Ryleigh Massey of Girl Scout Troop 40850 in Guilford County has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award for a community leadership and education project that gives elementary students an opportunity to expand their knowledge on science concepts.
To increase student engagement, the Girl Scout Ambassador partnered with Erwin Montessori Elementary for her project, “STEM Kits for Lower Elementary Students,” to create a space for students to get more involved with science lessons.
“Students in Kindergarten through third grade have limited exposure to science concepts,” said Massey, a Girl Scout of 11 years. “Given the expectation of science instruction consisting of seven to 10 minutes daily, there is simply not enough time to develop concepts.”
Ryleigh secured an empty classroom that she was able to turn into a science lab. The science lab was broken up into different sections based on science domains such as, forces and motion, weather and earth systems, coding and engineering, biology, and botany. She was also able to add district science kits to her room to make them more accessible for students.
Girls in 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 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 experience helped me improve my listening and problem-solving skills by interviewing the teachers and understanding the challenges they face,” said the Gold Award Girl Scout. “The science lab creates an opportunity for student who may come from households below the poverty line to get exposure to possible careers in the STEM field.”
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 2025, 30 GSCP2P Girl Scouts earned their Gold Award.
For more information about local Girl Scouting and leadership projects like earning a Girl Scout Gold Award, visit www.girlscoutsp2p.org.
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