Girl Scouts of Western New York is proud to announce Hannah Mercer of Williamsville, NY, as a 2019 Gold Award Girl Scout. Mercer’s project was titled “Helping Hands: Community CPR Training.”

Mercer explained, “For my Gold Award Project, I organized hands-only CPR/AED training classes in my community. Both of the classes were held at the Audubon Library in Amherst and were taught by a certified CPR/AED instructor from Creative InServices, Inc. I also created a YouTube video that encourages people to sign up for CPR classes in their community. Helping Hands classes were open to anyone in Williamsville/Amherst ages 13+. At least 25 people learned how to respond to a cardiac arrest situation using hands-only CPR/AED. Because of my project this number will likely grow as my video gains views and participants share their experience with family and friends. Helping Hands benefited others because it gave people the fundamental skills to provide care for someone suffering from a cardiac arrest.”

Mercer added, “Girl Scouting has allowed me to learn, teach, and give back to my community from a very young age. Each award that I have earned has helped me develop important life skills such as time management, teamwork, project management, decision-making and more. Girl Scouting has also helped me relate to other girls my own age, and I have made many lasting friendships through the program. Camping is a great memory that certainly sticks with me the most, from troop camping, encampment with the service unit, and the summer camp program at Seven Hills. Overall, it made my school years more rewarding, memorable, meaningful, and fun!”

Mercer will receive her Gold Award at the Gold Award Ceremony on June 1, 2019. The Girl Scout Gold Award is the most prestigious award in the world for girls.

The Gold Award project is the culmination of all the work a girl puts into “going for the Gold.” A Girl Scout’s project should be something that a girl can be passionate about—in thought, deed, and action that encompasses organizational, leadership, and networking skills. The project should also fulfill a need within a girl’s community (whether local or global) and create change that has the potential to be on-going or sustainable. Approximately 80 hours of community service are involved in the project. Completion of the Gold Award also qualifies the Girl Scout for special scholarship opportunities and to enter the military a full rank higher than her peers.

The Girl Scout Gold Award, the most prestigious award in the world for girls, acknowledges the power behind each recipient’s dedication to not only empowering and bettering herself, but also to making the world a better place for others. These young women are courageous leaders and visionary change makers.

The Gold Award requires a Girl Scout to identify an issue and investigate it to understand what can be done to address the problem. The girl then forms a team to act as a support system, including a project advisor close to the issue who is not a troop leader or family member, while she leads the project. The Girl Scout creates a plan to ensure they know what steps they must tackle while working on the project. The Girl Scout submits a proposal for her project to her local Girl Scout council. After acceptance, the girl begins to work through the steps of their plan utilizing the assistance of her support team where necessary. Lastly, the project is used to educate and inspire others about the cause they are addressing.

To learn more, visit gswny.org.