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Denver teens earn highest award in Girl Scouts

Contributed by: Joan Harrold on 4/23/2008

On April 28, two Girl Scouts from Denver will receive the Gold Award, the highest award in Girl Scouts. Christine Anderson, who attends George Washington High School, and Alyssa Cao, who attends DPS Online High School, have demonstrated exceptional dedication to the Girl Scout Law's commitment to "making the world a better place" through their community service. Girl Scouts of Colorado will honor 49 Gold Award recipients, including these young women, in a special ceremony at 7 p.m. at the El Jebel Temple in Denver.

"Girl Scouts of Colorado serves more than 40,500 girls, and to be one of only 60 to 70 in the state each year who earn this distinguished award is quite an accomplishment," said Virginia L. Mason, president/CEO of Girl Scouts of Colorado. "These girls are leaving a Girl Scout legacy by meeting a need within the community for which they have a personal passion. They have also gained valuable leadership skills to last them a lifetime."

Destination Imagination, a program that builds participants' creativity, problem solving and teamwork, made such an impact on Christine Anderson's life that she chose to bring the program to children at a low-income elementary school for her Gold Award Project.

Eighteen third- and fourth-grade students signed up to take part in the program. This was more than three times Anderson's original goal of having five students -- enough for one team. Fifteen students ended up sticking with program and learned new skills, such as building and painting sets, sewing, writing scripts, working as a team and problem-solving.

Anderson learned how to connect with all different types of people and improved her teaching skills. She also recruited two teachers to volunteer with the after-school group and collected donations from the Parent Teacher Organization to purchase props and supplies.

"There were so many positive aspects in this project for me, but I think the hardest part was getting the members to start thinking outside of the box," she said. "At the beginning, the improvisational exercises were stressful, but by demonstrating for them and always encouraging them, they grew so much. Now, they are full of creativity."

The effect on the child when a parent is diagnosed with cancer might not always be a first consideration. Alyssa Cao can relate to what these children go through; when she was 10, her mother was diagnosed with leukemia.

For her Gold Award, Cao combined her love of children with the desire to help them cope and worked with Kids Alive, a support group for children whose parents have cancer. To be allowed to help the program, Cao went through a round of research and interviews.

She decided to give the children Build-A-Bear gift certificates. In the Kids Alive meetings, they discuss who the children's allies are when they are upset and stuffed animals have always been on that list.

"I wanted them to have something that would comfort them in a time of need," she said.

Cao made and sold jewelry so she could purchase a $20 Build-A-Bear gift certificate, an outfit and a goodie bag with activities for 14 children in the Kids Alive program. When she realized she was short of her goal, she found that "a leader never gives up" and increased her efforts to surpass her goal.

As the highest award a teen Girl Scout can earn, the prestigious Gold Award is the single most demanding award that a Girl Scout strives towards, and it's not unusual for a girl to put in more than 200 hours to fulfill the requirements. Leadership, determination, perseverance and creativity - skills developed through the progressing levels of the Girl Scout program - are necessary to successfully complete the project. The essence of the Gold Award is a personal challenge for a girl to stretch her skills and abilities and step forward as a leader to meet a community need for which she has a passion and a will to create a sustainable change.

Girl Scouts of Colorado is where girls throughout the state gain courage, confidence and character alongside a group of girls who will be their friends for life. It's a safe place for girls to explore their world, develop an understanding and empathy for others and take action to make the world a better place. Girls are guided by committed, caring adults who make learning fun. No other activity helps each girl achieve her personal leadership pathway like Girl Scouting. Girl Scouts has been the nation's leading expert on girls for nearly 100 years. For more information, visit www.girlscoutsofcolorado.org.


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CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

Joan Harrold

Denver , CO

Joan Harrold has posted 155 stories and 0 comments since joining on 10/16/2006. Joan Harrold 's average story rating is 4.94.
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