What did you do for you Gold Award Project?
I created a program called Girls are SMART (Scientists, Mathematicians, Astronomers, Researchers, Talented), during which I instructed a young group of girls in elementary school to make art projects utilizing STEM topics. We made chromatography butterflies, constellation boards, salt watercolor painting, painted pinecones, and drip art. After each project, we discussed the science behind the project and had some amazing women from the School of Mines talk with us about their lives as women in STEM. At the end of this virtual five week session, we had a virtual art show to showcase all of the girls’ beautiful and creative STEM art work.
How did you measure the impact your Gold Award project made on you target audience?
I measured the impact my Gold Award project made on my target audience, girls in elementary school, through trivia sessions and the activity on my website. After each session, we played a few rounds of trivia that included recap questions about the content that we had just gone over. I was able to gauge what topics the girls understood and what they didn’t through how many of them answered correctly. This was a fun way to engage young girls and measure the impact of my Gold Award virtually. Additionally, I was able to keep track of the activity on my website which allowed me to see how many girls were accessing my resources and learning.
How project sustainable? How will your project continue to impact after you involvement?
Girls are SMART is sustainable because of its partnership with the Colorado School of Mines. They have added a link to my website to theirs, which reaches out to a larger audience. I have many resources on my website such as the five project videos that I made, a curriculum for the science behind each project, interactive slideshows for young girls, and much more! Because the School of Mines’s SWE program promotes my resources to become a member of Girls are SMART, my Gold Award will continue to make an impact.
What is your project’s global and/or national connection?
My project’s global/national connection is its link to the national SWE program. The national SWE program will similarly promote my resources on their website, allowing more and more young girls to access my projects and resources and learn about the ubiquitous reach of STEM!
What did you learn about yourself?
Throughout the course of earning my Girl Scout Gold Award, I learned so many things about myself that if I were to write it all out it would never end, but one of my main takeaways from this amazing experience was that I realized that although I might be afraid to venture out of my comfort zone, in the end I find it surprisingly enjoyable. My curiosity drives my love for experiencing new things, even if they scare me at first.
How will earning your Gold Award impact you in the future?
Earning my Gold Award will have a great impact on me for the rest of my life. Not only will I remember the wonderful memories from teaching and communicating with young girls forever, but I will also be less scared to take risks and try new approaches. I will always remember that if you don’t try something new and explore your curiosities you can never grow.
Why do you feel the Gold Award was an important part of you Girl Scout experience?
Earning my Gold Award was an important part of my Girl Scout experience because I was able to culminate all of my experiences from selling Girl Scout Cookies door-to-door in the cold, to exploring the wilderness and making s’mores. By combining all of these unforgettable journeys, I made another memorable memory that marks an important step in my Girls Scouts experience. Although earning my Gold Award is not the end to my time as a Girl Scout, earning my Gold Award is an amazing way to complete this era of being a Girl Scout.
How did earning you Gold Award help you become a G.I.R.L ( go -getter, innovator, risk-taker, leader)?
Earning my Gold Award helped me become a G.I.R.L (go-getter, innovator, risk-taker and leader) because I learned the necessity of exploration, which has been an idea that has continued to grow since the day I began Girl Scouts. Had I not explored numerous possibilities and been a risk-taker, I wouldn’t have come up with the idea for Girls are SMART. Although everything that I tried didn’t work out, being a risk-taker allowed be to then become an innovator. I had to come up with creative ways through which my Gold Award would have the impact I wanted it to.
**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.
Comments