Sarah Pavlisin Has Earned the Girl Scout Gold Award

Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois (GSSI) is pleased to announce that Sarah Pavlisin from Lebanon has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can receive. 

For her Girl Scout Gold Award project, called The Joy of Reading, Sarah teamed up with a special education teacher in St. Louis who was looking to construct a library with books that met the needs of her students. Not only did Sarah want to create the library where these students could read, but she also wanted to make it a safe haven from the stresses of school work and life. Sarah created sensory bags filled with trinkets and balloons filled with flour. She also, with the help of a handyman, built two bookshelves to hold all of the books, toys and games for the library. In addition, Sarah supplied the library with beanbag chairs, a fish tank and fun mood lighting to make the space more appealing and kid friendly.

Sarah’s Girl Scout Gold Award project was a very rewarding experience. “I learned that even though the road to completing this project was difficult, the final product was definitely worth all of the time and effort. The children’s bright smiles and bubbling excitement at the library’s grand opening ceremony made me realize that my project meant so much to them,” said Sarah.

Sarah is the daughter of James and Pennie Pavlisin. She is currently a senior at O’Fallon Township High School. Sarah has been a Girl Scout for 13 years.

The Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can earn, recognizes a Girl Scout's commitment to excellence as she develops skills and values to meet present and future challenges in her life. To earn the Girl Scout Gold Award, a Girl Scout Senior or Girl Scout Ambassador must design and carry out a project that fulfills a need within a girl’s community, creates change, and is sustainable. The project must be completed with a suggested minimum of 80 hours of work. Only about 5 percent of eligible girls earn the prestigious Gold Award.

Sarah Pavlisin Nominated for Girl Scouts' National Young Women of Distinction Award

Every year, ten exceptionally inspiring Girl Scout Gold Award recipients are selected as Girl Scouts' National Young Women of Distinction (NYWOD). This honor is given to Girl Scouts whose Gold Award projects demonstrated extraordinary leadership, had a measurable and sustainable impact, and addressed a local challenge that ties into to a national and/or global issue. These young women are making a positive difference on the world! 

Girl Scouts named as National Young Women of Distinction are models of the movement's mission of building girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place. The program provides these young stars with the opportunity to be an inspiration to girls around the world. 

Each council can nominate three Girl Scouts for the opportunity to be selected to be a National Young Woman of Distinction.  This year, one of GSSI's nominations was Sarah Pavlisin from O'Fallon. 

Watch Sarah's Nomination Video: 

Sarah’s Girl Scout Gold Award project, called The Joy of Reading, was to create a library for special needs students in an area school. Not only did she want to create the library where these students could read, but she also wanted to make it a safe haven from the stresses of school work and life. She created sensory bags filled with trinkets and balloons filled with flour. She also, with the help of a handyman, built two bookshelves to hold all of the books, toys and games for the library. In addition, Sarah supplied the library with beanbag chairs, a fish tank and fun mood lighting to make the space more appealing and kid friendly.

Three GSSI Girl Scouts Nominated for National Young Women of Distinction Award

Every year, ten exceptionally inspiring Girl Scout Gold Award recipients are chosen as National Young Women of Distinction (NYWOD).  This honor is given to Girl Scout Seniors and Ambassadors whose Gold Award projects demonstrated extraordinary leadership, had a measurable and sustainable impact, and addressed a local challenge related to a national and/or global issue. These young women are taking matters into their own hands and being the change the world needs!

The NYWOD program perfectly reflects our mission of building girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place. The program provides these young stars with the opportunity to be an inspiration to girls around the world and throughout the Girl Scout Movement.

Each council can nominate three Girl Scouts for the opportunity to be selected to be a National Young Woman of Distinction.  This year, GSSI nominated Nicole Laflen from Belleville, Sarah Pavlisin from O’Fallon and Bailee Warsing from Granite City.

