What did you do for your Gold Award project?
The main issue I tackled in my project was lack of education and awareness about eating disorders; namely, warning signs and seeking treatment, as well as general education about eating disorders. The old curriculum used in the health classes at my high school didn’t provide the right kind of education about eating disorders that would allow students to better understand and handle eating disorders, so I created a new curriculum for the middle and high schools in my district. I also created informational pamphlets about eating disorders, which I distributed to local medical establishments (clinics, pharmacies, etc.) and some of the schools in my district.
How did you measure the impact your Gold Award project made on your target audience?
In order to measure the impact of my project, I created two surveys with questions about eating disorders: one for students to take before watching my presentation on eating disorders, and one for students to take after watching my presentation on eating disorders. Then (with the help of a friend), I analyzed the results and found that scores were much improved on the post-survey.
How is your project sustainable? How will your project continue to impact after your involvement?
My project is sustainable through the continued use of my eating disorder lessons by the high school health teachers. Additionally, my lessons are available for free on the Teachers Pay Teachers website and can be used by anyone.
What is your project’s global and/or national connection?
My global/national connection is through the Teachers Pay Teachers website, making my lessons available to anyone for free (teachers, home-schoolers, and more) to use any time.
What did you learn about yourself?
I learned that I’m more resilient than I previously thought. When COVID-19 shut down the schools in my district, I thought that would be the death of my project. However, I worked with the members of my team and was able to record myself teaching my lessons, which the health teachers were able to use in their virtual classes.
How will earning your Gold Award impact you in the future?
Earning my Gold Award has increased my confidence, my leadership skills, and my ability to navigate bureaucracies. This has taught me that I am capable of persevering through whatever challenges I may face in the future. When I face roadblocks in the future, I will draw upon the things I learned from my Gold Award project to persevere through them.
Why do you feel the Gold Award was an important part of your Girl Scout experience?
The Gold Award is Girl Scouts’ highest achievement. Earning this was important to me as a Girl Scout because I set the goal early on and was able to achieve it. I first learned about the Gold Award when my troop leader introduced us to the Bronze Award. Earning the Bronze and Silver Awards inspired me to continue toward my goal of earning Gold.
How did earning your Gold Award help you become a G.I.R.L. (go-getter, innovator, risk-taker, leader)?
Earning my Gold Award helped me become an innovator because I had to come up with new ideas and unique solutions to new problems (like COVID-19 shutting down our schools).
**IMPORTANT NOTE: This blog represents only a small fraction of the hard work, dedication, and requirements that go into earning a Girl Scout Gold Award. It is simply a brief summary, which is meant to inspire Girl Scouts to Go Gold in the future. For more information on earning your Gold Award, please email highestawards@gscolorado.org.