GSEM Silver Award Project Catalog

SILVER AWARD PROJECT CATALOG

WELCOME

Welcome to the Girl Scout Silver Award, a leadership adventure for more than half a million Girl Scout Cadettes across the nation. Imagine what Girl Scouts can accomplish when they team up with others and use their skills and interests to take action and make a difference in the world! This adventure is big—in fact, this award is the highest honor a Girl Scout in grades 6-8 can achieve. As Cadettes plan and complete their project, they’ll develop more confidence, meet new people, and have the kind of fun that happens when they work with other Girl Scouts to make a difference. There are three key parts to the Highest Awards: sustainability, measurability, and identifying a root cause of an issue. As Girl Scouts progress through the Highest Awards, these key parts look different. The Silver Award Project Catalog provides examples of previous projects to inspire Cadettes to earn their Girl Scout Silver Award.

• Animals • Art, Culture, Heritage • Child Wellbeing • Civic Engagement • Disability Awareness • Education Silver Award Project Categories Featured In Catalog: • Environment & Sustainability • Health • Outdoors • Poverty • Senior Citizen Needs

HIGHEST AWARD THEMES AND CATEGORIES Need help identifying a category or theme for a Highest Award project? Here is a comprehensive list of categories based on previous projects completed over the past several years. Already have a topic in mind? No problem! Even if you don’t see your topic listed below, you can still pursue it as a Highest Award project.

Animals: animal safety, rights, adoption

Human Rights: racial justice, women’s and girl’s rights, human trafficking, immigration

Arts, Culture, Heritage: languages, historic preservation, cultural awareness, performing arts, visual arts, music

Military/Veteran Affairs: veteran’s assistance, veterans issues

Child Wellbeing: child abuse, foster care, infant care, mentoring

Outdoors: environmental stewardship, adventure opportunities

Civic Engagement: politics, community development

Poverty: hunger, homelessness, affordable housing, fair trade

Disability: disability issues, access, hearing impaired, special needs

Public Safety: traffic safety, juvenile detention, detention centers

Disaster Relief: fire, natural disasters, flooding, earthquake

Relationships: anti-bullying initiatives, domestic violence signs, sexual violence awareness

Education: literacy, career training, financial literacy

Senior Citizen Needs: elder care, senior centers, dementia

Entrepreneurship: business development, social entrepreneurship

Sports: after school programs, concussion awareness, equipment needs in underserved areas, participation barriers

Environment & Sustainability: preserving outdoor spaces, pollution, alternative energy, clean water, farming, climate change Health: fitness, nutrition, diseases, organ donation, global health, self-esteem, self-image, drug abuse, suicide prevention, mental health

STEM: science, technology, engineering, math, robotics

For any questions regarding topics or the Highest Awards, please contact Annie Miller at amiller@girlscoutsem.org .

ANIMALS

Tasty Treats

Project Details: To earn their Girl Scout Silver Award, Cadettes from Troop 152 partnered with Five Acres Animal Shelter to provide new pet owners with healthy treats and enrichment toys. After brainstorming as a group, the Girl Scouts made different healthy treats, dog toys and cat toys. The Cadettes then made pamphlets for the shelter to hand out to new pet owners. The pamphlets covered topics including healthy homemade dog and cat treat recipes, enrichment toys for dogs and enrichment toys for cats.

Silver Award Team: Troop 152

Issue: Bored pets can be destructive and store-bought treats can contain many unhealthy ingredients that cause digestive issues. Root Cause: Many of the highest-quality treats are unaffordable. Target Audience: Five Acres and new pet owners benefit from giving pets healthy treats. Sustainability: The trifold pamphlets ensure future owners know how to care for their pets by making the treats.

Little Free Dog House

Project Details: Inspired by Little Lending Libraries, Girl Scouts from Troop 4820 decided to take that idea and apply it to dog toys. The Cadettes worked together to plan, design and construct a Little Free Dog House, and placed it within their community. The Little Free Dog House allows pet owners to place dog toys within a box for others to take for their pets or leave behind gently used toys. By creating this system, the Girl Scouts were able to minimize waste and prevent nearby waterways from getting polluted with old toys. The Girl Scouts will continue to monitor their project and ensure the Little Free Dog House remains stocked.

Silver Award Team: Troop 4820

Issue: New dog toys are being discarded after minimal use, contributing to environmental pollution. Root Cause: People often find new dog toys and are unaware of the ways to properly dispose of unused toys. Target Audience: Pet owners who can’t afford dog toys, as well as local waterways. Sustainability: Dog owners will see a toy their dog likes and will take it while other people donate the toys their dogs didn’t take a liking to, in order to make it self-sustaining.

Bat Awareness

Silver Award Team: Troop 3575

Issue: Decline in bat population due to habitat loss. Root Cause: Many people are unaware of the issues surrounding bats and their loss of habitat. Target Audience: Bats living at Camp Tuckaho and younger Girl Scouts. Sustainability: The bat awareness slide show and step by-step directions are available on the troop’s Facebook page. The bat houses have been painted with outdoor paint to help with long-term durability. Issue: The community needed guidance on why dogs end up in shelters and what they can do to help. Root Cause: Animals end up without loving homes when owners aren’t prepared for the time and dedication a pet requires, when breeders can’t sell all their dogs, or when breeders retire female breeding dogs. Target Audience: Home 2 Home Canine Orphanage, as well as their local community. Sustainability: The refurbished rooms will be utilized for years. Shared how the community can help by fostering, adopting, and supporting shelters.