Nicole Laflen:

Nicole’s Girl Scout Gold Award Project, called Strides for Strays – Racing to Rescue – Service for Smiles was to address the lack of community awareness surrounding service animals and the overpopulation of animal shelters.  She wanted more shelter animals to be trained to be service animals, especially as companion animals to those suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.  She held a dog-friendly 5K and informational fair in the community to help spread the message that, rather than being euthanized,, many animals in shelters could be trained to be helpful service animals. Eighteen vendors and 225 participants took part in the event.  Last, she donated pet beds and blankets to local animal shelters.  

Sarah Pavlisin:

Sarah’s Girl Scout Gold Award project, called The Joy of Reading, was to create a library for special needs students in an area school.   Not only did she want to create the library where these students could read, but she also wanted to make it a safe haven from the stresses of school work and life.  She created sensory bags filled with trinkets and balloons filled with flour.  She also, with the help of a handyman, built two bookshelves to hold all of the books, toys and games for the library.  In addition, Sarah supplied the library with beanbag chairs, a fish tank and fun mood lighting to make the space more appealing and kid friendly.

Bailee Warsing:

Bailee’s Girl Scout Gold Award project, called Raptor Residence, was to build a large residential cage for birds at Tree House Wildlife Center.  In addition to working with volunteers and donors to raise $3,000 to build the cage, Bailee also tackled the issue of dangers of human expansion on birds and particularly an osprey who had been hit by a car in Granite City.  As part of her project, she spoke to various groups about Tree House Wildlife Center and its efforts to rehabilitate injured birds.  She spoke to students at Granite City High, younger Girl Scouts and community members.

Sarah's Girl Scout Gold Award Blog: Getting Approved

Hello all! I know it has been a while since I finished my Gold Award project, but the journey has definitely not ended. On March 5th, I presented my project scrapbook to the Girl Scout Council of Southern Illinois.

On the morning of my big presentation, I slipped on a simple teal dress and made sure to properly do my hair and makeup. It is better to dress up and look your best for such an important event, so try to shy away from jeans and a t-shirt. You will look professional and get extra style points with the Council J. It will also boost your confidence when you are presenting.

Once I arrived in Glen Carbon at Council headquarters, I prepared my mom’s laptop with a slideshow of all the extra pictures I had taken throughout my project. My scrapbook was done and ready to go, but I brought more photos in case the Council wanted to see more. Another good rule of thumb to have is to not procrastinate with your scrapbook. My leader had a girl a few years back who ended up finishing hers in the car on the way to Council. I was determined to get mine done on time but I had a busy schedule, so I set a goal to have at least two pages done a week until I had completely finished it. The night before, I put my finishing touches on my scrapbook and was so proud of the outcome. It was really fun making it, and all of the hard work had paid off.

During my presentation, the Gold Award Committee members were excitedly flipping through my scrapbook and asking me questions about how I accomplished my project. The interview was not as nerve wrecking as I had imagined it to be. It was actually fun! My descriptions of the project and the process of finishing it were met with encouraging smiles and lots of enthusiasm. The whole presentation was over before I knew it. I had officially earned my Gold Award! 

The last obstacle of my project was finally over. Now, all that there is left to do is attend the All That Glitters Award Ceremony in . It has been a fantastic journey, and I am thankful for all of the experiences. On top of that, I will have a completed scrapbook to keep forever to remember what I have accomplished.

Sarah's Girl Scout Gold Award Blog: Grand Opening!

 

 

My main event, the Exceptional Learner’s Library grand opening, went underway on Friday, August 28! This week was definitely the most important for me!  I am so relieved it went off without a hitch. Well, for the most part at least. There was only one minor hiccup: the fish. On the day of the opening, the tank had an overnight growth of algae and all the fish were huddling toward the bottom where there was more oxygen. Good news though, Karlene found a bottle of tank cleaner and they will be just fine.

