Girl Scouts of Western New York is proud to announce Kaitlyn Swartzmeyer of Tonawanda, NY, as a 2021 Gold Award Girl Scout. Kaitlyn is from Troop 30875 and has been a member of Girl Scouts for 10 years.

What Kaitlyn said about Girl Scouts

It took a shy girl and made me a confident, woman. I actively participated in Girl Scout troop & Service Unit activities. I was able to develop my leadership skills in so many different ways. Miss Nancy and Miss Jeanne have encouraged and supported me throughout the years. There have been many others who have impacted my Girl Scout experience. I am so thankful for being a part of Girl Scouts for the last 10 years! I developed a love of nature because of my many Girl Scout experiences. This is one reason why I have chosen my degree program of Environmental Engineering.

Project: Pads For Education

For my Gold Award, I want to help girls from impoverished countries to be able to go to school after they start their period. I made samples of the pads and prewashed the flannel material before starting to make the pads. Girl Scout sisters from my troop helped to make the pads and bags. We also packed the bags together.

I wrote letters to 6 different businesses in the community and dropped them off in person. I received donations from Advantage Dentistry & Kenmore Dental Associates, PLLC. They donated toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss, and the smaller plastic bags to put all of the items in to go with the reusable pads. Advantage Dentistry was so impacted by this topic that they wanted to donate more items. They ordered marble composition books, pens, & pencils to also go into the bags. I also received donations from the community which included washcloths, soap, and rulers. I also made two posters about sex trafficking and presented the information to the other girls of the troop.

Pads and school supplies are too expensive which is why girls stop going to school. Girls who are not in school have a greater chance of of being a part of the sex and human trafficking world. I hope that this topic made businesses and people more aware of the local and global existence of sex and human trafficking and how they can help prevent it. Donating pads and school supplies will help girls stay in school, get an education, and have a better future.

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.