Sara Agabob - Cardiac Star
- Pleasantville Service Unit
- Sara Agabob created a community-based CPR education initiative for her Gold Award project to increase public knowledge, skill, and confidence in responding to cardiac emergencies. Using the interactive “Cardiac Star” video, she taught eight classes to high school health students, Girl Scout troops, and a cross-country team. Participants completed pre- and post-class surveys to assess growth in confidence and willingness to act. Sara also evaluated each participant’s CPR performance during hands-on practice, providing individualized feedback. Her results showed a significant increase in both confidence and likelihood to intervene. To ensure sustainability, Sara developed a website with CPR resources and a system for borrowing training mannequins to expand future instruction.
Spencer Bailey - Blankets for Vets
- Middletown Service Unit
- Spencer’s Girl Scout Gold Award project, “Blankets for Vets,” focused on supporting veterans living off the grid due to mental health challenges. Recognizing that these veterans often lack access to basic necessities, Spencer led a team of Girl Scouts and community members to create and distribute over 30 warm, handmade sleeping bag blankets, accompanied by heartfelt cards of appreciation. The project not only provided comfort to veterans during colder months but also raised awareness about their unique struggles among youth and the broader community. Through workshops, presentations, and social media outreach, Spencer fostered empathy, leadership, and community engagement, ensuring the project’s impact would continue beyond their involvement.
Yashica Balasubramanian - VetConnect
- Scarsdale/Edgemont Service Unit
- Yashica earned her Gold Award by addressing the lack of a centralized, user-friendly platform for veterans to access local services. After identifying this gap, she researched existing resources, surveyed veterans to understand their most urgent needs, and partnered with the Westchester Veterans Alliance, a local veteran’s support group. She then designed and coded a comprehensive website that organizes housing, employment, healthcare, and mental health resources into an easily navigable format. Her goal was to make the website as user-friendly as possible so veterans have ease of use while navigating the plethora of resources available to them. The site’s impact has extended beyond her county, being shared with veteran groups across New York and in other states.
Ella Boyce - Beautifying the Grotto
- Tappan Zee Service Unit
- For the Gold Award project, Ella partnered with St. Catharine’s Parish to revitalize the area around Mary’s Grotto, located at the back of the Church. She worked with the parish community, as well as local volunteers, to replace the benches, power wash and weed the entire area, refresh the existing flower pots, painted Mary, and enhanced the overall appearance of the Grotto. The goal of this project was to create a peaceful and welcoming space for prayerful reflection.
Alyssa Crane - STEM Spark
- Greenburgh/Elmsford Service Unit
- As a Girl Scout Ambassador, Alyssa designed and led an interactive STEM and coding program for students in grades 1-5, with the mission of expanding access to STEM education for underprivileged children in Port Chester. Over the course of the program, she independently taught five grade levels, reaching approximately 30-35 students and adapted instruction to meet varying developmental needs. She introduced learners to the foundations of computational thinking, block coding, logic, and problem-solving using platforms such as CodeHS, CodeMonkey, Scratch, and Code.org. Beyond digital instruction, Alyssa shared her program with her school and troop communities through a free, publicly accessible curriculum. Her initiative integrates creative STEM-based engineering challenges with scientific experimentation to foster curiosity among students who otherwise may not have access to such opportunities.
Isabella Ramos Cumiskey - Comfort for a Cause
- West Lakeland Service Unit
- For her project, Isabella organized a community fundraiser to collect materials for making handmade blankets to donate to the Linus Project. She collaborated with local community members and Girl Scout groups to help create the blankets and expand participation. To increase involvement, she distributed flyers across neighboring counties and shared information about the cause. This effort not only provided essential materials but also raised awareness about the organization’s mission to support children in need, especially those in hospitals. In the end, Isabella was able to donate multiple handmade blankets to comfort hospitalized children while bringing the community together for a meaningful cause.
