What did you do for your Gold Award project?
My Gold Award project addressed the issue of emergency preparedness. I wanted people to be prepared for any emergency that may happen. I organized and executed an Emergency Preparedness Fair for elementary aged children.
Why did you pursue this Gold Award project?
I pursued this Gold Award project because I have seen natural disasters rip apart my community and the world within the last few years. For example, the Waldo Canyon Fire and Black Forest Fire directly impacted my neighbors and I. If people were more prepared for these emergencies, the disasters would have a less catastrophic impact.
How did your Gold Award project make a difference?
My Gold Award project made a difference on many young people in my community. I passed emergency preparedness information to families so they can be ready to face any situation. The young participants of my fair and their families gained skills and knowledge to enable them to react swiftly and properly in an emergency situation.
What skills did you gain through earning your Gold Award?
One of the skills I gained through earning my Gold Award is that I learned how to successfully create a large scale event. This includes things like recruiting volunteers, planning time frames, receiving donations, and organizing information in an accessible format. I learned that I do have the skills and capability to lead a large scale project on my own. I gained practical life skills because as I completed my research, I also learned a lot of new things about emergency preparedness that I did not know before. I also was able to resolve conflicts. I had to convince a large amount of young children to stay still and pay attention.
How did you make your project sustainable?
My Gold Award project is sustainable because my information was passed on through families. My information for the fair was also passed on to Cheyenne Mountain Boy Scouts, who have already succeeded in executing their own fair based on my outline. My information and plan were also given to Monument Boy Scouts, who have used it as well. The project was given to Boy Scouts and published in their newsletter to be available for all local Boy Scout packs. The curriculum was given to Prairie Hills Elementary, and it will be used with the annual Heath Jam. Lastly, I passed the project to Academy District 20, to be available for use in all elementary schools in the district.
What was your connection to the national or global community?
I found that the national and even global link to my issue is that emergency preparedness is lacking all over the world. There are always going to be people caught unprepared in an emergency. The people I directly gave my information to have already informed me that they have passed the information to even more organizations. By presenting my project to more and more people, we can reduce people’s stress accompanying an emergency through preparation.
What will you most remember about your Gold Award project?
What I will remember most about my Gold Award project is that I successfully created and ran a large scale event with minimum problems. I have received a lot of positive feedback about my fair, and I have also been told that my information is spreading beyond me. My project inspired people to prepare themselves and others in case of an emergency. I was able to make an impact on my community!
How will earning your Gold Award help you in your future?
Earning my Gold Award proved to me that I am capable of making a tangible difference in my community, and I will use this confidence to lead others in many more future projects.
Why do you feel the Gold Award is an important part of your Girl Scout experience?
I gained practical life skills because as I completed my research, I also learned a lot of new things about emergency preparedness that I did not previously know. I also worked within the leadership key Connect. One way I did this was when I resolved conflicts. I had to convince a large amount of young children to stay still and pay attention. Also, I was able to Take Action. I educated and inspired others to act. I have received a lot of positive feedback about my fair, and I have also been told that my information was spreading beyond me. My project inspired people to prepare themselves and others in case of an emergency.
***IMPORTANT NOTE: This blog represents only a small fraction of the hard work, dedication and requirements that go into earning a Girl Scout Gold Award. It is simply a brief summary, which is meant to inspire Girl Scouts to Go Gold in the future. For more information on earning your Gold Award, please email highestawards@gscolorado.org