What did you do for your Gold Award project?
I created a program aimed to involve and inspire young children to study STEM topics in a fun and engaging way. I ran this program in a carnival-esque layout at Explorer Elementary School. Over 175 kids attended with their families, which lead to over 300 people present. I also coordinated around 70 volunteers.
How did you measure the impact your Gold Award project made on your target audience?
As the children exited the fair, we gave them a science-themed prize. We also took a poll and wrote down general feedback. The poll measured the children’s favorite activities and asked how they felt about the fair. I also collected feedback from the various people involved in this project. Thankfully, I receive all good feedback and the event was a smashing success!
How is your project sustainable? How will your project continue to impact after your involvement?
Explorer Elementary School will now host this STEM fair annually, hopefully with the aid of Liberty HS’s NHS. If continued, this project will continue to teach, inspire and engage kids for many more years. I also hope that other schools can learn and replicate some of the skills and techniques I used to further their own STM education curriculums.
What is your project’s global and/or national connection?
The project I created can be applied in any environment, anywhere, for any elementary aged child. By making it accessible, anyone can use my work as a resource, whether they are on the other side of the globe or next-door to me. I am also contacting local schools to spread the program around the state.
What did you learn about yourself?
I learned how to push through a bad day to do necessary work on this project. I often had long days where I did not want to do work, and I learned how to persevere through those moods to accomplish important tasks. This will be a valuable skill that will benefit me for years to come.
How will earning your Gold Award impact you in the future?
Not only did the Gold Award increase my leadership abilities, but it also furthered my management skills. I learned how to organize and instruct around 70 volunteers at the same time. Some of these volunteers were older than me too, so I had to learn to work with the “age gap” dynamic. This skills will aid me in my future.
Why do you feel the Gold Award was an important part of your Girl Scout experience?
The Gold Award is the most prestigious award I have received in my life so far, and I feel as if it is the summit to a lifelong expedition up to a mountain top. Although I will continue to climb metaphorical mountains in my life, this experience brings me to the end of my last year of Girls Scouts. I will graduate high school in May and turn 18 in June, and I could not have asked for a better end to this journey.
**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