Sierra Mussetter of Girl Scout Troop 13100 in Forsyth County has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award for a community leadership and service project that addresses the need for positive connections among young women and how these relationships serve as a critical support system through various life challenges.
Emphasizing the roles of encouragement, empathy and solidarity, the Girl Scout partnered with various community organizations for her Gold Award project, “The Power of Positive Connections: Building Resilience Among Young Women,” to create a booklet that informs others on how these connections contribute to emotional resilience, academic success and overall well-being for teenagers.
“Many young women struggle with anxiety, low self-esteem and depression during their emotional and social developmental stages. The root cause of this project addresses the isolation many young people are experiencing due to lack of support,” said Mussetter, a Girl Scout of 10 years. “The negative impact of the pandemic revealed the limited coping skills on how to deal with isolation. This Gold Award project offers inspiring messages of hope to help young people develop coping skills and positive coping outlets.”
Sierra began by circulating wellness surveys to confirm the struggles that local young women are facing like anxiety and depression. She then created a booklet to be shared with pediatricians, community centers, schools and other groups that outlines the challenges faced by girls, the need for positive connections and messages of support and resilience. Over 100 booklets were printed for physical circulation, and a digital version can be used for e-mail distribution as a printable download to reach even more people.
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.
This Gold Award is sustained past Sierra’s involvement as the educational resource will continue to circulate throughout the community. The Girl Scout said, “This project positively connects women regardless of race, religion or location. The power of positive community is contagious.”
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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