Gold Award Girl Scouts total five from Farragut, Knox County
The Girl Scouts of the Southern Appalachians announced its 2021 Gold Award recipients from Farragut and Knox County.
Janda Atchley built a pollinator garden at Farragut High School to address the issue of endangered pollinators and to elevate the education of students. The garden enhances the beauty of the high school and lets students learn about environmental issues. Atchley partnered with the environmental science department to sustain the project after she graduates.
Caroline Brown created the Kids Cove Bee Awareness at Zoo Knoxville to combat the decreasing bee population. Brown painted the bee boxes to make the beehives more visible to visitors and added an educational aspect to raise awareness of the importance of bees.
Kathryn Bush noticed that children’s learning and activity levels decrease during the summer, which could lead to behavioral and attention problems. Bush created an at-home summer camp with age-appropriate activities, including a website with tutorial videos. The activities prompt creativity, exercise and being outdoors. Her summer camp also included 55 take-home activity kits with learning solutions that supported many children during the pandemic.
Maggie Clark helped Ijams Nature Center by improving the safety and accessibility of the Ijams Discovery Trail. She improved the trail to better handle rain and foot traffic and helped to create plaques to educate visitors on maintenance for the trail.
Olivia Wilkerson built and stocked a library for elementary school students and their parents. She wanted to ensure parents had access to books so they could model reading to their children.
“Our communities have been positively impacted by the vision, leadership and dedication of each of our Gold Award girls,” said Lynne Fugate, CEO of the Girl Scouts of the Southern Appalachians. “This high honor required hours of hard work and the leadership skills that they have been developing during their years as a Girl Scout.”
“The Girl Scout Gold Award represents exceptional achievement in leadership development, positive values and service,” a GSSA press release stated. “Only Girl Scout Seniors and Ambassadors are eligible for the Gold Award, and before they can pursue it, they must meet prerequisites, including completing a Take Action Project or earning the Girl Scout Silver Award, which entails a girl-led project to improve the neighborhood or community.
“At a minimum requirement of 80 hours, most girls spend between one and two years on Gold Award projects. A Gold Award Girl Scout’s achievements prime her for the fast track when it comes to college admissions and making her a ... candidate for academic scholarships and other financial awards. In addition, Gold Award Girl Scouts who join the Armed Services enter at a rank above other recruits.”
