Girl Scouts of Western New York is proud to announce Syvonne Forgette of Buffalo, NY, as a 2021 Gold Award Girl Scout. Syvonne is from Troop 30360 and has been a member of Girl Scouts for 10 years.

What Syvonne said about Girl Scouts

Girl Scouts has given me the skills and support to find and pursue my passions. I have loved every moment of my troop’s camping trips, earning badges, and working together towards our goals.

Project: Setting up the foundations for the City Honors Environmental Club

When I realized that my high school, City Honors (Buffalo, NY), never had an environmental club, I started one. The more I talked to my peers, the more I realized that our school needed an outlet for students to learn and have discussions about our local environment and world wide environmental issues. I wanted to see change in my peers’ relationship with the Earth.

My project allowed City Honors Students to have a better understanding on how their actions affect the environment, and how small changes can make major differences. To give my peers opportunities to act, I worked with Buffalo Niagara Waterkeepers and Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve. These organizations allowed club members to learn more about our local environment and actions that we can take.

So far the club has done several cleanups around local waterways, planted trees, learned about watersheds, watched several documentaries, and more.

My Gold Award project allowed me and my peers to strengthen our love for the Earth and find ways to preserve it. During my journey I explored one of the natural beauties of New York State, the Adirondacks. I rediscovered my love for hiking and continue to share this love with the club members. On my journey, I went on a two-night backpacking trip in the high peaks regions of the Adirondack Park with my dad. We hiked in with our gear and set up camp just before rain arrived. The next day we hiked Mount Colvin and Blake Peak. We returned to our campsite just before it rained again, found shelter under the edge of our tent and managed to cook dinner, trying not to get soaked. Although the views from the peaks were beautiful, my favorite part was the journey up the mountains, and the views from the trail.

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.