Project Details: For their Silver Award project, Cadettes from Troop 3575 decided to educate younger Girl Scouts about the decline in bat population and how they can help by providing housing. The troop led the younger girls to build a bat box, a structure that serves as a shelter for bats. After constructing the bat boxes, the Cadettes presented a slideshow they created to the younger girls on the importance of bats. The Cadettes then delivered the finished bat boxes to Camp Tuckaho to be installed.

Project ReFURbish & PAWsitive Community Outreach

Silver Award Team: Troop 1961

Project Details: The Girl Scouts partnered with Home 2 Home Canine Orphanage to refurbish two of their rooms to earn their Girl Scout Silver Award. The Cadettes cleaned, prepped, and painted a mural in the meet and greet rooms at the shelter. Their efforts provided potential new adopters and fosters a clean space to interact with the animals. To broaden their efforts, these young leaders educated their community about the leading causes of pets ending up in shelters and how the community can be part of the solution to keep animals in loving homes. At the end of their project, the Girl Scouts held an open house for a dog adoption event.

Pause for a Cause: Helping Feral Cats

Project Details: To earn their Girl Scout Silver Award, Cadettes from Troop 1490 started a blog to educate their community on the needs of feral cats. Their blog shares information about the lack of safe housing and food for feral cats, videos and links to send in kind donations from an Amazon Wishlist. One of the videos highlights how to construct winter houses for feral cats so anyone in the community can make these shelters. The Cadettes also built their own shelters for local residents to use to help protect their feral cats from the harsh winter elements. They shared their project with WAGGS and local Girl Scouts so others can do their part for feral cats. The Cadettes also plan to continue building shelters and providing them to the St. Louis Feral Cat Outreach.

Silver Award Team: Troop 1490

Issue: There’s a lack of safe housing and food for local feral cats during winter. Root Cause: Winter temperatures, lack of food in winter, and a lack of housing put feral cats at risk. Target Audience: Local feral cats, as well as the STLFCO staff. Sustainability: The Cadettes will continue to actively post information to the blog, as well as build cat shelters, and attend the yearly cat shelter build.

Raccoon Trash Boxes

Silver Award Team: Troop 4747

Issue: Raccoons and other animals frequently rummage through trashcans at camp. Root Cause: Animals who seek food or shelter often hide in trashcans.

Project Details: Knowing that animals, such as raccoons, have a habit of occupying trashcans around camp, the Cadettes from Troop 4747 hand-built trashcans so they were stronger, more reinforced, and harder to get into. Now, when visitors use the trashcans at camp, they will be able to throw away their waste without coming in contact with wildlife. Their efforts not only protect the visitor, but the animals as well, as a lot of waste is not animal safe. It also reduced the amount of waste not ending up in trashcans.

Target Audience: Campers and the wildlife.

Sustainability: The boxes are made from treated wood and painted so they will last a long time for future campers to use.

Snuffle Mats for CARE St. Louis

Issue: Many dogs live in harsh or under stimulating environments.

Silver Award Team: Troop 1230

Root Cause: Dogs may be abandoned, they may be surrendered, or their humans may move or even die and no longer be able to care for them.

Project Details: Wanting to provide shelter dogs with enriching stimulation, Troop 1230 made snuffle mats to help them enhance their sense of smell and hone their natural instincts. To make the mats, the Girl Scouts used leftover fleece fabric donated from a local small business owner, keeping the material from ending up in a landfill. After completing the mats, the Girl Scouts delivered them to CARE St. Louis Adoption. They also made a how-to guide on snuffle mats and shared the instructions with local Girl Scout troops so they can continue supporting dogs in local animal shelters.

Target Audience: The dogs at CARE St. Louis Adoption.

Sustainability: The snuffle mats can be used and re-used by dogs for a long time. The Cadettes also created instructions on how others can make snuffle mats.

ARTS, CULTURE, HERITAGE

The Rainy Day Corner

Project Details: After recognizing that the corner space in Tuck Hall at Camp Tuckaho could use an update, the Girl Scouts from Troop 884 decided to create a Rainy Day Corner area. The Cadettes cleaned out, painted and redecorated the space to make it a more inviting and comfortable environment. In addition to painting the walls, they also painted signs to add as decoration. After the completing the renovations, the Cadettes restocked the space with new games and books donated by community members. To celebrate the new Rainy Day Corner, the Girl Scouts hosted an open house so that campers knew that the resources were available. Attendees also played team building games to enjoy the new space and build relationships with each other.

Silver Award Team: Troop 884

Issue: A space in the corner of Tuck Hall at Camp Tuckaho needed to be updated. Root Cause: The camp staff did not have time to update, and a lot of people didn’t know it was there so there was very little interest in the corner. Target Audience: The Rainy Day Corner benefits campers and counselors at Camp Tuckaho. Sustainability: The project will be available for campers year-round. The Cadettes placed a list of rules for using the corner so that people treat it with respect and it can remain in use for a long time.

