Gold Award Girl Scouts 2024 | Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts

Gold Award Girl Scouts

2023-24

Gold Award Girl Scouts Change the World

Gold Award Girl Scouts are change-makers. They have changed the world, changed their lives, and earned the most prestigious award in Girl Scouting.

To earn the Gold Award, a Girl Scout identifies an issue in their community, drafts a plan to address a root cause, and leads a team of volunteers to implement it. When the project is complete, the Gold Award Girl Scout and their team have made a sustainable impact on the world that continues to last beyond their involvement.

It’s a huge accomplishment that also impacts the Gold Award Girl Scout as a person. How they see the world—and how the world sees them—is forever changed. It’s also a credential that will be with them for the rest of their life; having the Girl Scout Gold Award on a high school transcript or resumé can make a Girl Scout stand out when it comes to college admissions, scholarship applications, internships, and job interviews.

We Are Girl Scouts

Girl Scouts bring their dreams to life as they work together to build a better world. Through programs from coast to coast, Girl Scouts of all backgrounds and abilities can be unapologetically themselves as they discover their strengths and rise to meet new challenges—whether they want to climb to the top of a tree or the top of their class, lace up their boots for a hike or advocate for climate justice, or make their first best friends. Backed by trusted adult volunteers, mentors, and millions of alums, Girl Scouts lead the way as they find their voices and make changes that affect the issues most important to them.

Gold Award Committee

Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts would like to thank the following individuals for their significant commitment of time and talent they’ve devoted to supporting Girl Scouts throughout all stages of their Gold Award projects: reviewing and approving proposals, supporting implementation, and officiating completion.

• Katherine Albert

• Amanda Cheung

• Lucy Costa

• Vicki Crosson

• Kerin Deely

• Mabel Dominguez

• Amy Fong

• Sara Grady

• Christine Harnett

• Carolyn Hely

• Mikayla Hopkins

• Diane Kimball

• Susan Kohlman

• Eileen Koury-Judkins

• Katelyn Lantz

• Caitlyn LeBlanc

• Cathy LeBlanc

• Courtney Medlin

• Natalie Oakes

• Jessi Robinson

• Suellen Robinson

• Sarina Sherwin

• Lisa Silletti

• Gail Spring

• Sally Webster

• Judith Wilchynski

Bibi Noury-Ello

Boston

118 Trees Project

Bibi recognized that some areas of Boston and the surrounding communities were lacking in investment, care, and maintenance of trees. Bibi felt that with proper environmental education and resources, residents of the area would feel more inclined to advocate for the long-term health, climate, and economic benefits that a full forest canopy could provide. For her Gold Award project, Bibi identified an asphalt parking area in Milton that needed support to reduce a heat island effect. Volunteers who wanted to support Bibi’s mission helped to plant 118 native tree species. Bibi’s efforts will be sustained by other local Girl Scouts and by community members who frequent the property.

“One of my main goals was to further the progress of the Girl Scout Tree Promise, to ‘take 5 million actions to address climate change by planting, protecting, and honoring trees to support wildlife conservation and ease the negative effects of climate change.’”

Sophia Fitzgerald Braintree

Dyslexia Toolkit - Keys to Success!

As someone with dyslexia, Sophia knew that there was a lot of misinformation available to families dealing with a diagnosis. For her Gold Award, Sophia created brochures, presentations, YouTube videos, and a website aimed towards destigmatizing dyslexia for people in her community and throughout the world. By presenting to her local elementary school, a Girl Scout troop, and at a community learning center, Sophia was able to address harmful stereotypes via early intervention through education. Sophia’s Gold Award project will be sustained beyond her involvement through the robust resources she created, both digitally and physically.

“Overall I feel more willing to do even more in my community because of the satisfaction I get from helping people. I am very happy to help alleviate any of the grief that my family and I experienced struggling with dyslexia.”

