Completing my Gold Award has helped change and shape me in many ways.

What did you do for your Gold Award project? How did you measure the impact your Gold Award project made on your target audience? How will earning your Gold Award impact you in the future? Our troop did a group project for our Bronze Award by hosting a garage sale to raise money to purchase How did earning your Gold Award help you become a G.I.R.L.

Cadettes from Aurora's Troop 65346 collaborated to reimagine Liberty Middle School's counseling office space into a warm and welcoming ‘Zen Den’, a place where students can visit when they need a mental health break. Last Spring, the troop met with specialists from their school district’s Office of Student Health to discuss the mental health needs of middle school students and brainstorm what could be included in the space. Funded entirely through their cookies sales, the new, updated space features flexible and active seating options, fidget and stress toys, aromatherapy, adult coloring books, positivity posters, and calming activities.

This year for my Silver Award project I am doing Beads of Courage.

Girl Scouts of Colorado CEO Leanna Clark presented the 2021 Debbie Haskins Spirit of Girl Scouting Award Foote Leadership Prize to Gold Award Girl Scouts on April 5, 2021. Watch it here. In addition, the Debbie Haskins Spirit of Girl Scouting Award is given in memory of Girl Scout Gold Award Open only to girls in high school, the Girl Scout Gold Award is the most prestigious award in the world  honoring Bronze, Silver, and Gold Award Girl Scouts from the past Girl Scout Awards Program year.

Jasmine shares her experiences from her Gold Award project. For my Gold Award Project, I set up a document to be passed on to the homeless shelter, which included an amazing opportunity to educate others on the real issues that our community faces, and to spread awareness

Ella shares how her Gold Award project impacted her. I choose this as my Girl Scout Gold Award project because of its connectivity and importance to my hometown I hope the scale model raises awareness and brings back the importance of the museum even though it's Completing my Girl Scout Gold Award allowed me to expand my knowledge of the museum.

Through my Gold Award project, I learned organizational skills, lesson planning, and flexibility. This was true especially during my Gold Award project, where I got to learn communication techniques

For her Gold Award project, Gillian Clark from Steamboat Springs partnered with a local environmental Gillian’s Gold Award project taught her how to be confident with public speaking and how to work with

Maya Hegde took part in Inclusive Global Leadership Institute at Denver University I was recently very lucky to get the opportunity to spend two days at the 2022 Inclusive Global Leadership Institute (IGLI). Here, activists from around the world gather to share ideas and advice to re-energize and push their movements to the next level. While the movements and campaigns vary from each activist, I noticed some common themes that I believe are valuable lessons for everyone as they face new challenges, adversity, or want to stand up for what they truly believe in. “Witnessing the activists interact and share their experiences and advice was inspiring. The energy in the room completely changed the second day compared to the first day as everyone got to know each other more. ” The first thing I learned is that imposter syndrome is very real, even among the most impressive and accomplished people. The activists who come to IGLI are some of the bravest and most inspired people I have met. Their accomplishments include TED Talks, op-eds in well known papers, and several even risk imprisonment, threats, and torture for standing up for what they believe in. During the introductions on the first day, I noticed that the participants often said that they couldn’t believe they were a part of this group and felt as if they didn’t fully belong or measure up to the rest of the group. As an observer, I felt amazed that this sentiment was shared and so ingrained within the group. What I got out of this, however, was that this feeling is completely normal and is actually common. I think this is vital because as we transition from high school to college or are in a newer environment, feeling like an imposter or feeling small is normal, and even if it seems like a big deal, it is not something that should hold you back or define you. Everyone experiences imposter syndrome. The next takeaway that I got is that anger is powerful and can become a positive influence. Anger was definitely a common theme during my two days since a lot of activists start out because they are angry at the system they have experienced. So often, anger, especially in women, is classified as “hysteria” or emphasized as a negative aspect that could derail a movement. The women at IGLI taught me that anger is power because it can illustrate the injustices in a government or system. Anger can help drive the energy, but it is important to manage anger and have ways to cope to avoid burnout. I really believe this is important to mention because as we enter new phases of our lives, sometimes new experiences can bring out different emotions or reactions within ourselves that we may not have had before, and knowing that this energy can be used in a positive way can really help. The final takeaway I learned and got to witness was that community is vital. Witnessing the activists interact and share their experiences and advice was inspiring. The energy in the room completely changed the second day compared to the first day as everyone got to know each other more. I realized that community, especially in the context of activism, is so important because it comes with an aspect of understanding. Although each activist had a different campaign that they were passionate about, a lot of their experiences and feelings were shared. These commonalities allowed for compassion and empathy, and this created a space for the participants to re-energize in an environment where their sacrifices and efforts were acknowledged. I believe this is so critical because it can be applied to everyday life. Surrounding yourself with people who understand and believe in you but aren’t the exact same as you can help you to grow and expand your comfort zone.

For their Silver Award project, they decided to adopt a nursing home in Loveland and partnered with The

Rosemary shares why she chose this as her Gold Award project. For my Gold Award project I chose to start a STEM club for girls at my local middle school. Through the completion of my Gold Award project I’ve learned that I am a lot more capable than I think