Five Girl Scouts were recognized for earning the Gold Award, the highest achievement within the organization.
Ivy Giacchino, Olivia Hawkins, Victoria Raphael, Olivia Self and Jasmine Stringer were honored as the 2024 Girl Scout Gold Award class during a ceremony on May 4.
The honor recognizes Girl Scouts who have completed a service learning project that sustainably addresses an issue identified within the scout’s community.
Jasmine Stringer, a Gainesville Girl Scout from Troop 13501, painted a water safety mural near Lake Lanier as part of her project, “This Town Won’t Drown.” The interactive mural was designed to engage the community with art while learning vital water safety information.
Olivia Self, a Winder Girl Scout from Troop 13287, served foster children in her community through her project, “Birthday Boxes for Foster Kids.”
Self donated birthday boxes to local organizations that serve foster children, brought awareness to her community about the foster care system, and set up a group that will continue the work of the project for years to come.
Loganville Girl Scout Victoria Raphael of Troop 13670 aimed to promote voting to teens and young adults with her “Every Vote Counts” project. Raphael created tri-fold posters with voting information that were installed at eight high schools in her area. She also included voter registration forms and cards with QR codes that direct the user to basic voter information.
For her project, “More Than a Classroom,” Olivia Hawkins, a Bogart Girl Scout from Troop 12196, built raised garden beds and butterfly houses that were installed as part of a local elementary school’s “nature walk outdoor classroom.” Teachers are now able to use this new space to teach students how to grow plants and extend the learning outside of their classroom.
Ivy Giacchino, a Bishop Girl Scout from Troop 12157, provided her community with a link to art by installing a Free Little Art Gallery inside the Morgan Medical Center.
“Gold Award Girl Scouts make positive impacts on our local communities by addressing some of our most pressing issues,” a release from the organization said. “They become innovative problem-solvers, empathetic leaders, confident public speakers, and focused project managers. They learn resourcefulness, tenacity, and decision-making skills, giving them an edge personally and professionally.”
To learn more about Girl Scout Highest Awards, visit the Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia website.
