Going for the Gold
To some , going gold means being the winner — the fastest , the most competitive , or the one who fought the hardest . For Girl Scouts , going gold means earning the highest achievement in Girl Scouting , the Girl Scout Gold Award . This award recognizes girls in grades 9-12 who demonstrate extraordinary leadership through sustainable and measurable Take Action projects that address important community needs .
For many , the leadership and organizational skills , as well as the sense of community and commitment that comes from “ Going Gold ,” set the foundation for a lifetime of active citizenship .
2016-17 Projects by Category
5 Animals 16 Arts , Culture & Heritage 1 Children ’ s Issues 6 Civic Engagement 3 Disability
1 Disaster Relief 10 Education 1 Elderly Issues 9 Environment &
Sustainability
7 Health 5 Healthy Relationships 1 Human Rights 4 Military / Veterans Affairs 9 Other
3 Poverty 4 Public Safety 1 Sports 4 STEM
Total : 90 Projects
Gold Award Girl Scouts cast a wide ‘ net
Technology helps girls ’ Take Action projects go further
Lauren Duderstadt
Lauren Duderstadt ’ s Gold Award project focused on keeping girls in middle school interested in science , technology , engineering , and math ( STEM ). “ Some of the root causes for girls losing interest in STEM in middle school are cultural ,” she said . “ STEM classes are considered ‘ boy ’ classes , and girls don ’ t feel welcome .”
Lauren created a girls-only workshop series at Hampton Middle School in Allegheny County to “ give girls a chance for fun , hands-on , extracurricular STEM activities .” The series was successful , but Lauren knew the STEM gender gap existed well beyond the walls of her local middle school , so she took her resources to a bigger stage .
She created stemlikeagirl . com , which features all of her project plans , tips , supply lists , and more , so anyone can help girls access the possibilities of STEM . She ’ s shared the site with other educators , and her school district has promoted the link .
“ Encouraging girls to stay with STEM classes and fueling their STEM interests will increase the chance they will pursue STEM careers ,” Lauren said . “ More women participating in STEM fields will help shrink the gender wage gap .”
Caroline Langley also used a website to increase the impact of her Gold Award project , but with a different purpose : to get more families outdoors . “ Studies have shown that children who play outside are more healthy and creative ,” Caroline said . “ I wanted to create a resource to make it easier for families to choose to go outdoors .”
6 Girl Scouts Western Pennsylvania 2016-2017 Annual Report
“ Encouraging girls to stay with STEM classes and fueling their STEM interests will increase the chance they will pursue STEM careers .”
– Lauren Duderstadt , Gold Award Girl Scout , 2017 GSWPA Girl Scout of Distinction