Girl Scouts of Western New York is proud to announce Allison Fuszara of Getzville, NY, as a 2023 Gold Award Girl Scout. Allison is a member of Troop 30808.

Project: Calming Houses for Elementary School Children

Teaching Elementary school children on the Autism spectrum and other Social Delays to find a safe place
to regroup instead of lashing out or becoming overwhelmed. Covid has increased the years of isolation for all kids. This has caused a deficit in a child’s ability to regulate and stay focus when they become overwhelmed with the outside world. I addressed the root cause of the issue by creating calming huts used as a place to go when the kids are stressed and just needs somewhere to go. The kids can use it any time that they need to in the future and when those kids graduate new kids will be able to use them. Teachers can share the plans for the huts with families so they can make them at home. They can also share the plans with the other buildings so they can make them there too.

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.