GSEM Gold Award Project Catalog

Explorer Backpacks

Project Details: Concerned about the increased use of daily technology and lack of nature experiences for young students, Kyra partnered with Shaw Nature Reserve to create outdoor adventure backpacks to earn her Girl Scout Gold Award. Each backpack contains informative, interactive, and fun activities that children can use in the outdoors to draw them away from screens and into nature. Kyra included binoculars and a magnifying glass, a first aid kit, sketchbooks and colored pencils, and several worksheets and guides in each kit. To ensure the provided activities were a good fit, Kyra and her team of volunteers led groups of kids between the ages of 6-12 over three days in a series of mini camps. The backpacks are available for the public to use and will be updated by the Shaw Nature Reserve for years to come.

Gold Award Girl Scout: Kyra G., Troop 1891

Issue: Kids don’t have enough opportunities to connect with nature. Root Cause: With new technological developments, phones are much more easily accessible, and many kids have them. Furthermore, many parents are afraid to let their kids play outside. Measurability: Kyra surveyed the kids after each event. She created a log for the Shaw Nature Reserve to track how many times the backpacks get used. She also used a QR code with questions about improvement suggestions. Sustainability: Shaw Nature Reserve has agreed to donate $200 annually to the cause and has agreed to maintain and advertise the bags.