Leather Stamping Kit

Project Details: The Girl Scouts of Troop 3364 decided to bring awareness to the history and significance of leather stamping to earn their Girl Scout Silver Award. To ensure they were as knowledgeable as possible, the Cadettes researched the history of leather stamping and taught each other on what they learned. Then, they began purchasing supplies and assembling leather stamping kits. To introduce fellow Girl Scouts to leather stamping, the Cadettes brought the kits to camp to teach their peers about the craft and the various techniques involved. They also lead a workshop at their local library. The Cadettes left kits at the library for those interested in learning more about leather stamping in the future.

Silver Award Team: Troop 3364

Issue: The history and significance of leather stamping is becoming forgotten. Root Cause: Leather stamping is very expensive, and many people can’t afford to do it. Target Audience: Members of the local community who were interested in leather stamping. Sustainability: The kit, available to anyone at libraries, has instructions and a book on how to do leather stamping.

Digitalizing Photos and Creating a Photobook

Silver Award Team: Troop 852

Issue: Camp MoVal’s old photographs were starting to fade with age. Root Cause: Photos that are exposed to light for pro longed periods of time often deteriorate, and Camp MoVal didn’t have the resources to digitize these photos.

Project Details: Recognizing that old photos were starting to fade and get lost in the new digital world, the Cadettes from Troop 852 wanted to find a way to preserve photos to earn their Girl Scout Silver Award. The Cadettes partnered with Camp MoVal to preserve their photos, many dating as far back as the 1960’s, by turning the physical photos into a digital copy. The Girl Scouts spent time scanning each photo and uploading it online. After they scanned all the photos, they created a digital photo book, saving memories from past campers.

Target Audience: Past campers and staff.

Sustainability: Those who want access to the photos are able to use a website that permanently stores the image and is available at any time.

Rebuild Bacon Log Cabin Sign

Silver Award Team: Troop 1469

Issue: The sign outside of a historical log cabin was falling apart. Root Cause: Harsh weather conditions and a lack of maintenance and sturdy materials contributed to the sign’s decay. Target Audience: People that come to see the cabin, people that live in the neighborhood, and the members of the historical society who work to preserve the cabin. Sustainability: The historical society will maintain the sign in the future.

Project Details: Girl Scouts from Troop 1469 wanted to do their part to restore the sign of a historical log cabin to earn their Silver Award. The Cadettes used a variety of architectural and math skills to construct a new sign for the Bacon Log Cabin, ensuring it was similar to the previous sign and kept the history intact. Using the financial management skills they’ve learned from Girl Scouts, the Cadettes evaluated which materials would be the most cost effective and long-lasting for their design. Once they completed their new design, the Cadettes installed the sign at the Bacon Log Cabin.

CHILD WELLBEING

Banners for the Idea Center

Project Details: Girl Scouts from Troop 333 earned their Silver Award by transforming a newly-built learning facility at Lindbergh High School into a colorful, welcoming space designed to spark creativity and perseverance. When the troop noticed the center’s bare walls, they envisioned an environment that would encourage students to embrace open-minded thinking. So, they created a series of hand-painted canvas banners featuring vibrant designs and motivational quotes. The artwork can be displayed permanently or rotated throughout the building, ensuring flexibility as the school’s needs evolve. The banners were unveiled to parents, educators, and students through the school’s weekly newsletter, and one troop member presented the project at a Parent-Teacher Group meeting to further involve the community.

Silver Award Team: Troop 333

Issue: Many school-aged children experience low self-esteem. Root Cause: Many reasons can cause low self-esteem, like bullying and discouragement.

Target Audience: Students in grades K-5 at Lindbergh.

Sustainability: The Cadettes left their contact

information on the back of the banners, that way if the school needed to take them down, the girls could find a new location for them.

CASA Love Bag Donation Project

Project Details: To earn their Girl Scout Silver Award, Cadettes from Troop 2648 wanted to bring a sense of comfort and support to those in foster care, so they created Love Bags. These bags are intended to help those in foster care carry their personal belongings to assist with any possible moves or relocations. The Girl Scouts worked together to assemble the bags, filling them with essential items such as hairbrushes and socks. They also added comforting items such as notebooks and stuffed animals. These young leaders delivered their bags for the children residing at CASA St. Louis to use. While there, the Cadettes interviewed the Chief Program Officer at CASA to gain more information to share with their fellow Girl Scouts.

Silver Award Team: Troop 2648

Issue: The foster process for kids causes an abundance of stress. Root Cause: Being put into the foster system can be a very scary time and can happen very quickly. Many kids are unable to collect their comfort items and possessions from their home and are moved around frequently.

Target Audience: Foster kids staying at CASA St. Louis.

Sustainability: The bags are reusable, meaning they can stay with the child.