 

So on the Wednesday before the grand opening, my parents and I hauled all the bookshelves, books, toys, and other supplies up stairs and into the car. Trying to fit everything into place was like playing Tetris in the trunk of a minivan. Any extra supplies we couldn’t fit in the van was stuffed into Karlene’s car. I was so excited that the project was finally happening! On Thursday after school, I rushed home to meet Karlene, my friend Vicky, and my family so we could hit the road. We took two cars. Karlene and I drove to the fish store to get guppies and supplies, and then we all went to Hazelwood Central Middle School in St. Louis to unload our cargo. Once we arrived at the school, we unloaded the books and shelves onto rolling carts and hauled them to the elevator and then to Cindy’s classroom. The bookshelves were put into place first followed by the fish tank. Karlene set up the tank and I decorated it. While the water was being filtered in, Vicky and I worked on shelving the books while my mom and dad stitched little bunny hand puppets together and took tags off of the toys. I sorted them into four different drawers and arranged them on the shelves.

 

 

Once everything was shelved and the fish were settled into their new home, I rolled out the carpets, arranged the pillows, and plugged in the lava lamps. The space looked amazing! After the actual library was set up, I tied it off with a red ribbon for the ribbon cutting ceremony the following day. The only thing left to do was set up the rolling library. For that I stacked my crates on a rolling cart and decorated the outside with multicolored streamers and foam stickers. Everyone else took a pizza break, but I was so excited that I forgot to eat. It was almost done! For the finishing touches, I hung the banner my sister had made several weeks prior above the bookshelves and decorated the space around it with little foam stars. After the last star was stuck into place, relief swept through me. All of that time working on every little detail had come together in a marvelous way. All of that hard work was worth something. I couldn’t wait to share it! 

 

The next day, Vicky and I rushed home from school to get ready for the grand opening. I was so nervous! My aunt and uncle had come all the way down from Chicago to support me. As soon as I walked in the door, we all had to rush back out again. Karlene met us at Hazelwood and helped us set up some refreshments in Cindy’s classroom. I tried to prep myself while the Superintendent of the Hazelwood school district, the Superintendent of Special Education, the special education teachers, and the exceptional learners themselves filed in. As I got a chance to meet and talk with the kids, I relaxed completely. They were so friendly and very easy to talk to. I absolutely loved conversing with them. I showed them to their seats in the front row and the ceremony was ready to begin.

 

 

 

 Cindy kicked off the event by introducing herself, me, and Karlene. She explained how I came across the project and how I managed to pull everything off (with help from friends, off course). Then, I selected one of the children to help me cut the ribbon. The library was officially open! Cindy asked the kids if they wanted me read a story to them, and it was a unanimous yes! I picked up “There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Rose” from the shelf and began to read. As I read and showed them the pictures, the kids smiled and giggled with delight. It was silly and whimsical and they thoroughly enjoyed it! As soon as it ended, the kids rushed up to look at the other books and toys on the shelves. Their faces lit up when they found the sensory toys. One little boy kept rolling a flour-filled balloon between his hands. I presented my Girl Scout Gold Award plaque to both Superintendents and everyone enjoyed cookies and punch. All the kids enjoyed played games while I talked with the teachers and staff. The ceremony was a huge success!        

 

I’m so glad everything went better than I had hoped for! It was an absolutely amazing experience and I have no regrets about it at all. Even though the main part of my project is over, there is still more to do. I won’t need to build another bookshelf (thank goodness), but I’ll need to complete my scrapbook and present it to Council. I hope that part will be smooth sailing. Time to get crafty again!

 

 

Sarah's Girl Scout Gold Award Blog: Week 8 - Getting Things Done

 

 

Hey everyone!  Guess what?  I finished those bookshelves for the library!  Well, maybe not finished, but the only thing left to do to them is install support.  I’m very thankful for all the help from my handyman, Chuck.  I’m also so very thankful that his leukemia is gone and that he is feeling much better. 

