Congratulations to the 2024 Silver Award Girl Scouts!
September 17, 2024
Girl Scouts shine brightest when they're making the world a better place. Congratulations to this year’s Silver Award Girl Scouts! Achieving the Silver Award is a significant accomplishment that highlights a Girl Scout's dedication to making a positive impact in their community. This prestigious award is earned through the completion of a take action project that demonstrates leadership, dedication, and a commitment to creating meaningful change.
We are proud to share here the remarkable projects completed by this year’s recipients. Photos of the project can be found in our Flickr gallery.
Troop 00268 - Ecology Park Project
Troop 00268's focused on enhancing their local park by repairing and improving existing equipment and adding new features. They painted and upgraded the safety of the park's equipment, raised funds to add a swing set with belt swings and a baby swing, and addressed the park’s need for additional play equipment and maintenance.
Troop 00480 - Personal Hygiene Caring Cupboards
Troop 00480 created three Personal Hygiene Caring Cupboards at Thayer Central High School to support students who can't afford essential hygiene products. Recognizing a gap in the school's existing program, which provides weekend food sacks for families, they aimed to address the additional need for personal care items.
Troop 00653 - Library Activity Walk
Troop 00653 enhanced the activity walk at Jensen Memorial Library. They designed a plan to repaint and expand the existing walk, consulted with the library staff, and created a budget and shopping list. By refreshing and adding to the activity walk, they aimed to create a fun way to engage the public and encourage physical activity.
Troop 00688 - Helping to Grow the Children in our Community
Troop 00688 addressed the shortage of local childcare by researching what it takes to own and operate a daycare. Observing that many children preferred screens over books, they created cozy blankets to encourage reading and developed a safety sheet for daycares and parents. Their efforts aimed to improve early childhood development and support working parents.
Troop 10081 - Nursing the Nursery
Troop 10081 transformed the rundown nursery at a church to make it more accessible and welcoming. They organized, cleaned, painted, and decorated the space, addressing outdated and unsafe areas to create a more inviting environment for everyone.
Troop 10296 - Sensory for Seniors
Troop 10296 created the "Sensory for Seniors" project to support nursing home residents, particularly the elderly and those with early onset dementia and Alzheimer’s. They designed a sensory wall with colorful, interactive objects and made blankets featuring various materials, textures, and fidget tools to engage and calm the residents. The project provided enjoyable and stimulating activities for the nursing home residents.
Troop 20205 - The Tomorrow Project
Troop 20205 focused on supporting children in foster care. who may not have a stable living arrangement. They put their efforts towards supporting The Foster Care Closet, a local organization that provides children with essential items like clothing, hygiene products, and backpacks. The troop organized a donation drive, made tie-knot blankets at home, and delivered the collected items and blankets to the organization.
Troop 20564 - Library Mobile Book Cabinet
Troop 20564 Cadettes put their newly acquired woodworking skills to use by building a rolling cabinet for the Louisville Public Library's "Free Little Library". This new cabinet, which protects the books from the elements, can be easily moved by library staff which saves time and offers greater convenience during inclement weather. The library deeply appreciates this thoughtful and practical gift from the Cadettes.
Troop 20564 - Scatter Joy Acres
Troop 20564 Cadettes partnered with Joy Bartling of Scatter Joy Acres to support her Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) organization, which aids individuals with diverse needs. They organized a donation drive to collect items from the organization's wish list and raised $350 in monetary donations and gathered supplies through various community efforts. Thanks to material donations from local businesses and the community, they built a handicap-accessible picnic table for the organization.
Troop 20667 - Recycling Pack Out
Troop 20667 addressed the lack of recycling systems at Girl Scout camps by installing recycling bins at Camps Maha, Cosmo, Catron, Crossed Arrows, and Hilltop House. They secured a grant from the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy to fund the bins and included educational materials on how to pack out recycling, using donated labels from Recycle Across America and creating an informative video to raise awareness. Their project improved recycling practices and resource management at the camp properties.
Troop 20741 - Friendship Home Learning Nook
Troop 20741 created a welcoming play and learning area for children at Friendship Home in Lincoln, an organization that supports domestic abuse survivors and their children. They designed a learning nook with a bookshelf stocked with books, puzzles, art supplies, and toys to help children feel more at home and comfortable in their new environment. This nook, located in the family room of the main shelter in Lincoln, provides accessible activities for all the children staying there.
Troop 20756 - Syracuse Sunscreen Project
Troop 20756 provided a sunscreen dispenser for the Syracuse pool to benefit fellow swimmers and patrons. After successfully securing funds through presentations to the City Council and Hospital Board, they installed the dispenser, supplied it with sunscreen, and trained the pool staff on its maintenance.
Troop 20832 - Preparing for Pet Emergencies
Over a year and a half, Troop 20832 focused their project on educating and preparing others for pet emergencies. They created informational brochures about the American Red Cross Pet First Aid app and produced items like dog bandanas, jewelry, and first aid kits to fundraise. Their efforts, which included selling seventy first aid kits at events and raising awareness about pet safety, were a huge success.
