Girl Scouts of Western New York is proud to announce Emily Townsend of Lockport, NY, as a 2019 Gold Award Girl Scout. Townsend’s project was titled “Watershed Awareness.”

Townsend explained, “My Gold Award Project’s purpose was to raise awareness in Lockport of where the city’s watershed flowed and how it affected the environment. Collaborating with my environmental sciences teacher, I was able to make the watershed known so that my community is more conscious of throwing their waste into waterways. I gained permission from my school principal to paint on school grounds. I gathered materials (cement paints, brushes, water buckets). Then I drew out my design with chalk and began painting. I hoped to catch the community’s attention with colorful storm drain art and the bodies of water the storm drain led to and how they were benefited.”

Townsend added, “Being a Girl Scout has taught me many lessons about respect, friendship and hard work. I now plan on becoming a leader to provide the same opportunities my leaders have for me.”

Townsend 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.