2 sisters from Medina earn top honor in Girl Scouts
Press Release, Girl Scouts of Western New York
MEDINA – Girl Scouts of Western New York is proud to announce sisters Jessica, 17, and Sarah Grancelli, 19, of Medina as 2018 Gold Award Girl Scouts. They will be recognized on June 2 during the Gold Award Ceremony at the Hyatt Regency in Rochester.
Jessica’s project, Playing with STEM, consisted of adding puppets, books, games, and storage materials to the new interactive play space at Oak Orchard Elementary School. These materials will enhance the Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics (STEAM) experience of children who use the interactive playroom twice a week. Jessica also made the current science literature library more accessible for teachers and students by organizing hundreds of books and producing a list with all of the titles and subjects.
STEM was also a focus for Sarah’s project, Space for STEM. Sarah organized and created science activities and games for a science night at Oak Orchard Elementary School. There were more than 350 people in attendance. The students used these games and activities to learn about space science. Sarah also created and published a book relating space and geography that will help students understand their place in the world. The materials she created were saved and are available as part of the science materials available to classroom teachers from Kindergarten to third grade at the school.
Sarah stated, “I love science and believe in the importance of STEM education. Girl Scouts taught me to be a leader. I learned to help others before myself and to make the world a better place. I developed courage and confidence as I learned to pursue my goals.”
Jessica commented, “Girl Scouts has taught me independence and to give back to the community.”
The Gold Award is the highest award in Girl Scouts. The Gold Award project is the culmination of all the work a girl puts into “going for the Gold.” A Girl Scout’s project should be something that a girl can be passionate about—in thought, deed, and action that encompasses organizational, leadership, and networking skills.
The project should also fulfill a need within a girl’s community (whether local or global) and create change that has the potential to be on-going or sustainable. Approximately 80 hours of community service are involved in the project. Completion of the Gold Award also qualifies the Girl Scout for special scholarship opportunities.
To learn more, visit gswny.org.