Each year, Gold Award Girl Scouts are eligible to earn the Stephanie A. Foote Leadership Prize. This award was made possible through a generous gift to Girl Scouts of Colorado’s Endowment by former Girl Scouts of Colorado President and CEO Stephanie A. Foote. “I am proud to recognize Girl Scouts whose Gold Award projects have made a lasting impact,” Foote said.
This year's Stephanie Foote Leadership Prize recipient is Orezi Ogbe. For Orezi's Gold Award project, she created, A Different Narrative, which is a website to collect first-hand accounts from Black students at different universities. The website is the only college review resource specific to the Black experience. The site will help prospective Black students with their college search and acceptance and level the playing field as they search for and apply to schools.
The Scholarship Committee would also like to recognize a few honorable mentions.
Amy Bechtel created the Seatbelt Awareness for Teen Drivers program for her Gold Award project. Amy kept seatbelt awareness in the forefront for all teenagers and increased seatbelt use among her peers by producing keychain charms to remind drivers to wear their seatbelt. She worked with the Sammie Sunshine Foundation to distribute charms and continue raising awareness for years to come.
Ella Meyers created the Get Outdoors program for her Gold Award project. Ella wanted to encourage more kids and families to get outdoors by hiking, so she worked with the Trails and Open Space Coalition to create a comprehensive online resource that recommends hikes specifically for kids from 5 to 14 years of age. She also created stickers for families and kids to motivate them to celebrate their recreation and continue to plan outdoor adventures.
In addition, the Debbie Haskins Spirit of Girl Scouting Award is given in memory of Girl Scout Gold Award Mentor Debbie Haskins, who had a passion for working with older Girl Scouts. It recognizes one outstanding Gold Award Girl Scout from Colorado who exemplifies the Girl Scout spirit through courage, confidence, and character.
This year the Debbie Haskins Spirit of Girl Scouting Award went to Tessa Baker. For her project, she brought awareness to invisible disabilities among teens by using her animation skills to create a cartoon explaining what it’s like to live with an invisible disability. Tessa worked with her school’s psychologist to ensure the school had tools to spread awareness to teens for years to come.
“Gold Award Girl Scouts don’t just change the world for the better, they change it for good—and these Girl Scouts embody everything this achievement stands for,” said Leanna Clark, Chief Executive Officer of Girl Scouts of Colorado. “Each of these young women addressed an issue that’s important to her in order to earn her Gold Award, and we congratulate each of these Gold Award Girl Scouts on this momentous accomplishment.”
Open only to girls in high school, the Girl Scout Gold Award is the most prestigious award in the world for girls—and the most difficult to earn. The Gold Award project involves seven steps: 1. Identify an issue, 2. Investigate it thoroughly, 3. Get help and build a team, 4. Create a plan, 5. Present the plan and gather feedback, 6. Take action, 7. Educate and inspire. Of the skills learned through Girl Scouts’ Highest Awards, leadership, organization, and critical thinking are the fundamentals of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience. Universities and colleges offer scholarships unique to Gold Award recipients, and girls who enlist in the U.S. Armed Forces may receive advanced rank in recognition of their achievements.
Regional Highest Awards celebrations are back in-person this year are planned in April and May to honor the Girl Scouts who earned Bronze, Silver or Gold Awards this year. Email highestawards@gscolorado.org to register.
We want to hear how your girl is using her Girl Scout skills by taking initiative, caring for the community, and Girl Scouting at home. She can send in her story here.