Englewood resident and Lemon Bay High School student Kaylee Ferrell has earned Girl Scouting’s highest honor – the Gold Award – with her project entitled, Serenity for SOLVE.

SOLVE Maternity Home in Englewood provides housing and support services to pregnant women in need. After reading studies that show flowers have an immediate impact on happiness and a long-term positive effect on mood, Kaylee was inspired to establish a serenity garden for the residents.

The residents of SOLVE will maintain the garden as part of their regular responsibilities at the shelter. Kaylee’s hope is that the garden will also help raise community awareness of the emotional, physical, and spiritual needs of the women at SOLVE.

“Having a beautiful flower garden will help the women have a better sense of well-being,” said Kaylee.

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.

Sarasota resident and Nova Southeastern University student Emily Sisk has earned Girl Scouting’s highest honor – the Gold Award – with her project entitled, It’s Not the End.

Sisk’s goal was to provide hope and support to residents of Our Mother’s House in Venice, a transitional housing program for homeless moms with young children. She organized a “baby shower” to collect diapers, clothing, and gift cards for families at Our Mother’s House.

She also gave a presentation and created an educational brochure to help the moms recognize the signs of an unhealthy, abusive relationship; resources where they can seek help; and ways to help their children through times of trouble.

“The moms seemed to be truly happy to have new knowledge that can help them in the future,” said Sisk.

Each resident of Our Mother’s House received a photo frame with an inspirational message, assuring them that no matter how difficult their situation, there is hope, and “it’s not the end” of their journey.

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.

Lee County resident and Florida Southwestern Collegiate High School student Megan Emeric has earned Girl Scouting’s highest honor – the Gold Award – with her project entitled, Mentoring Young Minds.

Recognizing a need to support young students struggling academically, Megan established a mentoring program at Cape Coral Christian School. She matched high school students with K-1^st-grade students in need, to help build their self-esteem and motivate them to do better in school.

The high-school mentors meet weekly with the younger students to help them with schoolwork and projects while serving as positive role models. The program benefits not only the younger students but also the mentors themselves, especially those considering a career in teaching.

“Older students don’t realize they can positively impact their younger schoolmates by helping them become more successful in school,” said Megan. She hopes to expand the program into other schools.

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.

Sarasota resident and Hillsborough Community College freshman Meredith Worthley has earned Girl Scouting’s highest honor – the Gold Award – with her project entitled, Sarasota Bay: Marine Organism Ecosystem.

Growing up in Sarasota, Meredith spent a lot of time in and around the water. She was inspired to keep Sarasota Bay thriving by educating the next generation of conservationists about the importance of our marine ecosystems.

Meredith developed a hands-on, interactive curriculum for young students, which is adaptable to any bay in the world. The program also encourages students to develop their own conservation projects with friends or family. Meredith shares her curriculum with all who are interested on her blog, SRQbay.blogspot.com.

“Because of this project, I am much more comfortable dealing with issues straight on,” said Meredith. “My leadership skills have improved so much… I believe in myself.”

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.

Sarasota Girl Scout Ambassador and Booker High School student Raven Peters has earned Girl Scouting’s highest honor – the Gold Award – with her project entitled, Break the Bonds.

Raven was shocked to learn that Florida is the third most at-risk state in the U.S. for human trafficking.  She developed her Gold Award project to make the community more aware of this issue, while providing support and resources to survivors and current victims.

Raven organized and hosted a public symposium, created a service project to assemble toiletry kits for local shelters, published a brochure of local resources for victims, and worked with New College of Florida to implement a human trafficking clause into the school’s Title IX (sex discrimination) policy.

“I wish to become an international human rights lawyer,” Raven said. “This project has given me the ability to identify an issue and take action to do my best to address it.”

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.

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.

Sarasota resident and Rhode Island College student Angela Carreau has earned Girl Scouting’s highest honor – the Gold Award – with her project entitled, Culverhouse Nature Park Turpentine Trail.

The inspiration for Angela’s Gold Award project came during a tour of Sarasota County’s Culverhouse Nature Park with her Girl Scout troop. When she learned there was a need for walking trails near the new garden area, she took action.

Angela assembled a team to remove brush, roots, and debris from the planned footpath, as well as build, paint, and install trail markers. She proposed the trail be named “Culverhouse Turpentine Trail” to recognize the area’s rich history in the turpentine industry, and the County agreed.

Despite being significantly injured in a car accident after the project had started, Angela persevered and inspired her team to keep going, as well.

“I can overcome any obstacle,” said Angela. “I am a fighter because I do not let things hold me back from accomplishing my goals.”

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.

Lee County resident and University of South Florida student Catlin Faust has earned Girl Scouting’s highest honor – the Gold Award – with her project entitled, Home Sweet Home.

While volunteering at the Calusa Nature Center, Catlin learned of a critical need at the center to renovate many of their animal habitats, in keeping with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission standards. For her Gold Award project, she chose to focus on the habitat for Reagan the Raccoon.

Catlin and her small team drew plans for an improved and extended habitat enclosure, gathered the needed tools and supplies, and constructed Reagan’s new home. As a result, Reagan now has a larger area to roam and explore, which also allows center visitors to observe him more freely.

“Those who benefit from my project are not only the animals but the people who run the center as well as those who come to visit and volunteer,” Catlin said.

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.

Fort Myers High School graduate Meagan Farmar has earned Girl Scouting’s highest honor – the Gold Award – with her project entitled, Healthy Kids.

Meagan was inspired to address a common issue among children: not wanting to eat their vegetables. She established a vegetable garden program at Milestones Learning Center in Estero, with the help of children who attend the center.

Contained in recycled tires brightly decorated with paint, the mini-gardens give children a chance to be directly involved in the growth and harvest of produce. By learning how to grow their own vegetables and incorporate them into tasty, healthy snacks, the children become more excited about eating healthier foods. They also learn first-hand about what plants need to grow and the importance of caring for the garden every day.

“I got the kids to want to work together, and to share with each other because our garden was a team effort,” said Megan, who is now a freshman at Florida Southwestern State College.

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.

Pineview School graduate Marie Dull has earned Girl Scouting’s highest honor – the Gold Award – with her project entitled, “Produce-ing” Gratitude.

The project was designed to spread awareness of All Faiths Food Bank’s mission to provide healthy foods for families in need while creating a bright, colorful work environment to show appreciation to its volunteers. Marie designed and oversaw the painting of a 10 x 24-foot mural in All Faith’s food distribution room.

The project garnered local media attention, helping educate the public about the issue of hunger in the community. “Most people believe food banks only collect and distribute non-perishable goods to a few families in need,” said Marie. “All Faiths collects and distributes fresh fruits and vegetables daily to over 14,000 families in the Gulf Coast area.”

Now a freshman at New York University, Marie intends to paint murals for other community organizations as part of her long-term plan to be an art activist, using her passion for the arts for supportive and inclusive activism.

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.