Girl Scouts of Western New York is proud to announce Brianna Kline of Lockport, NY, as a 2022 Gold Award Girl Scout. Brianna is a member of Troop 70356.

What Brianna said about Girl Scouts

Girl Scouts has changed my life by giving me long-time friends and starting my path towards community service. I have been lucky enough to have been in Girl Scouts since I was in Kindergarten and stay in the same troop where I met many people and still have friends I met through Girl Scouts. Girl Scouts has also influenced my path as now I am in clubs at my school doing community service and I did community service through my church.

Project: Picnic tables for the Newfane Elementary

For my Gold Award, I made four picnic tables for the Newfane Elementary School. I got donations from Lowe’s, Newfane Lumber, Home Depot, and Flint Bros Hardware. I received helped from my advisor, David Page from Schwab Interior Carpentry. I also needed to present my ideas to the schools superintendent and have the school board approve of the tables.

I choose to make picnic tables to try to get more kids outside, improving their physical and mental health. My project was able to get more kids outside by allowing teachers to take their students outside to eat lunch or have a class. I also presented knowledge of the health benefits of going outside to my community. I had to learn how to use every tool used to make the tables. I had to get out of my comfort zone when presenting my ideas to the organizations I was asking for donations and the school.

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.