Haley D. Paws n Whiskers, My Gold Award Project provides educational and physical resources for two animal rescues. I made 30 starter baskets to help owners easily transition to animal ownership. All starter baskets included either a hand-sewn dog bandana or a catnip toy. I also created an educational pamphlet and website, which are used as an educational resource for local rescues.

Lily H. Animal Welfare Club, My Gold Award Project is a new Animal Welfare Club at my high school. The goal of the club was to empower members and provide them hands-on experiences. Club members were provided with multiple opportunities to learn and participate in various enrichment activities. Members took this information and experiences from the club to provide safe and nurturing environments for all animals. We met our goal by teaching members of my club how to properly care for and advocate for animals.

Aleah Noelle R. Eyes on Owls: A Sustainable Makeover for Wildlife Education, My Gold Award Project is a self-led revamp of an Owl Enclosure at the little red schoolhouse to improve the safety, enrichment, and overall well-being of the habitat in benefit for the owl. I researched the ideal environmental conditions, structural and natural elements, and coordinated necessary resources along with volunteers to create a more sustainable and stimulating space that better supported the owl’s physical and behavioral needs.

Elizabeth W. Pet Pantries, My Gold Award Project is the creation of two pet pantries to serve low-income families in Eastern Will County and Kendall County. The pantries are filled with pet supplies, and people can come and take what they need or even donate what extra they have.

Grace P. Creating Community Through Theatre for Pre-Teens & Teens, My Gold Award Project focuses on boosting participation in performing arts in our school district and building community for younger students by creating a safe, confidence-building space through theatre. The root cause was insufficient outreach to elementary, middle, and high school students, which limited involvement in the program. To address this, I established a pathway for younger students by inviting them to audition for high school productions for the first time in our school’s history where I served as a student director coaching them on acting, lines, dances, and performance. I also designed and led an inaugural yearly theatre workshop for middle schoolers, complete with instructions and a trained successor to ensure its continuation.

Triniti W. Extending The Arts, My Gold Award Project addresses the issue of fading non-profit arts education. While many things in today’s world are expected to produce income, this has especially impacted the world of fashion and art-making. Through a collaboration with an iconic Chicago fashion designer, I was able to connect young students with the process of fashion entrepreneurship. I offered no-cost educational opportunities surrounding art-making and entrepreneurial realities, emphasizing the benefit of community and philanthropy. While money will always be a powerful incentive, the profit made from art was portrayed as something to be used for social advancement, not simply as the end goal.

Riley B. Flagpole at Larson Residence, My Gold Award Project benefits the Larson Residence which is a men’s homeless shelter for veterans. They had their flagpole knocked down in a bad storm a few years ago so I built them a new one that included a solar-powered LED light, and an easy system on the pole for lowering and changing the flag. I also hosted and led a class for three Girl Scout troops from my area; one Daisy, one Brownie, and one Junior; where I taught them about flag etiquette and the history of the American flag as well as having them plant flowers around the newly built flag pole.

Margaret F. Reorganized Clothing Room at Connections For The Homeless, My Gold Award Project improves the system used in the clothing room at the Connections for The Homeless location Hilda’s Place in Evanston, IL. My goal was to make the system more organized and efficient for both the volunteers and the people in need. By making it easier for the people in need to identify and obtain clothes, it makes their experience in securing clothing a more pleasant experience. I also created a new system for the volunteers in the clothing room so that the volunteers can both learn and understand the rules they must follow and have a less cluttered and more organized workspace.

Grace F. Paper, Personal Essentials, and Planting, My Gold Award Project serves my community by collecting over 1,200 donations of personal essential products, which are items such as toilet paper, paper towels, napkins, cleaning products, and soaps. These items were donated to my local food pantry. Additionally, I educated a Brownie troop about the importance of these items to our food pantries, and we learned about sustainability by planting strawberry plants and donating the fruit.