Sabrina Garcia Braintree

Mental Health Awareness for Teens

Sabrina understood that mental health is crucial and must be taken care of like any other physical ailment. However, she noticed that many of her peers were struggling because of a lack of resources or understanding of where to find help. Therefore, Sabrina decided to create pamphlets, alongside a presentation, that could help teens recognize the warning signs of a serious mental health challenge. By providing this information, Sabrina could also aid her peers in destigmatizing mental health care and correcting any misinformation. Sabrina presented her information to an audience of over 75 individuals, and distributed pamphlets to school counselors and to her school’s Mental Health Club members. Additionally, Sabrina posted a YouTube video about her project, thus widening her reach through a digital space. Sabrina’s Gold Award project will be sustained beyond her involvement through the pamphlets and slideshow she created, which will continue to be circulated throughout her school for years to come.

“I discovered strengths in leadership that I hadn’t realized before. I found that I am adept at inspiring and motivating others, making decisions under pressure, and navigating challenges with resilience.”

Charlotte Bizup Brookline

Shift the Power Project: a pathway to understanding and combating commercial sexual exploitation

Charlotte was concerned about her peers’ vulnerability to the sex trade and sex trafficking due to their lack of knowledge on the topic and the prevalence of misinformation on social media. Therefore, Charlotte developed an informative introductory level course designed to keep teenagers safe from sexual exploitation. Charlotte created a course on an interactive website where the project reached over 70 people. And, through a youth summit connection, her resources were shared with an additional 200. Charlotte’s project will be sustained beyond her involvement through her school as an educational curriculum, and through the World Without Exploitation Youth Coalition as a training material.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to do this valuable work and work with and meet so many great people.”

Bella Kim Brookline

The Joy of Music

Bella recognized two audiences in her community that were struggling to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic and its lasting societal impact. She knew that both senior citizens and student musicians were feeling isolated and were craving connection with others. Therefore, Bella developed a music program for seniors that would bring both groups together. Both generations were positively impacted by this collaboration through tackling the feelings of loneliness felt by the seniors and providing performance opportunities for young musicians wanting to display their talents. “The Joy of Music” will be sustained beyond Bella’s involvement through volunteer coordinators and the bands that participated.

“I learned that I possess strong leadership skills and have the ability to effectively communicate with a diverse range of individuals.”

Avani Rebbi Carlisle

C.O.R.E. (Computer-science, Outreach, Resources, and Education)

Avani understood that not everyone has access to computer science opportunities and technologies, especially if a school or community is under resourced. Avani addressed this issue by creating an accessible webbased computer science curriculum, and a website for educators to exchange resources. Additionally, Avani partnered with a local youthserving organization to run a computer science program after school— filling a need in her community. This initiative will be sustained beyond Avani’s involvement by Carlisle Kids House, and by any educator who decides to use her curriculum after accessing it online.

“I am particularly proud of my website, as it is an easily navigable site that makes the curriculum accessible to almost anyone in the world!”

Ella Walgreen Danvers Women in STEM

Ella’s awareness of the gender barriers that exist for women in STEM fields was the inspiration for her Gold Award project. Her goal was to equip and encourage middle school girls to explore exciting paths of study in science, technology, engineering, and math. Ella believed that the best way to accomplish this would be through empowering presentations, connecting her participants with diverse role models, and increasing overall awareness of STEM opportunities through large-scale, STEM-focused events. Each participant completed an entrance and exit survey, thus demonstrating their newfound knowledge. Ella’s initiative will be sustained beyond her involvement by the “Women in STEM” sector of her school’s Environmental Club.

“In order to be a leader, you have to have the willingness to learn, adapt, and grow.”

Nadia Sovick Duxbury

Hands-on Educational Boxes

Nadia noticed that her peers lacked environmental awareness, and were contributing to an excessive amount of unnecessary waste. Nadia developed a series of activity boxes that aimed to educate younger children about harmful plastics, biodiversity, climate change, sustainability, and water pollution. Each participant who engaged with these materials walked away with new knowledge, which was assessed through a series of surveys. The project will be sustained beyond Nadia’s involvement via the club program and the public library, who will have these resources available free-of-charge for any interested parties.

“I taught young children they can individually make a positive impact on the environment and there are so many people practicing the same things globally from getting rid of single use plastics to picking up trash on the beaches.”

