On April 30, Cara Feldkamp, a Girl Scout from Evergreen who attends the Denver School of the Arts, will receive the Gold Award, the highest award in Girl Scouts. She has demonstrated exceptional dedication to the Girl Scout Law's commitment to "making the world a better place" through her community service. Mile Hi Council will honor 33 Gold Award recipients, including this young woman, in a special ceremony at 7 p.m. at the El Jebel Temple in Denver.

"Out of the thousands of Girl Scouts in Mile Hi Council, only 33 girls have earned the highest level of distinction in Girl Scouting this year - the Gold Award," said Jean C. Jones, president/CEO of Girl Scouts - Mile Hi Council. "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."

By combining her two greatest passions, science and performing, Feldkamp designed a unique project for her Gold Award. After writing entertaining and educational songs and skits, Feldkamp conducted live performances at Remington Elementary to teach students the core science concepts they would be tested on during the 5th grade Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP).

To make her project a success, Feldkamp secured volunteers majoring in acting and singing from Denver School of the Arts who assisted with her production. She also set up performance times with the elementary school and cleared her project through the school board and city council.

In addition to conducting the performances, Feldkamp developed pre- and post-tests on the subject matter, which showed that the students' knowledge of the core concepts improved following the performances. She also created and edited a DVD of the performances, which she gave to each of the 97 Denver public elementary schools to be used by science teachers as a supplement for CSAP preparation.

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 - Mile Hi Council is where girls in Denver and 13 surrounding counties 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 or to volunteer, visit us at www.girlscoutsmilehi.org or call 303-778-8774.

Joan Harrold, Girl Scouts - Mile Hi Council