Elizabeth Dean - Youth Business Workshop
- Pleasantville Service Unit
- Elizabeth Dean created an entrepreneurship education program to teach middle school students the fundamentals of starting and developing a business. Through interactive workshops, students learned how to identify real-world problems, brainstorm product ideas, create a brand name and logo, and develop a simple business plan. Elizabeth designed the curriculum, presentations, and worksheets used during the sessions and led the workshops with the help of volunteers. To ensure the project continues beyond her involvement, she created a website that hosts all of the program’s materials so educators, Girl Scout leaders, and youth organizations can easily access and implement the lessons. Her goal was to empower young people with creativity, problem-solving skills, and confidence in their ideas.
Elizabeth (Lily) Delaney - Strong Start: Back to School Supplies & Fresh Start: Fire Disaster Relief
- Town of Eastchester Service Unit
- Elizabeth Delaney created “Strong Start / Fresh Start” to address gaps in access to basic school supplies for students in Mount Vernon, where economic instability and limited resources restrict opportunity. Partnering with Mount Vernon High School’s needs-based Knight’s Boutique, she organized a back-to-school drive providing backpacks, notebooks, pens, and pencils so students could begin the year prepared with dignity, confidence, and support. She connected student volunteers and community partners across Bronxville to establish the drive as a sustainable annual effort.
In November 2025, an apartment fire displaced 100+ families. Using the same community partners, she coordinated the collection and distribution of clothing and essentials for families who had lost nearly everything. Within 72 hours, seven truckloads were delivered, demonstrating the impact of neighboring communities working together.
Sofia Donikyan - AYO! (Yes) ACYOA
- Kings Ferry Service Unit
- Sofia created “Ayo! (Yes!) ACYOA”, which is a platform within the fundraising site of the Fund for Armenian Relief dedicated to tracking and showcasing the fundraising efforts of youth groups across the Armenian parishes in the Eastern U.S. The platform connects teens to a steady stream of low-budget projects benefiting Armenians, such as building a laboratory for an Armenian middle school, purchasing furniture for a school destroyed in California’s Altadena fire and raising summer camp tuition for children displaced by war. To continue this effort beyond Ambassador’s graduation from the youth group, she created a council of 5 teens across the U.S. that will regularly convene to share information on local efforts to support these projects and to learn from the experiences of others.
Rebecca Doty - Refurbishment of SPCA Dog Area
- Cornwall Service Unit
- Rebecca created a safer and more welcoming environment for dogs at the Hudson Valley SPCA for her Girl Scout Gold Award project. After volunteering at the shelter, she noticed that one of the dog play areas had become unsafe due to damaged equipment and deep holes in the ground. Rebecca led a team to repair and repaint structures, remove broken equipment, and restore the safety of the area by filling the holes. In addition to the physical improvements, she created informational pamphlets promoting responsible pet ownership and the importance of spaying and neutering pets. Through her project, Rebecca improved the safety of the shelter while supporting animals, volunteers, and future adopters in her community.
Lisa Fasano - Sensory Friendly Futures
- Deforest Friendly Futures
- Lia created Sensory Friendly Futures for her Gold Award project to promote neurodivergence awareness, inclusion, and acceptance within her community. She designed and created fidget bins for neurodivergent individuals and placed them in her local libraries, schools and after school programs to create welcoming and calming spaces for self-regulation. In addition, Lia developed educational materials to teach the community about sensory needs, stimming, and the importance of creating supportive environments for all. Her goal was to make public spaces more inclusive and to inspire others to embrace neurodiversity with understanding and compassion. Through Sensory Friendly Futures, Lia hopes to create a world where everyone feels safe, seen, and valued for who they are. Her project can also be found on her Instagram: @sensoryfriendlyfutures
Samantha Ferrara - Sam's Sacred Style
- Harrison Service Unit
- Samantha created “Sam’s Sacred Style” for her Girl Scout Gold Award project to reduce textile waste and support girls experiencing clothing insecurity. She collected, restored, and redistributed more than 175 dresses, extending their lifespan and preventing over 700 pounds of textiles from landfills. Leading a team of more than 20 volunteers, she established collection systems to ensure the project’s sustainability. Samantha also designed bilingual educational materials, training guides, and lesson plans. She built a website (www.samssacredstyle.com) and launched an Instagram page (@samssacredstyle) to raise awareness and inspire others. Through her outreach, she educated over 200 families about clothing insecurity and reuse, and her collection continues to operate year-round. Partnering with Food-for-the-Poor and Angels-of-Hope, she sent over 55 dresses to South America, extending her impact globally.
