For my Gold Award I created The Journey:  A Girl’s Guide to the Challenges of Life. It is a book meant to empower girls of all ages and guide them through the many obstacles that they will face when transitioning from a young girl to a young woman. This book discusses topics such as setting boundaries, bullying, sexual assault, gender inequity, systemic racism, homophobia, body image, and mental health. Through this book, young girls will begin to understand these essential concepts and apply them in their own lives as they go through the journey of life. 

My project addressed the lack of resources available to families impacted by domestic abuse. With the help of a previous Consumer Science teacher, I constructed an ongoing project to help raise awareness of domestic violence to local students by allowing them to sew and donate pajama pant bundles to the shelter as part of their curriculum.  I made a video to explain the project to the students and how they can contribute to the cause.  I also donated extra fabric to the program to encourage the students to make additional pants if they choose. 

My Gold Award project addressed the issue of bringing the topic of black hair in the conversation and the things that some may feel uncomfortable to talk about aloud pertaining to their appearance. I created the Rooted Paradise Club (RPC) as a space for those to reemphasized that our differences are our biggest strength and it is what brings us closer together as a community than ever before. Hair has been a central topic in my life and the lives of so many other girls and guys, so founding this club allowed me to create a safe space for all to discuss different kinds of hair, which is the first and biggest step we can all take in order to acquire knowledge about the forever evolving society we live in.

My Gold Award project addressed the excess storm water in Vernon Hills and the declining pollinator population in North America by designing and implementing a 300 square foot rain garden at the Vernon Hills Arbor Theater. The rain garden will absorb the storm water before it can enter the stream. I educated my community and inspired them to consider taking action to install their own rain garden. Throughout this project I exhibited at the Vernon Hills Public Works Open House, I was interviewed twice for Channel 4 (posted on YouTube), made an English and Spanish brochure for the Vernon Hills Public Works to use on their drainage calls, and educated several Girl Scout Troops in the area about rain gardens.

For my Gold Award project I created a raised garden bed for Woodview Elementary School in order to make participating in their garden program easier for kids with special needs. Over the course of my project I did lots of research, made blueprints, and constructed the garden bed, which was ready to use this spring. It was amazing working with different members of my community to make this happen and I am so grateful for all of their help! 

I created and implemented bee houses for native bee species at Fullersburg Woods and worked with the Dupage Forest Preserve to add educational information pertaining to these bees to their center. I made these houses in order to attract more bees to the location and allow a habitat for them, something that is continuously being lost from the natural world. In addition, the education allowed visitors to the preserve to learn about the conservation of these insects and the efforts that it requires. I was responsible for the design, research, and creation of the houses, along with the majority of the educational add-ons. 

My Gold Award project focused on raising awareness for the growing number of retired racing greyhounds in need of homes in the United States, especially after greyhound racing was effectively banned in the state of Florida in 2020. Through the creation of a children’s book, this project sought to raise awareness of the breed in the Chicago Northwest suburbs, as many families in that area have the means to support an adoptable greyhound. The book, titled “Born To Run,” was published in March of 2021 and donated to local institutions across the Chicago Northwest suburbs. This included 10 libraries, elementary schools, pre-schools, summer camps and pediatric offices. It was published with the generous help of Greyhounds Only, Virtuoso Press and illustrator Sara Niemiec. 

My Gold Award created a native plant garden in my local community to give animal pollinators a safe place to rest and pollinate the local plant life while beautifying the town. My goal was not only to help animals, but also to educate the community on the importance of pollination and the benefits of native plants. I encouraged them to make a difference by creating a series of step-by-step videos and a Facebook page on how to create their own garden from scratch. 

I combined a flag retirement ceremony with a youth educational event. I taught young adults and kids about the history of our flag and importance of respecting and retiring flags. The youth involved in this ceremony were also taught the proper way to fold a flag.

For my Gold Award I began by looking at some key issues in why illiteracy was occurring in America. I found that an important part of cognitive development and education for young children is access to books in homes and at school. To help with this, I hosted a book drive to collect books for children at the pre-k level for a lower income school district. I collected over 500 books to be distributed to 185 students across 3 schools and be donated to classroom libraries. In addition, the locations that aided me in book collection agreed to collect books in future years to be donated to the same school district.

