|
Gold Award
Recipients
The Girl Scout Gold Award is the
highest honor in Girl Scouting.
It is recognized nationally by
government organizations,
universities and colleges, and many
others. Here at the Girl Scout
Council of Colonial Coast, we
recognize these young women for
their amazing accomplishments, their
leadership abilities, and their
impact on our community. They
are celebrated at the service unit
level and council wide at the annual
Gold Award Celebration.
2008 Gold Award
Celebration
The 2008 Gold Award Celebration took
place on April 27th at Hampton
University. Over 75 guests
attended the ceremony to recognize
the amazing achievements of these
outstanding Girl Scouts. To
read more about the celebration,
click here.
2007-2008 Gold
Award Recipients
Bridget B, Troop #583 of Virginia
Beach - "Bear in a Blanket"
|
 |
Bridget has a passion for
helping people who are sick,
so she decided to put a
smile on the faces of
patients at CHKD with her
project, “Bear in a
Blanket.” Bridget hand-made
twenty fleece blankets and
then rolled them around
stuffed bears. Her favorite
part of the project was
delivering her creations to
the children and seeing the
happiness she brought to
their day. |
Torey B, Troop #1152 of Poquoson - "Doggone
Good Reading Program"
|
 |
Torey
combined her love of dogs
and children for her project
which she called the
“Doggone Good Reading
Program.” Torey created a
new reading program to
improve readings skill and
ease the anxiety many
children have about reading
aloud. She trained her dog
and then spent time reading
with children at a local
elementary school. Torey
says she saw a definite
improvement in reading
skills and confidence by the
end of her project. |
Stefani B, Troop #97 of Norfolk -
"Learning Aids"
|
|
Stefani
developed the idea for her
project, called “Learning
Aids,” from her time
volunteering at a local
pre-school. Stefani
recognized that teachers
often don’t have the time or
budget to get the teaching
resources they need. To
meet this need, Stefani
created manipulatives and
games to help the children
learn the alphabet, develop
color awareness, and learn
shapes. Her contribution
provided a valuable resource
that teachers will continue
to use to enhance their
students’ learning
experience. |
Lauren B, Troop #583 of Virginia
Beach - "Ready, Set, Read!"
|
 |
Lauren
project, “Ready, Set, Read,”
was a way to reach out to
underprivileged children.
Knowing the importance of
reading in the development
and education of young
children, Lauren decided to
provide books for the
Judeo-Christian Outreach
Center Oceanfront
Preschool. She collected
over 200 books and built a
red oak bookshelf to give to
the preschool. When she
personally delivered the
donations, she was greeted
with thrilled children and
thankful adults. |
Gabrielle B, Troop #977 of
Chesapeake - "Images of Me"
|
 |
Gabrielle wanted to help
children develop and
maintain a positive
self-image. She used her
own passion for fashion in
her project called “Images
of Me.” Gabrielle put
together a seven-week long
project for a group of
elementary school children
which included sessions on
self-esteem, skin and nails,
public speaking, nutrition,
manners, and a fashion
show. The children involved
with her project not only
had a great time, but also
walked away with more
confidence in themselves. |
Megan C, Troop #883 of Virginia
Beach - "Hola Mi Amigos en Mexico"
|
 |
Megan
project, “Hola Mi Amigos En
Mexico,” took the Gold Award
across national borders.
She wrote, illustrated,
printed, bound, and
decorated a Spanish prayer
book and created over 100
clay cross necklaces. She
was able to hand-deliver the
prayer books to
poverty-stricken children in
Mexico while she was on a
mission trip. She also sent
necklaces to children in
Africa. Megan hopes to
continue her project to
bring hope and smiles to
more children around the
world. |
Lindsay C, Troop #595 of Virginia
Beach - "Extreme Makeover: Nursery
Edition"
|
 |
Lindsay
says that the nursery in her
church was in desperate need
of a makeover. For her
project, “Extreme Makeover:
Nursery Edition,” Lindsay
was able to provide a safe
and fun place for the
children to go. She washed
and organized the toys,
cleaned the room, and built
extra storage containers.
