Girl Scouts of Western New York is proud to announce Lauren Coon of East Amherst, NY, as a 2021 Gold Award Girl Scout. Lauren is from Troop 30925 and has been a member of Girl Scouts for 13 years.

What Lauren said about Girl Scouts

Girl Scouting has allowed me to become a more confident, independent person. It provided me with a supportive Girl Scouting family and pushed me to better myself and my community. I am grateful for the experiences Girl Scouts has given me.

Project: Blue Bird Boxes for Camp Seven Hills

I built and installed six bird boxes specifically designed for blue birds at Camp Seven Hills Lakeside. I also created educational posters about the Eastern blue bird and their habitat and placed them around different buildings at camp.

Populations of Eastern blue birds have dwindled due to urbanization and the destruction of their natural habitats, which are holes in older trees. Deforestation has prevented the reproduction of blue birds. The introduction of blue bird boxes allows for a safe space for these birds to live and reproduce.

These bird boxes will not only allow for blue birds to repopulate the areas around camp, but also provide a visual reminder to girls to be aware of their impact on the environment.

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.