Jenna G. Braille Menus, My Gold Award Project assists people with disabilities by creating Braille menus for individuals who are blind. This initiative aims to empower these individuals by enabling them to navigate restaurant menus independently, enhancing their dining experience without relying on others. By providing accessible Braille menus, I hope to promote inclusivity and independence, ensuring that everyone, regardless of visual ability, can enjoy the simple pleasure of choosing their own meal confidently and with dignity.

Evelyn H. Building a Website & Growing Awareness for Local Food Pantry, My Gold Award Project is a new website for my local food pantry to improve outreach and uphold its mission of “neighbors with neighbors.” The website led to a 63% increase in weekly volunteers over one year, with sign-up slots now filled months in advance, as well as an increase in donations. In such a critical moment of SNAP benefits being threatened and fear amongst marginalized communities, it felt powerful to ensure the pantry could continue to meet increased demands and support our community.

Lia J. Creating an Inclusive Environment through Golf, My Gold Award Project creates inclusive experiences for children from my church and children with disabilities. In partnership with Golf for Life NFP, I host a four week summer program teaching all aspects of the game of golf. Through this partnership, participants are connected to resources like clubs and equipment through the Kids Golf Foundation. To extend the program’s impact, I create a YouTube video so participants can revisit skills, get additional support, and share the experience with others.

Abeedah O. Reading Encouragement: A Library and Classroom in Nigeria, My Gold Award Project addresses the issue of reading deserts in other countries by establishing a library in a primary school in Nigeria. Through doing this the children at the school have greater access to books, improving their literacy rates, and giving them access to books they may not have had otherwise. My Gold Award Project also addresses the issue by expanding the learning opportunities of the students with the addition of a new classroom for them to learn in, which will give them the space and room they need to learn.

Alaya R. Small Box, Big Impact: A Community Food Pantry at a Police Station, My Gold Award Project addresses local food insecurity by creating and implementing a sustainable community food pantry at a police station, providing free and accessible food to individuals and families in need. Through partnerships, organization, and community outreach, this project promotes health, dignity, and long-term support for the surrounding neighborhood.

Kate S. Hattie B. Williams Food Pantry Community Gathering Space, My Gold Award Project is a new warm and welcoming space for fellowship and meaningful interaction at a local food pantry. My Gold Award Project was inspired by my experience volunteering at the Hattie B. Williams Food Pantry. While there, I observed that both volunteers and pantry recipients had a strong desire to socialize and build a sense of community. However, there wasn’t a designated space for them to gather and connect. I noticed an unused outdoor area that, with some care, creativity, and the addition of furniture, I transformed it into a space for everyone to enjoy who visits the food pantry.

Keigan S. Sweet Cases, My Gold Award Project supports foster kids by providing “sweet cases” personalized suitcases, filled with essentials and comfort items to help restore dignity and hope as they transition through the foster care system. These bags not only replaced the standard trash bags often used to carry their belongings, but also carry daily needs like clothing , toiletries, and other supplies frequently in short supply due to tight budgets. Through this project, I brought awareness to the struggles foster children face and made a lasting impact by helping them feel valued and prepared.

Liliana T. NAWS Shelter Donation Drive, My Gold Award Project addresses the need for supplies in local shelters. Not only did it raise an extremely large amount of supplies for a local shelter, NAWS, it also worked to educate the public about how they could better support their local shelters. This was achieved through an educational video as well as distributing educational pamphlets throughout the local community.

Mckenzie W. Women in Golf, My Gold Award Project spreads awareness and brings people together through golf. I hosted a recruitment drive and a series of skill based workshops, and created a golf club called Golf Hour to provide a space where everyone can enjoy the sport. Golf Hour takes place one Thursday each month at South Shore Golf Course, where all are welcome to learn about the course, participate in activities, and take advantage of lessons. The goal is to create a safe, fun, and inclusive environment for golfers of all levels.

Lilian Z. Sports For All, My Gold Award Project makes sports more accessible to teenagers with disabilities in my city. I addressed this issue by creating a weekend sports workshop that combined my sports connections as well as my connection to the disability community within my high school to create this project. I had multiple participants come to multiple weeks and practice playing a different sport each week such as basketball, soccer, and kickball. Sports For All is now intertwined with an existing club called Wildkit Buddies at my school.

