Ava Cabbell of Girl Scout Troop 40850 earned the Girl Scout Gold Award for a community service project that aimed to increase children’s outdoor imaginative play.
Cabbell partnered with the Miriam P. Brenner Children’s Museum in downtown Greensboro to create The Global Fairy Garden, a safe space for children to have unstructured outdoor play, stimulate their imagination and learn about different cultures from around the world.
“The garden is accessible to the community and provides a much-needed space in the digital age for children to play without being in front of a screen as imaginative play is key to children’s development,” said the Girl Scout of 13 years. “The garden also introduces cultures to children to promote diversity in their thought and inclusion.”
Ava led a team of volunteers from various community organizations to craft fairy houses inspired by international countries like Greece and Thailand, create informational signs and plant a garden at the museum. Visitors will learn vocabulary relating to gardens, fairies, countries and architectural elements through cards placed in front of each house of the fairy garden.
Girls in high school can earn their Gold Award by creating sustainable change on a community or world issue. They address the root cause of a problem, plan and implement innovative solutions to drive change and lead a team of people to success. Each girl must dedicate a minimum of 80 hours to planning and carrying out her project that benefits the community and has a long-lasting impact.
Gold Award Girl Scouts gain tangible skills and prove they are the leaders our community and world need, and those from the Girl Scouts Carolinas Peaks to Piedmont council have created community gardens, addressed issues in foster care, combated bullying in schools and so much more.
Cabbell said, “Through the conversations and observations I had with the different children, I am confident that every person who interacted with my garden walked away with either a new or further developed skill.”
Thousands of Girl Scouts across the country earn the Girl Scout Gold Award each year, which first began in 1916 as the Golden Eaglet. Earning the Gold Award opens doors to scholarships, preferred admission tracks for college and amazing career opportunities. In 2024, 40 GSCP2P Girl Scouts earned their Gold Award.
To learn more about earning a Girl Scout Gold Award, visit https://www.girlscoutsp2p.org/en/members/for-girl-scouts/badges-journeys-awards/highest-awards/gold-award.html.
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