Josephine Foley-Hedlund - Memorial Day Maps
- Hudson Highlands Service Unit
- Josie created a mapping system of veterans’ graves in her local cemetery that will be used for Memorial Day flag placement. She worked with American Legion Post 275 to update the old and often inaccurate record that had been previously used. Her final product was a binder for each section of the cemetery that included a labeled map, a corresponding list of names, and photos of each veteran’s grave. To create the map, Josie used a drone to take photos of the cemetery. Josie enlisted the help of many groups, including her high school’s History Club and the Cold Spring Cemetery Association. Her mapping system will be used by the American Legion and Memorial Day volunteers for years to come.
Abigail Fontana - Soaring Sisters
- Washingtonville Service Unit
- Abigail Fontana created Soaring Sisters for her Gold Award project to inspire and empower young women to pursue aviation. Through the program, she introduced girls to flight by hosting aviation workshops, mentorship sessions with female pilots, and hands-on STEM activities. Partnering with the Lee A. Archer RedTail Youth Flying Program, Soaring Sisters aimed to break stereotypes and show girls that they belong in the cockpit. The project’s impact continues as participants stay connected through mentorship opportunities and local aviation events. Abigail hopes Soaring Sisters will continue motivating girls to take flight, both literally and figuratively.
Maya Fortier - Grow the Game
- Pleasantville Service Unit
- For her Gold Award, Maya Fortier developed and led a field hockey program designed to introduce younger girls to the sport while building their skills and confidence. She trained coaches and varsity teammates as referees, organized practices and games, and created a detailed guidebook of drills and rules to support learning beyond her direct involvement. Maya also arranged scrimmages between teams and age groups, giving participants valuable game experience. Through her efforts, players gained a stronger understanding of the sport, developed confidence, and grew excited about participating. To ensure longevity, Maya shared her materials online and established a leadership plan so the program can continue to thrive.
Keira Garrison - American Flag Retirement Box
- Pearl River Service Unit
- Keira created an American Flag Retirement Box for her Gold Award to provide her community with a respectful and accessible way to properly dispose of worn flags in accordance with the U.S. Flag Code. She installed the box at her local American Legion and focused on raising awareness about proper flag etiquette and patriotism. Keira distributed informational materials and led educational sessions with community members and youth groups, including Girl Scouts, to reinforce the importance of honoring the flag. To ensure long-term impact, she partnered with the American Legion to maintain the box and oversee proper flag retirement ceremonies, creating a lasting resource for her community.
Cira Graap - Animal Activism and Rights Club
- Mahopac Service Unit
- Cira founded the Animal Activism and Rights Club at her high school. She worked with teachers, administrators, and board members to bring her project to fruition. Her club focuses on animals in the community. Key projects she has done with her members include: River Keeper Clean Up, Farm Clean Up, Building bird houses/ bat boxes, distribution of wildflower seed packets and of course sharing and presenting information to her fellow students in her school. Documentation of her club can be found on Instagram and her schools clubs and activities list.
Victoria Grigorova - Edgebrook Little Readers Community Book Box
- Valhalla Service Unit
- Victoria Grigorova created a children’s community book box for her Girl Scouts Gold Award project to address literacy and increase community engagement. Located next to the playground in Edgebrook Cooperative, the box allows children to freely take and leave books. Victoria designed, built, painted, and installed the box herself, dedicating around 100 hours to the project. She also included a feedback notebook where users can share book reviews, recommendations, and comments about the box. Her goal was to make reading more accessible and encourage kids and families to interact through shared books. She continues to maintain the box and has begun the process of passing down her project to a younger Girl Scout troop. It can also be found on Instagram with the username: @littlereadersedgebrook
Addison Hanlon - Sports Closet
- Dutchess Tri-Valley Service Unit
- After Addison spent hours working on a musical playground to benefit the town of Hyde Park, she ran into too many obstacles like lack of timing and funding. She made the ultimate decision to change ideas. She spent hours working on sports closets for both the Town of Poughkeepsie and the Town of Hyde Park that provided the parks with sports equipment for families to play various sports while they spend their time at the park. The shed will be installed during the summer of 2026 due to scheduling.
