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Neighbors

3 Gilbert Girl Scouts earn 'Gold Award'

Posted 12/31/69

Girl Scouts–Arizona Cactus-Pine Council is awarding its most prestigious honor, the Gold Award, to three Gilbert girls this year.  

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Neighbors

3 Gilbert Girl Scouts earn 'Gold Award'

Posted

Girl Scouts–Arizona Cactus-Pine Council is awarding its most prestigious honor, the Gold Award, to three Gilbert girls this year. 

Evvie Atkins, Hailey Bates and Lauren Jarvise are among eight girls from the Southeast Valley who won the award.

This award recognizes Girl Scouts in grades 9-12 who take action in their communities by tackling an issue they are passionate about and developing sustainable solutions to local, national, and global challenges, according to the council.

“This year’s Gold Award honorees exemplify fantastic leadership and civic engagement by dedicating themselves to addressing important causes and taking action to make the world a better place,” Christina Spicer, the council's co-CEO, said in a release. “As a nationally recognized symbol of leadership, the Gold Award is a truly remarkable achievement.” 

According to council co-CEO  Mary Mitchell, this year’s Gold Award winners tackled prominent issues faced by their communities by establishing designated mental health spaces for students on high school campuses, fighting food insecurity in Indigenous communities, building the first dog park located in a national park, designing inspirational campus murals with world-renowned artists, collecting bikes and helmets for children of military families, creating online resource platforms for youth and more.  

 “The Gold Award allows Girl Scouts to showcase the problem-solving, communication and time management skills they have learned throughout their experience in the organization and prepares young leaders by giving them the confidence to succeed,” Mitchell said in the release. “By earning the Gold Award distinction, the 22 awardees join a legacy of Girl Scouts that have used their passion and persistence to make a lasting positive impact on the community.” 

Awardees also can take advantage of scholarship opportunities and can enlist at a higher pay grade when they join the military. 

  The Girls Scouts from Gilbert and their projects are: 

Evvie Atkins , "Finessing Your Financial Future "

For Evvie, earning the Bronze and Silver Awards empowered her to pursue a unique Gold Award project that encapsulates everything she’s learned from her 13 years of Girl Scouting.

To teach high school students and young adults about finances, Evvie launched "Finesse Your Financial Future," a program to teach basic financial information via videos, worksheets, and quizzes through Google Classroom. She filmed 13 videos about saving and spending money.

Through her project, Evvie was able to understand finances better and use her learnings from the Girl Scout Cookie Program to create her project.

She advises her fellow Girl Scouts to choose something they’re passionate about and connect with their mentor to ensure the completion of a successful Gold Award project.

Evvie plans on pursuing a post-secondary education degree in Earth Sciences, English, or Communications. 

Hailey Bates . "Green Against Mean "

As a victim of abuse, Girl Scout Hailey Bates attended Scottsdale’s Hunkapi Farms to heal through equine therapy.

Hailey used her Gold Award project to help kids like her and give back to the farm that means so much to her by donating a greenhouse using funds raised through donations and the Crowdrise donation platform.

The greenhouse will help the Hunkapi Farms introduce a gardening program into their equine program, providing more opportunities for participants to heal and cope from PTSD and trauma.

In addition to providing the greenhouse to the farm, Hailey also spread the word on the benefits of equine therapy to the community.

A Girl Scout for more than 15 years, Hailey said the organization has made her a better person.

Hailey plans to go to trade school and one days hopes to run her own equine program and give kids a place away from home to heal. 

Lauren Jarvise , "Growing Literacy "

With a love for reading, and her volunteer work with Clothes Cabin, a nonprofit organization that provides clothing and shoes to children and families experiencing poverty, Lauren identified a need for a library to entertain and educate children that visit the organization’s playroom.

She organized a book drive and received more than 1,600 books to gift to families. Then, she built a bookcase and created bilingual pamphlets to teach others how to get a library card and increase awareness about library resources.

Every month, Lauren restocks the bookcase with new books and has received great feedback about her project.

A Girl Scout of 12 years, Lauren said her experience was one one full of encouragement, confidence, and support.

After high school, Lauren plans on earning a degree in mechanical engineering.