“Party with a Purpose” aimed to address the issue of how domestic violence and foster care impact children. All too often, children who are affected by domestic violence and foster care have to deal with “adult issues” rather than being allowed to just be children. Children housed in a local domestic violence facility and some who participated in its foster care program were provided with a temporary “mental escape” from domestic violence and foster care while they were allowed to reclaim their innocence and enjoy being children through the enjoyment of a celebratory birthday party (with food and gifts) hosted in their honor. The goal of the yoga and stress management mini-workshop component of the party was to provide participants with strategies to better manage stress and their temperaments, which can lead to domestic violence situations and poor short- and long-term mental health if not properly managed.

Playtime is an important part to childhood because it helps to support crucial development in children, yet many children don’t have access to toys. For my project, I installed ‘give a toy, take a toy’ bins in two different communities. One is outside of Little Beans Cafe, a children’s play center in Evanston, IL that offers free programs to low-income kids in my community. The other is at a public beach on a small lake in Mudeline, IL that is always in need of sand toys. These bins are for people to donate toys they no longer use, and people to take toys that they need. It is modeled after the Little Free Library book boxes found around many neighborhoods. To expand my idea, I created a step by step guide to help others create a give a toy, take a toy box in their own community.

For my Gold Award my mission was to distribute stuffed animals to children who are experiencing the deportation of their parents or guardians. With these bears, children will feel comfort while they are going through these trying times. I hope to spread the awareness of the immigration and deportation process a nd the toll it has on those affected, especially children.

For my Gold Award, I Ied four teams to create 30 hand-tied blankets for the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) at Rush Copley Medical Center in Aurora, IL. The blankets aid in the development of premature babies and provide comfort to their families. I created an instructional video and editable Google Slides and sent them to Rush Copley for future blanket making projects. I also made a NICU experience video with my parents (as I was born prematurely) that was shared on my social media, and sent out a Google Forms survey to the nurses regarding the impact of the blankets.

Along with the help of a woman and children’s shelter, I was able to create a program to donate home furnishings to women transitioning out of shelters. My project also focused on creating a donation event to fully furnish an entire apartment for a transitioning mother and her children, with the excess going back into the program for other women. After that was completed I created a implementation and process packet for other large nonprofits to adapt.

For my Gold Award, I created 120 Busy Bags and donated them to a local hospital to help kids have a distraction while they are in the hospital. With the help of my generous community and those around me, I was able to create 30 bags for four different age levels to best fit the needs of the recipients. 

My goal was to create a website with a variety of resources (videos and text aids) with advice for incoming high school freshmen. The middle school to high school transition can be scary and I was determined to ease some students’ minds with my advice. My website contains advice and information about my high school specifically and high school in general. For example, how to schedule classes, how to manage time, how to be involved, etc. 

Jackie’s Biblioteca was a project that came from my love of reading and my wish to share that with other little girls. I collected over 200 books, written in Spanish, to establish a library in an all-girl’s elementary school in my hometown in Mexico. I wanted the books, ranging in topics, genres, and reading levels, to be able to provide the girls with the ability to literally take their education in their own hands.

For my Gold Award, I used my own knowledge of coping skills alongside the knowledge of other specialists and those in my community to create concise “Coping Cards”. I placed these cards in local businesses around my community to spread information about mental health skills and to help break the stigma of mental illness.

My Gold Award is solely based on the purpose of inclusion and making Girl Scouts enjoyable for all girls. I wanted there to be accommodations for Deaf and Hard of Hearing people whether it be the Girl Scouts themselves or the parents/troop leaders.

The root cause of the issue addressed by my Gold Award was the accessibility for all visitors of the Indiana Dunes State Park. My family and I enjoy visiting State Parks throughout the year. My sister has a disability that does not allow her to walk long distances so the utilization of accessible parking is very important to my family when we visit the parks. The Indiana Dunes State Park and myself recognized that throughout the years the wear and tear made the lines no longer visible to the accessible parking spaces. Not only were the lines not visible, some parking spaces were not up to ADA code. I worked with the park to fix these issues as well as create awareness surrounding the importance of ADA accessible parking and pathways. 

For my Gold Award I built a mini library in one of the most diverse zip codes in Chicago. This library would provide residents with access to all kinds of books, flyers for community resources and events, and encourage community connection. I included books for kids, adults, books in different languages, and braille books. My hope for this project is that it will help everyone have equal access to books to ultimately decrease the illiteracy rate in some communities. 

