Emily Gambill of Girl Scout Troop 02872 in Alexander County has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award for a community leadership and service project that addressed the lack of accessibility to sports for children and the resulting impact on their physical and mental well-being.
Aiming to address the rising rate of mental health issues in teenagers, the Girl Scout Ambassador focused on physical activity for her project, “Volleyball; Try It, You Might Like It!”, to help children build confidence and strengthen their mental health.
“One of my Gold Award project goals was to encourage children to participate in sports from a young age,” said Gambill, a Girl Scout of 12 years. “I believe that starting children in sports from a younger age increases their social skills, gives them more peers to relate with, and also a support system.”
Emily hosted six free volleyball clinics to give an opportunity for local children to play sports. Focusing on creating a pressure free environment, Emily and staff praised the positives to help build confidence for participants. This opportunity will be sustained by partnering with Carolina Select Volleyball Club to continue offering a positive environment for children to try a new sport.
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.
“With my Gold Award, I successfully encouraged participants to continue playing volleyball and find something they enjoy doing,” said the Gold Award Girl Scout. “Finding something you love to do and a group of people you can relate to can help your mental and physical health as you grow up.”
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.