Blu Howes

Falmouth

Building PTSD Awareness

Blu’s Gold Award project addressed their community’s lack of awareness and education of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and aimed to provide coping strategies and resources to those struggling. Blu created educational brochures to distribute at their school, and created a presentation about PTSD symptoms, coping skills, and mental health resources. Blu’s project will be sustained beyond their involvement through the knowledge imparted onto their audience, and through their school’s library.

“As someone who struggles with PTSD, I understand firsthand the importance of my project. I kept working at it because I knew I needed to help people who were struggling in the same way I was.”

Amy Loveless

Groton STEAMergent

Amy was disheartened by the gender gap in STEAM careers, and felt that it could be addressed by introducing educational opportunities to elementary and middle school aged children. To address this issue, Amy developed a day-long program for children in grades 3-6 that taught students about STEM careers, how to incorporate art to increase job opportunities, and how they could help combat discrimination and stereotypes. Through Amy’s 70page slideshow, each participant was able to walk away with a better knowledge of the topics discussed. This project will be sustained beyond Amy’s involvement by the Groton Public Library, the Townsend Public Library, and the Reuben Hoar Public library.

“I learned that putting my foot down does not always mean being angry or harsh, but it could mean politely declining or disagreeing with a sympathetic reasoning and understanding.”

Elizabeth Bedard Hancock, NH Staying Safe as High School Senior Girls

Elizabeth felt that she and her peers were underprepared in one area as they began their transition from high school into adult life: safety. Online safety, physical safety, and mental safety are issues of equal importance, but were not being discussed with the levels of urgency and candor that Elizabeth knew they should be. Therefore, Elizabeth took it upon herself to provide the best information and simple protection tactics through an informative presentation that she led at her school. Attendees also participated in a pre/post presentation survey, where they had the chance to demonstrate what they had learned. Elizabeth’s project will be sustained beyond her involvement by teachers in her school who will continue to provide these resources to future graduating classes.

“Safety is an ongoing issue throughout the world and it is important to have a general understanding of ways to protect yourself and others from these dangers.”

Ashley Stracco Hanover

The Outreach Club

Ashley noticed that many of her peers were interested in performing community service, but were unsure of how to proceed. Therefore, Ashley formed “The Outreach Club,” which connects students with opportunities to serve senior citizens, the homeless, and first responders. By encouraging her peers to take community action, members reported an increase in leadership skills, courage, and patience. The Outreach Club started with two members and now has over 40, and will be sustained beyond Ashley’s involvement by future students, for whom she has provided an in-depth manual on club rules, service project ideas, and fundraising tips.

“Due to my involvement with Girl Scouts, I have had the opportunity to engage with many organizations in the community that need the assistance of others to fulfill their missions.”

Ella Zhu Hingham Pollinator Garden Mural Project

Ella was aware of the negative impacts that climate change was having on the ecosystem’s essential pollinators: bees, butterflies, and other various insects. Ella had also experienced a level of apathy towards the issue of climate change, due to the problem’s enormity. The goal of Ella’s Gold Award was to address these issues through education, community outreach, and awareness. Ella encouraged members of her town to plant and maintain pollinator gardens by distributing seedlings and educational brochures, and by painting a mural at the entrance of the town hall. Her project will be sustained beyond her involvement through the success of her perennial seedlings and through her mural, which should remain intact for the next several decades.

“Climate change and pollinator loss is a nonpartisan global crisis. While my impact focused on a single community and a subset of Massachusetts native bee species, tackling climate change is a large multistep process that relies on smaller steps.”

Ciarra Hupp

Hyannis

Reaching Out with PSAs

Ciarra felt that the students in her community weren’t properly educated on what makes a healthy relationship versus an unhealthy one. Therefore, Ciarra jumped into action by creating a PSA for teenagers looking to learn about the key signs of domestic violence. By making this information easily accessible within her school, her peers were able to self-reflect, offer advice, and create a safe space for individuals who might be struggling. Her PSA was shared on the school’s televisions during the month of September, and those who were impacted by the messaging were invited to share their thoughts through a digital form. This project will be updated and sustained beyond Ciarra’s involvement by the school’s animation teacher and the “One Love” program.

