Girl Scouts of Ohio’s Heartland will recognize two Highland County girls with the Girl Scout Gold Award — the highest award a Girl Scout can earn. The Gold Award is the top distinction under the Girl Scouts highest awards program, a national program signifying a Girl Scout’s commitment to improving her community leadership, creativity and dedication.
Gold Award recipients include:
Sydney Hamilton, at 2003 Lynchburg-Clay High School graduate who is currently attending Wilmington College. Herproject was The Decline of the Monarch Butterfly Population.
After learning about the importance of monarch butterflies, Hamilton wanted to educate others about how to promote pollinator habitats. For her project, she started a pollinator habitat at Rocky Fork State Park and collaborated with the park’s naturalist to create educational materials to share with visitors on hikes and at public programs. She then presented her educational materials to her peers at school, fellow Girl Scouts, and hikers and campground visitors at the park throughout the summer.
Madalyn Ross, a 2003 Hillsboro High School graduate. Her project was Highland County Adoption Awareness Exhibition.
As a child who was adopted, Ross was passionate about promoting adoption as an alternative to unwanted pregnancies in her community of Hillsboro and beyond. With her passion for art, she used her skills and interests to create an art exhibit, as well as educational materials to share in the community that featured the stories of individuals involved with international adoptions. She shared her materials via speaking events, printed posters, pamphlets and videos shared through online platforms.
The Girl Scout Gold Award honors girls in grades 9-12 who demonstrate extraordinary leadership through sustainable and measurable “take action” projects. The Gold Award is the highest distinction falling under the Girl Scouts Highest Awards program. Girls dedicate a minimum of 80 hours to complete the steps to earn the Girl Scout Gold Award.
“Gold Award Girl Scouts exemplify the values of Girl Scouts by addressing important issues in their communities and effecting lasting change,” said Tammy Wharton, president and CEO for Girl Scouts of Ohio’s Heartland. “These projects embody the leadership skills and commitment to service that are hallmarks of the Gold Award. I applaud our 2024 Gold Award Girl Scouts for being innovators, big thinkers and role models.”
In 2024, 16 girls in the Girl Scouts of Ohio’s Heartland 30-county region will receive the Gold Award. The Gold Award is awarded to fewer than 6% of Girl Scouts annually, and each Gold Award Girl Scout spends one to two years on her project. Approximately one million Girl Scouts have earned the Gold Award or its equivalent since 1916.
The recipients will receive their awards during the Highest Awards Ceremony on Sunday, June 9 at the Idea Foundry in Columbus. Kate Siefert, ABC 6 and Fox 28 reporter, will serve as keynote speaker for the event.
Submitted by Michelle Bretscher, MTB Marketing Solutions.