Lena Hobby - Eco-Seeds
- Hastings on Hudson Service Unit
- Lena created Eco-Seeds for her Gold Award project to encourage her community to learn about and participate in the growth of native plant seeds throughout her town. The project consisted of using a grant awarded to her by the Bloomberg foundation to purchase four variations of native seeds and create a brochure which described the planting process for each seed type. Lena’s goal was to educate her community while also planting new seeds, so she attended local events and offered her brochure’s and seeds to those interested. Ultimately she was able to hand out lots of seed packets and make an impact on her community’s knowledge and help out her town’s ecosystem.
Megan Hume - Girls on Guard
- Katonah/Lewisboro Service Unit
- Megan Hume developed “Girls on Guard,” an initiative focused on equipping high school girls with the knowledge and skills needed to stay safe as they transition to more independent environments. Recognizing a lack of self-defense education, she created and taught structured lessons on situational awareness, danger prevention, and basic physical self-defense techniques. Megan led workshops that helped participants build confidence in their ability to recognize and respond to unsafe situations. She also created a website to expand access to these resources beyond her in-person sessions. To ensure continued impact, Megan partnered with a local youth group to share her materials and promote ongoing self-defense education.
Zohra Kapoor - Habitat Haven
- Hudson Highlands Service Unit
- Zohra Kapoor, a troop member of Troop 1405, created habitats for her Gold Award in order to help preserve native species. She researched many different habitats, attended many state park events to spread the word, organized events with younger scouts, and fundraised for her project before she started construction. She gathered her materials, and worked with her project advisor to overcome challenges. She constructed most of the habitats solo, and then installed them with her advisor. The habitats include 2 Eastern Bluebird houses, 2 Butterfly Puddlers, and 2 Toad Abodes.
Alana Kindelan - Gold Star Moms
- Yonkers Service Unit
- For Alana’s Gold Award project, she created “Gold Star Moms” to educate her community about the Gold Star Mothers organization and honor the families of fallen service members. Through her project, Alana visited Gold Star monuments across Westchester and Rockland Counties, researching their history and learning about the stories behind each one. She then created brochures and an online directory that highlight the significance of each monument and shared the mission of the Gold Star Mothers organization. Alana chose this project because she wanted to ensure that the sacrifices of Gold Star families are remembered and respected. She is proud that her project helps others recognize and appreciate the strength and resilience of those who have lost loved ones in service to the nation.
Abigail King - Students Talk About Resiliency (STAR)
- Pleasantville Service Unit
- Abigail King created “Students Talking About Resilience” (STAR) for her Girl Scouts of the USA Gold Award project to support the self-esteem and emotional growth of students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). Inspired by her own experiences navigating school with an IEP, Abigail recognized the importance of feeling understood and supported. She developed a mentorship program connecting high school students with learning disabilities to younger children with similar experiences through monthly letter exchanges. These letters offered encouragement, shared personal stories, and fostered a sense of belonging. Abigail’s goal was to help participants build confidence and resilience while creating a lasting, meaningful impact within her community.
Sophia Kolisz - Mindful Me: Understanding and Managing Emotions
- Lakeland East Service Unit
- When Sophia first became a counselor at Camp Combe, she recognized a need amongst the younger campers. Many of them were having difficulty managing their emotions. The “fun” environment at camp was almost too much for them at times. To help these children and others, Sophia decided to create calm down spaces around camp to help the campers identify their emotions and utilize different tools to help them regulate their emotions and enjoy all that camp had to offer. Sophia was given a space that had formerly been used as storage space and she, along with volunteers, revamped the room into a calming oasis. In addition, she created several calming corners in cabins around camp. Sophia also created an online resource that is available 24/7.
