The Mark of the Truly Remarkable G
old Award Girl Scouts are the dreamers and doers who take “make the world a better place” to the next level. They don’t just change the world for the better, they change it for good by tackling issues dear to their hearts while driving lasting change in their communities and beyond. Last year, 20 Nebraska high school girls earned this elite award, proving that not only can Gold Award Girl Scouts make a difference, but that they already have. They took on issues such as teen sexual assault, poverty, literacy, medical needs, community beautification, the shortage of women working in technology fields, and more.
“Each Gold Award Girl Scout delivers on her promise to make the world a better place by making a sustainable difference in her community,” said Fran Marshall, Chief Executive Officer of Girl Scouts Spirit of Nebraska. “We are so proud of the girls who have achieved the highest award in Girl Scouts. We know they will go on to continue making a difference in our world.” Also, in 2019, 269 girls earned their Bronze Award, the highest award for Girl Scouts in fourth and fifth grade, and 142 earned the Silver Award, the highest award for sixth through eighth graders. That means 431 Nebraska Girl Scouts identified needs in their communities and took action to make improvements.
Congratulations to the 2019 Gold Award Girl Scouts: *Indicates that she earned all the highest awards in Girl Scouting (Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards).
Emily Binder, Crete WWI Through the Eyes of Crete, Nebraska Working with the director of the Benne Memorial Museum, Emily created and led a team of students in researching World War I and the effects it had on her community. She then created a permanent museum exhibit illustrating the war’s impact on her town and honoring local veterans.
Tessa Brazda, Lincoln* Friends from Afar: “Newly” Inspired International Mentoring Program When Tessa learned that foreign exchange students experienced isolation at school, homework challenges, homesickness, and a lack of familiarity with the Lincoln area, she founded a Student Ambassador Program. The mentoring program pairs exchange students with American students at Lincoln Lutheran High School and provides welcome packets with information about Lincoln.
4
JG
Madelynn Carbaugh, Omaha* You Are Not Alone Madelyn partnered with the Women’s Center for Advancement to start the only Omahaarea support group for teen survivors of sexual assault and dating violence. She raised awareness about the support group and about teen dating violence through social media, fliers, television interviews, and by asking Gov. Pete Ricketts to declare February 2019 as Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month.
Kaitlyn Correll, Gretna* Self-Defense Class For her project, Kaitlyn teamed up with ATA Martial Arts to host a self-defense class at her high school. She created a video for her church to use to teach future self-defense classes and worked with her school’s guidance counselor to ensure self-defense and safety discussions are incorporated into the school’s curriculum.