There are over 200 million people worldwide with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).  This project aimed to help end the isolation of individuals with IDD by promoting inclusion. A video and resources for Munster High School was created with the participation of members from Best Buddies to be used for school orientation and beyond. 

I created a website that could help educate people on diabetes. I focus more on Type 1 than Type 2 because I am a Type 1 diabetic. It is meant as a resource for newly diagnosed diabetics but also anyone just wanting to know more since the disease is becoming more common to see. I want to help my friends and other people to learn more about what I and millions of other people live with on a daily basis. 

I worked with second and third grade students at Forrestal Elementary School in North Chicago. My project was aimed at helping these students relieve anxiety from the trauma they experience at home and the pandemic.

I created over 100 math and sight-word flashcards.  These were given to tutors to use with underprivileged in Pre-K through 2nd grade.  I worked with the tutors to create kits which were split into different age groups and personalized ability levels.  I also included in the kits given to each student stickers, bookmarks and a chart to keep track of their progress.

I established a hands-on educational program at my former elementary school that serves to encourage enduring interests in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) among its students. I supervised the construction of garden beds on the grounds of the school. Three-Sisters (corn, beans, squash) gardens are now planted and harvested in these garden beds by students as part of their course of instruction. I also established a sustainable service-based educational program whereby an extracurricular organization helps tend to the gardens during non-school hours and then finds a successor organization at the conclusion of its participation in the program.

My Gold Award project promoted books with female empowerment and well-written girl protagonists as I donated book club materials that specifically focused on these topics along with the corresponding books. The donations were sent to organizations and community houses that ran after school literacy programs so that they could essentially serve as a “book club in a box.” Anyone could pick up these books and materials and start a book club with a group of middle schoolers. To make sure the materials I was donating were effective I ran a book club with my local middle school where I got to see how students responded to the discussion questions and activities that I wrote, as well as some that I compiled from the Internet. 

Scouting the Rainbow is a Gold Award project that provides Girl Scouts and troop leaders with a brief but robust education about the LGBTQ+ community. The project is broken down into three concise lessons, each of which highlights topics critical for gaining a basic understanding of the diverse LGBTQ+ community, including historical contexts and current issues. The project aims to show how Girl Scouts can be inclusive, effective LGBTQ+ allies.

My Gold Award focused on the lack of representation in women in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). I created open-source AI curriculum this is accessible to anyone in hopes to alleviate the discrepancy between men and women in the field of AI.  

Books are unarguably an essential aspect of education. However, they are often costly or difficult to obtain. Academic books can be incredibly expensive, and gently used books in large quantities can be difficult to come by. In light of COVID-19, further budget cuts and decreases to school libraries are being made. Now more than ever, book donations are essential to maintaining the quality of education in schools. I worked with schools to host book donations to decrease book waste and increase the ability to help less privileged schools. 

As the rates of online scams against the elderly are especially high, technology literacy amongst the group is pertinent. As part of my project, I created materials to educate the elderly on subjects such as video conferencing and password management. Through these efforts I was able to make my audience more aware of these online threats and arm them with the knowledge to realize and/or prevent them from happening. 

My project helped to bring non-perishable, non-food items to families at risk of poverty or lack of housing. The concept of the ‘BAG IT’ program is to bring awareness of feasible solutions to students from both public and parochial schools to connect them with their community. The solution- a free, reusable, eco friendly bag made from tshirts filled with the aforesaid items to be distributed along with the Greater Chicago Food Depository food program.

In My Backyard is made up of a series of kits to be checked out at the library. They provide information on rocks/fossils, the sky, bugs, and flora/fauna that the kids can explore at home, with examples that can be found in their own backyards. The activities, crafts, and information provides some of my favorite aspects of scouting to kids in the community.

For my Gold Award, I decided to plant a pollinator garden at my high school. Throughout 3 years of high school, I researched, prepared, and brainstormed plans for the garden.  By planting a variety of flowers and plants, and additional spots for the pollinators, such as rocks for butterflies to sun and a bee bath, I was able to create an environment for pollinators that I am very proud of.  Throughout the project, I also write multiple articles for the school newspaper about the issues regarding pollinator decline, the project, and how people individually can help at home.

The issue being addressed by my Gold Award was the lack of bluebird houses in a forest preserve in Lake County Illinois. This work is important because it helped to establish a healthy animal community and a more balanced blend of native species in the area. Having sturdy, well-built, and weather-proof houses will encourage bluebirds to nest and raise families.