Troop 41393 - Box of Joy
Troop 41393 filled over 400 shoe boxes with toys, clothes, and toiletries for children in need as part of the Box of Joy drive by Cross Catholic Outreach. They organized a school-wide toy drive and a festive packing party with Christmas music, a hot cocoa bar, and decorations. By early November, they had packed over 425 boxes, which were sent to Florida for processing and then delivered to children in countries like Haiti and Guatemala.
Troop 41757 - Loveland Elementary Basketball Court
Troop 41757 improved the basketball courts at Loveland Elementary. They renovated the courts by fixing rusted hoops and repainting faded lines to encourage more play. The upgrade benefited students, aftercare participants, and local families by promoting physical activity, teamwork, and a sense of community.
Troop 43523 - Healthy Outdoor Play
Troop 43523 revamped an outdoor play area at a local school that lacked proper equipment. After observing children playing with broken equipment, they decided to paint traditional playground games, such as hopscotch and four square, along with basketball court and free-throw lines, on the asphalt. After preparing the surface and selecting durable materials, they spent several days painting to create a more engaging and fun space for the students.
Troop 45013 - Lot of Socks
Troop 45013 identified a shortage of socks at local shelters and responded by organizing a sock drive within their troop, family, and friends. Their project helped address the needs of people in the Omaha Metro area who were less fortunate.
Troop 48315 - Donation Drive for the Youth of Boys Town
Troop 48315 organized a donation drive to support the youth at Boys Town who often arrive with very few personal belongings. Their goal was to provide clothing, school supplies, and other essentials to help these children feel supported and valued. The Girl Scout’s efforts were intended to show the Boys Town youth that their community cares and wants to see them succeed.
Troop 48562 - Muddy Paws Food Drive
Troop 48562 supported animals by partnering with Muddy Paws, an animal rescue organization. The Girl Scouts organized a collection of animal supplies with help from their school, friends, and family. They participated in an Easter Egg Hunt event hosted by the organization to raise awareness about adoption and animal care. Through this project, they learned a lot about animals and the trauma rescue animals often experience. They continue to volunteer with Muddy Paws and are building ongoing relationships with the organization.
Troop 48903 - Sensory Care Activities for Adults with Dementia
Troop 48903 partnered with Echo Hills Assisted Living and Memory Care in La Vista to support their memory care unit, Providence Place. They focused on creating sensory enrichment activities designed to soothe individuals with dementia by stimulating their senses with everyday sounds, foods, and objects, aiming to spark pleasant memories and emotions.
Troop 50520 - Help is Closer Than You May Know
Troop 50520 partnered with The Salvation Army to enhance community awareness of the organization's services. They contributed by assembling food baskets, organizing items for fundraising, and creating a pamphlet to guide people to the resources they need.
Girl Scout IGM Haley D. - Sensory Boards for Falling Elementary School
Haley collaborated with resource teachers at Falling Waters Elementary School to create sensory boards for students with sensory learning challenges. These boards help students develop eye-hand coordination, provide stress relief, and lower anxiety by allowing them to touch objects and perform tasks. The addition of these sensory boards was well-received by the teachers who had not previously had this resource in their classrooms.
Girl Scout IGM Mallory B. - Foster Care Security Duffels
Mallory partnered with Release Inc., a local foster care agency, to create 28 security duffle bags for children entering foster care. The duffle bags were filled with essential items like hygiene products, stuffed animals, and blankets. Their purpose aimed to reduce anxiety and provide a sense of security by offering children a personal and stable way to carry their belongings.
Girl Scout IGM Ryann I. - Dog Bowl Stands
Ryann, a Cadette in Troop 41417, created dog bowl stands for the Humane Society to support animal welfare. She raised funds through baking and donations, used materials like lumber and stain, and utilized her father's carpentry tools to build the stands. The project allowed her to develop leadership and business skills while learning the rewards of hard work.
Girl Scout IGMs Abigail P. and Elisabeth V. - UFFDA Back Stage Organization
Girl Scouts Abigail and Elisabeth organized costumes, wigs, and props for Uehling Famous Follies and Drama Association (UFFDA), their local community theater. They developed a plan to sort and code the materials by gender, era, size, and more. This new system significantly improved the theater's efficiency. During the project, they also contributed by creating new props for an upcoming production including a giant lizard trap.
Girl Scout IGM Kaela S. - Papillion Middle School Percussion Cabinet
Kaela's project involved designing and building a new cabinet for storing percussion instruments and music in partnership with Papillion Middle School's band department. The previous storage solution was outdated and inadequate, so Kaela's custom-designed cabinet provides more storage space and better functionality. The old cabinet will be donated to another organization while Papillion Middle School benefits from a more modern and practical storage solution.
Girl Scout IGM Sindee Z. - Be a Friend First (BFF)
Sindee and her team created a virtual program called "Friends for Thought" as part of her Silver Award project to educate younger Girl Scouts about bullying, cliques, and toxic friendships, as well as positive peer relationships and social experiences. Building on her aMAZE Journey, she led Junior Girl Scouts through the program and helped 4th and 5th graders better navigate the social challenges of middle school.
