Ava Anzalone of Girl Scout Troop 1893 in Lincoln County has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award for a community leadership and service project that educates elementary students on ocean ecosystems and pollution.
To raise awareness of how people’s actions affect ocean ecosystems and why it is important to keep the ocean clean and healthy, Ava connected with two fifth grade classrooms in Denver, one at St. James Elementary School and one at Catawba Springs Elementary School. The goal of her Gold Award Project, “Salty Surf Revolution,” was to educate local students on how they can make a positive impact on ocean health even from afar.
“The overall cleanliness of the ocean affects ecosystems all over the world. My project impacts the children that are the future leaders and lawmakers of the world,” said Anzalone, a Girl Scout of 13 years. “The environmentally conscious mindset of these children will set them up for a forward thinking and proactive path in life. They know how much of an impact their actions make on the world.”
Ava designed a lesson with activities, presentations and games to educate fifth grade students and local Girl Scout troops on how their actions impact the ocean while at the beach or at home, how pollution like trash has a negative effect on its animals and how to practice habits that will make a difference throughout their lives. She incorporated the local fifth grade science curriculum into her materials to create a cohesive learning experience for the students.
To ensure that kids can continue to learn about their environment, Ava created two versions of her lesson plans – one for fifth grade students and one for Girl Scout troops. The fifth grade lesson is uploaded to Teachers Pay Teachers for free so it can be replicated for future classes, and Ava taught a similar version to Girl Scout Junior troops to further spread awareness.
Girls in high school can earn the Girl Scout 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 (GSCP2P) council have created community gardens, addressed issues in foster care, combated bullying in schools and so much more.
Anzalone said, “Many people are not well taught about the impacts their actions make on the environment, and I believe that teaching children about these important issues at a young age will help them to create environmentally cautious decisions in the future.”
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.
Blog 