I created a website that gave consumers a wide range of local farmers’ markets in the Northern Suburbs of Illinois where people can sustain their diets with locally sourced foods. This brings awareness to the fresh food grown locally and the farmers who grow the food. People can learn about the processes of growing food when they visit farmers’ markets and meet the farmers themselves, which encourages them to eat locally. 

My Gold Award project aimed to spread awareness about the sustainability of different types of packaging and how consumers can make the most environmentally friendly shopping habits when shopping in the grocery store. It is extremely important for consumers to recognize and understand the environmental impacts of the food packaging they purchase. Raising awareness about this unknown is the first step to spreading environmentally friendly shopping habits.

My Gold Award project taught kids how to cook for themselves by hosting a class for kids as well as handing out cookbooks to many people. The class and cookbook taught the basics of kitchen safety and healthy eating. By teaching children the skills to cook for themselves, they are able to take more control over their health and decide what kind of lifestyle they want to live. This gives kids a sense of ownership over their life and provides an important life skill. 

My Gold Award project was a way for teenagers to learn how to cope and identify their stress and anxiety. Learning certain techniques can help you get through your daily life and eventually for the long term. I wanted to make a difference and spread the word that no one is alone when it comes to stress and anxiety. I made a PowerPoint presentation explaining what exactly stress and anxiety are, along with several exercises that help calm you down and focus on the right thoughts instead of the wrong ones. Then I had a group of teenagers take a quiz before and after the video to observe if they had learned anything new or just feedback in general. 

Life threatening domestic violence affects more people than we think, and it happens on a smaller, local scale, which is why I decided to work with WINGS, an organization that provides housing, counseling, and education for survivors of domestic violence. There was a lack of decoration surrounding the WINGS building, making it plain and unwelcoming for clients who visit for counseling. I addressed this issue, and improved the ecosystem, by beautifying the area with colorful plants that attract pollinators. The native plants I implemented will come back year after year, enduring the Illinois weather so the counseling center will continue to be a pleasant sight to greet the clients and staff for years to come. 

For my Gold Award I created a vegetable information binder that included recipes and information in both English and Spanish about different vegetables. I made this binder for the Roberti Community House (RCH) in Waukegan because they distribute unique vegetables that are donated from surrounding grocery stores to people in need on a weekly basis. Sometimes the people receiving the vegetables are not familiar with them or how to prepare them. With this binder the volunteers at RCH can copy the relevant vegetable page and include it with the food being handed out that day. In this way when the people receive the vegetable they can learn a little about the health benefits and how to prepare it instead of having it go to waste. 

For my Gold Award I taught underprivileged elementary and middle school boys and girls the importance of playing a sport that will not only benefits their physical but mental well-being. I provided the kids with valuable skills of volleyball and athleticism that they will hopefully continue their whole lives. I addressed the importance of teamwork, health, and life skills throughout the clinic. I also provided Beacon Place with 18 volleyballs donated from Wilson Sporting Goods and my family.

I demonstrated the importance of fitness in everyday life while connecting how being body positive is also a great health benefit that can better a person’s physical and mental stability. I taught and demonstrated a choreographed Zumba dance to a group of younger adolescent Girl Scouts. I also made a video that is posted on my YouTube channel and will be demonstrated in the Galowich YMCA Zumba program for a introduction to Zumba to the community.

When the world was hit with multiple crises at the same time it cast teenagers into a world of unknown, stripping them from their normal coping mechanisms and the inability to gather together. My Gold Award aimed to supply teenagers with new coping mechanisms to not only survive but to thrive and push forward with rebuilt foundations.

My project, Kindness Connection Rocks, involved putting painted rocks with inspirational messages in multiple Chicago Park District parks. These rocks were meant to give park visitors something to look for while visiting and serve as a reminder of their community and the fact that people are thinking of them. On the back of each rock was the link a website that I created. The website has introductory resources about mental health and how to get help. My project helps address the decrease in access to mental health resources during the pandemic and foster community and positivity in a time where people are feeling disconnected.

