Today is World Thinking Day, an annual celebration of global sisterhood among Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. The theme this year is peacebuilding, and we though it would be the perfect time to highlight our 2021 Prudential Spirit of Community Award honorees, a group of Girl Scouts who have shown their commitment to making the world a better place. The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards represent the United States’ largest youth recognition program based exclusively on volunteer community service. The program’s goal is to applaud young people who are making a positive difference in their towns and neighborhoods and, even more importantly, to inspire others to think about how they might contribute to the well-being of their communities.  Over the past 24 years, more than 125,000 young Americans have been officially recognized for their volunteer service.   

The following Girl Scouts are being honored with a 2021 Prudential Spirt of Community Award:

• Meghana C., grade 12 of Wake County has earned the Distinguished Finalist award; runner-up for the State-Level Honoree.  Meghana created the RESTEM Initiative (Rural Education STEM Initiative), which provides hands-on STEM kits to enhance learning in rural communities.  She began with the goal of helping 50 students from the village of Machilipatnam (Kaza), India.  Through a partnership with Duke University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a manufacturer in India, she was able to serve over 700 children ages 12-15.  She will receive a Certificate of Achievement and a bronze medallion. 
• Katherine (KaLa) K., grade 12 of Wake County has earned the Local Honoree designation and will receive a Certificate of Achievement.  KaLa established a Social Justice Club to involve teens in contemporary social issues and promote activism.  By the end of year one the club completed six projects and partner with five organizations. 
• Margaret C., grade 7 of Durham County has earned the Local Honoree designation and will receive a Certificate of Achievement.  Utilizing donation bins through her community, Margaret collected personal items and toiletries to assemble over 140 bags for homeless veterans as well as packaging and shipping eight cases of supplies to Afghanistan.
• Cara C., grade 6 of Nash County has earned the Local Honoree designation and will receive a Certificate of Achievement.  Cara capitalized on time at home during the pandemic to learn more about domestic violence and the homelessness of its victims.  Through the generosity of friends and family, Cara was able to create 84 blessing bags for My Sister’s House North Carolina. 
• Delaney M., grade 12 of Duplin County will receive a Certificate of Merit as the Local Honor runner-up.  Delaney educated her community about the importance of honeybees. 

CONGRATS, Girl Scouts! You have truly made an impact and helped the world become a better place!

Interested in applying for the 2022 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards? 

Students in grades 5-12 who live in the 50 states or Washington, D.C., and have conducted a volunteer service activity within the past year are eligible to apply.  Applications for the 2022 awards will open in September 2021.  Additional information will be available on our scholarship page in August 2021 or visit Prudential Spirit of Community Awards.