Girl Scouts of Western New York is proud to announce Elise Brady of Orchard Park, NY, as a 2023 Gold Award Girl Scout. Elise is a member of Troop 30516.

Project: The Pheasant Project

My Gold Award focused on helping replenish the pheasant population. The DEC donated 60 day old chicks to me. With the help of friends and family I build a brooder and coop to raise them in. When they were 12 weeks old I released them in a few DEC approved locations. I educated people along the way on how they could do the same. Many were interested in helping endangered wildlife and a few people spoke of raising pheasants themselves. Some people have reported back to me that they have seen pheasants in the areas where I released mine. I feel good knowing that I made a difference in my community.

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.