Girl Scout Cadette Olivia G. has earned the Girl Scout Silver Award—one of the highest awards in Girl Scouting—by designing a sustainable, measurable community awareness campaign on the urgent need for more foster homes in Florida.

Inspired by her own experience as an adoptee raised by her grandparents, Olivia felt a deep connection to the struggles faced by children in foster care.

Through research, she discovered that licensed foster homes in Sarasota, Manatee, and DeSoto counties have declined by 35% since COVID-19, leaving more than 1,400 children in need of foster placement without available homes. Determined to create lasting change, she developed an informative, visually engaging infographic to educate the public and inspire families to consider fostering—choosing a format that could be shared and reused for years to come.

Olivia partnered with the Venice Community Center, Laurel Park Community Center, and local information ambassadors at her church, including real estate agent Cherie Belcher, who committed to distributing the infographic to clients and community members. She also placed a copy in her Little Free Library outside her home—providing ongoing access to passersby—and launched a dedicated social media page and video series. Her videos have already gained hundreds of views, and community partners continue to share her infographic to keep the message circulating.

Olivia is monitoring foster care statistics in the tri-county area to see whether her efforts inspire new families to become licensed foster homes, giving her project measurable long-term impact.

To cover her expenses—including a Canva graphic design membership, copy paper, and ink—Olivia fundraised independently, proving that impactful advocacy can be self-funded and community-supported.

Her work not only spread vital information, but also strengthened her leadership skills. “I learned that when speaking about something you have passion for, people start to listen,” she said. “I learned that I can advocate for those who cannot advocate for themselves.”

Olivia’s project leaves a lasting legacy of resources for her community and has prepared her to take on new leadership opportunities in high school, including joining the Debate Club and Democratic Club to continue advocating for children in need.

Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida, Inc.: Girl Scouts create the world they want to live in and strive to make it better every single day. They explore their strengths, take on new challenges, and can always be themselves, regardless of background or ability. Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida council has a membership of nearly 3,800 girls in grades K-12, and 1,900 adult members. GSGCF is chartered by Girl Scouts of the USA and serves girls in ten counties including: Manatee, Hardee, Highlands, Sarasota, DeSoto, Charlotte, Glades, Lee, Hendry, and Collier. The council is governed by a volunteer board of directors who represent the geographic, ethnic, and social demographics of the council’s jurisdiction. For more information about Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida visit www.gsgcf.org. 

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