The Girl Scout Gold Award is the highest award a Girl Scout can earn. Each year, Girl Scout Ambassadors and Seniors work to identify a current issue that is important to them and take action to demonstrate leadership, sustainability, and measurable impacts to implement real change in their communities and around the world. Investing 80 hours of planning and implementation, Girl Scouts become pros in team building, problem solving, project planning, and time management. The mark of the truly remarkable, the Girl Scout Gold Award is a direct representation of the immense courage, confidence, and character of our Girl Scouts.

Our 2022 Gold Award Girl Scouts faced undeniable challenges this year. From transitioning out of a global pandemic, navigating civil unrest and a countless number of other obstacles, their ability to overcome and embrace the unknown shows their resilience and determination to make positive change. We are so incredibly proud of each of our Gold Award Girl Scouts and the monumental advances they are making worldwide. Continue reading to hear about some of the amazing projects our Gold Award Girl Scouts completed this year!

Yasmine A.

Wake Forest, Wake County

Project: Adapted Books for Students with Disabilities

Reading is a fundamental part of student learning, and students with disabilities do not always have the proper resources needed to excel in basic school curriculums. Yasmine decided that for her Gold Award she would create adaptive reading books for high-school students with disabilities, so that they can have the same opportunities to learn. She chose a popular book used in high school classrooms and adapted it to various reading levels so students could grasp the main points of the book. Teachers across the country used her adapted book in their classrooms. Following her high school graduation, Yasmine plans on attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to study psychology, and hopes to go to medical school to become a psychiatrist.

Thalya C.

Fayetteville, Cumberland County

Project: Scout Building Renovation

Having a safe and comfortable space for studying can make a world of difference. For her Gold Award, Thalya hosted 8 workshops with about 70 youth to teach them about mental health and how they can make their own spaces at home comfortable and inviting through DIY projects. Thalya also recognized a need for renovations at her church in the building where various troops have weekly meetings. In order to provide a welcoming space, she made a plan with the pastor and implemented updates to the paint, flooring, furniture, and technology in the building. Through the struggles of a pandemic, her efforts will provide many children with a fresh new atmosphere to thrive in. In the future, Thalya plans to attend Fayetteville State University and major in computer science with a concentration in cybersecurity

Nithya G.

Apex, Wake County

Project: Code It!

Nithya noticed the under-representation of girls in STEM and decided to act. For her Gold Award project, she researched and developed a lesson plan that would inform young girls about STEM and how to do basic coding. After getting her plan together, Nithya reached out to schools in underprivileged areas in her community and told them about her program and how girls could get involved. She created flyers and emails to spread the word, and then hosted two virtual 3-day camps and enjoyed teaching the girls everything she knows. Nithya’s hard work will influence other young girls to get involved in STEM, and hopefully will inspire them to lead others as well.

Charleise H.

Hope Mills, Cumberland County

Project: PTSI, not PTSD

In an attempt to change the stigma around Post Traumatic Stress, Charleise centered her Gold Award project around the idea that the term Post Traumatic Stress Disorder misdirects proper medical treatment for those struggling with PTS. Charleise advocated that Post Traumatic Stress Disorder should be labeled as Post Traumatic Stress Injury. She started a petition for her cause and was able to gather over 100 signatures. She also partnered with the Ma22 organization to help distribute information about PTS and submitted a bill amendment proposal to request that the U.S. National Library of Medicine officially change the terminology from PTSD to PTSI. Following graduation, Charleise plans are to attend Western Governors University to study business administration and marketing.

Holly W.

Durham, Durham County

Project: Birding at Selah Ranch

When Holly learned about the Pure Hope Foundation and their Selah Ranch, she saw a gap in the outdoor activities that they offer. While the ranch offers disc golf trails, there were no nature trails for others to enjoy. Holly used this realization to plan and implement educational bird trails and graphic panels around the ranch, in hopes of attracting more families to enjoy the outdoors. She exceeded her original goal of one bird trail by creating three trails, also incorporating11 educational graphic panels to enjoy while on your walk. She plans on continuing her efforts with the Pure Hope Foundation to improve her trails, and to host “Bird Fest” that will feature her trails and highlight all of her hard work. Holly is currently applying for colleges and plans to major in biology and possibly pursue a career as a naturalist.

Gold Award Girl Scouts are the true leaders of tomorrow. No matter which topic they decide on, Girl Scouts put their time, energy, and heart into their Gold Award Projects. We are beyond proud of each and every one of this year’s Gold Award Girl Scouts, and cannot wait to see what they will accomplish in the future! For more info on the Gold Award, visit our website today.