Belen B. SMV Children’s Library, My Gold Award Project increases literarcy at my church. I created a children’s library filled with religious books. This gives families direct access to hundreds of faith-filled books for children and encourages them to dive deeper into their faith.

Zenia B. You and Your Skin, My Gold Award Project educates people on science-based skincare practices and how to resist misinformation from social media trends. Building upon a skin science research project from school, I developed informational brochures and packets that explained how sleep, brain development, stress, and other factors affect skin health, then distributed them to over 300 individuals at 12 locations including, dermatology clinics, libraries, and community centers across the Greater Chicago area.

Kaitlyn B. GiGi’s Playhouse Youth Advisory Board, My Gold Award Project is a new Youth Advisory Board for GiGi’s Playhouse. With the formation of a Youth Advisory Board, GiGi’s Playhouse will gain new insights from the perspective of teens in organizing events for participants, fundraising ideas, spreading awareness, and embracing individuals with Down syndrome. Through the Youth Advisory Board we have provided educational opportunities for teens to learn about Down syndrome, helping to dispel misconceptions and encourage a mindset that embraces differences. Leading by example and actively involving teens in GiGi’s Playhouse programs increases awareness about Down syndrome and also inspires others to become advocates for inclusion within their own communities.

Serena G. DECA Chapter, My Gold Award Project is a new DECA chapter at my school. I lead and designed meetings using DECA guidelines, facilitated presentations, discussions, research, and most importantly introduced members to real-world business concepts through role-plays and case studies. I also coordinated competition preparation with my advisor, the DECA team, and my school staff. These competitions allowed students to apply their skills in professional, high-pressure scenarios.

Ayra K. Spark Your Career, My Gold Award Project tackles the challenges high school students face when discovering and exploring careers they are passionate about that will guide them through college and beyond. I organized a career fair and created an Instagram page to share career insights, resources, and professional spotlights and access to information. Ultimately, my project increases awareness of diverse career paths and fosters a stronger sense of direction and purpose as students transition to higher education and future careers.

Rifaa M. Decode & Discover: Reading Mastery for Students, My Gold Award Project teaches literacy skills to students at my local community center. I hosted a series of five workshops, with each class targeting a unique skill related to reading proficiency. I also created lesson plans with outcomes and benchmarks that I shared with other teachers at my community center, as well as a global organization, to continue impacting students with the curriculum I created.

Kelsey R. Making Waves for Water Safety, My Gold Award Project addresses the importance of water safety, including education on safe practices around bodies of water. I also outlined how to contact government officials to push for water safety education in schools and to request for all beaches to have lifeguards.

Stella A. Our Fashion Footprint: A Girl Scout Patch, My Gold Award Project addresses the issue of fast fashion and its impact on our environment and society through a new Girl Scout patch program. I created resources that educate girls about the ways that irresponsible consumerism and unsustainable clothing production affect the health of the environment and deprive garment workers of fair rights and reasonable wages. Girl Scouts wo earn this patch will not only go on to learn about the issue of fast fashion, but will also learn how to take steps in their own lives and communities to start building a greener fashion future.

Inika B. Drones in Environmental Conservation, My Gold Award Project aims to enhance waste cleanup efforts by monitoring green spaces in the City of Chicago and Indiana Dunes National Park with autonomous drones, increasing the overall amount of trash collected and concentrating cleanup efforts in places that truly need it. Previous beach and park cleanups have not been as efficient because small groups of volunteers are tasked with covering vast areas in a limited time. By utilizing autonomous (self-flying) drones and specialized trash detection software, I have set up a system that can detect trash and alert park organizations when an area of the park accumulates a high trash density.

Claire C. Upcycling with Kindness, My Gold Award Project reduces waste and raises awareness about community upcycling initiatives and organizations. I organized resources for nonprofits by creating a lending library for starting 501(c) organizations, assembled care bags for a domestic abuse shelter, and established a plastic recycling partnership through the NexTrex Recycling Program. I also led educational upcycling workshops for younger Girl Scouts to teach them how to reuse household materials and reduce waste.