She painted walls, hung
pictures, and had the
children add their own touch
by placing their handprints
on the wall. Enrollment in
the nursery increased and
many mothers praised Lindsay
for the new room. |
Kaitlyn C, Troop #593 of
Chesapeake - "Book Drive for Red
Bird Mission"
|
 |
Kaitlyn
loves to read but recognized
that underprivileged teens
often had no access to books
of their own. To solve this
problem, Kaitlyn conducted a
book drive at her school for
her project called “Book
Drive for Red Bird
Mission.” She collected
non-fiction and fiction
books which she donated to
the Red Bird Mission of West
Virginia who handed out the
books during the holidays to
underprivileged teens in the
community. Kaitlyn’s
project not only provided
the gift of a book for these
teens, but it also provided
them with an opportunity to
improve their literacy and
open up their minds. |
Christy D, Troop #593 of
Chesapeake - "Sarah's Healing Garden
in Memory of Kathy Litteken"
|
 |
Christy
got the idea for her project
after losing her Grandma to
Alzheimer’s. Her project,
titled “Sarah’s Healing
Garden in Memory of Kathy
Litteken,” aimed to improve
the lives of those in the
Alzheimer’s Unit at a local
nursing home facility.
Christy created a “healing
garden” full of flowers,
birdhouses, pinwheels,
decorations, and benches.
She hopes that the garden
provides the residents with
a calm, relaxing retreat to
enjoy during their time in
the nursing home. |
Katie F, Troop #1012 of Poquoson
- "Fleece for Families"
|
 |
Katie
turned her hobby of making
blankets into a way to help
others through her project
“Fleece For Families.” She
handmade over 20 fleece
blankets which she donated
to the Poquoson Chapter of
the American Red Cross. She
also brought her community
together by teaching a large
group of people how to make
these blankets themselves so
that they could make
donations as well. |
Brittany F, Troop #998 of
Virginia Beach - "A Little Pick Me
Up"
|
 |
Brittany wanted to improve
the lives of young cancer
patients at St. Jude’s
Hospital through her project
called “A Little Pick Me
Up.” Brittany put together
over 80 packages
personalized by gender and
age group and sent them to
the St. Jude’s Hospital.
The packages contained items
such as blankets, coloring
books, school supplies, and
games. Her donations gave
hope and fun to children
going through the most
difficult time of their
lives. |
Shannon F, Juliette of Chesapeake
- "Entertainment for the Children at
CHKD"
|
 |
Shannon
realized that the children
at CHKD usually have nothing
to entertain them while
they’re undergoing
treatment. For her project,
“Entertainment For the
Children at CHKD,” she
decided to fill that void by
holding a VHS and DVD drive
at her school. She
collected over 300 movies
which she delivered to the
hospital for the children to
watch. She also
participated in an arts and
crafts activity with the
children. Her project was
so successful, she was asked
to return as often as she
could. |
Kaitlin H, Troop #595 of Virginia
Beach- "Living With Diabetes"
|
 |
Kaitlin' s project, “Living
With Diabetes,” addressed a
growing health concern in
the United States. She
created a 30 minute
presentation about diabetes
and presented it to
elementary school children.
She made 500 booklets and
1000 goodie bags to hand
out. Kaitlin was able to
teach young children the
importance of good health
while also showing them that
life goes on, even if you
have diabetes. She had a
great response from not only
the children, but from the
teachers and family members
who were appreciative of the
knowledge she shared. |
Kelsey H, Troop #583 -
"Pillows For Patients"
|
 |
Kelsey
made many children at CHKD
smile through her project
called “Pillows For
Patients.” She designed,
sewed and distributed over
60 “Tooth Fairy Pillows” for
those at CHKD who lose a
tooth or have them pulled
for surgery. Her gift not
only helped the children
during their stay in the
hospital, but it gave them
something of their own to
take with them when they
leave. |
Erica H, Troop #24 of Isle of
Wight - "Literacy Folder Activities"
|
|
Erica
came up with the idea for
her project, called
“Literacy Folder
Activities,” through career
shadowing at a local
elementary school. Erica
became aware of and
concerned about literacy
issues in young children.
She addressed this problem
by designing activities
children could use with
their parents to improve
their reading skills. She
put together literacy
folders containing twenty
different activities which
were distributed to children
at a local elementary
school. |
Faith J, Troop #1012 of Poquoson
- "Suitcases for Foster Kids"
 |
Faith’s
parents once had a foster
child who carried all her
belongings around in a
shopping bag. For her
project, called “Suitcases
for Foster Kids,” Faith
wanted to prevent that from
happening to other foster
children. She collected 30
gently used suitcases which
she cleaned and decorated.
She then filled them with
personal items, toys, books,
and stuffed animals. The
suitcases were donated to
Hope Haven Children’s Home.
Faith’s contribution gave
those children a sense of
property and belonging. |
Ashley J, Troop #24 of Smithfield
- "Know Your Humane Society"
|
|
Ashley
loves animals and knows how
to take care of them, but
she realized that many young
people do not. In an effort
to educate the community,
Ashley teamed up with the
Isle of Wight Humane Society
for her project called “Know
Your Humane Society.”
