Emilee Bradley of Girl Scout Troop 2024 in Caldwell County has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award for a community leadership and service project that addressed the immediate needs of kids affected by Hurricane Helene and fostered resilience among this community.
Aiming to support children affected by the natural disaster and other hardships, the Girl Scout Ambassador partnered with various community organizations for her Gold Award project, “Comfort and Compassion: Supporting Children in Western North Carolina,” to refurbish a flood-damaged room at the daycare, collect donation items for families in need and provide educational opportunities for students.
“This natural disaster left families, especially children, feeling stressed from changes in their surroundings, loss of stability and trauma. Existing economic struggles in the area, such as poverty and limited access to mental health care, made things even harder for children,” said Bradley, a Girl Scout of 11 years. “The aim of the project was to help with these problems by giving children needed comfort items while also spreading awareness about mental health and social support after disasters.”
Emilee renovated the toddler room at Creative Beginnings Daycare in Morganton by painting and adding in new toys and furniture to make the space safe, functional and welcoming again for local young kids affected by the hurricane. She also organized donation drives in multiple locations like schools to collect coats, blankets, toys and mental health essentials to affected families, offering them some comfort and relief.
Another key component of Emilee’s initiative was partnering with the Global Game Changers and Valmead Elementary School in Lenoir to provide social-emotional learning workshops to teach students the value of empathy, community service and civic engagement. The curriculum teaches children how trauma affects mental health and encourages healthy coping strategies, and Emilee facilitated discussions on compassion and helping others after disasters.
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 Scout must dedicate a minimum of 80 hours to planning and carrying out their 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.
“Through partnerships and community involvement, I worked to not only meet immediate needs but also build strength in the community and encourage kindness and responsibility among young people,” said the Gold Award Girl Scout. “By combining hands-on support with educational opportunities, the project made a lasting impact on both the children receiving aid and the students learning to give back.”
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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