Girl Scouts of Western New York is proud to announce Erin Brege of Orchard Park, NY, as a 2019 Gold Award Girl Scout. Brege’s project was titled “Orchard Park Music Library.”

Brege explained, “I filed all of the music at each school in the Orchard Park district. I spent hours putting the pieces in order and entering their titles, composers, and publishers into a spreadsheet. I also created a new website for the school that carries all of this data. Teachers and students from any school in the district can log in and view which pieces are kept in which schools. My project has already begun to benefit the people in my district because the music in each school is so much easier to manage now. I was first inspired to do this for my project because of the need that I saw for it. Ever since I was a freshman in high school, I have seen countless students working on the music library for senior hours, only for it to get messed up again the following year because there was no system in place to keep it organized. With the spreadsheet and website that I’ve put together, this system does exist now, and the library can finally remain organized. After working at the high school, I realized that this organization would be beneficial for all of the schools in the district, and I moved on to work at the five remaining schools.”

Brege added, “Girl Scouting has taught me so many valuable lessons about myself, others and the world. One of the most important things that being a Girl Scout has taught me is how important it is that every girl knows how much of a difference she can make in the world. Tackling projects for different awards and badges as a Girl Scout has taught me how to take the initiative to work toward something that I want to achieve, a lesson that I think every child deserves to learn. I have become a much more responsible, outgoing person as a Girl Scout and I know that I will use these lessons throughout the rest of my life to continue to create change wherever I see it necessary.”

Brege 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.