Helping LGBTQ+ Youth Feel Saved and Loved

Silver Award Team: Philippa G. of Troop 720

Issue: Many LGBTQ+ youth feel the need to leave their homes and seek shelter elsewhere. Root Cause: A lot of LGBTQ+ youth don’t feel safe and loved at home. Target Audience: At risk LGBTQ+ youth who are seeking shelter. Sustainability: The bags themselves can be used for other things, such as transporting belongings. Philippa also provided Covenant House a pdf copy of the journal for replications as needed. Issue: Kids with sensory needs require additional resources in school. Root Cause: The schools were unable to afford sensory friendly resources. Target Audience: The North County ECC and Wentzville SSD and their teachers. Sustainability: The Cadettes taught fourth and fifth grade Girl Scouts how to sew and how to make lap blankets and weighted stuffed animals. The girls also gave the troop leaders the patterns so that they could make these items themselves.

Project Details: After recognizing that many youth members of the LGBTQ+ community do not feel safe at home, Philippa from Troop 720 decided to take action to offer comfort and support by writing and sharing a journal. In the journal, she wrote supportive messages and provided resources for the readers.. The journal was digitalized and shared with Covenant House to use within their organization, as well as online to reach a further audience. In addition to the journal, Philippa put together duffel bags with essential items for youth seeking shelter.

Weighted Lap Blankets and Stuffed Animals

Silver Award Team: Troop 682

Project Details: Cadettes from Troop 682 wanted to do their part to help students with sensory needs succeed in school to earn their Girl Scout Silver Award. The Girl Scouts consulted with a local physical therapist and a classroom teacher to identify the best resources to provide the students. As a result of their research, they found that weighted blankets and stuffed animals were extremely helpful. They learned how to make homemade lap blankets and stuffed animals, and worked together to assemble the items that they then donated to the school. They also taught younger Girl Scouts how to sew so they could continue their project in the future.

CIVIC ENGAGEMENT

Space Science Station

Project Details: Knowing how busy Troop Leaders can get when planning for meetings or programs, Cadettes from Troop 4709 wanted to offer a stress-free solution to earn their Girl Scout Silver Award. These young leaders created a pre-planned activity box for leaders to use when needed. Inside the boxes, the Girl Scouts crafted fun, engaging materials that would teach younger girls about space. Their boxes take the younger troops through the steps to earn their Space Science Investigator Badge or Space Science Adventurer Badge. The Girl Scouts shared their boxes with the Shady Creek Day Camp and GSEM District 8 leaders to check out and use when they need a pre planned activity.

Silver Award Team: Troop 4709

Issue: Programming was needed for leaders at Day Camp and meetings. Root Cause: Troop leaders and day camp unit leaders often don’t have enough time to plan activities. Target Audience: Shady Creek Day Camp and GSEM District 8 leaders. Sustainability: The Girl Scouts made badge boxes that troops and leaders are able to check out and use with little preparation and return for future users.

Layla Learns to Scout

Project Details: Troop 624 showcased their Girl Scout spirit and commitment to the organization when they wrote a book on Girl Scouting to earn their Girl Scout Silver Award. The Girl Scouts wrote and illustrated a 17-page book, Layla Learns to Scout , to share the benefits of Girl Scouting with prospective families in a new way. These young changemakers printed 30 copies of their book and attended Girl Scout recruitment events to read their story, play games, and teach the attendees traditional Girl Scout songs. The Girl Scouts also created a sticker for recruitment nights and a patch to give out after girls join. After they completed the project, the girls provided one book to Council and the others to fellow Girl Scouts to use during their recruitment events.

Silver Award Team: Troop 624

Issue: There was a decline in the number of new Girl Scouts. Root Cause: Some individuals are unaware of the benefits of joining Girl Scouts. Target Audience: The Girl Scout organization will gain by receiving new members, and younger girls will benefit by the opportunities when they join. Sustainability: The book will be used by other Girl Scouts at future recruitment events.

First Grade Camp Training

Project Details: To earn their Girl Scout Silver Award, Troop 2156 wanted to prepare younger troops for their first camping trip. The Cadettes met with a first grade troop as a pre-camp meeting to cover all the important topics. They shared what Girl Scout camp looks like, what to expect while there, what to pack, and best food preparation practices. After the meeting, the Cadettes created a camp agenda and took the younger Girl Scouts camping. While there, they participated in crafts, camping traditions, and favorite camp activities. Together, the Girl Scouts meal-planned and created lifelong memories at camp.

Silver Award Team: Troop 2156

Issue: Young Girl Scouts don’t always know how to prepare for camping in the wilderness. Root Cause: The new leaders are inexperienced and lack resources to help plan first camping trips. Target Audience: First grade Girl Scouts and their caregivers/ troop leaders. Sustainability: The adults were exposed to camping, so they will be able to help future new campers with camping. The girls will be able to take these skills that they learned and apply them to camping events in the future.

DISABILITY AWARENESS

Art Gallery at Sunnyhill

Silver Award Team: Sabrina S. of Troop 4095

Issue: Many individuals with disabilities experience exclusion. Root Cause: Society has a history of separating disabled individuals from everyone else. Target Audience: The art gallery showcased the work of clients with disabilities of Sunnyhill. Sustainability: The art gallery created at Sunnyhill is a permanent installation that can be seen by anyone who visits their office. They hope to continue to add to it.

