiene products affects the potential of girls and women globally.

She’s got a global view

As part of the royal family, Meghan will surely be rubbing elbows with top representatives from all over the world. Good thing Girl Scouts lays the groundwork for girls to think about how people from all different countries are connected, and to be curious about and welcoming of different cultures and points of view. That foundation—plus her degree in international relations and stint at the United Nation—will be an asset to the whole family. 

So while Meghan adds a tiara to her wardrobe, we’d like to think it was her Girl Scout sash that helped her become the strong, smart woman Prince Harry—and all of her fans—love today.   

Girl Scouts Crush It at the FIRST Robotics Competition

Girl Scouts across the country are using science and technology to make the world a better place. When they’re not developing soil moisture sensors for farmers or designing fashion accessories that light up in response to increases in heart rate, they’re coding apps and building robots to solve real-world problems, like water waste. Just look to these FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Girl Scout robotics teams to see the impact in action!

Last month, several FIRST Girl Scout teams convened at regional tournaments for the FIRST Championship, a global robotics competition. The theme of hydrodynamics focused on ways to improve our use of water.

Check out how these innovators are stepping up to make the world a better place.

Brainiac Maniacs help solve lawn overwatering

The Brainiac Maniacs team from Girl Scouts of San Jacinto won first place at the FIRST LEGO League South Regional Championship in Katy, Texas. For their winning project, the girls took action on a real-world challenge—water conservation. Did you know most people overwater their lawn by 30 to 300 percent? That’s why this girl-led team created Water Wizard, an app that combines automatic and manual lawn-watering solutions to reduce overwatering and water waste. Their app has the potential to save more than 300,000 gallons of water a week per home. That’s enough to provide water to 140 homes!

Now the Brainiac Maniacs join 108 other winning teams (out of an initial 33,000 globally) that have moved on to compete in the FIRST Championship in Houston!

Team 6544 Green Machine takes action on the Flint water crisis

Team 6544 Green Machine from Girl Scouts of Central and Southern New Jersey took the lead on the contaminated water crisis in Flint, Michigan, with an idea that has earned them a place to compete in the FIRST Championship in Detroit. After researching ways to positively impact this public health issue, the girls created MUSA bag, a tea bag filled with dried banana peel chunks that can remove more than 90 percent of lead in water. Their low-cost solution has the potential to help Michigan’s state of emergency, making Flint a healthier place.

The Shark Divas invent ways to clean and conserve water

From left to right: Girl Scouts Ayjah, LaDreme, and Jade

The Shark Divas from Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan were inspired by a shared passion—swimming. For their project, they researched ways to filter rainwater that falls in pools and engineered a system to clean and conserve it. As Shark Diva LaDreme explains, “I worked with my team to create a tower and a few pipes as part of the filter to clean the water before it goes into the pool.” The girls’ invention earned them a spot to compete at the FIRST Championship in Detroit!

Girls from Kell Robotics share their expertise

Girl Scout Danielle

Girl Scout Mackenzie

Silver Award Girl Scouts Danielle and Mackenzie from the Kell Robotics team out of Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta also met with smashing success at the FIRST Championship. The girls were commended for their outstanding work championing a new 21st century science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education model. The standout leaders were tapped to speak out about the importance of developing human capital for STEM teaching in the 21st century and how programming like Girl Scouts’ and FIRST’s play a crucial role in this future.

Alongside other team members, these go-getters developed the Strategic Teacher Initiative (STI), a proposal designed to train and place a technology, engineering, and computer science teacher in every K–12 school in the United States. The STI would also allow teachers to support the fourth industrial revolution and prepare students to become the technology and business leaders of tomorrow. The girls’ visionary project has earned them the Chairman’s Award (the highest honor in the FIRST Robotics Competition), recognizing the team that best represents a model for other teams to emulate. 

Girl Scouts are the engineers, scientists, and technology tinkerers of tomorrow, and programs like Girl Scouts and FIRST prepare them to pursue careers in STEM and provide the tools they need to make the world a better place. Learn more about our STEM program.

