Inspirational Projects
The Girl Scout Leadership Experience in the words of Gold Award Girl Scouts
One of the best perks of being a Gold Award Interviewer is the opportunity to read the final reflection after they complete their Gold Award. I think what they have to say sums up the program better than anything I could say.
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Describe what you learned from this project, including leadership skills you developed. What did you learn about yourself?
From this project, I learned that persistence is key. I had to adapt to a business-like mindset when speaking to my project advisor and other important adult figures during this project. Although tough, I learned that many people are extremely busy and even though my project was a priority to me, I needed to stay persistent with my emails and follow-ups in order to make significant progress. From this hardship, I learned one of the most important lessons of my life: In order for you to achieve your goals, you need to inspire others to take it seriously as well. As a leader, I needed to possess a certain charisma and assertiveness. I needed to be a fastidious problem solver and needed to continuously do and redo flyers which solidified the persistence and determination lesson. Procrastination could not be a factor in my project if I wanted to get it done, which I learned quickly. In the beginning, I took the project slowly and waited for others to answer my emails and queries but learned that even though I was making progress, slow progress is still procrastination. I made excuses to not work on my project at first, telling myself that "I emailed first, it's not my fault that I am not getting a response" but soon I had to be honest with myself and accept that it is my fault if others don't answer. I possessed a new sense of assertiveness and learned that I needed to continuously demand other's attention if it was not handed to me. I learned that I am extremely strong-willed and industrious. I learned what it takes to be pro-active. I learned how to fight for the things that I believed in. I learned that I could make a change as long as I kept working at it and continued in the face of adversity. Excerpt from the Gold Award final report reflection of Alexis Ton, Gold Award Girl Scout |
How do you think your leadership skills will grow in the future because of this project
Apart from the usual ways in which I grow through doing anything of this sort (organization, communication, efficiency, the devil’s in the details, etc.), I think I have truly come to understand how daunting leadership roles are and the type of people needed to fill them. Because with leadership comes responsibility, and in my case, responsibility of 94 families whom I don’t know but who will be benefiting from my project in the coming year. I do worry sometimes if all my efforts will be wasted, if perhaps Home for Refugees won’t sustain the project, but then I realize that I am not the only one who cares deeply for these families, and I know that Home for Refugees won’t let them down any more than I would. I am learning what it means to be a leader on and off the clock; what it means to put others before yourself, how to collect people whom you trust and know will do the right thing, and, above all, how to lead from the back of the crowd, not from the front. Because every train needs a caboose for the stragglers to jump on somehow. I am learning that being a leader means being that caboose, seeing the stragglers, and then slowing the train down, regardless of schedule, and saying to those stragglers, “Please. Come aboard. Welcome home.” Excerpt from the Gold Award final report reflection of Lauren Dyke, Gold Award Girl Scout |
Need Ideas for How to Take Action? Check out how others are making a difference.
For journey Take Action Projects, check out the pages under the individual journeys.
For Gold Award Examples, click here.National Gold Award Girl Scout (formerly known as National Young Women of Distinction (NYWOD)
Who are the National Young Women of Distinction (NYWOD)?
Every year, ten exceptionally inspiring Girl Scout Gold Award recipients are chosen as a National Gold Award Gris Scout. This honor is given to Girl Scout Seniors and Ambassadors whose Gold Award projects demonstrated extraordinary leadership, had a measurable and sustainable impact, and addressed a local challenge related to a national and/or global issue. These young women are taking matters into their own hands and being the change the world needs!
2018 National Gold Award Girl Scouts
2017 National Young Women of Distinction
2015 National Young Women of Distinction
2014 National Young Women of Distinction
2013 National Young Women Of Distinction
Every year, ten exceptionally inspiring Girl Scout Gold Award recipients are chosen as a National Gold Award Gris Scout. This honor is given to Girl Scout Seniors and Ambassadors whose Gold Award projects demonstrated extraordinary leadership, had a measurable and sustainable impact, and addressed a local challenge related to a national and/or global issue. These young women are taking matters into their own hands and being the change the world needs!
