Girl Scouts of Western New York is proud to announce Sophie Kosich of Hamburg, NY, as a 2019 Gold Award Girl Scout. Kosich’s project was titled “Educating Kids About Birds in WNY.”

Kosich explained, “Ever since I was a little girl, my family had taken little trips with our dog to the Anna Mae Bird Sanctuary during the summer to hike the trails, picnic, or see the creek. Two years ago, we decided to go to the bird sanctuary again after some time, and it wasn’t the same place that I remembered. The trails were barely visible and there was yard waste from various peoples’ backyards. The information box was empty and falling apart. After seeing this we decided to make it my project to help restore the bird sanctuary to its potential. It was really a community effort. Although I helped build a new information box, we had about 40 people help at a clean-up day we organized. It was definitely a success and the bird sanctuary looked even better than I had remembered. After the cleanup I had a second aspect to my project that involved the Girl Scouts. I helped my mom, a Girl Scout leader, direct an Encampment open to anyone involved in the Creekside Service Unit. Our theme was “Creekside Girl Scouts–Birds of a Feather” and we had about 100 attendees! Everyone who came got to learn all about birds in WNY. It was a super fun weekend for everyone, even the parents. The Buffalo Zoo even came and brought live birds.”

Kosich added, “I have met almost all of my to-date best friends through Girl Scouting. They are truly some of the best people you could ever meet. We have learned so much together and Girl Scouting has definitely shaped the great bond we have!”

Kosich 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.