Abigail Kozlowski-Hoch - Book Buddies Program
- Dutchess Tri-Valley Service Unit
- Abigail created the Book Buddies Program to support children’s literacy and expand access to individualized learning opportunities. Partnering with a local library, she led a seven-week program working directly with children of varying skill levels, from learning the alphabet to improving reading fluency. Abigail also provided free books, school supplies, and resources for parents to continue supporting literacy at home. Through personalized instruction and encouragement, participants strengthened their reading and writing abilities and gained confidence in their learning. To guarantee the program’s continuation, the library committed to adopting and running Book Buddies, allowing it to benefit future children in the community.
Monica Lapman - Comprehending Mental Wellness
- Lakeland East Service Unit
- Monica created a project called Comprehending Mental Health to spread awareness about mental health education to reduce stigmas. She created presentations that were shared within her school district. She also created an in-depth brochure that was shared with her peers as well as in local libraries. These resources were also posted to the Instagram of the pre-med club that she ran, which was able to keep the mental health resources within her school district but shared to other schools worldwide.
Eliana Lieber - Girl ScOutdoors
- White Plains Service Unit
- Eliana identified a stigma and lack of education about outdoor skills in her Girl Scout community, so she created a series of curricula to combat this mindset. These curricula focus on how to teach valuable skills like knife safety, knot tying, and orienteering to different ages, and how to ensure Girl Scouts are comfortable learning, teaching, and applying these valuable skills. Eliana shared these curricula nationally, and taught the skills at various events around council (including an event that she organized and executed for 40+ Girl Scouts). To further ensure sustainability, Eliana created and distributed kits to teach these skills throughout Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson’s Program Centers and created an orienteering course at Rock Hill Camp.
Lillian Liu - Writing to Reduce Electronic Waste
- Scarsdale/Edgemont Service Unit
- Lillian developed the “Writing to Reduce Electronic Waste” patch program to educate Girl Scouts in grades K–8 about the environmental impact of e-waste and responsible recycling. She led numerous workshops featuring art, poetry, and trivia, including activities like crafting nature-themed haikus, comparing vintage and modern phones, and debunking e-waste myths. Lillian designed and distributed over 200 badges, keychains, and flyers, and created a poetry vending machine dispensing eco-poetry. She also developed a globally accessible website showcasing educational resources and student work, and her school’s Project Green club continues a segment of her patch at her town’s annual Earth Day expo. Lillian’s goal was to inspire community action on global environmental issues, demonstrating writing’s power as a catalyst for change. More details: https://thehyperbolicrevie.wixsite.com/writing-for-electron.
Sophia Lopresti - Dancing Against the Odds
- Goshen Service Unit
- Sophia LoPresti’s Girl Scout Gold Award project, Dancing Against the Odds, focused on empowering young dancers with medical or physical challenges to build confidence and continue pursuing their passion. She designed and led three interactive workshops that included educational presentations, guided exercises, group discussions, and an interactive learning game. Sophia also created a resource booklet, mentored younger dancers, and worked with her local dance studio to organize and ensure properly fitting costumes so every dancer felt comfortable and included. Through participant feedback, dancers reported increased confidence, understanding, and empathy. Her project promoted kindness and awareness, creating a meaningful and lasting impact.
Maura Lunde - Skills and Safety Navigating the Internet
- Bedford/Byrum Hills Service Unit
- Through her Gold Award, Maura taught skills and spread awareness to senior citizens about how to navigate social media and online platforms safely, and to stay in contact with family and loved ones. She taught seminars, planned workshops, and created manuals for local assisted living facilities and libraries in her community, and in Maine. Her workshops focused on online safety by highlighting issues regarding developing scams and fraud online, in which senior citizens may be vulnerable due to a lack of online knowledge. Maura’s goal was to spread awareness, and to make sure that senior citizens do not fall victim to targeted scams online. She believes that everyone deserves to have the ability to stay in contact with loved ones online without any possible threats.
