Girl Scouts of Western New York is proud to announce Alyssa Biedron of Cheektowaga, NY, as a 2022 Gold Award Girl Scout. Alyssa is a member of Troop 30491.

What Ivy said about Girl Scouts

Girl Scouts has helped me become a better leader and helped me with public speaking.

Project: Bee a Part of the Solution, Too

I had my Gold Award project at the Erie County Fair and I worked with Maria from the Erie County Agricultural Society. My project was to educate the public on the dangers of the low bee population and how it affects the world. The root cause of my issue is that people are using pesticides at their homes to keep bees away or just killing them because people believe all the lies about them being dangerous.

For my project, I met with my advisor and we brainstormed how we will display the bee hotel and the size needed. I collected donated lumber and I went to the local parks and picked up broken branches to fill the hotel. I built the hotel by measuring and cutting the lumber. I nailed all the pieces together, filled the hotel, and painted the Girl Scout troop number and Girl Scout logo.

The bee hotel was placed on display for the public to see at the fair and I handed out brochures with bee facts and instructions on how the public can make their own bee hotels to help build up the bee population.

About the Girl Scout 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.