We started the day bright and early on Saturday, August 1^st.  My friend, Isaac, and Chuck bought all the wood and screws we would need and brought them back to their house.  We unloaded the truck and got straight to work.  First, we discussed possible dimensions and measurements for the shelves.  Chuck broke out a yardstick and a pencil and marked the proper lengths on the wooden boards.  Once they were all marked, we carried each board one by one to the cutting table and sawed off the excess wood.  It was my first time using a power tool, so it was a little intimidating.  However, Chuck talked me through the whole process and I grew a little more confident with each cut.  He even let me handle the saw by myself for a while.  Thankfully, I didn’t lose any of my fingers in the process!  After we finished all of our cuts, we moved our wood to the deck and began piecing the parts together.  Chuck showed us what to do as he built the skeleton of the first bookshelf.  Board by board, the structure came together.  He used brackets and screws to attach the shelves and nails to attach the backing.  Within a couple hours, the first bookshelf was finished.  The second one would be all up to Isaac and me to build.  We spent the rest of the day trying to construct a bookshelf of as beautiful as the first one.  By sunset, our second bookshelf was finally completed!  Fortunately, it looked identical to the first one!  There wasn’t enough light to install support, so we saved that for another day during the week.

A week later, I went back to Isaac’s house to finish the shelves.  We used the extra wood from the first day to create dividers.  We figured out how to tier the dividers to create the most support.  Once we agreed on those, I kept them steady while Isaac drilled them into place.  It took another whole day to complete the support, but the effort was definitely worth it. Now, the biggest and most difficult portion of my project is complete!  This week, I painted my rolling library crates.  The only thing left to do on the agenda is buy the rest of the fish supplies, set up, and host the grand opening party.  Only two more weeks to go!

 

Sarah's Girl Scout Gold Award Blog: Heavy Lifting

 

Hey guys!  Several exciting things happened this week!  First of all, all of my books received library pockets, cards, and labels.  Secondly, all of my sensory bags and flour balloons have been made.  Thirdly, my mother and I finished sewing the pillowcases for the 24x24 inch cushions Cindy wanted for the children to lounge on.  Unfortunately, the bookshelves will have to wait until August 1^st though because of scheduling issues.

This week had a bit of a stressful start, I do admit.  I managed to break two sewing machine needles within two days.  Not only that, but the thread also kept getting caught and tangled in the fabric.  Many of the stitches did not come out clean and pretty, so we had to rip out all the seams and start over.  I can honestly say that I never wanted to touch another sewing machine ever again because mine was causing me so much grief.  It took four days to complete all three pillowcases. I was ecstatic when the little stinkers were finally finished!  They are beautiful, and I hope they look well in the library.

The next issue I needed to tackle was the creation of more sensory toys.  My leader, Karlene suggested balloons filled with flour because they are colorful and have an interesting texture.  We went to the store and purchased a 25 pound bag of flour and 157 balloons.  I asked for volunteers in and out of my troop to help me create these balloons on Sunday afternoon.  Karlene, her co-leader, Penny, my best friend, his friend, and one girl from my troop came over to join my workforce.  I even baked them cookies!  We succeeded in filling every balloon within 2 hours!  Since we had time to spare, we headed downstairs to my hoard of books and organized them alphabetically so we could label their library cards.  It took a lot of cookies and patience, but we managed to finish the job!  I love my help so much! They are truly superheroes when it comes to monotonous tasks.  Every project needs support.  Volunteers make every task quicker and easier.  Soon enough, the job will seem like clockwork.

Most of the heavy lifting for the project is done (thankfully), but there is still more to do.  The literal heavy lifting will be done the day before the grand opening (getting two bookshelves up three flights of stairs). Sounds fun, right?  Regardless, I’m blessed to be gaining progress.  I won’t even have to worry about the books again until the day we set up the library.  Onward and upward!

 

 

Sarah's Girl Scout Gold Award Blog: Getting Down to Business

 

 

Hello everyone!  My Girl Scout Gold Award project was at a bit of a standstill last week.  This week, however, my mentor Karlene and I got down to business.  This week, we went shopping!