“I was really harsh about my PSA, and I kept insisting it wasn’t good enough yet so I kept wanting to change everything and believed no one would like it. I learned that I need to let go a little and let something not be perfect in every way.”

Sanjana Gudipati

Lexington Careers in Medicine

By the time Sanjana was in middle school, she knew she was interested in pursuing the medical field as a career, but found the lack of learning opportunities for students in that age-range to be discouraging. With the national need for medical professionals higher than ever, Sanjana created an organization that provides educational materials, lessons, and interactive activities for middle schoolers. Sanjana was able to reach 150-200 students through live and virtual club sessions, of which 90% reported an increase in medicinal knowledge after attending. This initiative will be sustained beyond Sanjana’s involvement by younger students who started branches of this organization in their own towns, and through a website available to those interested in learning more.

“The most successful part of my project was being able to have meaningful interactions with these middle schoolers. I got to see them express gratitude, as this was a new opportunity they had never been given before.”

Helen Mager

Lexington

Opening the Door to Literacy

Helen learned that children with reading-based learning disabilities were more likely to regress in their reading skills when school was not in session. To encourage students to continue reading during school breaks, Helen hosted a reading nook, taught a Girl Scout Brownie troop about dyslexia, and built a Little Free Library at her local elementary school and stocked it with student-suggested books. The Little Free Library remains an incredible success and continues to be utilized by many, which is displayed by the consistent trading of titles happening within it. Helen’s work will be sustained by the elementary school and its staff so that generations to come can benefit from its presence.

“I led my team by example, showing that I cared about this project by putting in time and effort. I encouraged the students to keep going, tried to use myself as an example that they can succeed.”

Athena Wang

Lexington

Numberosity Math Learning

Athena recognized that many influential educational opportunities were unavailable to students in other states, specifically in Fayetteville, Arkansas where two of her friends live. Due to lack of resources, students in this area seemed to be unenthusiastic and unmotivated to study beyond the basics of mathematics. To address this issue, Athena created a website with resources that would invigorate Fayetteville students by enticing them with math competition opportunities, summer camps, and alternative learning programs. With these resources compiled, Athena taught a class over Zoom for Arkansas students that would help prepare them for the ultimate goal of competing in a well-known middle school math competition. This initiative will be sustained beyond Athena’s involvement through her website, the continuation of her course in the state of Arkansas by other teachers, and through the program’s international expansion in Kenya by previous students and their families.

“Because of a lack of resources, many children living in poorer towns and cities in the US do not have as many opportunities as we do in Massachusetts.”

Lucille Dwyer Lincoln

Youth Menstrual Education

Lucille was unimpressed by her school district’s fourth grade menstrual education curriculum, and decided to do something about it. She felt that it was important for students to understand menstruation before they experienced it, and have a full knowledge of the types of menstrual management products available. Therefore, Lucille connected with the district’s wellness teachers and school nurses to develop a more modern curriculum for the younger students. Additionally, Lucille created menstrual wellness bags filled with essential products that were distributed throughout the school. Lucille’s Gold Award will be sustained beyond her involvement by nurses and wellness teachers, who will continue to teach her curriculum for years to come.

“I have the ability to persevere and get something done, even if I feel discouraged or like I hit a dead end.”

Courtney Mitchell Lincoln Boardwalk Adventures

Courtney loved the amount of conservation wetlands, forests, and farms available to her town’s residents for their enjoyment and observation. She wanted to encourage local elementary school students, who neighbor a wetland boardwalk, to take advantage of this resource as a means of hands-on learning. Through collaboration with teachers of several grade-levels, Courtney determined that an educational wetlands exploration would fit best in the second grade’s curriculum. By introducing worksheets, developing a presentation, and guiding discussion with students in the outdoors, Courtney was able to successfully increase her target audience’s awareness, knowledge, and appreciation of her town’s environmental resources. Her project will be sustained beyond her involvement by the district’s elementary school science curriculum coordinator and by the teacher of the class who supported Courtney’s Gold Award project.

