Let's take a moment to celebrate some of our outstanding Girl Scouts as they earn their Gold Awards! Only 5.4 percent of Girl Scouts eligible complete their project and receive the Gold Award. Girl Scout Gold Award projects address a community need in which the girl strives to make sustainable and lasting changes.Congratulations to Hillary Petersen, 17, of Riverside, CA, who is the first Girl Scout in Troop 971 to receive the Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can earn. The Press-Enterprise reports that Peterson earned the award through painting projects titled "Colors Around the World," at two Riverside elementary schools during the months of May through August. She first worked at Jackson Elementary, where she painted United States and world maps, 660 paw prints, a four square and three hopscotch charts. She then worked at Castleview Elementary, where she also painted U.S. and world maps, three hopscotches and restained 16 benches.
Also in California, The Modesto Bee reports that the Gold Award was recently presented to 55 Girl Scouts in the Modesto and Sacramento areas. Some examples - Megan Serpa addressed the issue of childhood obesity by working in the "Seeds" after-school program at Sipherd Elementary in Modesto, encouraging students to be active and bringing in high school athletes to talk about the sports they play and act as role models. Amber May's issue was the need for underprivileged children to go to school daily and earn the best grades they could. She implemented a rewards program at Orville Wright Elementary in Modesto. And Katherine Elstad worked with a local women's and children's shelter, repainting three rooms in its child care center, holding a clothing and goods drive and having a craft day for the kids to make Christmas presents for their moms. For a complete list of the 55 recipients, look here.
In New Jersey, NorthJersey.com reports that Jacqueline Jordan, a senior at the Academy of Medical Science Technology at the Bergen County Technical High School in Teterboro, recently earned her Gold Award by initiating a leadership project that updated the health resources at the Montvale Public Library. She created step-by-step instructions on how to access and use the health resources at the library and administered private tutoring sessions with senior citizens to help them learn computer research skills so they will have a new, reliable resource for health information. After graduating, she plans to attend college to become a physician.
In Pennsylvania, Natalie Bukowski is in the process of revamping Bishop Carroll High School's band room as part of her Girl Scout Gold Award project. In an effort to help build band numbers, improve practice areas and upgrade instruments, Bukowski has mixed two of her interests — carpentry and music. Bukowski is also collecting instruments community members donate for students to be able to use. Read the entire story in Our Town.Kudos and Good Luck to all Girl Scouts interested in the Girl Scout Gold Award. Do you have any Girl Scout Gold Award stories you would like to share?