With all of the things in the world going on right now, what does being Girl Scout Strong mean to you? Read below to see what being “strong” means to our Volunteer Relations Manger, Poppy.
What does the word “strong” mean to you? Is it having the power to move heavy weights or perform other physically demanding tasks? Is it the ability to withstand great force or pressure? The word strong can mean many things, but to Girl Scouts it means advocating for what you believe in, being courageous and taking the lead, standing up for a friend, and lending a helping hand.
Girls grow courageous and strong through the Girl Scouts programming by participating in a wide variety of enriching experiences, from field trips and skill-building to community service projects and cultural exchanges. Through Girl Scouts, girls have the opportunity to fight for causes they believe in and are given the resources needed to create sustainable change in their communities. These opportunities include the Girl Scout Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards. These awards are the highest awards a girl can earn in Girl Scouts. Every year, Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee recognizes these outstanding individuals in our annual Girl Scouts Honors Day award ceremony. This year we will be honoring almost 800 girls and adults, who have all shown strength in various ways!
Amelia observed that children at her church did not have a space to learn, grow, and play, so she worked to create a space they could call their own. After renovating an old office, Amelia created a curriculum that included bible lessons, songs, and crafts that will be used by the church for years to come.
To ensure the children staying as patients at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital had opportunities to explore STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), Erica created 188 science experiment kits and a manual to reproduce them. Each kit provides all of the materials required for the given experiment and can be performed at the patient’s bedside. The manual itself includes a list of the supplies, detailed instructions, a synopsis of what patients should learn after each experiment, and the link to a website with instructional videos.
Hadley decided to focus on how small changes can have a huge effect on the environment for her Gold Award Take Action Project. To address the issue of global pollution, Hadley developed an educational program that she shared at various events. The program included an educational game, the creation of a social media campaign, a website, and blog posts. Hadley used her platform in pageants to further spread the word about her Gold Award Take Action Project and how we can all make a difference.
Today, there are 1.7 million girl and 750,000 adult Girl Scouts. This community is picture of strong – people advocating for what they believe in, being courageous, and taking the lead. What does “strong” mean to you?