“Being able to take the students outside of the classroom and show them an area of the school property that some of them had never even been to before was super exciting.”

Sofia Martinez

Marlborough Nature’s Gifts

Following an influential conversation with her high school’s biology teacher, Sofia became impassioned about providing nature-learning opportunities to those who may not have them in their day-to-day life. Sofia’s Gold Award journey addressed the root cause of naturedeficit disorder by allowing students, staff, and guests of her school to enjoy the outdoors. Sofia educated her community by advocating to her school’s higher-ups to integrate outdoor learning, and taught her peers through presentations, posters, and a school-wide email. Additionally, Sofia gathered resources via donation from local residents and businesses with which she built an outdoor classroom space for future students to enjoy. Sofia’s Gold Award project will be sustained beyond her involvement through the continued use of these resources, and through the outdoor classroom space she built.

“I am passionate about helping the environment and I care a lot about my impact on the environment. Also, I can do more than I think, even if I don’t want to or think I can.”

Corinne Morgan Maynard

Autism Acceptance Among Middle Schoolers

Corinne understood the impact that bullying had on those with invisible disabilities because she had experienced it firsthand. While her peers seemed to understand not to make fun of those with physical disabilities, such as that of a person in a wheelchair, she found that they struggled to express that same empathy to those with an “invisible” disability. Corinne decided that it would be best to address this problem by confronting the next generation, as well as their educators. Corinne gave a presentation about bullying people with autism as a way to teach acceptance, as opposed to awareness, to her attendees. Corinne’s success was measured through the glowing responses that she received after her presentation concluded. Corinne’s Gold Award project will continue to have a lasting impact within her community because she donated $220 worth of books about hidden disabilities for the school and the local library.

“If

I made an impact on even one kid in the town, that’s good enough for me. You never know what ripple effect it can have.”

Lile Simmons Medway

Eating for You

Lile is passionate about healthy eating, and wanted to create a resource for her community to learn how certain foods can fuel one’s body, make them feel good, and improve their overall health. To accomplish this goal, Lile authored a healthy-eating cookbook for people to reference when looking for nutritious and delicious food options. Lile’s cookbook was created specifically with a younger audience in mind, from middle school to college-aged students. Lile presented her Gold Award project to other Girl Scout troops, and was able to see the impact of her work firsthand with a short quiz, lively discussion, and through the participants of her cooking class. Lile’s work will be sustained beyond her involvement through a physical copy of her cookbook that was donated to her local library, and through a digital version available online accessed by a QR code displayed on her college campus.

“I think through those [cooking classes], I was able to teach young adults and kids the importance of healthy eating. Even if they only learned one thing from the class, it only takes one small change to make a difference.”

Phoebe Anthony Newton

The Power Hive

Phoebe wanted to encourage her peers to act on solving the civic issues of which they were frequently expressing their opinions. She addressed her concerns by developing two workshops for younger students that covered four main topics: citing credible sources, having a voice and speaking out, making decisions, and learning about community sectors (i.e. the senior center, city hall, and more). By addressing these concepts in an educational environment early on, it was Phoebe’s hope that her participants would feel empowered to make informed decisions by using their knowledge of civic action. This initiative will be sustained beyond Phoebe’s involvement by the Newton Youth Commission, an organization that works to elevate youth voices in the community.

“The more a youth member is involved in their community through civic engagement, the higher the probability they will vote; it will increase youth voter turnout in local, regional, state, and national elections in the long run.”

Samantha McCoy Peabody

Everyone Deserves a Healthy Smile

Samantha understood the importance of dental health and wanted to teach her community about keeping their teeth clean, paying specific attention to those belonging to vulnerable populations like children and the homeless. For her Gold Award, Samantha visited a local soup kitchen and three dental health fairs. From there, she handed out necessary dental care supplies and informed those interested on how to take care of their teeth. She also offered participants the opportunity to fill out comment cards, where she tracked her project’s impact and her audience’s acquired knowledge. Samantha’s project will be sustained beyond her involvement by the local soup kitchen, and through different dentist’s offices in her community who have committed to continuing the dental education for all members of their town.