The issue my project addresses is the proper nutritional and hydration elements needed to assist athletes between the of ages 11-18. Sports nutrition is a foundational element for players to perform at their best. Educating players and establishing good fueling and hydration habits will help players to arrive prepared, perform, and recover from a practice, training, or competition, Athletes often realize the importance of training and continued dedication to practicing their athletics skills in order to develop their game. However, the emphasis and impact of fueling and hydrating can be overlooked causing injury. It is important for athletes to understand proper nutrition strategies can help maintain their basketball athletes performance. Nutrition is important factor among many behaviors that can be used to successfully drive individual performance.

My Gold Award aimed to address the mental health crisis in our youth and across all ages. Many people, not just people with mental illnesses, face tough challenges and emotions, and a lot of people don’t know how to cope. I taught children the signs of depression and anxiety, and how to cope with these feelings. 

For my Gold Award, I worked with the Selah Freedom home in Florida to raise awareness surrounding sex trafficking. I helped to organize a virtual run with runner from across the United States. In assisting with the virtual run I was able to fund new sport equipment and patio furniture for the Selah Freedom house. 

For my Gold Award I created a website for women’s right issues that are not spoken about enough in the mainstream media. I covered topics like female genital mutilation and digital sex crimes in hopes that people would gain enough knowledge to make a difference for the women experiencing these tragedies. I also included why learning about these issue is important and specific ways people could help. 

My Gold Award aimed to address how many children suffer from feelings of loneliness or a lack of deep friendships. This program gives children opportunities to discover what they love and build strong and lasting relationships. Also, my program taught young kids coping skills.

The church I go to, St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, sits on a large plot of land. We hold many events (including festivals, cookouts, bible summer camps, and even Sunday masses) outside, but it requires a lot of time and labor to haul up folding chairs and tables from the church basement. I worked with the church to create picnic tables that will be stationary and not require time and labor to set up.

My Gold Award project aimed to address the issue of families and students who are experiencing food insecurity in my community. This is especially important since the pandemic has taken so much from our community such as jobs which allow people to buy necessities to survive. I created a Little Food Pantry where locals could donate food or take food based on their need. 

For my Gold Award, I worked with a local Evanston non-profit, Connections for the Homeless, to organize their storage room. When I began my Gold Award, Connections for the Homeless was having a difficult time getting clothing to people because their storage room was unorganized and lacking materials such as sorting tables, laundry baskets and racks. I worked to gather these supplies and provide a solution for their storage and organization needs. 

Pack Up Homelessness was a two-part project. The first part was collecting donations and sorting through them. These donations were then sorted and used. The donations not used for the second part of my project went to WINGS, Home of the Sparrow, and the food bank. The second part of my project was packing goodie bags or survival bags for people experiencing homelessness. During this packing, over 20 volunteers participated in helping with the packing and over 100 bags were successfully handed out!  

I addressed the issue of homelessness with my Gold Award project. There are many people living in America who do not have stable housing. This is especially dangerous in the winter time when sleeping on the streets may become deadly. The Interim Housing Program run by COOL Ministries helps families move into permanent housing, and gives people the life skills they need to stay off the streets. Helping COOL Ministries with their mission will allow them to help more homeless families for years to come.

Food insecure people with allergies are often unable to access donations at food pantries that safely meet their dietary restrictions. This can have life-threatening consequences, so for my Gold Award I decided to help pantries provide more options for those with allergies and dietary restrictions.

I often see people riding their bikes in unsafe ways and they don’t know how to take care of the bike. My Gold Award worked to create videos about bike safety and maintenance. Through researching, creating and showing these videos I hope to raise awareness of bike safety in my community and beyond. 

My project was about teaching  girls how to defend themselves if they are in danger. I talked about different ways you can be on the lookout for any strange behavior and to be aware of your surroundings. I also taught the girls a couple of moves to use if they are ever in need. 

For my Gold Award I created a program for children to learn tennis. My friends and I taught basic skills and provided tennis equipment for each child to keep. I documented everything I did and created a step by step sheet for girls on my high school tennis team to recreate this program in the future. 

I worked alongside the DuPage Forest Preserve to build and install new jumps in the Equestrian Center. By building jumps for them I both enhanced their already existing
equipment and resources available, and taught others more about horseback-riding and what goes along with it. 

My Gold Award project is dedicated to getting girls interested in STEM at an early age and focused on closing the gender gap in this field. This involved interviewing women role models in STEM fields as well collaborating with them to create videos. Additionally, I also lead inspiring science activities with large groups of girls that proved very successful. Finally, I built a website that acts as a resource to inspire girls and let them follow their dreams.