Veronica Lynch - Identifying Veteran Graves
- West Lakeland Service Unit
- Veronica’s Gold Award project focused on identifying and recording veterans’ graves within the Van Cortlandtville Cemetery in Peekskill, New York. Once the veterans’ graves were identified, she created a card for each that included: a photo of the grave and surrounding area, a QR code to the GPS location of each grave (that can be used for walking directions), and a brief biography of the veteran. The biography includes birthdate and date of passing, and military service details, such as rank, branch, and war involvement. The cards were printed in color and laminated to ensure durability for reuse. The cards can be used by volunteers during Memorial Day flag placement and Wreaths Across America. The volunteers usually include veterans, Girl Scouts, and other community members.
Maggie Mendelson - The Art of Self-Love
- Katonah/Lewisboro Service Unit
- For her Gold Award, Maggie designed “The Art of Self-Love” to address stress and low self-confidence among high school students caused by academic pressure. She planned and led a series of art-based workshops that encouraged students to use creative expression as a way to relax and practice self-care. Maggie also created a mural displayed at her school, accompanied by a website that provides ongoing resources and information about her initiative. Through participant surveys and discussions, she found that students felt less stressed and more motivated to use art as an emotional outlet. Her project continues through the mural, website, and support from school staff who maintain and share its message.
Ruby Mendelson - Sketch to Shirt
- Katonah/Lewisboro Service Unit
- Ruby created “From Sketch to Shirt,” an initiative designed to inspire girls to explore STEM and robotics through creative design. She led hands-on workshops where participants sketched ideas, transformed them into digital designs, and used Cricut machines and heat presses to create custom T-shirts. By focusing on design, her role within her robotics team, Ruby demonstrated that STEM fields offer diverse entry points beyond coding and engineering. Through these sessions, participants gained technical skills, creativity, and confidence. Many expressed increased interest in future STEM opportunities. Ruby also created an instructional website and partnered with her robotics team to continue encouraging girls to pursue STEM pathways.
Reagan Mirque - Be Seizure Smart: Epilepsy Awareness and Seizure First Aid
- Tappan Zee Service Unit
- For Reagan’s Gold Award project, she focused on increasing awareness about epilepsy and teaching seizure first aid to diverse audiences. Inspired by her own struggles with epilepsy, she facilitated an interactive workshop for Brownies, presented educational content at the Bronze Award Showcase for Juniors, and developed a comprehensive epilepsy lesson for her school’s health curriculum for ninth graders. In addition, Reagan designed and led an epilepsy awareness station at Camporee that engaged participants from K-8 and shared a poster and info book online. Through these initiatives, she worked to reduce stigma, promote understanding, and provide knowledge to the hidden yet common disorder.
Charlotte Mueller - Student Shopping Binders
- Dutchess Tri-Valley Service Unit
- For her Gold Award, Charlotte created Student Shopping Binders for Life Skills/Special Education students. The binders are made to represent their local grocery store, which includes pictures of all the aisle signs and what you will find in the aisle for students who learn better visually. There is also an audio link as well as a digital line in the form of a QR code. These modifications are there for students who need the words to be read to them or if they would like to use it on their phone. Charlotte’s goal was to make a useful contribution to a school curriculum that could make shopping easy and accessible.
Devin Muldoon - Expanding a Coachman Tradition
- Hastings on Hudson Service Unit
- Devin addressed opportunity gaps for children experiencing homelessness at Westhab’s family centers, providing school supplies and cookies but also on confidence-building experiences such as dance classes, which help children feel included and valued. To make the project replicable, she developed and disseminated educational materials and donation systems that allowed Girl Scout troops and schools across multiple towns to independently run their own projects, including “gift of caring” drives for Coachman. In addition, a partnership with non-profit MorDance created a sustainable enrichment program continuing after her direct involvement, demonstrating how local action can connect to a broader system of support for children facing homelessness.
Emi Nagura - Skills and Safety with Technology
- Bedford/Byrum Hills Service Unit
- Emi created workshops and presentations for senior citizens in different facilities across the country to help teach them about the dangers of technology and teach basic skills on how to navigate the internet. She created manuals with the basics of technology in them, including step by step guides on how to use social media apps safely and efficiently. She then left the manuals at the facilities to allow for use beyond her time in the workshops and presentations. She was able to teach these senior citizens via Zoom and in person sessions and have an impact on how they go about using technology.
