Tag Archives: Bronze Award

Girl Scouts Create Dedicated Outdoor Classroom In Memory of Favorite Educator

by Jessica Miano
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. 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.

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

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. 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.

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.

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. 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.
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. 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.
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. 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.
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. 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.
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. 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.

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!”

Girl Scouts Partner with Shy Wolf Sanctuary to Champion Animal Advocacy for Bronze Award Project

by Jessica Miano
Girls Scouts Mary, Juliana, Lizzy and Alisa from Troop 328 earned the Girl Scout Bronze Award by advocating for animal welfare and creating a garden space at Shy Wolf Sanctuary.
Girls Scouts Mary, Juliana, Lizzy and Alisa from Troop 328 earned the Girl Scout Bronze Award by advocating for animal welfare and creating a garden space at Shy Wolf Sanctuary.

A group of young Girl Scouts in Naples is taking a stand for misunderstood wildlife—and earning one of the organization’s highest honors in the process.

Girl Scout Juniors from Troop 328, who call themselves the “Wolf Pack,” are working toward their Bronze Award by partnering with Shy Wolf Sanctuary, a local nonprofit that rescues and rehabilitates wolves, wolfdogs, and other exotic animals. The Bronze Award is the highest award a Girl Scout Junior (grades 4–5) can earn, and it requires a minimum of 20 hours spent planning and executing a project that addresses a root cause of a community issue.

For their project, the girls are focused on dispelling common myths about wolves and raising awareness about the challenges they face due to habitat loss, pet abandonment, and illegal breeding. Their efforts included creating a community education display board titled “Wolves are Vital, Not Villains,” which is currently on view at the Naples Regional Library on Central Avenue. The display is expected to rotate through additional Collier County library branches in the coming months.

“I learned that wild animals need our help,” said sixth-grader Juliana G. “I also discovered the underlying reasons behind these issues, like the illegal wildlife trade.”

“My favorite part was when we made mosaic stepping stones. I learned cement skills! That’s so cool,” Lizzy said. “I learned how to collaborate better with others, and I learned how to use Google apps to stay organized.”

“This project means a lot to me,” said Alisa J. “I loved seeing the animals at Shy Wolf and I really hope that our Bronze Award Project can help them.” She also added that she learned a lot about teamwork and how to collaborate with others, and is excited to lead more projects in the future.

Mary said her favorite part was painting the flower boxes and planting the seeds. “I learned how to take notes at our meetings, as the secretary.”

In addition to the awareness campaign, the troop is volunteering on-site at Shy Wolf Sanctuary. They organized a stuffed animal drive to provide comfort items to the animals. Additionally, they are improving a garden area, designing mosaic stepping stones, and planting flowers.

The Girl Scout Bronze Award is designed to help girls develop leadership skills, explore community issues, and create sustainable solutions. More than a service project, it asks girls to identify root causes of a problem, build a team, connect with community partners, and make a lasting impact. Earning the Bronze Award empowers girls to see themselves as capable leaders and changemakers—even at a young age.

Girl Scout Juniors Alisa, Juliana, Lizzy, and Mary—will cap off their efforts with an educational session for the wider Girl Scout community later this summer, further expanding the project’s reach and sustainability.

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 over 3,800 girls in grades K-12, and more than 1,500 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.