Written by Alessandra Zanardi
Girl Scouts of America is a cornerstone of American culture, and our community can see their impact consistently. Girl Scouts were founded in 1912 by Juliette Gordon Low, and so far, there are 2.5 million girl scouts. Seven of these girls are seniors at MAST@FIU, me being one of them.
Some of us have been in the program for ten years, while others have joined just this year! We all belong to the same troop, shout out troop 460, and we have been able to help our community in many ways, thanks to our girl scout leader.
Troop 460 has helped the community by donating Girl Scouts Cookies to health care workers and creating a butterfly garden in Oleta River State Park. Finding online events to volunteer has been challenging, but the troop still finds ways to help the community throughout.
Another significant way that the girls are helping their community is through their Girl Scout Gold Award Project. The Gold Award Project is the highest award a Girl Scout Senior or Ambassador can receive. Only 6% of girl scouts receive this award, so it is wonderful that three Girl Scouts at MAST@FIU are working for this award.
One girl is Maya Baker; her Gold Award project is titled Periodically: Freely Flowing. Maya said that her main goals are “to educate about menstruation, put an end to period taboo, and bring hygiene products to those in need.” From holding online seminars where trained professionals educated listeners to organizing a hygiene drive that provided menstrual supplies to women in need, Maya has been able to impact her community in a big way.
When asked about the Girl Scouts Gold Award and Girl Scouts’ impact on her, this is what Maya had to say: “I truly feel so honored to call Girl Scouts my second family. Being part of my troop these past few years has been such a rewarding experience where I have found my sense of self and have learned how to take on challenges in my community.”
Another MAST@FIU Girl Scout that is working on receiving her Gold Award Is Joanna Mijares. Joanna’s project is about promoting the use of sunglasses and eye protection to help prevent cancers and other ailments in the eyes. Joanna has set up tables in Oleta to help educate those that hope to spend the say in the sun.
When asked about the Girl Scout Gold Award and Girl Scouts’ impact on her, this is what Joanna had to say: “I’ve had to learn a lot about time management, and I’ve gained people skills from personally reaching out to officials in my city. The Gold Award kind of feels like a culmination of all my years as a Girl Scout. It’s like a final hurrah before my time as a Girl Scout ends and I'm excited to get this award by working on a project that I’m passionate about.”
The final Girl Scout Gold Award Project is by me, Alessandra Zanardi. My girl scout gold award targeted younger girls with the goal of teaching self-defense. I noticed that many girls do not know how to protect themselves in a dangerous situation and, in turn, feel unsafe. I decided to take my love for Kung Fu and Girl Scouts and combine it into one project to help girls!
So far, I have hosted one in-person workshop and will have two virtual seminars at the end of February. I have partnered up with the Girl Scouts of Tropical Florida to offer this workshop to Girl Scouts directly.
Girl Scouts has been a great community for me for these last four years. It has molded me into the person that I am today through fostering a love for volunteering, exploring, nature, and much more. I have grown to be a better person because of Girl Scouts and my Gold Award Project.
Girl Scouts has been a crucial part of American society for the last 100 years, and these projects and their meanings show just how impactful the Girl Scout program can be.