What is it?
The Gold Award is earned by a high-school-aged Girl Scout who has dedicated, on average more than 80 hours, to address an issue they are passionate about in a way that produces meaningful and permanent change. Whether it is on a local, national, or global level, Gold Award Girl Scouts provide innovative solutions to pressing and relevant challenges. Gold Award Girl Scouts become innovative problem-solvers, empathetic leaders, confident public speakers, and focused project managers. They learn resourcefulness, tenacity, and decision-making skills, giving them an edge personally and professionally. As they take action to transform their communities, Gold Award Girl Scouts gain tangible skills and prove they’re the leaders our world needs.
My Inspiration
I’m a COVID-era student. I basically learned how to learn online, but I also had to figure out my accommodations and 504 by myself. I watched a lot of classmates struggle during this era, not because they didn’t care, but because they didn’t know how to ask for help or didn’t have resources that made sense to them.
So I made the website I wish I had back then. It has resources for mental health support, tutors, youtube videos, and some multi-lingual study guides. It’s also just…chill. I want to make science less scary, because in reality, it’s just a puzzle. I’m just here to help solve it.
(This picture is of me in 2021 helping at a Food Bank with scouts!)
Next Steps:
I aim to continue updating the website with new posts, study guides, and accessibility resources so it remains useful and relevant to students. I will also maintain the project’s social media to encourage peer support and reduce the stigma around asking for help. My next goal is to speak with the school board about hosting more events that mix general education and special education students, creating shared opportunities for community rather than separation. I also hope to talk about including disability awareness and neurodiversity education in our Social Emotional Learning curriculum, so students understand both themselves and each other better.
Shoutouts!
My mom has been a key part of my Girl Scout journey from the beginning. She is the strongest woman I know, and doing this project without her was scary, but it has made the whole process feel more meaningful. I hope one day I get to be a mom and troop leader like she has been. Thank you for always opening your doors, Mom. Tanya has also been a constant source of support. She’s fun and silly when it fits, but strong when it matters. She’s our protector, the goose to my mom’s maverick, and I couldn’t be happier to have you as our leader. Thank you, T.
This project wouldn’t exist without the people who stood with me. My advisor, Christina Zibart, was once my chemistry teacher and is now one of the people I trust most. She has supported me with patience, humor, and encouragement through every phase of this project, and she has always made me feel capable of doing difficult things. Thank you, Mrs. Zibart. Maybe we’ll schedule a meeting and hold to it sometime?
Jenn Edwards, who will sustain the project going forward, helped me shape the idea when it was still just a thought. She checks in, challenges me to grow, and continues to inspire me by how she shows up for students. Thank you Jenn, you don’t know how much you mean to all of us.
I’ve been part of Troop 705 for thirteen years. I joined at the ripe age of 5, and since then, I have been a part of a network of girls who turned into my sisters. We’ve shared pins, ceremonies, car rides, inside jokes, changes, and entire chapters of our lives. We learned how to lead, how to listen, and how to care by learning together. We may have fought from time to time, been caught in a pandemic, and missed a subway in NYC, but we made it through any and all difficulties we’ve had. I don’t know if there are words to express how much you all mean to me. I’m infinitely proud of who we’ve become, who you all have become, and I’m so extremely grateful for the history we made side by side. I’m so ready to see who we all grow into as people, I know you all will be phenomenal. Thank you, “ladies”. Peace out, Girl scout.
Techne Colored 