Project Details: After recognizing that many individuals with disabilities experience being excluded from their communities, Sabrina of Troop 4095 wanted to showcase the unique talents of the Sunnyhill clients. Sabrina created an art gallery using the work made by individuals at Sunnyhill. The art gallery is a permanent installation at the Sunnyhill offices and will be seen by many for years to come. Sabrina also filmed and uploaded a video to YouTube detailing their project and encouraging others to do something similar in their communities.

D/HoH Accessibility Website

Silver Award Team: Faith M. of Troop 2257

Issue: Teachers do not know how to accommodate for deaf or hard-of-hearing students. Root Cause: Teachers do not receive enough education on how to accommodate deaf and hard of-hearing students and professional development training does not adequately equip teachers to use hearing assistance technology or understand the culture. Target Audience: Teachers with deaf and hard-of-hearing students. Sustainability: The website is a permanent resource on the Parkway School server.

Project Details: To earn her Girl Scout Silver Award, Faith created a website that will help teachers better support their students with hearing loss. The website is now a widely-accessed resource in the Parkway School District community. The website covers topics including the deaf culture, accessibility in classrooms, hearing assistance technology, interpreters, and American Sign Language. Faith worked with her school administration to implement changes needed to better support deaf and hard-of-hearing students in their district.

EDUCATION

Book Banning

Project Details: To earn the Girl Scout Silver Award, Sarah of Troop 4375 wanted to educate her peers on the negative impacts of book banning. Sarah set up a display in the teen room at the Samuel C. Sachs branch of the St. Louis County Library. The display included informational flyers, a bulletin board, and bookmarks explaining what book banning is, why it’s harmful, and what individuals can do to help. On the board, Sarah used photos of books banned in locations across the country and explained why they were banned. This helped address the lack of communication about the subject and fear that comes from book banning. On her materials, Sarah also included a QR code with reference links and the laws surrounding banned books.

Silver Award Team: Sarah T. of Troop 4374

Issue: There is a lack of communication and fear that results in book banning. Root Cause: The fear that a certain topic might be too much for a child can lead to a person wanting a book on the topic banned without even reading it or researching it.

Target Audience: Local teens.

Sustainability: The project is sustainable because the librarians at the library laminated the bulletin board and plan to use it again for years to come during banned book month.

Lending Library for Friends of Kids with Cancer

Project Details: Girl Scout Troop 949 worked together to provide youth cancer patients a new bookcase to earn their Silver Award. The Cadettes recognized that patients with long hospital stays lacked access to books since they couldn’t attend school or use public libraries. The Cadettes designed, built and painted a custom bookcase to fit in the designated space at Friends of Kids with Cancer. The tutoring staff at the organization now offer a centralized area to place their educational materials, and the children better access to books. These books are used for those undergoing cancer treatment to increase their reading skills.

Silver Award Team: Troop 949

Issue: Children undergoing cancer treatment needed educational materials. Root Cause: Cancer patients have low access to books due to not attending schools because of treatment and not using public libraries due to germs. Target Audience: Children and families who are served by Friends of Kids with Cancer. Sustainability: The bookcase is built from long-lasting materials that can be easily cleaned, and it can be moved with the organization if they moved spaces.

Improving Counseling at Hoech

Silver Award Team: Troop 1828

Issue: Students have had a difficult time accessing counselors at school who would be able to properly assist them. Root Cause: Counselors are often very busy and can’t spend a lot of time on individual cases.

Project Details: Knowing that the middle school years are often emotionally and mentally taxing for students, Cadettes from Troop 1828 wanted to address the counseling needs at Hoech Middle School. To earn their Girl Scout Silver Award, the Cadettes planned and scheduled numerous meetings with the middle school principal to discuss possible changes to the counseling department. The Girl Scouts wrote outreach emails to the community and came up with a list of concerns and suggestions they have. With help from the principal, Hoech Middle School was able to rearrange the counseling offices and implement new structures to help with the quality and efficiency of the department.

Target Audience: Students at Hoech Middle School.

Sustainability: The new structure of the counseling department will remain in place to continue better quality and efficiency to help future students.

The History of Cedarledge

Issue: Many Girl Scouts were unaware of the history of a camp they frequently visited. Root Cause: Girl Scouts do not have time to research the history of the camps.

Silver Award Team: Troop 1751

Project Details: To teach their peers about the history of Camp Cedarledge, Troop 1751 filmed an informative video guide to earn their Girl Scout Silver Award. The Cadettes worked together through the full production process, including writing, directing, filming, and editing their video. In their video, the Girl Scouts walk the viewers through Camp Cedarledge and share it’s rich history. In addition to sharing about the history, the video offers troops who have yet to attend camp, a better picture of what to except. They shared the video with their Girl Scout community.

Target Audience: Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri.

Sustainability: The video will continue to be shared with more Girl Scouts in the future.

ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY

Aldo Leopold Bench Project

Project Details: To earn their Girl Scout Silver Award, Cadettes from Troop 1791 wanted to raise awareness for native gardening at their local park. The Girl Scouts worked together to revitalize the space and maintain the plants. The Cadettes also built a new bench and placed it in the garden. The bench now provided visitors a place to rest and enjoy the native garden. They plan to continue maintaining the garden and attending native plant awareness events in the future.