Madeline H. Bat Bash!, My Gold Award Project focuses on bat conservation. I wrote and illustrated a short story about three girls who bond over a shared dedication to the environment and bats, before posting it on a website I created. I then proceeded to host a Bat Bash: an event filled with games and activities all centered around bat protection and environmental conservation (including favorites such as “Herbicide Hunt” and “Pollution Polo”!)

Alyssa M. Rain to Resource, My Gold Award project is designing, building, and donating rain barrels to local elementary schools in my district, providing a practical solution to stormwater runoff and water conservation. By collecting and reusing rainwater from school rooftops, the system reduces strain on storm drains and supports sustainable water use. The barrels remain on campus as a long-term educational tool, giving students a tangible example of environmental responsibility.

Ariella P. The Less Litter Project, My Gold Award Project is a clean-up station made to combat the trash in my local parks. I worked together with my park district to place the station optimally, and then worked with the rest of my team to make both the station itself and a website with data collection.

Cailin R. Securing a Greener Future- Placing the Planet in the Next Generation’s Hands, My Gold Award Project is a new green space for students and the surrounding community to use and learn in. Fixing up the garden gave students a new place to learn, and by planting native plants, it helps to support declining pollinator populations by contributing another resting place in a space that is becoming more and more urban. It was implemented in an elementary school to help the students be more hands on and learn about the outside world.

Esmeralda S. Helping Pollinators and Spreading Awareness, My Gold Award Project helps pollinators and spreads awareness about their status and importance in our environment. For my project I created a pollinator garden at a local church in my area to provide a space for pollinators and to raise awareness, I created two large wooden butterflies and a sign with a QR code to catch people’s attention. I also educated a first grade class, two Girl Scout troops, and printed flyers out for a nature center and libraries. Lastly, I created a website and Instagram account on pollinators, participated in a pollinator event, and more to broaden my impact.

Lily A. Hobby Fair My Gold Award Project aims to combat the negative effects of overdependency on social media, such as mental health issues, by introducing a positive and easy-to-adopt solution: Hobbies! I specifically focused on middle schoolers, as middle school is a vulnerable and foundational time in life that is easily impacted by influences such as social media. I organized a Hobby Fair at my local library that taught four non-digital hobbies to encourage youth to take up activities that would benefit their mental health.

Aaliya B. Spice and Something Not So Nice, My Gold Award Project addresses health disparities within the South Asian community. I led interactive workshops on taking control of your health, created a podcast, and wrote a cookbook with healthier versions of classic South Asian dishes. I educated my community on how small sustainable changes, whether in cooking or exercise, can help prevent and manage the health risks they face while preserving cultural traditions.

Phoenix B. Friendship Bench, My Gold Award Project helps children develop social skills to avoid social isolation. I created four benches in my local park district that created an opportunity for children to help make long-lasting friendships with their peers and learn how to socialize around them. Each bench has a different question, simple enough for the children to answer, so they can elaborate on their answers to make conversations with their peers.

Maggie B. Stitching 4 Sanity, My Gold Award Project involves teaching monthly cross-stitching lessons in cooperation with my school’s Bring Change 2 Mind, a club that helps kids talk about mental health and the stereotypes around it. Cross-stitching is a great skill because it’s a creative outlet as well as a coping strategy for stress, that gives people a sense of accomplishment and pride when they finish a piece. It was so gratifying to watch students learn how to de-stress in a creative way.

Kelsey F. Addressing Depression and Building Community Connections Through Music Within Nursing Homes, My Gold Award Project assists senior citizens living in nursing homes overcome feelings of depression through building community connections. As a musician, I constantly experience the power music has to uplift mood and I wanted to share this with others. Through my research I discovered that seniors are often a neglected group suffering from depression. I designed my project to include volunteer high school musicians that would travel to the nursing homes providing free performances and teaching about music and the pieces performed; the music and community engagement from the high schoolers interacting with the seniors increases both party’s dopamine and successfully gave the seniors the feeling of belonging and being seen by the community.

