Tag Archives: Silver Award

Cape Coral Girl Scout Earns Silver Award by Championing Inclusion

by Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida

After Jocelyn was diagnosed with sensory processing disorder, she wanted to help others girls facing similar challenges feel included in Girl Scouts.

Jocelyn N., an 8th-grade member of Girl Scout Troop 721, has earned the prestigious Girl Scout Silver Award for her project titled “Girl Scouts Is for Everyone.” Jocelyn’s project exemplifies the Girl Scouts’ core values of inclusion by creating tools to support girls with sensory-related disorders such as autism and sensory processing disorder (SPD).

The Girl Scout Silver Award is the highest honor a Girl Scout Cadette (grades 6–8) can earn. It recognizes girls who identify an issue they care about, create a sustainable solution, and make a measurable impact on their communities. By earning this award, Jocelyn joins a legacy of Girl Scouts who have demonstrated leadership, innovation, and a commitment to improving the world.

For her Silver Award, Jocelyn designed and distributed portable sensory bags to troop leaders within her council. Each lightweight bag includes fidget toys, sensory items, sunglasses, earplugs, and educational resources on SPD, along with instructions for calming techniques. To ensure the sustainability of her project, Jocelyn created a website where Girl Scout leaders can learn about sensory challenges and replenish kits as needed.

Jocelyn shared that this project is close to my heart because she has experienced sensory challenges herself. She believes that Girl Scouts is a place where every girl should feel welcome. “I wanted to help create an environment where all girls can succeed,” she said.

The Girl Scouts organization is committed to welcoming girls of all backgrounds and abilities and fostering an inclusive and safe space where every member can thrive. To further this mission, Girl Scouts recently expanded tools to support girls with special needs in accessing and achieving the highest awards, such as the Gold Award. By creating a formal process for girls to request accommodations while pursuing the Highest Award, Girl Scouts has ensured that no girl will face barriers to her success.

The Gold Award, the highest honor a Girl Scout can achieve, is designed with flexibility to meet the individual needs of each girl. Advisors can work with Girl Scouts on a case-by-case basis to provide accommodations, ensuring that all girls can accomplish their goals to the best of their ability.

“Girl Scouts believe in the power of all girls,” said Mary Anne Servian, CEO of Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida. “Jocelyn’s project beautifully reflects our commitment to inclusivity and demonstrates how Girl Scouts can truly make the world a better place.”

Girls needing accommodations while pursuing the Girl Scout Highest Awards can request them through the new Special Factors section of GoGold Online, ensuring they have the tools and support necessary to succeed.

Guest Blog: A Silver Award with Wings

by Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida

Bradenton Girl Scouts Plant Butterfly Garden

by Olivia, guest blogger

Hi, I am Olivia, a member of Girl Scout Troop 16 in Bradenton.crowley4 crop

As our Girl Scout Silver Award project, my troop restored the butterfly garden at the Crowley Museum and Nature Center.

The Silver Award has very specific qualifications and is one of the highest honors a Cadette Troop can earn. One of the main qualifications is to pick a project that has a lasting impact on the community with a commitment of at least 50 hours of service time.

At one time or another, all my troop members assisted in the project. In December 2014, we began with a trip to Selby Gardens for a private tour. We met with the caretaker of their butterfly garden to learn the basics of maintaining a healthy butterfly garden, and to get an idea of what Florida native plants we could use. We learned to use plants that sustained the larvae population. Selby provided us with a list of butterflies and butterfly-friendly plants, and the list was very useful in deciding what plants we wanted to use and what was native to Florida.

We designated a portion of our cookie booth proceeds to fund the project and in March 2015, we started clearing the area with only gloves, a shovel, and two spades. With our modest amount, we purchased the few plants we could and planted them, but there was still much more work to be done. That is when I applied for a grant from the Serenoa Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society. Because of the generous grant we received, we were able to purchase more tools and many more plants so that we could complete the project before the heat of summer kicked in.

Some of the plants we planted were Prostrate Porter weed (Strachytarpheta jamaicentis), Tropical Sage (Salvia coccina), Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), Firebush (Hamelia patens), Wild Coffee (Psychotria nervosa), and Giant Ironweed (Vernonia gigantea). We purchased our plants from both Florida Native Plants and Crowley nurseries.

Cadettes from Troop 16 (left to right): Olivia, Emily, Sydney, and Delaney.

Cadettes from Troop 16 (left to right): Olivia, Emily, Sydney, and Delaney.

We are proud of the work we accomplished and are committed to maintaining the butterfly garden throughout the years. We could not have accomplished this without the help of the Serenoa Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society and all the people we met along the way who took the time to educate us. Most of all, we thank our parents and our leaders, Antoinette Yagy, Suzanne McLauchlin, and our mentors, Gerald Yagy and Mike Amado.

Be sure to check out all the pictures we posted on the Serenoa Chapter’s Facebook page! We encourage everyone to come out to Crowley Museum and Nature Center and enjoy the peacefulness of the gardens and the beauty of nature!

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Editor’s note: This article first appeared in the Sept. 2015 newsletter of the Serenoa Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society, and is shared here with their permission.