The Girl Scout Council of the Nation's Capital 2017 Gold Award Ceremony honored Girl Scout Seniors and Ambassadors that earned the Gold Award.
Each year, Girl Scout Juniors and higher have the opportunity to earn highest awards at their levels. In 2017, 2,788 Girl Scout Juniors earned the Bronze Award, 888 Girl Scout Cadettes earned the Silver Award, and 214 Girl Scouts earned the Silver Trefoil Award, an honor unique to our Council.
THE GIRL SCOUT PROMISE[]
On my honor, I will try:
To serve God and my country,
To help people at all times, and
To live by the Girl Scout Law
THE GIRL SCOUT LAW[]
I will do my best to be
Honest and fair,
Friendly and helpful,
Considerate and caring,
Courageous and strong, and
Responsible for what I say and do,
And to
Respect myself and others,
Respect authority,
Use resources wisely,
Make the world a better place, and
Be a sister to every Girl Scout.
About the Gold Award[]
Main article: Gold Award
The Gold Award is Girl Scouting’s highest honor awarded to Girl Scout Seniors and Ambassadors. This prestigious award is earned by a select group of Girl Scouts who have demonstrated a commitment to improving their communities, and advocating for lasting change. From March 16, 2016 to March 15, 2017, 159 Girl Scouts from 25 counties in Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia earned the Gold Award.
The road to the Gold Award begins with discovery. Each girl uses her own values and skills to identify a community issue she is passionate about and then determines the topic and audience for her project. Before proceeding, each girl submits a project proposal to the Gold Award Panel. The Panel welcomes all projects for which there is a demonstrated need. The Panel works with Girl Scouts to support the development of their projects, and act as mentors along the way.
While working on her project, each Girl Scout dedicates herself to advancing her cause and accomplishing her goal. All of the projects completed this year will have a lasting and positive impact on our region and beyond. From protecting the environment and teaching young people about community issues, to promoting healthy behaviors and helping the homeless, these Girl Scouts have exhibited outstanding leadership, exceptional organizational skills, and a sincere commitment to improving their communities.
2017 Gold Award Scholarship Recipients[]
| Carolyn Z. | Centreville, VA | Katherine K. Hanley Technology Center
Carolyn started K.A.T.E., Kids Achieving in Technology and Education, to provide educational learning software to help children who are homeless succeed and excel in school. |
| Sahana B. | Dunn Loring, VA | The Happiness Project Sahana created a happier and healthier student body by helping students identify stress triggers and practice techniques to manage and reduce stress. |
| Sarah C. | Vienna, VA | Rhyme Literacy Party Sarah hosted a literacy party for preschoolers from low-income communities. Using crafts and nursery rhymes, Sarah helped the students develop critical literacy skills for their future. |
| Beth D. | Centreville, VA | Healthy Being for a Strong Heart Beating Beth conducted an afterschool health and fitness workshop for elementary school students to teach them about healthy habits they can use throughout their lives. |
| Caroline D. | Potomac Falls, VA | Laughs to Confidence - Youth Improv for Girls Caroline hosted a series of improvisation workshops for young girls to help build their confidence. |
| Annabelle E. | Woodsboro, MD | Structures for Sustainable Horticulture Anna built hops trellises on the grounds of her school, Saint John’s Catholic Prep, to educate the students in multiple classes about horticulture. |
| Taylor G. | Woodbridge, VA | Save the Bees Taylor's project addressed the decline in honeybee colonies and their important role in our food supply by starting a club and a beehive to educate the public. |
| Richa G. | Ashburn, VA | Computers to the Rescue Richa helped the Shri Nirmal Vivek School set up and utilize a computer lab to expand the curriculum and provide vocational training for students with intellectual disabilities. |
| Syndey H. | Centreville, VA | Establishing a Writing Center in a Local Middle School Sydney set up a writing center at her local middle school that included a mentoring program between high school's tutors and the middle school tutors. |
| Erika K. | Monrovia, MD | Shake and Bake S'more Erika designed an exercise circuit and rebuilt a fire pit to inspire healthy living and give Girl Scout troops a place to get together and make S’mores. |
| Gabriela O. | Silver Spring, MD | The Giving Pantry Gabriela created a program for children who attend CentroNia community center in Langley Park. The children learned about giving back to their community by contributing to the pantry when able and using it when needed. |
| Jeanine Marie R. | Bethesda, MD | Cultural Ambassador! Jeanine created a volunteer youth translator program to help embassies provide language translation for their visitors. |
| Melissa S. | Great Falls, VA | Trigger Warning: The Truth About Self-Harm Melissa made videos and brochures to educate students and parents on the topic of self-harm. The videos and brochures are now being used in medical offices and schools. |
| Maya S. | Upper Marlboro, MD | Feel Like a Princess Spa Day Maya hosted a spa day for teens with cancer and other illnesses to help build their self-esteem and combat stress. |
| Carson W. | Washington, DC | Senior Citizens Fair: Preserving Your Life and Legacy Carson organized a senior citizens fair with speakers discussing estate planning, healthcare, safety and how-to-use social media. |