Girl Scouts of Western New York is proud to announce Amelia Alexander of Rochester, NY, as a 2021 Gold Award Girl Scout. Amelia is from Troop 60825 and has been a member of Girl Scouts for 12 years.

What Amelia said about Girl Scouts

Girl Scouts has helped me embrace diversity and has made me a more well-rounded and confident person.

Project: Mural About Teen Issues

In the town of Greece, I collaborated with the Principal and Assistant Principal at my high school to paint a mural depicting the top three teen issues and ways to help remedy them. I noticed that there is a lack of awareness in both parents and teens about teen issues, and that is what I wanted to address.

First, I conducted a school-wide survey to figure out which teen issues I should highlight and the results were: stress, body image, and depression. I chose to paint the mural on a piece of plywood instead of a wall so it could be easily transported or mounted, which also made it possible to continue working after the school closed due to COVID-19.

My goal was to increase awareness of these teen issues and provide a foundation for parents and teens to start to address them, so I included a written summary of each issue and its solutions after I finished painting.

About the Gold Award

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.

For more information on the Gold Award, click here.