Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois (GSSI) is pleased to announce that Shelby Tingley from Granite City has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can receive.
For her Girl Scout Gold Award project, called "Homing the Homeless Birds," Shelby wanted to help birds that had their nests destroyed. She noticed that nests being built on or around people’s homes were often knocked down by the residents, so she decided to build houses in trees to provide a safe place for the birds. Shelby researched and built five bird houses and also taught other Girl Scouts how to make bird houses. She then enlisted the help of other Girl Scouts to monitor the bird houses and keep seeds nearby. Her hope is that the birds will find the safe haven she built next spring.
Shelby credits Girl Scouts and her Gold Award experience with providing her great leadership skills. “The most important thing I have learned through Girl Scouts is to not be afraid to try new ideas to achieve my goals,” said Shelby. “It has taught me how to be a great leader and an empowering woman,” she added.
Shelby is the daughter of Penny Tingley. She was a Girl Scout for 10 years and completed her Girl Scout Gold Award project her Senior Year. She was a 2016 graduate of Granite City High School and currently attends Hickey Vet Tech Institute.
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.
