Girl Scouts of Western New York is proud to announce Alyssa Kornacki of Lancaster, NY, as a 2022 Gold Award Girl Scout. Alyssa is a member of Troop 30053.

What Alyssa said about Girl Scouts

Throughout the past 13 years, Girl Scouts has truly made me the person I am today. Through the endless opportunities, amazing experiences and long-lasting friendships I have become a more confident, motivated, and ambitious individual. 

Project: Girl Scout Way & Historical Experience

In November 2021, I began to volunteer at the Lancaster Historical Society as a docent on the second and fourth Sunday of each month and began to prepare for Girl Scout events in the Spring. The Lancaster Historical Society has a large Girl Scout collection of present and past Girl Scout uniforms, handbooks, and other materials donated by members of the community. I planned two events in March to allow younger troops to receive their Girl Scout Way badges. Troops in the Como Lake Service Unit had the opportunity to attend a badge event to learn about the Lancaster Historical Society, and the history of our town, as well as the history of Girl Scouts.

To spread the word, I posted on our Como Lake Service Unit Leader Facebook page and emailed the Como Lake Service Unit about upcoming events. Many women reached out to me with additional Girl Scout artifacts for the collection. All of the materials were researched and tagged so the Historical Society has an organized and cataloged collection of Girl Scout items. I reconstructed the display case in the Historical Society and created an interactive experience for girls and their families to visit anytime and learn about their Girl Scout roots. I designed a temporary exhibit in the Village of Lancaster New York Store with a local Cadette troop to educate community members on the History of Lancaster and our town’s historic Girl Scout troops.

The badge workshops served nine troops and over 40 girls earned a Girl Scout Way badge in March 2022 during Girl Scout Week. The Historical Society hosted events and open hours that served over 200 community members who had the opportunity to view the Girl Scout displays and learn about the history of our town’s Girl Scout troop.

This project will be handed down to my sister’s Girl Scout troop. They will be responsible for volunteering at the Lancaster Historical Society and keeping the displays and future donations organized and sorted for the next few years so the project may be sustainable.

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.