Gold Award presented to local Girl Scouts
Several local Girl Scouts were among 35 honored June 8 for achieving the highest award in Girl Scouts, the Gold Award.
Local girls honored at the Atrium in Prospect were Elizabeth Brison of Washington, Katie Jankowski of Canonsburg, Vickjay Saini of McMurray, and Lyla Walsh of Bethel Park.
Girl Scouts individually invest at least 80 hours of planning and implementation into their Gold Award projects, benefiting their communities and creating an impact that will continue to last beyond their involvement.
To earn the Gold Award, a Girl Scout identifies an issue in her community, drafts a plan to address it, and leads a team of volunteers to implement it.
Saini, a graduate of Peters Township High School, focused on teaching STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) concepts to elementary and middle school students in historically underserved communities in her project, titled “STEM for All.”
She partnered with the University of Pittsburgh’s community engagement centers at two locations in the Hill District, and over the course of two semesters, provided classes for children in grades one through seven during fall and spring semesters.
With the support of her FIRST Robotics Competition team, Girls of Steel, Saini used LEGO blocks and the FIRST LEGO League curriculum to create an engaging learning experience, while introducing students to key engineering principles.
For her project, “Paws for a Cause with Rosey,” Jankowski, a graduate of Canon-McMillan High School, designed a three-fold pamphlet and “Service Dogs Welcome” window clings to be displayed in business windows in Canonsburg and surrounding areas. She visited and talked to local businesses to spread awareness and to help educate on service dog access that handlers face today.
At a young age, Jankowski was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, and struggled in school and being out in the community. She asked her parents for a service dog, and after research and training, Rosey, a German shepherd, became part of Jankowski’s life, giving her strength to navigate the challenges she faced.
Brison engaged in a project called “Dogs with Jobs.”
Aiming to address the lack of knowledge around service dogs, Brison educated her community about the accommodations, etiquette, and awareness they deserve in public. She held presentations, created customizable business cards for service dog teams, and shared training videos and other resources through social media.
Walsh, a recent graduate of Bethel Park High School, also had a project with an emphasis on STEM.
With “A Girls’ Guide to Engineering,” Walsh planned a four-day summer camp to introduce middle school girls to the field of engineering. Each day of the camp featured female engineers who discussed their work, plus hands-on activities and challenges to teach girls how engineering is a helping field. Her plans and curriculum have been shared with local libraries and high school engineering clubs.
In recognition of their achievement, Gold Award Girl Scouts can benefit from exclusive scholarships from colleges and universities and may enlist in the U.S. Armed Forces at an advanced rank.