This year’s International Day of the Girl Child aligns with the celebration of ten girls selected for the Girl Scout’s 2018 National Gold Award. Chosen from a pool of thousands of young innovator applicants from Girl Scouts of the USA, the girls are rewarded for using leadership, passion, and creativity to discover innovative solutions for modern-day local, national, and global issues.
This year’s celebration is held in New York City and mirrors the United Nation’s theme for International Day of the Girl Child of preparing girls for the world of work. The Gold Award project prepares young girls to be the next generation of business leaders and strengthen skills that are useful in all fields of work. Each awardee exhibits an entrepreneurial mind with talent and ambition, shown through their success in raising hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding, influential political action, and widespread education in various fields.
One girl, Caroline from Northeastern, NY, sought to help New York’s agricultural industry in the environmental issues they face by protecting pollinators. By working with her governor and state officials, Caroline raised $300,000 for pollinator research and habitat development, culminating in the first municipal solar pollinator gardens in her state. She is also the initiator of legislation, that is currently awaiting the governor’s signature to become law, that implements guidelines for vegetation management plans, to be used by corporations and individuals who claim to provide pollinator protection.
Another girl, Selina from Greater Atlanta, helped over 7,000 pre-teen girls learn more about STEM fields through interactive, experiential learning in a supportive, all-girl environment. Selina launched the program, GirlsFIRST Jr., with the help of sponsors, which offers free workshops, coding seminars, and other resources to encourage girl’s education in science and technology. She has hosted 17 events worldwide, including in China, and is also the author of a STEM toolkit and a STEM Storybook that is available in six languages.
The National Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can receive, proves how girls can be successful independently and how their financial decisions have a major economic impact. Awardees receive a combined $100,000 in college scholarship Susan Bulkeley Butler, a combined $50,000 in college scholarships from the Kappa Delta Foundation, and a combined $50,000 in college scholarships from Arconic Foundation.