Earlier this week, we hit 5 Below and two Walmarts in order to collect some supplies we would need to make this library a success.  Our list included: beanbag chairs, rugs, steno pads, mood lighting, and little trinkets to fill my homemade sensory bags with.  Bargain hunting soon became the main mission of our endeavor since I was only given $200 in grant money.  We found two lava lamps for $5 each and several steno pads for $0.88 each.  Amazingly enough, we only went about $45 over budget.  We were able to check everything off the list! Well, almost everything.  The only things I needed were library cards and pockets and a check-out stamp.  I ended up buying those online. 

 

Later in the week, I asked some girls in the troop to come over and help me get some heavy work done on the project.  I set up three stations: a filling station, a sewing station, and a pocket gluing station.  The girls came over and immediately got to work.  I was busy sewing sensory bags.  A couple girls filled the bags with various items and the rest of us sewed them shut.  The girls who arrived a little later assumed the role of gluing library pockets in the books and slipping a card into each one.  We all worked for 5 hours straight.  The lemonade and the conversation flowed like water through a dam.  Time flew by and so did the work.  We finished 149 bags and managed to attach pockets to about 300 books. Only 221 books to go! 

 

Next week, I plan to finally meet with my handyman and get those darn bookshelves built.  The quicker those are knocked out, the quicker we can paint them and set them aside for later.  I promise to be prompt on my next update.  Until next time!

 

Week Six Photos

 

 

Sarah's Girl Scout Gold Award Blog: A Busy Week

 

 

Hey everyone!  This week has been a very busy one for sure.  I recruited my family to help me which was a huge relief.  My mom logged the rest of the books into the computer and repaired all of the ones with broken bindings.  My sister was eager to get crafty, so I let her start creating the library’s grand opening party decorations.  I cut fabric and sewed them, creating sensory bags.  I’m so thankful that help arrived because I would probably still be telling you I was documenting books if it hadn’t.

At the beginning of this week, I had planned to dictate a schedule in order to work on the library more.  It just so happened that my work schedule at Dairy Queen allowed me a few free days to get some decent work done on the project. 

 

My best friend came over and we measured out rectangles of old fabric I had in my sewing kit.  There was a lot of variety in the fabric.  I had fabric with everything from polka dots to cats in space on it.  Hopefully, the kids will enjoy them.  After we got everything cut up, I folded the rectangles in half and sewed two of their edges together.  The plan is to take the unfinished baggies to the church where our troop meets and have some of the girls help me fill them and sew them shut.  As I was busily parked at my sewing machine, my mom was hot gluing, super gluing, and taping damaged books back together.  Once she was done, the books looked as good as new (well, almostJ).  I tested them by shaking them by their bindings.  Luckily, all of them passed the test.  While that was going on, my older sister was busy being creative with a grand opening poster.  She made it read: Welcome to the Exceptional Learners’ Library Grand Opening!  It looked really cool because she replaced some of the letters with school supplies.  Personally, I thought she should have waited on the poster, but at least it will be one less thing to do later on.  Any help is better than no help. 

Later in the week, Karlene asked me to pick up some more donated supplies.  Yay!  I received two wooden crates for the rolling library cart, five checker games, and a yard or two of burlap fabric left over from Girl Scout Day Camp.  No more book work! It’s time to get crafty! 

 

Some photos from my week:

 

     

Sarah's Girl Scout Gold Award Blog: Week Four

 

 

Hello all! Sorry about this late update.  I was at a family reunion in South Dakota last week.  It was nice to have a short break and spend some time with the family, but I’m back and ready to get to work. 

 

Unfortunately, I didn’t meet my goal of documenting all of the books by last Tuesday, but that’s okay.  More donations came rolling in, and I’m going to pick them up from Mrs. Karlene’s house tomorrow.  We definitely won’t run out of books, that’s for sure.  I’m so thankful for all the support I received thus far. 

I talked to my best friend to see if his dad would be available to help us build the bookshelves, and he said we might have to wait a week.  His dad was recently diagnosed with leukemia and just received his first round of chemo.  When I found out, I told him he shouldn’t worry about the bookshelves, but he insisted on still helping me with the project.  He still wants to donate the wood and give oral instructions, but building the shelves will be up to my friend and me.  I am completely okay with that. 

