2022 GIRL SCOUT GOLD AWARDEES Samantha Carlson Outdoor Classroom and Learning Garden Samantha’s Gold Award Project made an impact on her community by providing a curriculum and dedicated space at Beethoven Elementary to teach K-5 coping skills to prevent teen suicide. The Learning Garden is used daily by students, teachers, and staff to teach classes, enjoy lunch, harvest fruits and vegetables, read books, or just hang out in a tranquil environment.
Julie Casarez HeARTy Foods Julie’s Gold Award Project addressed the issue of food insecurity. She built a produce garden in the backyard of an organization called CityHeART. She educated adults and kids on how to build their own produce garden and set up meetings every Friday with the kids to talk about their progress, draw their garden, and work on the garden.
Emily Casciani Kindness is a Language the Deaf Can Hear Emily’s Gold Award Project made an impact on her community by teaching empathy and understanding to elementary level students about people whose hearing is impaired. She taught the basics of American Sign Language (ASL) as a tool they can use as a rudimentary bridge between the deaf and hearing.
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Michele Chan Sunshine – A Nature Preservation for Wellbeing Michele’s Gold Award Project addressed the issue of climate sustainability by preserving native plants in the area, protecting them from invasive species and creating herbaria to preserve them for future generations. Native plants, especially in drought areas do not require too much water to survive the dry summer heat in Southern California, thereby reducing the chance of them lighting up in wildfires. Herbaria are used as source of knowledge for flora in a region to help identify new plant species and act as a reservoir for gene pool studies.
Abigail Chang Planted Goodness Abigail’s Gold Award Project addressed the issue of the overproduction and overconsumption of meat by creating a curriculum and workshops that taught young kids at the Boys and Girls Club about the impact of our diets on the environment, which is a lesser-known contributor to climate change. Each workshop included a lesson about one specific environmental effect of livestock, a uniquely crafted, hands-on activity, and a recipe tutorial video of a plant-based recipes. These workshops were crafted in the hopes of making a more sustainable, plant-based diet a feasible option for any family and were also made accessible on a public website, so the curriculum could be implemented by any school or educational organization.
Xiomara Chen-Marquez Thursday Club Archival Project Xiomara’s Gold Award Project made an impact on her community by preserving the historical achievements and landmarks of the La Canada Thursday Club. By sorting, scanning, digitizing, and archiving photos, and newspaper articles from the 1950s until now, she helped keep memories from the past alive.
Kristin Chieh Stay Fit for Your Wellness Kristin’s Gold Award Project addressed the issue of childhood obesity, and she made an impact on her community by creating exercise resources for kids in the community. She developed an exercise program focusing on motivating kids to increase physical activity. To make it interesting, she incorporated Chinese martial arts into the program to educate kids on the importance of eating healthy and how exercise can be fun and beneficial.
Lauren Chiou GHS Wellness Center Lounge & Kits Lauren’s Gold Award Project addressed the issue of the stigmatization of mental health in school settings by furnishing her school’s Wellness Center and assembling wellness kits for students. The Wellness Center serves as a place for students to relax on campus and has received praise for its effective and calming nature. In order to adjust to the COVID-19 Pandemic and online school, Lauren created wellness kits designed to help with stress relief and to bring the Wellness Center home to students.
Jessica Choi Development of Imagination Jessica’s Gold Award Project addressed the issue of lack of opportunities for low-income families by giving preschoolers the access to explore their imagination and passions through dressup. Through dressing up many children can begin to discover their creative sides while developing responsible habits by teaching the children how to properly care for the costumes. Along with 30+ donated costumes Jessica was able to donate 10 children’s books based on sparking career interests and 5 video interviews of adults speaking upon their professions like a dentist, hairdresser, doctor etc.
Jaclyn Chow LGBTQ+ Inclusivity Jaclyn’s Gold Award Project addressed the issue of lack of acceptance, resources, and inclusivity among members of the queer community. Her creation of an original banner not only stands as signage for the San Gabriel Valley LGBTQ+ Center, but also provides a welcoming aura for visitors of the facility. In addition, her donation of care packages and furniture further cemented her desire to help the center become a place of refuge for members of the LGBTQ+ community while easing their financial burdens.
Maya Christie The Pines Animal Safety, Awareness, and Preparedness (ASAP) Maya’s Gold Award Project addressed the issue of disaster relief for pets by informing pet owners in her condominium complex and neighborhood about disaster preparedness and shedding light on the importance of considering pets when planning for an emergency. Maya hosted Zoom meetings and in-person workshops with residents to cover disaster plans for earthquakes, fires and to teach attendees how to make dog and cat emergency to-go bags. Additionally, she made a website in which she provided information and tips on what to do with pets during an emergency, provided checklists with supplies needed for different pets’ emergency bags, and made animal safety bag starter-kits for participants who wished to receive one.
Chloe Clair The Urban Ranger Project Chloe’s Gold Award Project addressed the issue of a systemic lack of minority representation within science fields by designing and distributing scientific enrichment packets. Each spotlighting a global biome in addition to its ecological significance through art, writing, and other activities.
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