Girl Scouts of Western New York is proud to announce Corinne Lapp of Amherst, NY, as a 2020 Gold Award Girl Scout. Lapps’s project, Miracle Masks, involved creating 100 face masks for public distribution as well as providing instructions on how to sew additional masks with machine or by hand.

Lapp stated that her goal was to help families stay safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. She was happy to assist her community in a way she found fun and that helped her improve on her sewing skills. To streamline her process she worked on the masks in a style similar to an assembly line by batching several through a single step before moving them all on to the next step in the process simultaneously. Below are the instructions she included with each mask. The steps are also available at bit.ly/lappgoldaward on YouTube.

Steps of sewing the masks:

You will need: Fabric, garden wire, elastic, scissors, ruler, pins/clips, and a sewing machine.

Measurements: Fabric= 6inchesx9inches; Garden Wire = 6.5 inches 

Elastic= 6.5 inches for a small, 7 inches for a medium, 8 inches for a large

1. Lay your 2 pieces of fabric so that both of the outside sides are touching and the wrong sides are on the outside. Line up the 9 inch sides and pin together
2. Sew the edge with a 1/8th inch seam allowance.
3. Flip the fabric so that the right sides are on top now and pin the wire into the seam.
4. Sew close to the wire or with a ¼ inch seam allowance.
5. Flip back over so the wrong sides are on top and pin together the other 9inch sides Sew. 
6. Press together with fingers or an iron
7. With the right sides on the outside, fold in the rough edges of the 6 inch side so that they are in the inside of the mask. 
8. Pin the elastic in the edges. Sew over elastic with zig zag stitch. Backstitch over elastic 5 times.
9. After sewing, add in pleats. Simply fold the middle together pin. The fold the top than bottom. Sew with a zig zag stitch. Press for permanence. 
10. Enjoy your mask and stay safe!

By earning her Gold Award during the 2020 Girl Scouting year, Lapp will be included in a virtual acknowledgment this June. All 2020 Gold Award Girl Scouts will receive the option to be a part of the 2021 in-person Gold Award ceremony next year to receive their Gold Award pin. 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 she can enlist in the military at a higher starting pay grade.

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.