A team of Girl Scouts from Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida Troop 250 has transformed an unused area at their elementary school, Cracker Trail Elementary, into a colorful outdoor learning space as part of their Girl Scout Bronze Award project. A group of Cadettes from the troop also earned the Silver Award by leading the project.

The group—Tessa B., Bobbi C., Ivy C., Mystari L., and Maribel A.—spent several months planning and building the space. Designed as a brain break and outdoor classroom, the new area gives students and teachers a place to step outside, learn, and recharge during the school day.

Dedicated in memory of a beloved educator

The girls named the outdoor classroom “Patsy’s Place” to honor a beloved school bookkeeper who had originally fenced the area and later passed away. They wanted to acknowledge her connection to the space and bring to life what they imagined might have been her vision for a welcoming place where students could learn and play.

The Girl Scout Bronze Award is the highest award a Girl Scout Junior can earn. It recognizes teamwork and leadership through a community service project that addresses a local need.

Today, Patsy’s Place is filled with activities that encourage creativity, movement, and hands-on learning.

Students can write and draw on giant chalkboards, measure their height using oversized rulers, or practice coordination on a painted hopscotch course. The space also includes a birdhouse, an outdoor thermometer, and a variety of interactive stations.

Other features include:

• A picnic table and bench for outdoor lessons
• A “take, leave, or hide a rock” activity
• Word rocks that allow students to build sentences
• A giant tic-tac-toe game
• A fairy garden activity area
• A deck box stocked with supplies and bubbles

Together, these elements create a welcoming environment where students can take a break, explore, and learn in a different way.

Addressing a Need at School

The Girl Scouts chose this project after realizing that their school had limited outdoor areas available for students outside of the playground. They conducted research that confirmed that outdoor, nature-based activities directly improve classroom concentration, cognitive function, and engagement.

“There is not much outdoors at the school aside from the playground,” they explained. “This space was just empty, messy, and unfinished. Kids need outdoor fun—it helps them concentrate when in class.”

By transforming the space, the girls created a resource teachers can use during the school day while also giving students a place to relax and reset.

The project also served as a way for the troop to give back to the school where they once held their Girl Scout meetings.

“We saw this as an opportunity to create something fun for the school we attend,” they said. “It was also a thank you as we used to hold our meetings there.”

Learning how to make a budget

Like many Bronze Award projects, the team faced challenges along the way—particularly when it came to budgeting.

“The challenging part for us was budget,” they shared. “We wanted to do more or different things, but we had to fit the budget.”

By adjusting their plans and focusing on creative solutions, the girls were able to complete the project successfully and learn valuable money-management skills along the way.

Sharing Their Work

After completing Patsy’s Place, the girls created a video highlighting the new space and the activities available there. An older Girl Scout from their troop edited the video, which was later shown on the Cracker Trail Elementary News broadcast for students and staff.

“They will enjoy this space for years to come,” the girls said.

Advice for Future Bronze Award Girl Scouts

Through their creativity and hard work, Tessa B., Bobbi C., Ivy C., Mystari L., and Maribel A. have created a space that will serve students for years to come.

Completing the Bronze Award requires dedication and teamwork, but the girls say the experience is well worth the effort.

“If you tackle your Bronze Award know that it will be very hard work BUT when you are done and achieve your goal the feeling is amazing!” they shared. “It was also really fun teaming up with the older girls and tackling a HUGE project!”