In the meantime, I need to finish counting and inventorying my books.  After they are all tallied up, I need to go online and purchase library check-out cards and pockets.  I looked up the prices this week to find a bargain.  I try my best to be a savvy shopper and save money.  With college just around the corner, saving money is a must.  However, I can spare some expense to make a comfortable, stylish library.  Like any typical teenage girls, I love to go shopping.  I might need to put in a few extra hours working at Dairy Queen, but it will be worth it!  I also have a nanny job two days a week that will help cover some costs as well. 

When pursuing the Girl Scou Gold Award, it’s very important to create a budget and try to stick to it.  Part-time jobs or self-organized fundraisers will make the project easier on your wallet.  Of course, donations always help!  This coming week, I hope to wrap up all book documentations and start making toys and eventually the bookshelves.  It’s time to get cracking!     

Sarah's Girl Scout Gold Award Blog: A Productive Week

Greetings!  How is everybody?  This week has been very productive, if I do say so myself.  Lots of progress has been made on my project so far.  Someof the work took whole days to complete, but it was definitely worth it.

My first goal of this week was to dig through the rest of my donations in order to decipher which books could and could not be used.  On Tuesday, I recruited my best friend to come over and help me sort the books.  He was more than happy to help.  We tackled each box together, looking for damage or graffiti.  It was obvious that some of the books had been in the hands of a mischievous toddler because there were Barbie stickers plastered on every page! 

 Not only did we have to worry about the stickers inside the book, but we also needed to tear off the price stickers that were stuck to the back.  Many of those pesky stickers refused to come off!  Even if they did, they left a sticky residue.  Several de-stickered books became stuck together!  Besides ripping stickers, we had to wipe away the crusty scum that covered the fronts and backs of most of the books.  After several dirty Wet Wipes, our books were smooth and sparkling.  It took nearly five hours to clean and remove stickers from every book.  I think it’s safe to say that I never want to peel another sticker off of anything ever again.  We were tired, but we finally finished the job!  My friend and I celebrated our victory with a grilled cheese break.  After lunch, we packed the books back up in their boxes and set them aside for further use.

Later in the week, on Friday, I decided to take another crack at those books.  I grabbed a laptop and parked myself in a comfy chair.  I pulled up an Excel spreadsheet and began documenting each book.  Book by book, box by box, I recorded the title, author, and ISBN number of each usable book.  It took me two days to catalog 193 books.  With the push of a button, the list was alphabetized from A to Z by author names.  The good news is, over half of my books are organized and documented on the computer.  There are still one or two boxes left to inventory, but I plan to finish them all by Tuesday of next week.  After that, I plan to use my spreadsheet as a system of how to organize the books on the shelves and as a check-out roster for the students. 

 

Remember to use your project resources whenever to can in order to be efficient.  Some things you create such as lists can come in handy later on.  Also, not every task you complete will be easy.  It will take a lot of determination and motivation.  I learned that some aspects of this project will definitely test my patience, but if I focus on the outcome, the effort will pay off.      

 

Sarah's Girl Scout Gold Award Blog: Getting Support

Hi guys, it’s Sarah again!  This week has been very productive, and I’m so appreciative of all the support from the community.  I have received over 113 old and new books and two boxes full of toys and games as donations.  All week, I was busy going through donations and finding outside resources to help make my project a success.

Early this week, I sifted through my first round of donations.  I was looking for any damaged or vandalized books.  These books were older and definitely used.  It’s really important to examine any donations you might receive for your project to make sure they are even usable. 

 

On Wednesday, my troop leader, Karlene, dropped off another round of donations.  I was very excited because these were shiny and brand new.  Now that I have the books, I need to consider options for bookshelves.  I’ve decided that I want to build my own bookshelves in order to get some handywoman experience.  Unfortunately, I didn’t have anyone in my immediate family that could teach me.  Then, I remembered that my best friend’s dad was in the process of building a deck for their house.  I had found my handyman!