Shannon Nordone - Covering Little Miracles
- West Nyack Service Unit
- Shannon’s project “Covering Little Miracles” addressed the needs of babies born prematurely in the U.S by providing handmade NICU blankets designed to mimic the security of a mother’s womb. By collaborating with other troops, friends, and peers the project ensured a consistent supply of blankets that help regulate body heat and provide comfort to the babies. To expand her impact, Shannon launched an Instagram page, @gs.coveringlittlemiracles, where she spread awareness about NICU babies and posted tutorials that taught others how to craft these essential blankets. A survey of twenty nurses from White Plains Hospital NICU unit confirmed the project’s success, showing that the blankets significantly boosted staff morale, provided families with reassurance and a sense that their babies are deeply loved.
Brielle Phillips-Harris - Teens Against Type 2 Diabetes
- Scarsdale/Edgemont Service Unit
- Brielle created a project to educate young girls on the importance of eating healthy. She made two healthy snack recipes with various Girl Scout troops. One snack recipe was a fruit parfait, the other was a rice cake flower. These recipes were meant to teach young girls the importance of eating healthy, and how easy healthy recipes can be if you add ingredients you like. She created a website to document her project at its different stages. Brielle’s goal was to prevent type 2 diabetes in young girls as adults. The website is called Teens against type 2 diabetes and can be found at this link: https://teens-against-type2-diabetes.my.canva.site/healthy-eating
Megan Quackenbush - NICU Hats for NICU Babies
- Katonah/Lewisboro Service Unit
- For Megan’s Gold Award project, she dedicated her time and creativity to supporting the tiniest and most vulnerable patients—NICU babies. She organized the design, creation, and donation of handmade hats to provide warmth and comfort to newborns in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Through careful planning, community involvement, and compassionate leadership, she ensured each hat was made with soft, safe materials suitable for premature infants. Her project not only met a practical need within the hospital but also offered families a small symbol of love and hope during a challenging time, demonstrating empathy, initiative, and lasting community impact.
Stella Rekow - Dementia-Friendly Library
- Yorktown Heights Service Unit
- Stella installed a dementia-friendly library for the memory care wing of a local assisted living facility. The library is complete with shelves and published books that fit the reading ability of dementia patients, as well as special dementia-friendly texts she wrote with the help of another troop. She spent a few hours every week with the memory-care residents at YALR, gathering their interests to base the texts off of, allowing them to connect to and engage in stimulating reading experiences with books designed for them. She then created tip sheets for communicating with dementia-patients and guidelines you can follow to write your own dementia-friendly texts. She has made all her material accessible through a website: https://sites.google.com/view/dementia-friendly-texts/home
Sadie Robinson - First Aid in Dance
- Washingtonville Service Unit
- Through her Gold Award, Sadie Robinson worked to increase awareness about dance injuries and teach dancers how to safely care for their bodies. After recognizing that dance injuries are often overlooked because dance is not always treated as a sport, she created and led an interactive workshop at the New York Performing Arts Center focused on injury prevention and first aid. Participants learned how to identify common injuries, use the RICE method, and develop healthy habits to reduce injury risks during rehearsals and performances. Sadie also guided dancers in creating personalized first aid kits and designed safety posters that remain displayed throughout the studio. Her efforts helped dancers, teachers, and families feel more informed and prepared to promote dance safety.
Sabrina Rodier - Wellness for a New Beginning
- Yorktown Heights Service Unit
- Sabrina created “Wellness for a New Beginning”, a Gold Award project focused on promoting healing and self-care for women and children at the Putnam/Northern Westchester Women’s Resource Center, a domestic violence shelter. She developed and led wellness classes featuring activities such as yoga, journaling, coloring, and mindfulness-based crafts designed to reduce stress and encourage emotional expression. Sabrina also involved younger Girl Scouts and community members by organizing wellness classes and spreading awareness on domestic violence and the importance of mental health. Her project demonstrated strong leadership, organization, and empathy while creating a lasting program that promotes wellness, hope, and new beginnings for families in need.