Giada G. Musical Healing, My Gold Award Project addresses the often-overlooked issue of loneliness and lack of stimulation during hospital stays by providing supplies that support both mental and physical engagement, including two donated pianos and activity bags. I developed a sustainable Amazon Wishlist donation system and created reusable seasonal social media campaigns to ensure ongoing community engagement and support. This project provides comfort to hospital patients while also raising long-term awareness.

Peyton H. Mental Health Matters, My Gold Award Project provides teen students with practical tools and resources that teach mindfulness, emotional resilience, and healthy coping strategies to strengthen their mental health. I made 100 bracelets and tri-folds. I had five strategies, meaning 20 bracelets for each strategy. Each strategy had colors that corresponded to the bracelets. In my tri-fold, I explained self-acceptance, each strategy, how to use it, and gave examples.

Landyn H. Mental Health Toolkit, My Gold Award Project is a mental health toolkit that the teachers and staff at The Answer Inc are able to use. This is a Saturday tutoring program for students with special needs and autism, so the toolkit is a great support for the teachers to address the growing mental health concerns.

Skyla J. Connecting Children with Nature Through Literature, My Gold Award Project increase awareness among children and parents about the positive impact of nature on children’s health. I wrote and illustrated a children’s book that explores these benefits and provides engaging outdoor activities. To extend its reach, I donated copies to local libraries and schools.

Nuha K. Nuha’s Field of Flowers, My Gold Award Project is a sustainable garden that supports mental health by providing a peaceful outdoor space for mindfulness and reflection. I led a mental health and gardening program for middle school students, helping them connect with nature through activities like seed planting and reflective exercises. This project continues to promote emotional well-being through ongoing garden use and school-supported wellness programming.

Brooke M. Mental Health Support for Elementary Students, My Gold Award Project addresses the growing mental health issues in school-aged students. After COVID-19, there was an increase in mental health struggles in elementary school students. My goal was to address this issue within classrooms by giving teachers new resources to help support their students when they struggle with their emotions. This can also help students learn coping mechanisms at a young age that they can use as they get older. I created a mental health resource that students have easy access to in their classroom, helping teachers create a safe space for the best learning opportunity.

Iman M. Think Ahead: Alzheimer’s Awareness Starts Now, My Gold Award Project raises awareness about Alzheimer’s disease and teaches teens and young adults that healthy habits, like exercising, eating well, staying mentally active, and how maintaining social connections can help lower their risk later in life. I created an educational project using presentations and online resources to encourage long-term brain health.

Addison P. Hastings Lake YMCA Gaga Ball Pit, My Gold Award Project provides children with a safe and inclusive place to play. By playing in the Gaga Ball pit, the children developed interpersonal skills — for example, learning to work and play fairly with others. This also gave them the opportunity to be physically active, which promoted their health. Playing in the Gaga pit helped support the development of both gross and fine motor skills, as well as hand-eye coordination, which are important life skills needed in everyday life and sports.

Alisha P. Healthy Minds, My Gold Award Project helps seniors in my community who live alone and don’t get to connect much with people their age. For eight weeks I conducted different activities to help stimulate their mind and body, and allow them to build connections with other elders in our community. My materials have been passed to the Aging Gracefully Initiative who will continue to implement my activities with new activities that all build in the idea of mind and body stimulation, keeping the mind and body healthy as well as skills of connecting with the people around you.

Sara S. Rett Syndrome Awareness: Respect. Empower. Teach. Tell., My Gold Award Project creates awareness and educates others about Rett Syndrome in order for those affected to be treated with kindness and sensitivity. I was inspired by my cousin with Rett Syndrome to make my community a more inclusive place. I created informational pamphlets and a slideshow containing general information about Rett Syndrome such as what it is, whether a cure exists, and common symptoms to identify one with Rett. I also included statistics, what organizations work to raise awareness, and what people can do to help. I also created purple bracelets and distributed them with the pamphlets at a high school softball tournament for further reach and impact.

