Girl Scouts of Western New York is proud to announce Elizabeth Humphrey of Wilson, NY, as a 2019 Gold Award Girl Scout. Humphrey’s project was titled “A Song-A-Day.”

Humphrey explained, “The Song-A-Day Calendar was created for patients with dementia in nursing homes. It employs music therapy through the use of a song lyrics from the patient’s younger years to bring back memories that may have been forgotten. The calendars are currently in use at Northgate Healthcare Facility in North Tonawanda. This project has so far seen positive feedback from the residents, and serves to better their quality of life in their final years. I chose this project because I wanted to bring joy to those who have influenced so many in their long lives. To create the calendars, I researched over 350 songs from the ‘40s, ‘50s, and ‘60s for the daily song lyrics. I created a daily calendar template and assigned each day a song lyric, with the artist and song title, allowing for songs that go with a holiday or season. After running a test week at Northgate, I printed out 25 calendars on colored paper, and laminated calendars that would go in public places for long-term use. I am pleased with the results and love hearing the positive feedback from the residents and staff in the memory care unit.”

Humphrey added, “Girl Scouting has provided countless opportunities that I would’ve never dreamed of. From camp to community service to the friends I’ve made along the way. I wouldn’t trade any of it for the world.”

Humphrey 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.