Evie Schiff - Littles & Love
- Scarsdale/Edgemont Service Unit
- Evie wanted to alleviate some of the stress that parents feel when their babies are in the NICU after learning about her own family’s experience. She designed and collected parent surveys to narrow down the scope and worked with nurses at White Plains Hospital and Maria Ferrari to decide what would be helpful and practical. With NICU Comfort, Evie provided parents with 100 journals, hand decorated onsies, craft supplies for nameplates, high contrast baby graphic art, sibling activity packets and hundreds of books for a read-a-thon.
Clara Sundlof - Crochet with Care
- Millbrook Service Unit
- Clara created “Crochet with Care” for her Girl Scout Gold Award to strengthen community connections through crochet and service. She hosted eleven beginner-friendly crochet classes at the Millbrook Library and local community spaces, providing participants with materials, instruction, and a welcoming environment to learn a new skill. Through the classes, participants created hats and blankets that were donated to the Children’s Home and other local organizations in need. Clara’s project encouraged creativity, friendship, and community involvement while introducing participants to crochet as a functional and therapeutic lifelong skill. To ensure sustainability, the Millbrook Library and the Wooly Bears fiber arts group committed to continuing the classes and donation efforts beyond her involvement.
Lauren Tamburelli - Harvest to Home: Simple Recipes for Every Family
- Yorktown Heights Service Unit
- Lauren’s project, “Harvest to Home: Simple Recipes for Every Family,” addressed both food waste and food insecurity while also solving a concern shared by Second Chance Foods (SCF). SCF prepares community nutrition boxes for families in need that include extra produce donated by local farms. SCF noted that their customers may not know what the extra produce is or how to use it. Lauren decided to create bilingual recipe cards that incorporate the excess produce included in the boxes. The cards contain nutritional information, guidance on handling the produce, and a simple, healthy recipe. A QR code on each card links to a website she built that houses all of the recipes.
Isabella Valiente - Elderly Mental/Memory Health
- West Lakeland Service Unit
- Isabella created a room in a local living assisted in the community. She collected furniture and decorative items. At the nursing home, many members have dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, which can affect day to day life. Many of them have baby dolls because they miss when they felt the most happiness. She made a nursery room with cribs and rocking chairs to have a safe place for the baby dolls and to help the workers with washing blankets and items, and to not stress the members. Isabella’s leadership and volunteering helped her make her goal to help others in her community. She wanted to create comfort in those who needed it.
Penelope Ward - What Can You Be?
- Pleasantville Service Unit
- Penelope wrote and published “Olive’s Occupation Exploration,” a children’s book dedicated to educating young children on various lesser-known job opportunities, such as landscape architect, linguist, and recipe developer. While researching, Penelope interviewed women in each field she wrote about, taking care to best represent each occupation. After the publication, Penelope worked to get her book in multiple libraries in Westchester County. Additionally, it is available for sale in many online booksellers, and even in Books of Wonder, New York City’s largest and oldest independently owned children’s bookstores. To share her project, Penelope hosted a read aloud at her local elementary school, and she shared her project with Girl Scouts starting their Gold Award journeys.
Symantha White - Elderly Mobility
- West Lakeland Service Unit
- Symantha created mobility carts for a local assisted living home for her Gold Award project, to help make it easier to bring activities to the residents. These carts had various activities available; flowers, bolts and screws, play dough, yarn, paints, coloring books, jewelry making, etc. The importance of movement, especially fine motor skill is so important no matter the age but for elderly especially. Symantha spread the importance of mobility at many events over the past several years and she connected with many kids and adults and showed them simple activities to keep moving, that sitting still does not help you.
Lilianne Williams-Ameen - Local Newspapers and Media Literacy
- Dobbs Ferry Service Unit
- Lily created an essay contest in her local newspaper to promote media literacy among teenagers and inspired her community to reflect on the role misinformation plays in our lives. She spoke with local and national journalists, local leaders, and more to inform her essay contest. In addition, she worked with local school librarians to help facilitate subscription and access to local news. Her essay contest guidelines and messages on misinformation will be available to community members for future projects and developments.