Silver Award Team: Troop 1791

Issue: There was a lack of awareness surrounding native gardening.

Root Cause: People do not know how to take care of native plants.

Target Audience: Visitors of the park.

Sustainability: The Girl Scouts have routine garden workdays and awareness events.

Reducing Food Waste in Schools

Project Details: Inspired by the knowledge of how much food is wasted in schools, and what students actually want to eat, this young leader decided to take action to earn her Girl Scout Silver Award. Elizabeth designed and implemented an app at her school that allows students to choose their lunch ahead of time. This allows the cafeteria staff to prepare more accurate food amounts and reduce the financial loss associated with food waste for the school. The app collects real-time data about student consumption and facilitates more precise food purchasing and meal preparation. After launching the app, the Cadette created an educational video to raise awareness about food waste and how the app can help address the issue.

Silver Award Team: Elizabeth S. of Troop 990

Issue: There is an abundance of food waste in school cafeterias. Root Cause: Schools fail to give students any choice or input into what is served on the menu.

Target Audience: Students, teachers and administrators.

Sustainability: The video was submitted and uploaded to the Global Co Lab Network. This organization “empowers teens globally to be change-makers, focused on the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs”.

Fighting Fast Fashion—Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Silver Award Team: Troop 4409

Issue: Many clothes end up in landfills, harming the environment. Root Cause: For many people it is easier to trash clothes than it is to find a place to donate them. Target Audience: Women in need at Community Women Against Hardships. Sustainability: People now know how, where and why to donate clothes to keep them out of landfills.

Project Details: For their Silver Award project, these young leaders wanted to find a way to prevent clothing from entering the landfill, while also helping those in need. So, Troop 4409 decided to organize a clothing drive. The Girl Scouts recognized that it is often easier to throw away old clothes instead of finding a way to donate them. To address this issue, they held a clothing drive in their community where individuals could bring their gently-used items. After collecting and sorting all the donated clothes, the Girl Scouts brought the clothes to Community Women Against Hardships for those in need.

Re-Build Your Local Ecosystem!

Issue: There was a significant decrease in the amount of local wildlife. Root Cause: Deforestation and habitat loss results in animals fleeing the area.

Silver Award Team: Simone C. of Troop 1230

Project Details: After recognizing that her local area had no native plants to help sustain wildlife, Simone decided to make a change to earn her Girl Scout Silver Award. Simone partnered with the Audubon Society to identify the root cause being a lack of resources for animals and develop a solution. She started by planting three separate gardens, filling each with a variety of native plants to support pollinators, and planted more than 20 trees. She then constructed and placed 20 birdhouses and 10 feeders to place in her community. These provided fresh food, water, and shelter for the animals and birds.

Target Audience: Local wildlife.

Sustainability: The new gardens and shelters will provide permanent habitats for the animals in the area.

S.H.E Garden

Project Details: Knowing how important honeybees are to our environment, Cadettes from Troop 2175 decided to build a pollinator garden to earn their Girl Scout Silver Award. The garden provides a safe habitat for the bees and other pollinators. The Cadettes researched and identified a safe environment that would ensure the honeybees were kept away from harmful farming practices and parasites before planting their garden. The Cadettes continued to check on and work in the garden to ensure it was thriving. Afterwards, the Cadettes met with a younger Girl Scout troop to teach them about the importance of honeybees and how they can help maintain the garden.

Silver Award Team: Troop 2175

Issue: Honeybees needed help staying protected.

Root Cause: Parasites, pesticides, farming practices, and large-scale changes in land use cause harm to honeybees. Target Audience: Honeybees, local community groups, students, and other Girl Scout troops. Sustainability: The Cadettes continue to take care of the S.H.E Garden. The Girl Scouts have also taught staff and younger Girl Scouts the importance of the garden and how to maintain it.

Planet Protectors

Silver Award Team: Juliette; Fiona D.

Issue: Littering and pollution causes harm to ecosystems. Root Cause: People litter when there isn’t another form of disposal nearby, and when there is not enough attention surrounding the consequences. Target Audience: Daisies and Brownies at Shady Creek Day Camp. Sustainability: Now that they have the knowledge, the Daisies and Brownies will share it with other girls and will continue educating about the harms of polluting. Issue: Fossil fuels cause significant harm to the environment. Root Cause: Many companies resort to burning fossil fuels as it is considered a cheap energy source. Target Audience: Future students at Hixson Middle School and kids at the Webster Groves library. Sustainability: The teaching materials will be available for future use at the middle school.

Project Details: To discourage individuals from littering, Girl Scout Juliette, Fiona, taught Daisy and Brownie Girl Scouts about pollution and the alternatives to littering to earn her Girl Scout Silver Award. Fiona did this by creating a variety of activities and crafts that demonstrated how items that would typically be littered can be recycled and repurposed into something useful. Fiona also emphasized the environmental implications of littering, and educated the young Girl Scouts about why they should make cautious decisions when disposing of trash.

