Last year, Girl Scout Emma Smith completed her Gold Award mural for the Monroe County Visitation Center, a part of the Society for the Protection and Care of Children. We receive a story of Emma’s hard work from SPCC itself last year and included that in a prior blog post. Emma recently sent us additional photos and information.

Emma stated, “I chose this project because I wanted to use my love and skills for art to make a difference for the children going through hard times at the Visitation Center. The project impacted my community by brightening up the environment for the children.”

Emma explained, “I had to do research about foster care in Monroe County and how to paint a mural. I’d never painted something so large before! I had to connect with staff at the Society for the protection and Care of Children, the Monroe County Department of Human Services, Girl Scouts of Western NY, and other professionals. I submitted personal designs and got approval from the county to begin painting. I used the money I had earned in Girl Scouts selling cookies over the past ten years to fund my project and purchase the supplies I needed, then there was the painting itself, which I did over a four-day period.”

Her mural is of the downtown Rochester skyline and features landmark buildings and the Frederick Douglass-Susan B. Anthony Memorial Bridge that stretches over the Genesee River.

Emma is an official GSWNY 2020 Girl Scout Gold Award recipient. She will be receiving her Gold Award accolades including her pin this year and will be included in a virtual acknowledgement of this year’s awardees. This year’s recipients will also be offered the opportunity to be recognized at the 2021 in-person Gold Award ceremony.