Driving Lasting Change with
Gold Awards
G
old Award Girl Scouts have their eye on the prize – earning the mark of the truly remarkable and taking their Girl Scout achievements to the next level. They don’t just change the world for the better, they change it for good by driving lasting change in their communities and beyond.
“Gold Award Girl Scouts create sustainable and impactful solutions to local, national, and global challenges by identifying and addressing the root cause of an issue that is important to them,” said Fran Marshall, chief executive officer of Girl Scouts Spirit of Nebraska.
Sixteen Nebraska high school girls joined an elite group of women leaders this year by earning their Gold Award, the highest achievement in Girl Scouting. They demonstrated extraordinary leadership and changed the world by tackling pressing issues.
Also, in 2020, 255 girls earned their Bronze Award, the highest award for Girl Scouts in fourth and fifth grade. An additional 63 girls earned their Silver Award, the highest Girl Scout award for sixth- through eighth-graders.
“This year we are recognizing 16 extraordinary Girl Scouts who completed their Take Action projects during a pandemic and have earned their Gold Award. We are proud of their accomplishments and perseverance. Each of these Gold Award Girl Scouts has made the world a better place.”
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2020 GOLD AWARD GIRL SCOUTS: *Indicates that she earned all the highest awards in Girl Scouting (Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards).
Chyna Delker, Hastings
Photography Exhibition of Influential Women in Our Own Community
Chyna noticed that many influential women in the Hastings area were not recognized for their contributions, and she wanted that to change. Her project involved creating an exhibit at the Hastings Museum featuring photos and bios of local women making an impact. She used photography to inspire and connect people, calling attention to how all individuals can benefit their communities. The museum asked to keep the display to enhance future exhibits.
JG
Natural Disaster Preparedness
Allison was inspired by a major flood in her area and a desire to help people better prepare for future disasters. She teamed up with the FFA, an elementary school, and the fire department to teach students how to prepare for a natural disaster. During a special Natural Disaster Preparedness Day, groups created stations to educate students about fires, tornados, floods, and extreme temperatures and handed out packets to help the children retain what they learned.
Elzbieta Donohew, Omaha
Rebecca Kucera, Omaha*
After her family adopted a new puppy, Elzbieta discovered that don't local parks provide dog agility courses. She met with dog park advocates and Omaha’s planning division to share her dream of reinventing the small dog space at Hefflinger Park. Elzbieta then gathered a team of friends and built a six-obstacle agility path in the park. She also constructed bone-shaped benches for dog owners to enjoy and planted trees to provide shade.
Having experienced bullying as a child, Rebecca focused her Gold Award project on empowering young children. She created a curriculum and activities focused on how kindness leads to positive conversations, respectful actions toward others, acceptance of peers, and decreases bullying behaviors. Rebecca presented to second-graders at Loveland Elementary School and more than 100 Girl Scouts. She also created a website, spreadingkindness.info, featuring her videos and project details for other educators to use.
Little Paws and Barks in the Park
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Allison Folkers, Omaha
Spreading Smiles and Kindness