Let's take a good look at some recent Girl Scout Gold Award stories! As everyone in Girl Scout world knows, The Girl Scout Gold Award is the highest award that a Girl Scout 14-18 may earn - and is a huge accomplishment.In North Carolina, The Garner Citizen reports that Amanda Rose Lazaro received the Girl Scout Gold Award by the Girl Scouts-North Carolina Coastal Pines for creating a program to help preschool children with vocabulary and word recognition. Also in North Carolina, Wilmington's Star News reports that for her Gold Award project, Whitney Michelle Adams designed and made storytelling mitts for all kindergarten classes at Anderson Elementary School. The mitts provide a visual and tactile tool for each of the students while being engaged in literary activities. Raleigh's News Observer reports on April Anya Grossi who led three workshops on mandalas -circular art projects designed to help students reduce stress. Students also learned about coping with stress in a safe manner and created a group mandala. The News Observer also reported on Carolyn Marie Caggia, who hosted a booth at the Museum of Natural Science's Reptile and Amphibian Day to raise awareness of endangered sea turtles. Visitors to her booth stamped a scroll to ban gillnet fishing that she later presented to several state legislators.
Further north in New Jersey, The West Milford Messenger reports that Kayla Vanderbeek's project was the improvement of a well-used trail that leads students to high school baseball and hockey fields. Vanderbeek’s sister is on the field hockey team and her grandfather, who is disabled and in a wheel chair, could not make it down the trail to see his granddaughter’s games. Soon he, and others in similar situations, will be happily attending games.
In Eden Prairie, MN, Eden Prairie News reports that The Eden Prairie service units of Prairie Star and Prairie Sun of the Girls Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin River Valleys recognized several girls who earned their Girl Scout Gold Award, Girl Scout Silver Award, Girl Scout Bronze Award and Diamond Troop Award this past program year. Gold Award winners this year include Miranda Anderson, Monica Nicholls, Cassie Norby, Simone Turner. Meanwhile Sarah Busse, Krista Anderson, Amy Cornish and Michele Knudsen have all begun their Gold Award Project this summer!
Last but not least, California's North County Times reports that as Hannah Gingrich was thinking of a way to earn the Girl Scout Gold Award - she looked to her younger sister, Elyse, who has Down syndrome, for inspiration. The Wildomar teen organized a winter formal dance for special-needs high school students in her area. She worked to find a venue and deejay for the event, secure donations for food and decorations, and round up volunteers to chaperon. It took more than 100 hours to put the dance together.
Kudos to all of these amazing and inspirational girls! Let's make sure the world knows the importance of The Girl Scout Gold Award and the impact Girl Scouts have on their communities.