Hearts Of Gold - Reflections from Gold Award Girl Scouts

Aanya discusses her project, "Sharing the Joys of Cultural Diversity," which focused on fostering understanding and appreciation of cultural differences among children in her community. Aanya highlights two key components of her project: facilitating discussions about cultural identity in local schools and creating a children's book that details her own experiences as an immigrant from India. She reflects on her person...

Shay shares insights into her impactful Gold Award project, an art exhibition held at the Overture Center for the Arts. The exhibit aimed to raise awareness about mental health among teenage girls in a positive light, showcasing the strength and creativity of young women artists from the Madison and Dane County area. Shay discusses her motivation to present mental health discussions more positively and highlights the s...

Marley shares her inspiring journey of curating and developing a children's art gallery in partnership with the Southwest Art Gallery and Science Center. At just 16 years old, Marley embarked on this project to provide art-related opportunities for kids in her community in North Dakota, where such resources were scarce. She discusses her passion for art as a self-taught artist, the need she identified in her community,...

Imagine a world where friendships are built one letter at a time. That’s exactly what Hannah Crawley created with her Girl Scout Gold Award project—a nationwide pen pal program connecting Girl Scouts across the U.S. and even Japan. At a time when social media dominated communication, Hannah brought back the magic of handwritten letters, fostering deeper connections and lifelong friendships.

Now serving in the military, Hannah refle...

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Cee-Cee Deslaurier-Tate about her incredible Girl Scout Gold Award project, which honors the legacy of Amanda Blake, best known as Miss Kitty from Gunsmoke. Cee-Cee dedicated over 1,000 hours to creating a ...

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## Episode Summary  
Makayla Hoefs shares the inspiring story behind her Girl Scout Gold Award project, *"Coding for Cookies."* This innovative initiative bridges Girl Scouts and robotics, offering young girls hands-on STEM experiences through engaging events. Makayla discusses how her project evolved, collaborating with the Minnesota and...

In this inspiring episode, we sit down with Montserrat Hidalgo, a recent high school graduate and environmental justice advocate. Montserrat shares her journey from Girl Scout Gold Award recipient to an emerging leader in her community. Learn how her project tackled urban heating and environmental racism in South East Los Angeles, the collaborative research that fueled her work, and the global connections she forged.

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Today, we’re thrilled to have Pepper join us to share her inspiring journey as a young aviator and her impactful Girl Scout Gold Award project. From her first flight at just ...

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Rachel shares her inspiring journey of earning the Girl Scout Gold Award through her project of constructing a trophy case for her high school's JROTC program. She discusses ...

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Jackie shares her inspiring journey of earning the Girl Scout Gold Award through her project titled "Single-Use Less Plastic." She discusses her advocacy against single-use p...

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Piya's project focused on increasing education and awareness around neurodiversity advocacy, a topic that is close to her heart. She began by founding her school's first neurodiversity affinity group, creating a safe space for neurodivergent youth.
Piya shared her journey of developing workshops and assemblies for both her peers and teachers, emphasizing the importanc...

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Mikenna shares how she created a platform to record and share the authentic stories of seniors in her community, which she then uploaded to YouTube and a dedicated website. She also made personalized booklets for each senior interviewed, ensuring they had a tangible copy of their story.

Mikenna's journey began with her long-standing visits to a local nursing home, whe...

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Sammie, a remarkable Girl Scout who shares her journey of earning the prestigious Girl Scout Gold Award. Sammie's project, Sammy's Toy Drive, was inspired by the tragic shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Initially starting as a simple toy drive, it evolved into a full-fledged nonprofit organization aimed at supporting survivors of gun violence throug...

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Amelia developed an app called Historic Lamont, a location-aware walking tour app that highlights the hidden historical gems of her hometown, Lamont, a suburb of Chicago.
Inspired by a limited-availability walking tour from the Lamont Historical Society, Amelia wanted to make local history more accessible to everyone in her community.
Amelia shared fascinating histori...

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Camilla's project aims to build more united communities by educating people about different Asian cultures through workshops, YouTube vlogs, and a beautifully illustrated book.
Camilla shared that her project was prompted by the rise in Asian hate crimes during the pandemic, which motivated her to use education as a tool to foster understanding and empathy. She detail...

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Neha's project, centered around dogs and the issue of overcrowded shelters, led her to create a nonprofit called Pawprints. The nonprofit focuses on raising awareness about the importance of microchipping and GPS tracking collars to prevent dogs from getting lost and ending up in shelters.
Neha shared her personal connection to the project, including her experience r...

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Adoriam, a passionate Girl Scout, shares her inspiring journey of earning the Girl Scout Gold Award. Adoriam’s project focused on addressing the declining bird population in Houston, a city that ranks as the second worst in America for migratory birds. Through her project, she aimed to educate the community about the importance of being bird-friendly by conducting wo...

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Savannah, a dedicated Girl Scout who shared her journey of earning the prestigious Girl Scout Gold Award.
Savannah's project focused on improving the trails at her local animal shelter. She identified the need for better-marked trails to help volunteers and visitors navigate the area more easily. Her project involved cleaning up existing trails, adding new ones, nami...