When a Girl Scout imagines a better world, it doesn’t stop there. Gold Award Girl Scouts take their visions to the next level, enacting community service and civic engagement that creates lasting, effective change.
To earn the Gold Award, the highest award a Senior or Ambassador Girl Scout can earn, is an incredible accomplishment. We’re giving the Gold Award Class of 2020 from Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana a spotlight: read on to learn about the next group of leaders and changemakers!
Providing Sustainable Menstruation Products
Gold Award Girl Scout Amelia envisioned a world where all girls and women have equal access to eco-friendly menstruation products—so she took action to make that a reality. To earn the Gold Award, and become a part of the fight for gender equality, Amelia partnered with the organization Days for Girls to create and distribute reusable menstruation materials to girls without proper access to them in her community.
Community Shower of Love
Girl Scout Kara received her Gold Award for her project, “Community Shower of Love,” addressing the needs of new mothers and families in her community. In partnership with the Martha and Mary’s Maternity House and local families in need of supplies, Kara impacted the lives of many families and adolescents with newborns by providing basic necessities including formula and sanitary supplies.
3K Run for Children in Need
As part of Girl Scout Muskan’s Gold Award mission, she organized and hosted a 3K run in support of children undergoing abuse or neglect. All proceeds raised at that race were then used to purchase new park supplies for a park in her area for children to de-stress and communicate with each other. She also hosted speaking engagement to address the issue of child abuse and neglect with her community.
Blessings in a Backpack
Gold Award Girl Scout Kaitlyn, in partnership with organization Blessings in a Backpack, sought to supply underserved families in her community with healthy, reliable food over the weekend. Kaitlyn, to earn the Gold Award, brought the national program to her school and provided food for students at Wheaton Elementary School! She was featured on WGN Radio– listen to learn more about her project!
Bags for Foster Care
Girl Scout Morgan’s Gold Award endeavor focused on providing children in foster care with belongings of their own. For her Gold Award, and in order to bring more awareness to foster care and adoption processes, Morgan compiled and delivered 60 bags for children in foster care including toiletries and comfort items for them to keep and cherish. The project continues to be carried on by her Service Unit!
Board Book Drive
To earn her Gold Award, Girl Scout Mia coordinated a board book drive between the Advocate Children’s Hospital Resource Center, the Glenview Public Library, and the bookstore the Book Market, to provide children’s books for the Resource Center. She regularly collected books from the library and bookstore and helped set up a “book nook,” a mobile bookshelf wheeled into children’s rooms at the hospital. Due to her efforts, they received over 200 books in total!
Supplies for Foster Care
Gold Award Girl Scout Lauren, also in an effort of providing resources to children in the foster care system, earned her Gold Award by collecting needed donations for the kids, including toiletries, clothing, blankets, hats, gloves, and flashlights. In her community, Lake County, she was able to reach many kids and provide them with new supplies collected just for them.
A Home Away from Home
Gold Award Girl Scout Elizabeth, in collaboration with Ronald McDonald House Charities, sought to bring comfort to families staying near Comer Children’s Hospital in Chicago, IL. With the help of her community, Elizabeth was able to donate family games, craft kits, and comfort items for families to enjoy. She also hosted a McDonald’s night to educate her community on Ronald McDonald House Charities.
Comfort for Family Court
Before Girl Scout Alyssa got to the scene, there was no steady supply of comfort items available for children in family court in Chicago, an experience that can be frightening without an object to hold for a sense of security. To solve this issue, Alyssa created a supply chain for comfort items, like stuffed animals, to be distributed to children undergoing family legal processes in the city, of which more than 1,000 kids are seen a year.
Diabetes Awareness
Girl Scout Sydney’s mission was to raise awareness on the medical condition Diabetes. To earn her Gold Award, Sydney created informational pamphlets to hand out to community members, as well as presented information on the condition, how to live with it, and how to prevent it. Her presentation reached over 75 people in her community!
Adeline’s JR. High Survival Guide
Gold Award Girl Scout Adeline took her efforts to YouTube, creating her very own channel and series “Junior High School Survival Guide.” Topics range from body confidence (shown above), social media, friendships, and much more, and Adeline worked with a counselor and CEO of a local youth organization to ensure the channel can be a safe, trusted resource for middle schoolers. Make sure to check out her YouTube channel to learn more about her project!
Strength in Girls
Nikhila, to earn her Gold Award, focused on the empowerment and education of young girls on the subject of mental health. Partnering with the In Her Shoes Foundation, Nikhila presented at several galas and other workshops in order to raise awareness about the stigma around mental health, particularly for women and girls. She has been able to help over 200 girls through her presentations!
The Mark of the Truly Remarkable
We extend our sincerest congratulations to these girls and all Gold Award Girl Scouts this year!
Want to share pictures of your project with us? Post on social media and use the #GCNWIGoldAward! You can also download these images to share your Girl Scout Gold Award pride.
Look out for next week’s 2020 Gold Award Spotlight! Catch up on the series on our blog.