Ashley coordinated
informational sessions at
Brownie and Junior Girl
Scout Troop meetings and
involved them in a short
story and bookmark design
contest. Her efforts
created better community
awareness on how to care for
pets while also raising
awareness for the Isle of
Wight Humane Society. |
Ruby L, Troop #1442 of Yorktown -
"Ecology Club Revival"
|
 |
Ruby
decided to go green for her
project titled “Ecology Club
Revival.” She made a major
impact on her community,
starting with her high
school, by placing donated
cardboard boxes in each
classroom to recycle paper
waste. Within just four
months, Ruby and the newly
created “Green Team” at her
school recycled over 430
pounds of paper. She met
with the PTSA and convinced
them to get a recycling
dumpster for the school.
Her efforts raised awareness
and caught the interest of
her entire community and
will surely be continued. |
Heather L, Troop #850 of
Chesapeake- "Bags of Love"
|
 |
Heather
wanted to reach out to the
military men and women
serving over seas, so she
directed her project, called
“Bags of Love,” towards
soldiers in Iraq. Heather
sewed together over 200
fabric bags which she then
filled with letters and
personal items. She also
got the community involved
by asking other Girl Scouts
and local businesses to
donate items and write
letters to send with the
bags. |
Aayuga M, Troop #1151 of Yorktown
- "Senior-Youth Connection"
|
 |
Aagya’s
project, “Senior-Youth
Connection,” was based on
research showing that teens
in her community wanted to
volunteer more and that
senior citizen centers
wanted young adults
volunteering in their
facilities. Aagya gathered
information from local
senior centers on services
requested and volunteer
requirements. She put this
information into a database,
created a website, and
finally publicized her
findings to youth in her
community. |
Staci M, Troop #979 of Chesapeake
- "Fleece Booties for the Elderly"
|
 |
Staci
got the idea for her
project, “Fleece Booties for
the Elderly,” after visiting
her great-grandmother at a
nursing home. The residents
there had an earnest request
for socks to cover their
cold feet. Staci spent
months collecting fabric,
cutting patterns, and sewing
to create 34 pairs of
booties. Not only did her
donation bring warmth to
their feet, but it brought
smiles to their faces. |
Jessica M, Troop #47 of
Chesapeake - "For Kids Shelter"
|
 |
Jessica
volunteered at the For Kids
Shelter in Norfolk and saw
first-hand how important it
was for children to have a
place to learn and grow.
For her project, titled “For
Kids Shelter,” Jessica
re-modeled the homework room
at the shelter. She painted
the walls, fixed
bookshelves, and made new
curtains. Her hard work
created a bright and
cheerful atmosphere in which
children could learn and
study. |
Emma M, Troop #583 of Virginia
Beach- "Feels Like Home"
|
 |
Emma
wanted to do something to
help those who were once
homeless get back on their
feet. She made fifty
personal need bags for the
men and women at the Judeo
Christian Outreach Center in
Virginia Beach. She
hand-made the bags then
filled them with toiletries
and other personal items.
She also included in each
bag a small good luck charm
from her Chinese culture as
a way to help them start
their new lives on the right
foot. |
Erin M, Troop #47 of Chesapeake -
"Sprucing Up Picnic Pavilions"
|
 |
Erin
has enjoyed many summer days
at the North West River Park
in Chesapeake so she jumped
at an opportunity to give
back to her favorite park
through her project
“Sprucing Up Picnic
Pavilions.” Erin improved
the picnic pavilion of the
park. She painted and power
washed the shelters and
tables and made numerous
repairs. Her work created a
safer, more
aesthetically-pleasing
picnic area for over 3000
people who visit the park
each season. |
Kelly O, Troop #1012 of Poquoson
- "Crossroads Revamp"
|
 |
Kelly
has been involved with the
Trinity United Methodist
Church youth group for many
years now but their meeting
facilities were never up to
par. For her project, Kelly
decided to take matters into
her own hands by revamping
The Crossroads youth
building with freshly
painted walls, new
cabinetry, repairs and
extensive cleaning. Her
hours of work created a
warm, welcoming place for
all the youth to come
together for worship. |
Christina P, Troop #97 of Norfolk
- "Advanced Math Tutoring"
|
 |
Christina recognized the
struggle that so many middle
school children go through
when trying to learn math.
To help them out, she
created her own specialized
tutoring program through her
project called “Advanced
Math Tutoring.” She spent
18 weeks tutoring 17
students. Throughout
those weeks, she watched her
students’ grades go from C’s
and D’s to B’s. Christina
not only received praise and
thanks from the teachers,
but her students were also
extremely grateful. |
Cassie P, Troop #1120 of
Poquoson- "Cassie's Teeny Tiny
Preemie Hats"
|
|
Cassie
used her knitting skills for
her project called “Cassie’s
Teeny Tiny Preemie Hats.”
