Our founder, Juliette Gordon Low, was a famous lover of nature. Girl Scouts honors her legacy by promoting respect and love of the great outdoors far and wide. Through Girl Scouting, girls see the Earth as their home. Whether they’re learning about endangered wildlife, keeping our beaches and waterways clean, developing creative recycling projects, or working toward a grade-level award, girls focus on care, conservation, and responsibility. They make sure the beauty and wonder of our planet will endure for future generations to enjoy. Enjoy some stories below about Girl Scouts who earned their Silver Award by stepping up to the challenge of protecting the environment.
A pollution solution
Girl Scout Cadette Katrina in Troop 329 earned the Silver Award by creating a solution to combat the pollution showing up at a nearby elementary school.
“There was a big problem at the school Norfolk Highlands where my mother works as a teacher,” Katrina said. “The teachers were continuously having to pick up litter in the schoolyard. What could I do as a Girl Scout who loves community service and would help my mother and the students at Norfolk Highlands Elementary School? I decided that my Silver Award project would involve the education of the students about pride in their outside playground, neighborhood, and their community.”
Katrina constructed a trash receptacle which she later installed on the school’s playground. The installation encourages students and residents of the neighborhood to place all of their trash in the receptacle provided. She also created a fun video to spread the word about the importance of keeping your neighborhood clean, which was shown at the school.
“I knew that just placing the receptacles would not alleviate the problem, so I scripted and filmed a video to be shown to students in the first grade regarding the importance of having pride in their playground, school, and their neighborhood.”