Monday, November 1, 2010

Gold Award Project Encourages Children to Be Active

Sarah Elizabeth decided she wanted her Gold Award Project to address childhood obesity. She developed and organized a 7-day fitness and nutrition camp at Madison Academy. Sarah was encouraged to play a variety of sports by her parents and wanted to offer the same opportunity to children in her community. Her goal was to make sure children knew how much fun sports can be, and that nutritious foods can taste good. “I think my camp enlightened the kids to new ways to stay healthy and fit for the future,” says Sarah. “It provided a multitude of healthy snacking options, available sporting options in their community and activities to stay fit on their own.” Sarah completed a guidebook that contains a variety of fitness and nutrition tips that she used during her camp. She shared her guidebook with other schools in hopes they will replicate her program. Sarah is a junior at Madison Academy and is the daughter of Andrew and Robin of Harvest.

The Gold Award is highest level of Girl Scout achievement. This award recognizes the Senior & Ambassador Girl Scout’s commitment to herself, her community, and her future. The girl who goes for the Gold embraces challenges, achieves excellence, and works diligently to make the world a better place, in her own unique way. Her leadership, vision, and boundless energy is an inspiration to all Girl Scouts. Each girl earning her Gold Award demonstrates excellence through a leadership project totaling more than 65 hours. Girls who earn their Gold Award are also recognized by the President of the United States, the U.S. Congress, the U.S. Armed Services, state legislatures, colleges and universities for admission and scholarship opportunities, and the American Legion.