Hannah Hicks of Girl Scout Troop 41495 in Davidson County has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award for a community leadership and service project that addresses public safety at a local kids’ camp and promotes wayfinding through the trails.
Aiming to assist new campers and parents to find their way around a local camp safely, the Girl Scout Ambassador partnered with Victory Mountain Wesleyan Camp for her Gold Award project, “Map and Trail Signs,” to revamp the existing directional signs and create a digital navigation system.
“The camp’s original signs had deteriorated over time, making it difficult for visitors to navigate the trails safely,” said Hicks, a Girl Scout of 13 years. “To address this issue, I repurposed barn wood to craft new signs, ensuring they were both sturdy and visually cohesive with the natural surroundings. By using reclaimed materials, I promoted sustainability while preserving the camp’s rustic aesthetic.”
Hannah coordinated and led teams of volunteers to hand-paint sixty directional signs with arrows to guide campers on their adventures. She designed a printed map of the 170-acre camp including facilities, hiking trails and special event locations to be posted around the property and shared with visitors. She also developed a digital version of the map with a QR code that campers can scan for instant access to trail information on their phones, offering a long-term solution for visitors.
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.
“A consistent problem that was occurring was that people were getting lost on the trails, ultimately causing frustration leading to not having a desire to be outside in nature,” said the Gold Award Girl Scout. “These signs and maps will encourage campers to get out, explore and be aware of their surroundings without getting lost.”
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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