Girl Scouts of Western New York is proud to announce Grace Hodkin of Burt, NY, as a 2022 Gold Award Girl Scout. Grace is a member of Troop 70356.

What Grace said about Girl Scouts

Girl Scouts has been a place where I could try new things, learn new skills, and be myself. Most of my friends are Girl Scouts.

Project: History of Newfane Geocache Trail

For my Gold Award, I wanted to find a way for people to make community connections and learn about our history in a fun, active, and free way. I made a series of eight geocaches in the Town of Newfane (Niagara County) that make up a History of Newfane Geocache Trail. Local history is particularly important because there are many stories and artifacts that reflect our lives today, but most people don’t know about the history of the town that they live in.

Geocaching is both an outdoor and a family activity. It is a recreational activity of hunting for and finding a hidden object by the means of GPS coordinates on a website. This is free and available for both iPhone and Android systems. People can use it on their smartphones or tablets; anything they can carry outside. (It is also usable on laptops or desktops for at-home planning.) Each geocache represents a different part of the Town of Newfane with a historical aspect.

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.