“It is important to teach others how to clean their teeth properly. Children need to learn this at an early age so they will sustain it as a lifelong habit.”

Allison Morley Peabody

From Page to Stage

Allison was frustrated with the lack of performing arts opportunities in her community, and believed that these opportunities could aid participants in developing essential life skills. Allison confirmed that lack of opportunity did not equate to lack of enthusiasm, as she developed workshops for local elementary students to put on plays of their own. The students displayed interest in various elements of theatre arts, including performance and stage lighting. This skill development confirmed Allison’s hypothesis that the arts could be used as a means to encourage reading comprehension and build self-confidence. Allison’s project will be sustained beyond her involvement through “play kits” that she provided for the elementary school and the library, thus offering an evergreen resource for artistic kids of the future.

“When I reached my project goals, I could tell I had done so, because the young students I worked with were much more comfortable with speaking up around each other.”

Lauren Donahue Quincy Community Garden

Lauren knew that her community needed a place to grow and share food within small spaces. Through collaboration with her local church and generous community members, Lauren was able to secure a spot to plant blueberries, strawberries, and tomatoes. Then, she organized a day for community members to learn how to correctly plant, water, and feed their own blueberry bushes. She encouraged participants to bring their newfound planting knowledge home with them by providing small planter boxes at no cost. Beyond the new food-growing space, participants left with a greater sense of community and a new or reinvigorated interest in gardening. Lauren’s community garden will be sustained by church officials beyond her involvement.

“At the end of the day there was a greater sense of community with everyone working together to beautify the garden space around us.”

Yuyuan Huang Sharon

Creative Classroom

Yuyuan learned from her young sister’s pandemic experience that first-generation immigrants who were not fluent in English were struggling to thrive in an online education format. For her Gold Award project, Yuyuan founded Creative Classroom, an organization that taught fun, free online classes to first-generation Asian youth in underserved neighborhoods like Boston’s Chinatown during the pandemic and beyond. Her most successful curriculum has been her public speaking workshops, which pull on Yuyuan’s expertise as the president of her school’s debate team. Through pre- and post-session surveys, Yuyuan was able to confirm her participants’ increased levels of confidence, and witness their desired skills grow over time. Yuyuan’s Gold Award project will be sustained beyond her involvement by the leadership of three dedicated team members who will continue to host workshops with Creative Classroom’s community partners, and online for previous students to refer back to.

“My workshops taught students how to tell stories with confidence, clarity, and poise. They learned that they could be good public speakers regardless of their age, experience, race, socioeconomic status, or first language.”

Shreya Atluri Sherborn

Empowering Voices: Cultivating Confidence and Advocacy

Due to Shreya’s personal cultural experiences, she felt it was important to provide opportunities for younger girls in her community to be empowered to break the cycle of inequality. To address this, Shreya hosted a series of self-confidence, public speaking, and empathy workshops for middle school girls. Through story exchange and healthy debate, the participants were able to fine-tune their critical thinking and self-expression skills— ultimately improving their articulation through empowerment. Shreya’s project will be sustained beyond her involvement by the Women’s Group at her high school, which will continue these workshops for years to come.

“To be honest, I didn’t have enough confidence in myself and my ability to host fun and engaging workshops for middle school girls. But their excitement to be at the workshops gave me the confidence to keep going and confidence in my ideas.”

Carissa McLane Walpole

Research and Rescue: Don’t Support Puppy Mills

Carissa believed that everyone should experience the love of a dog. However, Carissa wanted to help her community understand how to acquire a dog through a reputable source, and why purchasing a dog through a puppy mill is dangerous. Carissa accomplished this goal by hosting dog toy-making workshops with college- and schoolaged students, handing out bookmarks that contained key information about how to avoid puppy mills, and creating an informational YouTube video about responsible pet ownership. Carissa’s Gold Award project will be sustained beyond her involvement through the organizations she collaborated with, like Worcester Polytechnic Institute and her local library, who will host the workshops and distribute resources, and online through her public video.

