Girl Scouts of Western New York is proud to announce Abigail Strassner of Pittsford, NY, as a 2022 Gold Award Girl Scout. Abigail is a member of Troop 60127.

What Abigail said about Girl Scouts

Girl Scouts has allowed me to connect with people at school that I wasn’t previously friends with. It especially helped me make friends when I moved to Pittsford. Additionally, Girl Scouts has allowed me to feel closer to my community. I have come in contact with many animals and people that I wouldn’t have to without it.

Project: T-Shirts to Toys

The majority of my Gold Award project was spent making rope dog toys for Lollypop Farm. I collected old t-shirts from my neighbors and followed a tutorial on how to make the toys. Additionally, I made another kind of dog toy out of PVC pipes. These toys help cognitively enrich dogs.

In order to make my project sustainable, I made a tutorial video for others to follow on how to make the rope toys. After I completed making the toys, I visited Lollypop Farm to deliver them and to speak with my project advisor in person finally. The purpose of my project was not only to supply a local non-profit with supplies they needed, but also to inspire others to look for new ways to repurpose old material and help local non-profits. 

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.