What did you do for your Gold Award project?
I created a cookbook for FoCo Cafe in Fort Collins to help educate people about community cafes and how they positively impact their community. Not only did I include information and recipes from FoCo Cafe, but I also included a recipe and information from 13 other community cafes around the United States. I also did a presentation at a club at my school to further educate people in my community about community cafes.
How did you measure the impact your Gold Award project made on your target audience?
One way I measured impact was by handing out surveys to the people I presented to. Before the presentation, they answered the questions, “Do you know what a community cafe is?” and “Do you know why community cafes are important?” on the survey. Most people did not know the answers to these questions. However, the majority of people were able to answer both of the questions after the presentation, showing improvement and that my goal of educating people about community cafes was reached.
How is your project sustainable? How will your project continue to impact after your involvement?
I have given the template for FoCo Cafe’s cookbook to FoCo Cafe so they can continue to print the cookbooks and change information if needed. I have also given the template of the cookbook to the 13 other community cafes so that they can print the cookbooks for their cafes as well.
What is your project’s global and/or national connection?
In the cookbook, I have included a recipe, photo, and information from 13 other community cafes in the USA. The 13 cafes are Oakwood Soul Cafe (NY), Tulsa’s Table (OK), Take Root (MO), One Bistro (OH), SAME Cafe (CO), CAFE 180 (CO), Mustard Seed Cafe (TX), Stone Soup Cafe (MA), One Acre Cafe (TN), Grace Cafe (KY), Knead Community Cafe (PA), Fair Trade Cafe (AZ), and Table Grace Cafe (NE). I sent the cookbook template to the cafes as well so that they will be able to print them for their own cafe.
What did you learn about yourself?
I definitely learned from my poor time management skills in the duration of this project and improved my organization skills because I had to manage all of the information and recipes from multiple cafes. One thing I really learned about myself during this project was how I handled panic. Once the community cafe I was originally working with closed, I started to panic because I thought that I would have to create a whole new project, but I just had to breathe and reflect upon what I had done so far in order to move forward.
How will earning your Gold Award impact you in the future?
This project will impact me in the future because of the confidence I have gained in myself as a person and my abilities as a leader. I now know that I can persevere through a big project that I planned myself, and I believe I will be more confident in leading other people and projects, whether they are big or small. In this project, I also learned how important it is to have the help of other people because it is difficult to go through life and achieve your goals all by yourself. I am thankful that I have experienced planning and executing a big project like this now because I can learn from the mistakes I made and utilize my new skills in future projects in college and beyond.
Why do you feel the Gold Award was an important part of your Girl Scout experience?
The Gold Award is important to me, not just because it is the highest award Girl Scouts can earn, but because of the experience I gained. I got to put together all of my leadership skills I had gained until this point and plan, organize, and execute a project. Not only did I succeed with this project, but I also helped my community in ways I never knew I could. I will always remember this project and the things I learned from it.
How did earning your Gold Award help you become a G.I.R.L. (go-getter, innovator, risk-taker, leader)?
Earning the Gold Award helped me to become a go-getter because I had to dive right into this project. When the community cafe I was originally working with closed, I didn’t think about quitting, but wanted to continue the project because I had already put forth so much effort. Now that I know I can execute projects, I will be more willing to take them on in the future.
**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.
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