Renewable Energy Education

Silver Award Team: Ashlyn P. of Troop 407

Project Details: To earn their Girl Scout Silver Award, Ashlyn from Troop 407 wanted to do her part to raise awareness on the harm fossil fuels have on our environment. Ashlyn began by conducting research about fossil fuels, alternate energy sources, and ways to help the earth to prevent climate change. She then made a teaching tool about coal for middle school students. This young leader also planned a scavenger hunt about being earth-friendly for kids at the local library. She also created a children’s book and activity bags for being earth friendly.

HEALTH

Back-to-School Supplies Mercy Pediatric Patients

Project Details: Gretel wanted to spread joy to children at the Mercy Hospital Pediatric Long-Term Care Unit to earn her Girl Scout Silver Award. To do this, this young leader made backpack care packages. Gretel filled several backpacks with educational supplies children might need while staying in the hospital. These kits included donated items such as educational toys, books, and arts and crafts supplies. Once assembled, Gretel brought the kits to the hospital to hand out to the children. To spread awareness of the project, Gretel filmed a series of videos and shared them online.

Silver Award Team: Gretel U. of Troop 1867

Issue: Children staying in the hospital often don’t have access to school supplies or other fun educational materials. Root Cause: Educational materials can be expensive and difficult to afford due to hospital bills. Target Audience: Patients at Mercy Hospital Pediatric Long Term Care. Sustainability: The shared videos can educate others about the project and how they can help.

The Pink Box Drive Glasses Donations

Project Details: Kaelyn created a series of collection boxes titled the Pink Box Drive. These boxes collected sunglasses, reading glasses and eyeglasses individuals no longer use, which could be repurposed and given to community members in need. Kaelyn joined forces with local businesses, churches and other organizations to set up collection locations. Kaelyn collaborated with the Maplewood Lions Club to sort and process the donations. Every pair of glasses she collected was restored and then distributed to people in need of visual support throughout the area.

Silver Award Team: Kaelyn K. of Troop 3878

Issue: People with visual impairments often face barriers to obtaining the eyeglasses they need. Root Cause: Visual impairments can often be supported when provided access to glasses. Target Audience: Elderly individuals, students, and eye care patients. Sustainability: Kaelyn partnered with the Maplewood Lions Club to continue to pick up and sort full collection boxes.

Body Positivity

Issue: Many students have a negative image regarding their body.

Silver Award Team: Evelyn W. of Troop 3878

Root Cause: Girls are not always taught positive

Project Details: To help encourage a more positive view of one’s body, Evelyn of Troop 3878 worked with girls at her school to help boost their confidence and create uplifting thoughts regarding their bodies to earn her Girl Scout Silver Award. Evelyn planned, organized and taught a class to provide encouragement to her peers and help them reconstruct how they view themselves. She also worked with her school administration to change the health and wellness policy in the Maplewood Richmond Heights School District to remove public BMI testing.

messaging about body images. Schools lack resources and/or the time to make resources.

Target Audience: Girls in the Maplewood-Richmond Heights School District. Sustainability: The girls who took the class will be more positive about their bodies and help others with the knowledge they gained. A change has been made in the school district’s health and wellness policy on how BMI testing is done and how the results are given.

The Folder Project

Issue: Girls who are on their periods sometimes feel embarrassed if someone sees them leaving the classroom with feminine hygiene products. Root Cause: Social stigmas and bullying lead to feeling embarrassed about period products.

Silver Award Team: Troop 811

Project Details: Inspired by a TikTok video, Cadettes from Troop 811 worked together to create a folder system that can easily transport period products in a discrete way to earn their Girl Scout Silver Award. The Cadettes assembled and organized several folders, ensuring numerous girls at their school would have access to them when needed. After providing the school with the folders, the Girl Scouts wrote, edited and acted in a video that was shared with the school nurses and uploaded online. The video shared ways to be accommodating to the needs of girls on their periods.

Target Audience: Girls in the Mehlville School District.

Sustainability: The video can be accessed online, and the period folders can be returned when girls no longer need them.

Girl Scouts Mental Health Video

Project Details: To support their peers with their mental health, Cadettes from Troop 957 wanted to create an easily-accessible resource to promote positive mental health practices to earn their Girl Scout Silver Award. So, the Girl Scouts decided to film a video that talks about mental health and ways teens can work to better themselves. The troop realized that other Girl Scouts similarly struggle with mental health challenges and designed their video with them in mind. The video supplements many of the Girl Scout Mental Health Badges. Girl Scouts working on these badges will now have an extra resource to use.

Silver Award Team: Troop 957

Issue: Teens sometimes experience mental health problems. Root Cause: Social media, stress, and lack of enjoyment lead to poor mental health.

Target Audience: Girl Scout teenagers.

Sustainability: The video will continue to be used because Girl Scout teens will watch it while completing mental health badges.

Lactation Room—Frontier Middle School

Silver Award Team: Riley R. of Troop 4032

Issue: There is a lack of a designated clean, safe, and comfortable area for a lactating mother to pump. Root Cause: Many schools can not afford to build and sustain a room for lactating mothers. Target Audience: This project benefits any current or future moms that choose to breastfeed their children at Frontier Middle School. Sustainability: The school staff will help maintain the new room moving forward.

