What did you do for your Gold Award project?

For my project, I engineered a community story and sharing board centered around the concepts of food and how it connects us. This was greatly assisted by my mentor, Sierra Tamkun, as well as the management and staff of FoCo cafe.

How did you measure the impact your Gold Award project made on your target audience?

I measured the impact in that I was able to see a lot of people add input to the boards as well as share their individual stories. Also, I saw impact in the fact that people will be able to come back and see their stories still up at the permanent display. Some specific note examples include one in which different recipes and their backgrounds were shared, all by a women who felt that these foods were important to her expression of identity. Although her name is not on the notes, you can still see her effect in her input.

How is your project sustainable? How will your project continue to impact after your involvement?

Once my part in the project is over, there will be a lasting impact in the community in the form of the finished final display, as well as the impact that the connection and story sharing had on those involved. The final display is up at Foco cafe, where the boards gathered a huge amount of input from patrons.

What is your project’s global and/or national connection?

There was a global connection in this project as there were many  displays of in terms of  national heritage and influence throughout the project.

What did you learn about yourself?

Through the course of the project, I learned that there is still a lot to learn; I was able to grow as a leader and this experience has shaped me and my future pathway choices.

How will earning your Gold Award impact you in the future?

This will impact me because of the changes in my personality and my newfound acknowledgements of strengths and weaknesses that I had over the course of this project.

Why do you feel the Gold Award was an important part of your Girl Scout experience?

This was an important part of my Girl Scout experience because I was able to see it shaping my decisions in the future, as this organization has shaped my personality and ways in the past. My involvement with the Girl Scouts has been a constant feature in my life since I was quite young. The culmination of my Girl Scout experience being the Gold Award project was meaningful and therefore an important part of my experience in Girl Scouting.

**IMPORTANT NOTE: This blog represents only a small fraction of the hard work, dedication and requirements that go into earning a Girl Scout Gold Award. It is simply a brief summary, which is meant to inspire Girl Scouts to Go Gold in the future. For more information on earning your Gold Award, please email highestawards@gscolorado.org