Girl Scouts of Western New York is proud to announce Elizabeth Kunze of Pittsford, NY, as a 2022 Gold Award Girl Scout. Elizabeth is a member of Troop 60982.

What Elizabeth said about Girl Scouts

Girl Scouting has given me leadership skills, built connections with my community and allowed me to challenge myself in so many ways.

Project: Verona Street Shelter Project

For my Gold Award, I worked with the Verona Street Animal Shelter in Rochester. I helped them with a fundraising event, did donation drives and built them feral cat boxes as a part of their trap, neuter, and release program.

I constructed three feral cat shelters. These shelters will provide protection to feral cats during the extremely cold winters. These shelters will house different cats over the years looking to get out of the wind and snow and provide a safe way for the Verona Street staff to locate these feral cats and have them neutered.

Another aspect of my project was my donations collection. I went door to door explaining my project and informing people about the work that Verona Street does while asking for donations from their wish list. Very few people in Pittsford know about Verona Street and this helped bring awareness.

The reason I chose this project is because I love animals and my goal was to help their comfort and safety and help the shelter that has been doing great work for so many animals over the years. Throughout my project one skill that I was able to develop was working with power tools. My dad did have to teach me how to use tools such as a drill and circular saw, however, by the end of my project I was able to use these tools by myself. This is a skill that I never thought I would need but it will be helpful later in life, too. Throughout this project my leadership skills grew. After having to work with an organization by myself and share my thoughts and ideas on the project I feel more confident in my leadership abilities for the future.

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.