Friday, November 11, 2016

Path to Gold: How these GSCTX Scouts Earned their Bronze and Silver Awards

From collecting food for local animal shelters to creating life-changing tools to help students focus in school and earn better grades, these Bronze and Silver Award projects have impacted their communities in a major way. Earning the Bronze and Silver Award are not only the first steps towards the Gold Award, they are also major accomplishments that teach girls their voices, ideas and actions are powerful enough to create real change. We are so proud of all of our award-earning Girl Scouts. Keep reading to learn more about some of this year's projects.


Animal Shelter Heroes 
After learning some animal shelters have difficulty paying for the various needs of its animals, Troop 1488 sprang into action and worked to collect money, food, bedding, grooming tools and other essentials for a local animal shelter and earned their Bronze Award in the process. They were even featured by the Austin American-Statesman. Read the full story.

Fidgets for Focus 
Inspired by her own troubles with focusing in school, McKenna L. worked her Girl Scout sisters in Troop 7073 to create "Fidgets" for students at China Spring Intermediate School in Waco. The "fidgets" are now helping two to three hyperactive students in every class at the school. The girls will also be honored at a special ceremony in a few weeks. Read the full story. 

Little Free Library 

Troop 492 and their Little Free Library Project brought stories of faraway lands and high adventure to their community. The girls created a proposal for the tiny library and presented it to their neighborhood board to get permission to build the library, Now. members of their community can drop by and check out a book whenever they get ready!

OverDrive is AWESOME


Troop 1210 loves "Overdrive," a special service provided by their local library so much they created an entire website to help the library spread the word about it. Overdrive allows readers to download e-books, audiobooks and videos on their tablet, smartphones, computers, Kindle or any other e-reader from the Austin Public Library. The girls worked more than 20 hours to create and design the website. Check out their OverDrive website. 


Super Girl Scout 



MacKenzie D. from Troop 2222 created superhero capes for kids at Dell Children’s Hospital. The patients would feel powerful and keep their minds off of the stress of being in a hospital. 


Knowledge is Power



Sachi K. from Troop 1991 created a program called Gyann Hee Shakti Hai, which means Knowledge is Power in Hindi. This program was designed to help both the elderly and the children, by partnering up one child with one senior for a tutoring session.  By doing this, each one benefits through this connection; the seniors are able to teach the younger children from their wisdom and experience, and the children providing an engaged and energized audience, relieving the boredom and loneliness many seniors feel at times.


Austin Pets Alive! 

Arielle J.  from Troop 1991 worked with Austin Pets Alive to create How-To videos for volunteers. These included how to do the laundry, how to wash bowls, how to clean kongs, how to make kongs.


More OUTSTANDING Projects 

Silver Awards 
Kate H. from Troop 2222 created an educational PSA on diversity on different sexualities and genders. This project was to help address the root cause of bullying and harassment for the community of LGBTQ+ at her middle school. 

Riya K. from Troop 2222 collected used soccer uniforms and gear to donate to underprivileged children. She knew this covered the part of the GS law by using resources wisely and making the world a better place.

Grace N. (Juliette) created an educational toy lending library. She did this in the small town of Mertzon, where there is no preschool or programs to help children prepare for Kindergarten. She worked with the local library there where the toy lending would take place. She researched and had to find donations for the right educational toys for the families, and created a way for them to check them out, as in library fashion. 

Kyndal W. spent more than 60 hours creating "Kyndal's Craft Kits" for the to Center for Child Protection to use with its curriculum for the children's activity groups and individual children visiting the center for services. 


To learn more about the Girl Scout Bronze, Silver and Gold Award, visit our website