Girl Scouts of Western New York is proud to announce Sanna Rose Vollbrecht of Hamburg, NY, as a 2021 Gold Award Girl Scout. Sanna Rose is from Troop 30708 and has been a member of Girl Scouts for 11 years.

What Sanna Rose said about Girl Scouts

Being a Girl Scout for 11 years has enabled me to experience things I normally would have never gotten to experience. Between camp-outs, troop activities, and meeting new people, I have transformed into a better person who has gained confidence to be myself and pursue my dreams. As I graduate from high school this year I am excited to see where I go while I live by the things and ideals that I learned through Girl Scouts.

Project: My Sisterhood

For my project I created wooden signs with the Girl Scout Law and Promise for Camp Seven Hills in Holland, NY. I decided to make signs highlighting the Law and Promise because as I would go to events held by Girl Scouts I noticed that many of my peers didn’t know them.

I pursued this project because I believe as the girls see the signs around Camp Seven Hills it will become ingrained into their memory due to seeing it so often. The signs are made out of a high quality of plywood with a white marine paint to help repel water, black vinyl lettering for the words, and then a marine varnish to seal the lettering onto the wood and repel any other water.

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.