Special to IFN
Abby Miller of Girl Scout Troop 13042 in Iredell County has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award for a community leadership and service project that addresses inclusion and kindness in school through art.
Aiming to impact her peers and help people stand up for each other, the Girl Scout Ambassador partnered with The Brawley School in Mooresville for her Gold Award project, “Traits and Inclusion Mural,” to remind students to practice the school’s traits, prevent bullying and support inclusion of one another to contribute to the students’ success.
“My goal was to raise awareness for students to use these traits to help others succeed and be kind,” said Miller, a Girl Scout of nine years. “I also wanted them to remember what the traits stand for, so I included symbols that relate to the words so students have an idea on how to use them with friends and in school.”
The Brawley School is an International Baccalaureate school which focuses on IB Learner Profile Traits: Caring, Balanced, Communicators, Principled, Risk-takers, Open-minded, Knowledgeable, Thinkers, Inquirers and Reflective.
Miller created a mural highlighting the school’s emblem and symbols of the traits. She also created a QR code which links to a website that explains the traits and how they apply to everyday life through the inclusion and uplifting of others.
Girls in high school can earn the Girl Scout Gold Award by creating sustainable change on a community or world issue. They address the root cause of a problem, plan and implement innovative solutions to drive change and lead a team of people to success. Each Girl Scout must dedicate a minimum of 80 hours to planning and carrying out their project that benefits the community and has a long-lasting impact.
Gold Award Girl Scouts gain tangible skills and prove they are the leaders our community and world need, and those from the Girl Scouts Carolinas Peaks to Piedmont (GSCP2P) council have created community gardens, addressed issues in foster care, combated bullying in schools and so much more.
“Students can also e-mail me with their thoughts on the mural or website, and I received lots of feedback on how much the students learned from the website and were able to apply these traits to their daily lives which was a big goal of my project,” said Miller. “I was glad to see my project was impacting the students in a positive way where they could learn and grow.”
Thousands of Girl Scouts across the country earn the Girl Scout Gold Award each year, which first began in 1916 as the Golden Eaglet. Earning the Gold Award opens doors to scholarships, preferred admission tracks for college and amazing career opportunities. In 2024, 40 GSCP2P Girl Scouts earned their Gold Award.
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For more information about local Girl Scouting and community service projects like earning a Girl Scout Gold Award, visit www.girlscoutsp2p.org.