Ariana Schein, Rachel DeStigter Boatwright and other area teens received the Gold Award by the Girl Scouts.
These Scottsdale teens are ‘golden’
T
wo North Scottsdale-area teens—Ariana Schein and Rachel DeStigter Boatwright—have been honored by the Girl Scouts–Arizona Cactus-Pine Council with the highest award in Girl Scouting: the Gold Award. “One of the most impactful parts of Girl Scouting is earning the girl Scout Gold Award,” said Tamara Woodbury, CEO of Girl Scouts–Arizona Cactus-Pine Council. “This prestigious award represents the highest achievement in girl Scouting and challenges girls ages 14 to 17 to initiate meaningful, sustainable change locally, nationally, or globally through unique ‘take action’ projects of their own creation.” According to Woodbury, 2016 is special as the Girl Scouts are celebrating the milestone 100th anniversary of the Gold Award. Earning the award is somewhat comparable to the Boy Scouts’ Eagle Scout. While both achievements require developing and completing a service project, Girl Scouts must create a project that is continues to give back to the community long after they move on. Overall, the process usually takes 18 to 24 months and often involves seeking in-kind donations and recruiting volunteers. Others recognize the value of the Gold Award, too. Some universities and colleges offer scholarships to award recipients and girls who enlist in the U.S. armed forces may receive advanced
rank in recognition of their achievements. “Empowering girls to lead is one of the greatest investments we can make,” said Woodbury. “When women adopt leadership roles, they contribute
effort aimed to remove cultural barriers through education. Through working with AFS, a high school student abroad program, she created a curriculum to help fellow students learn about
“Empowering girls to lead is one of the greatest investments we can make,” — TAMARA WOODBURY
a unique set of skills, ideas and life experiences that enrich and strengthen communities. Girl Scouts, and the Gold Award specifically, gives girls the support and guidance they need as they step into impactful leadership roles.” For many of these girls, this award is the culmination of more than 10 years in the Girl Scouts. Here is a snapshot of the local honorees’ good works:
Rachel DeStigter Boatwright: Teens Go Global DeStigter
Boatwright’s
winning
and understand cultural differences. Overall, she has shared her curriculum with more than 200 people online and during in-person presentations.
Ariana Schein: Prom Closet
Schein partnered with Hacienda HealthCare to create a prom closet for special needs children. The closet allows patients to borrow prom dresses, make-up and accessories so they can attend the prom hosted by Hacienda HealthCare. Overall, she collected nearly 100 dresses for the closet. May 2016 Scottsdale Airpark News | 57