2018 National Gold Award Girl Scouts
2017 National Young Women of Distinction
2015 National Young Women of Distinction
2014 National Young Women of Distinction
2013 National Young Women Of Distinction
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Placentia teen creates nonprofit to get younger kids interested in sciences and math Girl Scout Sharleen Loh, a senior at Troy High School, earned the Girl Scouts Gold Award, the organization’s most prestigious award, for forming a nonprofit that brings STEM programs to underserved areas.
http://www.ocregister.com/2017/11/15/placentia-teen-creates-nonprofit-to-get-younger-kids-interested-in-sciences-and-math/ |
Tustin Girl Scout turns bullying into teaching experience
Natalie Salvatierra, 13, second from left, organized a religious tolerance event at her Temple Beth Sholom in Santa Ana on Sunday, November 12, 2017, for her Girl Scout Silver Award. Stations offered glimpses into different religious customs. This group learns about a shofar, an ancient musical horn used for Jewish ceremonies.(Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Click here for more great Silver Award inspiration
http://www.kidcaregivers.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBVn922H8Hg
My name is Hailey, I am 11.5 years old, and have been a caregiver for my grandma (who has Alzheimer's disease) since I was 4 years old. There are 1.8 million kids in the United States who are acting as caregivers. I want other kids to know that they are not alone; there are many of us out there! I believe that kids need to be recognized as caregivers. I also want to benefit the lives of Alzheimer's patients, with intergenerational programs (Puzzle Time and Creative Arts). My goal is to pair youth with the dementia community to enhance lives.
Hailey created Kid Caregivers a 501c3 nonprofit organization which supports and empowers children who are acting as caregivers. Their mission is to help young people cope and to enliven the lives of adults living with Alzheimer's disease. They offer intergenerational Puzzle Time programs and training to enhance eldercare globally. We encourage young people to use their skills to benefit the dementia community.
Here is how our Puzzle Time Program works, in 3 easy steps
1) We form a youth group (ages 9 - 17)
2) The group is educated and trained to solve jigsaw puzzles with dementia patients
3) Each young person is paired with an Alzheimer's patient for puzzle-solving
Hailey created Kid Caregivers a 501c3 nonprofit organization which supports and empowers children who are acting as caregivers. Their mission is to help young people cope and to enliven the lives of adults living with Alzheimer's disease. They offer intergenerational Puzzle Time programs and training to enhance eldercare globally. We encourage young people to use their skills to benefit the dementia community.
Here is how our Puzzle Time Program works, in 3 easy steps
1) We form a youth group (ages 9 - 17)
2) The group is educated and trained to solve jigsaw puzzles with dementia patients
3) Each young person is paired with an Alzheimer's patient for puzzle-solving
Workshops4 girls Pinterest Page
https://www.pinterest.com/workshops4girls/gold-award-inspiration/
Gold Award Project - Crafts for Senior Citizens - A Two Year Long, Ready to Use Program
Several years ago, I discovered that my local senior center had been forced to end its craft program due to budget cuts. Upon hearing this, a group of girls from my Girl Scout troop and I took action. Earning our Girl Scout Silver Award, we created crafts and taught them regularly at the senior center for over a year. When our award was finished we continued teaching crafts; but I realized that once we left high school the seniors would again lose their craft program. And so, for my Girl Scout Gold Award, I decided to create a sustainable craft program for my local senior center as well as write a craft program that could be implemented at other centers. I connected several youth volunteer groups with my local senior center & trained them to continue to run the program. In addition, I created this craft book as a part of my Gold Award in the hopes that it will be used for many years to come. It is available as a free download on my website.
http://crafts4seniorcitizens.weebly.com/
http://crafts4seniorcitizens.weebly.com/
Girl, 9, creates campaign to combat hate, shares ‘I AM’ project with Garden Grove PD
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Garden Grove Police Chief Todd Elgin (right) introduces Alyssa Castille to officers and members of the professional staff at the 2 p.m. shift briefing on Tuesday, Aug. 30. Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
By Greg Hardesty September 01st, 2016
It all started with a conversation with my mom about hate in the world.
The 9-year-old girl began her speech with these words while standing atop a table in the briefing room of the Garden Grove PD, a couple dozen officers and staff members facing her.
I don’t understand racism and why people hate each other for the color of their skin, because in my home I was taught that everyone is the same no matter what they look like.
On Aug. 30, the petite Garden Grove girl visited the police station with her parents and little sister to explain to the officers a campaign she created called “I AM.”
. Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
Alyssa Castille shows blue pins she handed out to GGPD officers. The pins are her way of combating hate. Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
Its mission?
To eliminate negativity, racism and bullying while learning how to spread love in the world.
How?
Through the distribution of pins that declare a person’s favorite color — colors that describe the person as an individual and how he or she should be viewed by others, with cool acronyms for each letter of that color.
