Jessie Greenway of Girl Scout Troop 2280 in Rutherford County has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award for a community leadership and service project that addresses the lack of access to essential healthcare resources and first aid training for those experiencing housing instability and poverty. She also earned a scholarship through the Girl Scouts Carolinas Peaks to Piedmont council for her outstanding community service.
Each year, the council is privileged to award four one-time educational scholarships, each in the amount of $1,000, to four randomly selected outstanding Gold Award Girl Scouts. The scholarships are designed to support these girls as they take the next steps in their academic journeys, helping them to pursue their education and career aspirations beyond high school.
“Gold Award Girl Scouts don’t just participate in their communities – they transform them by becoming innovative problem-solvers, empathetic leaders, confident public speakers and focused project managers,” said Elaine Loyack, Chief Executive Officer at GSCP2P. “Our council is proud to give girls the resources to realize their potential, build their courage and make their communities and the world a better place.”
The Girl Scout Ambassador focused on health education for her project, “Equipping and Empowering Girls with Medical Supplies,” to inform local families on basic first aid skills and how to create their own first aid kit.
“People who live in poverty have trouble finding medical supplies because they have to make decisions about their basic needs, like electricity and food,” said Greenway, a Girl Scout of 11 years. “This issue is important to me because I want to make sure that everyone has what they need.”
Jessie led workshops at a local Girl Scout day camp and with a troop that includes families who are unhoused to build their own first aid kits and learn how to use them through a variety of first aid practices. The Girl Scout also identified a local hotel where families facing housing instability live and ensured that all hotel rooms have a proper first aid kit. These kits also include a QR code with more information on basic first aid and informational videos she created in partnership with students in a local nursing program to ensure these life-saving resources and instructional materials remain accessible to those in need.
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 GSCP2P council have created community gardens, addressed issues in foster care, combated bullying in schools and so much more.
“I learned that homelessness is a widespread issue that affects many communities. I looked at organizations and programs outside my community to understand how people experiencing homelessness are supported,” said the Gold Award Girl Scout. “Learning this helped me figure out which supplies are most needed and how first aid kids can be adapted for people without stable housing.”
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.
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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