“Leaders start with a vision and break that down into action steps. Accomplishing this, step-by-step, has fostered confidence in myself.”

Alyssa Ao Wayland

Community Building for Girls in STEM

As one of the only girl members of her high school’s Math Team, Alyssa noticed that girls were largely underrepresented in STEM extracurricular clubs. However, this issue reached far beyond Alyssa’s school, as STEM fields have been historically dominated by men. To address this, Alyssa led four, 100-minute workshop sessions for middle school girls interested in pursuing STEM in high school. By collaborating with representatives of four different STEM clubs at her high school, Alyssa’s audience was able to gain an understanding of a variety of STEM fields with each of the different activities and their respective field’s activities. Alyssa’s Gold Award project will be sustained beyond her involvement by younger students willing to continue the workshops following Alyssa’s graduation.

“The students were so enthusiastic about learning and participating in the challenges, and it felt great to see them work together and have fun.”

Erica O’Donnell Wayland

Building a Story Walk for Wayland

Erica noticed that elementary school-aged children in her community were experiencing difficulty reading when engaging with traditional materials, and wondered if they might benefit from something educational that incorporated physical activity. Erica decided to collaborate with her local library to develop a “Story Walk” on a nearby trail, and host story hours with literary craft activities. Erica’s Story Walk was very popular with her town’s residents, with nearly 100 individuals expressing excitement for it on the town’s online community forums. Additionally, the library reported an increased number of active library cards as a result of Erica’s guided activity sessions. The Story Walk will be sustained beyond her involvement by library staff who have committed to its upkeep and maintenance.

“I got kids to have fun at the library and check out some books, ensuring that they will be back at the very least to return the books.”

Tara Sawrikar Wayland

Milkweed for Monarch Butterflies

Tara learned that the monarch butterfly population was declining rapidly in Massachusetts due to a lack of milkweed in the area. The goal of Tara’s Gold Award project was to plant over 100 milkweed seeds, and to educate the community on the importance of this particular plant. She collaborated with the Wayland Energy and Climate Committee and an experienced home gardener to develop a plan of action. Tara hosted a workshop for over two dozen elementaryaged students and their families, during which they planted over 1,000 milkweed seeds. Tara’s project will be sustained beyond her involvement by her local library, who will rerun her workshop in the coming years.

“Being able to see kids excited to help monarch butterflies and plant the seeds in their own backyard was a wonderful feeling.”

Kathryn Fischmann Wellesley

The Hidden Gems of Wellesley

Kathryn knew that the members of her community were craving adventure, but was frustrated when she discovered that many trails and nature reserves were underutilized. She understood that the only way to rectify this issue would be to spread awareness in a big way, particularly to younger generations of Wellesley residents. With the help of her town’s Conservation Council and her school’s project-based learning program, Kathryn was able to create a 40x72 inch mural that features an artistic rendering of the town’s trail network and the words “Explore Wellesley Trails.” Kathryn’s piece of art will be displayed in her high school’s lobby for years to come, so that all of the students who pass through the school’s halls will be compelled to learn more about their town and the possibilities that lie within it.

“I learned that I can make any project endlessly enjoyable, if I find the fun in it, or create it myself. I love art, I love Girl Scouts, I love my school, my community, nature, all that and more. Anything can be fun, it just takes me!”

Vanessa Villalba Wellesley

All Dressed Up

Vanessa believed that self-care is an essential part of developing confidence and assurance. Therefore, Vanessa’s Gold Award project provided lessons, discussions, and time for reflection to young girls struggling with body image as they go through puberty in the age of social media. Vanessa, alongside her team of medical professionals, dancers, peers, and cosmetic enthusiasts, created an eight-week curriculum that discussed the process of adolescent development as it relates to body image, the dangers of online body comparisons, and confidence-building exercises like yoga, dance, and skincare classes to reinforce positive self-esteem. Vanessa’s Gold Award will be sustained beyond her involvement by a community service program that works with disadvantaged youth.

“It was amazing to see that all the hours of preparation—and that was a LOT of time—paid off. The experience has led me to engage in other community projects and to take on more leadership roles.”