 

 I asked my friend if his dad would be willing to show me how to build a bookshelf or if he was willing to give me any building tips.  He told me his dad would be more than happy to help.  The next time I was at his house, all three of us sat down to discuss dimensions for the shelves and floor plans for the library.  His dad even said he would donate the wood I would need to build the shelves!  He also agreed to show me how to build them.  Once the blueprints are all drawn up, we’ll be able to start construction!  After those are done, I can focus on other fun furniture like beanbag chairs and a fish tank. There is still a lot to do, but the project definitely has a promising start.          

Sarah's Girl Scout Gold Award Blog: Step 1 - Picking a Project

Hi! My name is Sarah, and I wanted to document the process of completing my Girl Scout Gold Award project. 

The goal of this blog is to help and inform any girls who are possibly interested in pursuing her Girl Scout Gold Award.  Trust me, I know that creating, organizing, and leading a large scale community service project sounds intimidating, but it is possible to accomplish.  The key is finding a project that motivates you and you are passionate about. 

My goal for my project is to create a functional library and stress-free therapy zone for students with special needs at a local middle school.  The school currently has an operating library, but all of the books are too advanced for these students to read and comprehend.  The kids I’ll be working with are only able to read from a preschool to a third grade level.  I want them to be able to relate and feel included with their peers.  I also plan to add a shelf to one of the school’s rolling carts and make it into a “rolling library”.  This will allow more special needs classrooms access to the books.  

 

Since these children have disabilities such as behavior disorders and autism, the classroom can be a very stressful environment for them.  Not only do I want to create a space where they can read, but I also want to make a safe area where they can relax and enjoy themselves.  To do this, I am going to make sensory and therapy toys for them to play with.  I will also provide games, puzzles, lounging furniture, and even a fish tank for their enjoyment.  Even though I have only an 8x8 ft area to build my library, this is going to be a big project.

The first and most difficult step to starting my Girl Scout Gold Award project was coming up with an idea.  For months, my troop leader would ask me if I had an idea so we could get started a project.  Every time, I drew a blank.  I could NOT come up with a single idea!!!  My older sister had completed her project a year before and she had set the bar pretty high.  Her project’s goal was to host fun events where patients at St. Louis Children’s Hospital could paint pictures, decorate cupcakes, and meet their heroes like policemen and firefighters.  She even managed to bring Olympic athletes in to meet with the kids! 

 

Long story short, I was stumped.  When my leader informed me that a friend of hers was looking for help to create a library for her students, I jumped on the opportunity.  For me, it was like a match made in heaven.  I love reading more than almost anything.  To give other kids the opportunity to share in the joy of reading sounded like a worthy cause to me.  Finding the perfect project idea can be a trial all on its own, but if you look into your hobbies, you might be surprised to find a need in the community.  Also, be sure to ask several different sources about possible projects like school advisors, charitable organizations (remember to stick to Gold Award rules), and even your troop leader.  Research lots of ideas before you ask to get approved.

Once I had my idea on lock-down, I met with my project advisor, Cindy, the teacher who asked for my help.  She told me the conditions of her students and she pitched to me her own ideas for the space.  I wrote her ideas and my own down in a handy dandy little notebook for future reference.  My leader, Karlene, and I measured the area Cindy gave me to work with and also jotted down possible dimensions for book shelves and other furniture.  We also discussed therapeutic amenities for the space.  Cindy’s only restriction was that anything we brought in had to be large enough to not be able to fit into a sneaky student’s pocket.  That seemed easy enough J. 

 

After our meeting with Cindy, we headed back to Mrs. Karlene’s house to fill out the paperwork for the Girl Scout Council of Southern Illinois.  4 hours and a whole pizza later, the paperwork was done and ready to be reviewed.  Since I had cut it pretty close to the submission deadline, Mrs. Karlene had to personally drop the paperwork off to Council the next morning while I was at school.  All that time writing up my project ideas and goals had paid off! I was approved!  With school drawing to a close and summer just around the corner, I’m ready to kick off my project.