Rachel, a senior at John Carroll Catholic High School, recently earned the Girl Scout Gold Award. Rachel earned her Gold Award for her project Homelessness-Pathways to Transition. Her project focused on providing immediate help the homeless in the Birmingham area and on increasing awareness of the problem of homelessness. She educated homeless people in social media, showing them how it can be used to find employment, and she provided women who were transitioning from a shelter into a home with “moving day baskets” filled with supplies. The project also provided the homeless with blankets and backpacks. To raise awareness of homelessness, Rachel designed an activity book for young children, produced a YouTube video, distributed flyers, utilized social media and wrote a book targeting teenagers designed to get them involved. This book, along with the activity book and YouTube video, will be placed in the Sixth Avenue Baptist Church’s library. The church will also continue the project in the future. “It is important that people are reminded that the homeless do not include just the drug addict of the ‘lazy bum who does not want to work,’” said Rachel. “It could be your next door neighbor, or a child, or an abused woman with children fleeing to save her life and her child’s life from the hands of an abusive husband or family member. It is our responsibility to help.”
“By earning the Girl Scout Gold Award,” said Trish Coghlan, chief executive officer of the Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama, “Rachel has become a community leader. Her accomplishments reflect leadership and citizenship skills that set her apart.”
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. Some universities and colleges offer scholarships unique to Gold Award recipients, and girls who enlist in the U.S. Armed Forces may receive advanced rank in recognition of their achievements.
The Girl Scout Gold Award represents the highest achievement in Girl Scouting; it recognizes girls in grades 9 through 12 who demonstrate extraordinary leadership through sustainable and measurable Take Action projects. Since 1916, girls have successfully answered the call to go gold, an act that indelibly marks them as accomplished members of their communities and the world. For more information about the Gold Award, visit girlscoutsnca.org/gogold.
