Girl Scouts of Western New York is proud to announce Laci Sewar of Elba, NY, as a 2022 Gold Award Girl Scout. Laci is a member of Troop 42222.

What Laci said about Girl Scouts

Girl Scouts has brought me some good lessons and fun memories. I have been a Girl Scout for 13 years and that came with a lot of work from me. I learned basic life skills from going to camp in my younger years which was fun and I kind of want to go back. I got some nice memories that I still haven’t forgotten from that place. I live my life by the Girl Scout Promise and Law. I do those things on a daily basis which makes me the type of person I am today. As I got into my older years of Girl Scouting, doing the budgeting badges and things have helped me balance my money with college coming up and work. I may not seem like it, but I do appreciate my mom for pushing me to stay in all these years, so thank you!

Project: Stations of the Cross Program

For my Gold Award project, I renovated the wooden Stations of the Cross located outside of the Elba church next to the school. I obtained new wooden plaques and stained/sanded/sealed them. I also polished up the old brass plaques that would then be put on the wooden plaques.

I created a program for children in grades 3-6 about the Stations of the Cross. The program included a matching game, word searches, a prayer for each station, and a laminated paper with a description of each station. I obtained materials needed to make my project successful from Home Depot and my home from my dad’s shop. The purpose of my project was to strengthen children’s understanding of the Stations of the Cross. My project will allow the teachers of the Faith Formation classes to continue to use my resources to teach their classes. 

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.