Zoe Musante Westford

Outdoor Education Area for Nabnasset

Zoe noticed that her local elementary school was underutilizing their outdoor space, and she wanted the students to feel empowered to learn about the environment in a hands-on way. Zoe worked quickly to accomplish this: she built a butterfly garden, constructed bird houses, and created educational materials about native plants and animals for teachers to share with their students. Additionally, Zoe made a nature-inspired video game to help engage students inside the classroom, and hosted a butterfly garden party to welcome them to the new space. Many generations to come will reap the benefits of Zoe’s hard work, as these lovingly crafted resources will be maintained by the school’s custodial staff, principal, and teachers.

“When I want to get something done, I will block out the rest of the world to accomplish that.”

Zoe Seiger

Westford

Animal Bite Prevention: Can I Pet That?

Zoe learned from her research that thousands of dog bites were occurring every year, and that most were coming from domestic pets. Zoe’s Gold Award project aimed to educate her community on how to prevent injuries from animal bites. Zoe created a children’s book that used stories and coloring pages to demonstrate warning signs, which she shared with young children in read-aloud class sessions and Daisy Girl Scout troop meetings. Zoe also created a resource-based website, curated a display in her local library, and hosted an informational stand at a local market to educate her community. Zoe’s Gold Award project will be sustained beyond her involvement by a local preschool who committed to incorporating her resources and children’s book in their lesson plan, and through distributing fliers through town hall.

“I learned that I tend to not give up easily. Through this project, I found myself stepping out of my comfort zone a number of times, and also having to manage completing the project with my daily life.”

Hannah Bryson Wilmington Women in Wrestling Workshop

Hannah’s love for wrestling was so great that for her Gold Award project, she wanted to address the lack of girls participating in the sport. She hoped that by encouraging younger girls to engage in wrestling, she might lessen the industry’s prevalent gender gap. Hannah teamed up with her martial arts instructor to lead summer camp and wintertime clinics for girls in first to eighth grade. Through these programs, Hannah was able to connect with dozens of young wrestlers who expressed an interest in continuing with the sport. Hannah’s Gold Award project will be sustained beyond her involvement by her martial arts instructor and the head coach of her school’s wrestling team, who will continue to provide and advocate for equal opportunity for girls in wrestling.

“I learned that I am a leader and a role model. I was able to lead a large group of young girls as well as a team of coaches.”

Maleah Jensen Winchester

Intergenerational Ties Through Conversation

Maleah was upset by her peers’ stigma regarding the elder members of their community. Maleah understood the value of intergenerational connection; therefore, she created an all-ages book club and a current events discussion group. By offering high schoolers and elderly residents an opportunity to connect based on shared interests, Maleah created a space for deeper discussions of ageism and age-based advocacy. To measure her success, Maleah had participants fill out surveys that confirmed their increased level of comfort around people from another generation. Maleah’s Gold Award project will be sustained beyond her involvement through a service club at her high school and the staff at the Jenks Center, who will continue the book club and discussion groups for years to come.

“A moment that made these really feel like a success was when one of the high schoolers became friends with one of the senior citizens outside of the group. They bonded really well and are now friends, even though the discussion group is over for now.”

History of the highest award in Girl Scouts

Golden Eagle of Merit 1916 - 1919

Golden Eaglet 1919 - 1938

First Class 1938 - 1940

Curved Bar 1940 - 1963

First Class 1963 - 1980

Gold Award 1980 - present

Lifetime membership is granted to any person who is at least 18 years old or is a high school graduate or equivalent who (1) accepts the principles and beliefs of the Girl Scout Movement and (2) has paid lifetime membership dues.

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Girl Scout Mission

Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.

Girl Scout Promise

Girl Scout Law

On my honor, I will try: To serve God* and my country, To help people at all times, And to live by the Girl Scout Law.

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I will do my best to be honest and fair, friendly and helpful, considerate and caring, courageous and strong, and responsible for what I say and do, and to respect myself and others, respect authority, use resources wisely, make the world a better place, and be a sister to every Girl Scout.

*Members may substitute for the word God in accordance with their own spiritual beliefs.

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