Lexie S. All Feelings Matter: Helping Kids Understand and Express Their Emotions, My Gold Award Project helps young readers recognize that their emotions are valid and important. I created a children’s picture book with the message that all feelings matter. It fosters emotional intelligence, encourages healthy expression of feelings, and promotes empathy by showing that everyone experiences a range of emotions. This foundation is crucial for mental well-being, social development, and conflict resolution skills as children grow.

Kayla Mauri S. Another Perspective: A Guide for Parents with Kids who are Struggling with Mental Health, My Gold Award Project raises awareness among parents about the importance of children’s mental health and how support can help a child’s well-being. Through interviews with peers and educated professionals, I created a book to help parents understand mental health and different way to approach their children so they can intervene earlier when their child is first in need of help.

Emilia A. Science, My Gold Award Project teaches kids STEM through fun and engaging, hands-on experiments. I lead activities like dancing raisins, homemade lava lamps, marshmallow tower building, catapults, magic milk, and oobleck to make science interactive and accessible. In total, I reached 80 participants across five different groups and facilitated 27 workshops across two volunteer sites.

Claire N. Coding Explorers: Expanding Young Engineering Minds My Gold Award Project provides children with hands-on experience in technology through interactive sessions that make learning basic coding fun and accessible. These opportunities may not otherwise be available during the school day or in after-school programs. Through engaging activities, I help students understand the real-world applications of coding while building digital literacy, encouraging creativity, and sparking interest in STEM careers. I continue to expand the project by posting lessons, articles, and blog content on my website for ongoing learning.

Nuha B. Helping Henna Hands, My Gold Award Project empowers women through a series of educational and skill-building workshops. I started by teaching henna techniques, with a skill showcase on the sixth day and continued practice through the last training session. Participants also learned how to set up a Shopify store to gain hands-on experience in managing an online business. Additionally, the workshops covered strategies for marketing themselves effectively on social media. To measure progress and impact, I conducted pre-event surveys, post-event surveys, and follow-up surveys after each class. Through these goals, I was able to equip participants with both creative and entrepreneurial skills that they can use to grow personally and professionally.

Katherine C. Women’s Self Defense, Information and Video, My Gold Award Project teaches women self defense strategies that actually work. I taught a series of basic self defense classes and produced a video to expand its reach beyond in person sessions.

Leila F. Ghana Period Project, My Gold Award Project helps girls in need get access to menstrual education and supplies. The girls of Mampong Methodist J.H.S, in Ghana, were given their own supplies such as reusable pads to keep and a presentation to understand what happens in their bodies. Lastly, a “Dignity Cupboard” was built that will be stocked yearly with pads, tampons, wipes, educational books to make sure they have anything they need easily accessible.

Kayla J. Self Defense Classes, My Gold Award Project is around the violence women face. I made a self defense class for the women within my high school as an opportunity to share and teach self defense. I taught these classes to give back to the women in my life who’ve taught me such important lessons, and with these classes I was able to do the same for them.

Emma K. Body Positivity/Positive Affirmation Project, My Gold Award Project is a presentation about body positivity and positive affirmations that I presented to a young group of Girl Scouts. My goal was to teach young girls how to talk about themselves in a positive way and see themselves as beautiful. To teach them how to recite positive affirmations, I had them all decorate positive affirmation mirrors.

Chloe M. Pink Box Project, My Gold Award Project provides free period products to both of my community’s local intermediate and middle schools through public donations and fundraising. I got sponsored by groups in my town, and communicated with each grade’s principals to get permission to set it up. Currently, there are 24 pink boxes located in each bathroom and relevant office, offering free items to be taken when needed; clubs at each school continue to run the operations after my graduation.

McKenzie Y. G.H.A.N.A – Ghana Hygiene Awareness Needs Action, My Gold Award Project educates my school community about the W.A.S.H. mission, a global issue in Ghana. I helped provide hand hygiene products to the Ghanaian community by having an annual drive in conjunction with Breaking Barriers and the National Honor Society, two clubs at my former high school.