She donated over 40 hats to
Riverside Hospital for the
newborn nursery. In
addition, she helped teach a
knitting class to residents
of a local assisted living
facility. These residents
also contributed to the
hat-making project. Cassie
heard from Riverside nurses
that they had been using
socks for hats and that they
were hugely grateful for her
contribution to the
nursery.
|
Sean P, Troop #5292 of Suffolk-
"Quilt of Hope"
|
 |
Sean’s project called “Quilt
of Hope,” involved the
Center for Hope and New
Beginnings, a Suffolk
homeless shelter for women
and families. Sean
volunteered her time and
artistic abilities with the
children at the center. She
helped them decorate twenty
quilt squares to make a
“Quilt of Hope.” Her
efforts provided
artistically stimulating
activities for the children
while also providing the
center with a beautiful,
inspirational display. |
Kathleen R, Troop #593 of
Chesapeake- "The Aquatic Affair"
|
 |
Kathleen is passionate about
animals and preserving the
environment in which they
live and she wants others to
care just as much as she
does. Through her project,
“The Aquatic Affair,”
Kathleen set out to educate
the public through an
entertaining and interactive
presentation for all ages at
the Virginia Marine Science
Museum in Virginia Beach.
Through lots of research and
creativity, she showed the
public the importance of
taking care of animals and
the environment. |
Stephanie S, Troop #1012 of
Poquoson - "Keeping Families Warm"
|
 |
Stephanie brought an entire
community together for her
project called “Keeping
Families Warm.” She wanted
to help the Menchville House
For the Homeless and decided
that she could do the most
good if she enlisted help
from the community and
fellow Girl Scouts. She
held clinics to teach people
how to make fleece blankets
and was able to donate all
of these blankets to the
homeless women and children
at Menchville. Her
contribution not only
brought warmth and comfort
to the homeless, but it
brought together a community
for the common good. |
Tiffany V, Troop #66 of
Chesapeake - "Operation Hugs"
|
 |
Tiffany
wanted to help out people
during their most
vulnerable, frightening
moments through her project
titled “Operation Hugs.”
She was able to collect over
130 blankets for fire
stations in Chesapeake,
Newport News, and Currituck
County. These blankets will
be kept with the fire houses
and given out to accident
and fire victims. Her
efforts will spread hugs and
warmth throughout the
community. |
Toni W, Troop #688 of Smithfield
- "Calling for Prevention of
Domestic Violence"
|
 |
Toni
was moved by personal events
in her life that made her
want to spread awareness
about domestic violence
through her project “Calling
For the Prevention of
Domestic Violence.” She
volunteered at the Genieve
Shelter, a local safe house
for domestic violence
victims, and she created and
handed out brochures on the
topic. She supported the
Verizon Wireless Hopeline
program by asking local
company officials to place
donation boxes in their
workplaces and by collecting
cell phones for victims to
use in times of crisis. |
Emily W, Troop #877 of Chesapeake
- "Adventures in Babysitting"
|
 |
Emily
takes babysitting very
seriously and wanted others
her age to do the same. For
her project, “Adventures in
Babysitting,” she decided to
share her expertise through
a babysitting training
course for preteens. In the
course, she taught her
students how to change
diapers, make snacks, and
most importantly—basic first
aid. The classes were
completed with a Mommy’s Day
Out during which her
students got hands-on
experience taking care of
young children. |
Kelly W, Troop #24 of Smithfield
- "American Girl Camp"
|
 |
Kelly’s
project, “American Girl
Camp,” promoted literacy
among young children.
During summer vacation, she
offered three reading
parties for girls in grades
one through three. During
the parties, Kelly read to
the girls, played games with
them, provided crafts, and
of course, involved the
American Girl dolls.
Kelly’s time spent with the
young children sparked in
them an excitement for
reading and provided parents
with valuable summer
free-time. |
Danielle W, Troop #977 of
Chesapeake - "A Real Kwanzaa"
|
 |
Danielle is passionate about
bridging the gap across
cultural divides. For her
project, “A Real Kwanzaa,”
she chose to educated the
public about the Kwanzaa
holiday by dedicating seven
evenings to the residents of
Shepard’s Village Nursing
Home and their family and
friends. During her time
there, she taught the
principles, meanings, and
celebrations of Kwanzaa in
addition to providing
traditional entertainment.
Not only did her project
provide valuable
information, but it also
brightened the holiday
season of those in the
nursing home. |
|