For example, Alyssa wears the button “I AM BLACK,” with “black” representing “Beautiful, Loving, Awesome, Confident, Kind.”
I AM stands for how we see ourselves and others. We are all special in our own way. It’s not about what we see on the outside, but what we carry on the inside that counts.
Alyssa’s idea came after hearing a recent dinner-table discussion between her parents. They were talking about recent racism and hate going on in the U.S., especially in connection with the black community and law enforcement.
Silver Award Project - Anti Bullying Awareness Campaign
Awareness is key in overcoming bullying
Most Orange County schoolchildren can't wait for the recess bell to ring. But when Rebeca was 10, she would sprint to the bathroom to hide instead of joining in a game of soccer or playing with friends. The verbal assaults she experienced daily from classmates far surpassed the “mean girl” drama we've come to regard as an unfortunate part of growing up. Instead, Rebeca endured what the National School Safety Center identifies as a bullying epidemic affecting 2.7 million school-age victims.
“They wanted me to know that I was bullied,” remembers Rebeca, now 13. www.ocregister.com/2014/03/27/awareness-is-key-in-overcoming-bullying/to read more
Most Orange County schoolchildren can't wait for the recess bell to ring. But when Rebeca was 10, she would sprint to the bathroom to hide instead of joining in a game of soccer or playing with friends. The verbal assaults she experienced daily from classmates far surpassed the “mean girl” drama we've come to regard as an unfortunate part of growing up. Instead, Rebeca endured what the National School Safety Center identifies as a bullying epidemic affecting 2.7 million school-age victims.
“They wanted me to know that I was bullied,” remembers Rebeca, now 13. www.ocregister.com/2014/03/27/awareness-is-key-in-overcoming-bullying/to read more
Silver Award Project - Black Dog Club
Take Action Project - Harvest Award -Sow What Journey
Issue
Lack of fresh, organic produce at food bank
Solution
Harvest surplus citrus fruit from backyards & donate to food bank
Team - Food bank contacts, supermarket contact for donated boxes, people with fruit trees in local neighborhoods
Project
500 pounds of fresh fruit harvested & donated to OC Food bank,
Move towards sustainability Photo of the girls posted as home page of food bank website with message encouraging others to harvest their own neighborhoods.
How to turn it GOLD - Set up club or enlist & train groups to have a permanent relationship with food bank and harvest year round.
Lack of fresh, organic produce at food bank
Solution
Harvest surplus citrus fruit from backyards & donate to food bank
Team - Food bank contacts, supermarket contact for donated boxes, people with fruit trees in local neighborhoods
Project
500 pounds of fresh fruit harvested & donated to OC Food bank,
Move towards sustainability Photo of the girls posted as home page of food bank website with message encouraging others to harvest their own neighborhoods.
How to turn it GOLD - Set up club or enlist & train groups to have a permanent relationship with food bank and harvest year round.
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A 7 year old girl scout takes action for gardens.
http://www.ocregister.com/2014/04/23/2nd-grader-selling-familys-organic-cookbook-to-feed-local-gardens/
1 of 8Alicia Serratos, 7, holds up a copy of her organic cookbook, “Recipes To Grow,” while standing in the garden at The Ecology Center in San Juan Capistrano. Proceeds from the book will be donated to the center's Grow Your Own program, which helps support organic gardens at local schools.
By Brooke Edwards Staggs | Orange County Register April 23, 2014 at 6:40 pm
http://www.ocregister.com/2014/04/23/2nd-grader-selling-familys-organic-cookbook-to-feed-local-gardens/
1 of 8Alicia Serratos, 7, holds up a copy of her organic cookbook, “Recipes To Grow,” while standing in the garden at The Ecology Center in San Juan Capistrano. Proceeds from the book will be donated to the center's Grow Your Own program, which helps support organic gardens at local schools.
By Brooke Edwards Staggs | Orange County Register April 23, 2014 at 6:40 pm
The following aren't Girl Scout Projects but are examples of people who followed their passion to make a difference in their community.
Boy Parlays Class Project into a Recycling Business
Vanis Buckholz of Corona del Mar started a recycling business, My ReCycler, when he was 7 and donates part of the proceeds to a charity that assists homeless children and families. He's now 14 and in eighth grade.
More info www.ocregister.com/2016/12/19/most-influential-2016-vanis-buckholz/
More info www.ocregister.com/2016/12/19/most-influential-2016-vanis-buckholz/