Girl Scouts Unveils New PSA at G.I.R.L. Agenda 2018 Leading Up to Spirit Day

“We need a society today made up of civically engaged citizens who really care about their communities and want to make their world a better place.” - Kathy Hopinkah Hannan

At Girl Scouts, we’re passionate about preparing girls to lead and take action on the issues they care about—and as the world’s single best leadership development organization for girls, we give them the tools they need to make a difference. Maybe she wants to raise the minimum marriage age in her home state. Lead a march for women’s rights in Philadelphia. Or any number of other amazing things on par with what today’s G.I.R.L.s are tackling.

This week, we brought together groundbreaking female leaders at G.I.R.L. Agenda 2018: Leading Change Through Civic Action. The event featured a keynote speech from Dr. Jill Biden and two inspiring panels led by change-makers who’ve taken action locally, nationally, and globally to impact civic issues. The panel discussions included Philadelphia Councilwoman Helen Gym, Pennsylvania State Representative Katharine Watson, and Congresswoman Donna Edwards, as well as civic activists Ashley Biden and Carolyn DeWitt (Rock the Vote) and community leaders such as Dr. Melissa Harris Perry, Destiny Watford (Free Your Voice Group), and Girl Scout Anna Holemans.

Panel: Change the World Like a G.I.R.L.—from City Council to Congress

So what happens when girls hear from women who have broken barriers, defied stereotypes, and created change through their involvement in government and public policy? They discover they can achieve anything and are empowered to advocate for their communities and make the world a better place.

The discussions inspired hundreds of Girl Scouts who attended in person and thousands more who were motivated to take action. The event ended with the release of Girl Scouts’ new national PSA, “Lifetime of Leadership,” heralding our legacy of fostering female change-makers and preparing girls for a lifetime of leadership, success, and adventure. Featuring notable Girl Scout alums in technology, politics, media, and sports, the PSA showcases the positive change these powerful female leaders have driven through activism, speaking up, and breaking glass ceilings—and illustrates the importance of Girl Scouts in providing girls with the leadership experiences they need to make their voices heard and effect change.

Panel: Change-Makers: Mobilizing Communities to Take Action

In case you missed it, check out a recording of the event—and join us in pushing the G.I.R.L Agenda forward and encouraging more girls to voice their opinions and mobilize to change the world!

In the words of Dr. Jill Biden, “A lot has changed since I was a Brownie, but one thing has stayed the same: Girl Scouts is building girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place.” We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.

There's so much to be proud of when you're a Girl Scout member, alum, or volunteer. Join the many Girl Scouts who took the lead to show the world what a Girl Scout represents this past Spirit Day.  Express your Girl Scout pride using this new Snapchat filter.

Exciting News and a Chance to Show Your Girl Scout Spirit

What do influential, world-changing leaders like Venus Williams, Karlie Kloss, Melinda Gates, and Dolores Huerta have in common? They’re all Girl Scout alums! That’s right—before they were breaking barriers and opening doors for the next generation, they all swore to live by the Girl Scout Promise and Law.

They’re also living proof of the power behind Girl Scouting: studies show that Girl Scouts are more confident, seek more challenges, and are more active in identifying and solving community problems than other girls. When it comes to dreaming big, innovating, taking risks, and leading the way, Girl Scouts and Girl Scout alums have always been at the forefront.

We’re thrilled to debut an exciting new campaign celebrating notable Girl Scout alums and their monumental accomplishments. Not only do these incredible women serve as role models for today’s girls, but they also show those who might only know us for our cookies what Girl Scouts are truly made of.

How can you help? We need you to:

1. Head to www.girlscouts.org/leadership to see what all the buzz is about, then help us spread the message via your social networks and friend groups. 
2.  Rock your favorite Girl Scout gear on May 15 to show the world what a Girl Scout really looks like! Whether you’re wearing your full uniform, pairing a Girl Scout tee or tie with a blazer for the office, or heading to the gym in your Girl Scout hoodie, show pride in the organization that prepares girls to be the leaders we need today. Not sure what to wear? Green is always a great option!

Want to get more involved? Visit girlscouts.org, where you can volunteer, reconnect, donate, or join!