Sarasota resident and Riverview High School student Samantha Hamel has earned Girl Scouting’s highest honor – the Gold Award – with her project entitled, It’s Elementary: An Introduction to Sherlock Holmes.

Through her volunteer work at Gulf Gate Library, Samantha saw an opportunity to help foster an appreciation for classical literature among young readers. She created a program entitled It’s Elementary: An Introduction to Sherlock Holmes, which she presented to 3rd-5^th-grade students at the library.

The event used the classic stories of Arthur Conan Doyle as a basis for a series of fun games and detective-based crafts, giving kids an interesting and enjoyable way to connect with classic literature. Samantha plans to continue the program and adapt it for other classic works of literature.

“We used The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes because of its increased presence in modern media,” said Samantha. “It also has real-life applications like detective work and deductive reasoning, which lend themselves well to games and crafts.”

The Girl Scout Gold Award represents the highest achievement in Girl Scouting. Open only to girls in high school, this prestigious award recognizes girls who demonstrate extraordinary leadership through remarkable Take-Action projects with sustainable impact in their communities. 2016 marks the 100^th anniversary of the Girl Scout Gold Award.

Be inspired and learn more about Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida’s other 2016 Gold Award recipients.

~Lori Tomlinson is the Manager of Communications and Marketing for Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida, Inc.