Project Details: After recognizing that lactating mothers didn’t have a clean and safe space for pumping at her school, Riley worked to repurpose a room at Frontier Middle School to earn her Girl Scout Silver Award. Riley contacted numerous schools about her project to find an empty room available. She then led a team of volunteers to clean out the room, repurpose the furniture, and turn it into a pumping space for mothers.

Sleep Bagzzz for Sleep Habits

Issue: Many young people have bad sleep habits.

Silver Award Team: Troop 634

Root Cause: Stress, anxiety and improper bed time routines, can cause poor sleep habits. Target Audience: Elementary students at Fox Elementary and their parents. Sustainability: The guidance counselor has agreed to keep the bags at the elementary so that the next groups of students will have the same resources.

Project Details: Cadettes from Troop 634 addressed the issue of poor sleep habits among children to earn their Girl Scout Silver Award. To do this, the Cadettes made bags with tools for kids to calm down and relax before bedtime. In the bags, the Girl Scouts included a flyer explaining to parents some of the things that could impact the child’s sleep in a negative way, and how to help them create good sleep habits. These young leaders aimed at making bed time as enjoyable and easy as possible.

OUTDOORS

Path Cleanup of San Luis Subdivision

Project Details: Knowing the importance of accessibility, and including the ability to get to different parts of a neighborhood easily, Cadettes from Troop 4049 decided to clear a pathway in the San Luis subdivision to earn their Girl Scout Silver Award. The Girl Scouts discovered one of the pathways in the neighborhood had overgrown weeds and honeysuckle, trash and other hazardous items blocking the path. To make the path more accessible, the Cadettes got to work deweeding the area and cleaning up the waste. Afterwards, they contacted a local lawn care company who has agreed to maintain the path.

Silver Award Team: Troop 4049

Issue: A subdivision pathway needed beautification and accessibility.

Root Cause: Overgrown weeds and honey suckle, trash, and hazardous items led to an unusable pathway. No one was assigned to take care of the pathway.

Target Audience: The San Luis neighborhood.

Sustainability: A local lawn care company now takes care of the pathway.

Generosity Garden

Project Details: As a way to make vegetables and other fresh produce more accessible, Troop 1865 worked together to build, grow, and maintain a garden to earn their Girl Scout Silver Award. The Girl Scouts searched for the most affordable options and worked on planning out the logistics for how they would construct the neglected garden at their school. Once constructed, the Girl Scouts visited many local businesses and asked for donations of seeds and plants. The troop then worked to grow vegetables, and once they had fully-grown produce, they teamed with Circle of Concern to provide healthy food to those in need.

Silver Award Team: Troop 1865

Issue: Not everyone has access to clean and healthy foods such as vegetables. Root Cause: Vegetables and healthy foods can be very expensive. Target Audience: Members of the local community in need of food. Sustainability: Students and staff at the school will maintain the garden.

Tuckaho Hammock Stands

Silver Award Team: Troop 4121

Issue: The hammock site at Camp Tuckaho was not yet accredited.

Root Cause: There needed to be at least two

Project Details: In order to share the experience of hammocking with other Girl Scouts, Cadettes from Troop 4121 designed a plan to install supportive posts that allow for hammock set-up to earn their Girl Scout Silver Award. The Cadettes spent time researching different types of wood, different materials to coat the wood, and different construction designs. After deciding on a plan, the Girl Scouts worked together to build the posts. They made sure to treat the wood to ensure it’s durability. They also cut the post tops at an angle and covered them with tar to prevent wood rotting.

hammocking areas so that adults and Girl Scouts could be separated, and there was only one. Target Audience: Girl Scouts interested in hammock use at Camp Tuckaho. Sustainability: The posts that were installed are treated wood that will last for years to come to prevent wood rotting.

Making Safety & Learning Enhancements for Trinity Preschool

Silver Award Team: Troop 1595

Issue: Loose rocks in the preschool playground area kept falling onto the sidewalk posing a safety risk. Root Cause: The rocks were not contained, and people were slipping and falling on them. Target Audience: The visitors and children at Trinity Lutheran Preschool.

Project Details: Cadettes of Troop 1595 worked to enhance the play area of Trinity Lutheran Preschool to earn their Girl Scout Silver Award. Using their knowledge of building, the Cadettes bought and placed a second layer of edging stones along the fence of the play area. This kept the rocks contained in the playground area. The Girl Scouts also worked to enhance the playground space by adding learning games and a bean-bag toss. They further added to the playground by creating a makerspace room for the preschoolers to use.

Sustainability: The school staff will maintain the renovated area moving forward.

Black Girls Camp Too

Project Details: To earn her Girl Scout Silver Award, Claire prepared educational materials to help African American Girl Scouts in her troop feel supported and comfortable with camping. To do this, Claire created a handmade flyer for first time campers to keep on them and reference when preparing to go camping. The handouts where shared with local Girl Scouts and their families and friends. Claire also educated her peers about the importance of making camp safe and welcoming for every Girl Scout.

Silver Award Team: Claire P. of Troop 551

Issue: Many black girls are not being encouraged or supported enough to go camping. Root Cause: Due to instances of racism in the United States, many campgrounds were unsafe or unwelcoming to Black individuals, resulting in fewer opportunities for them to learn camping skills.

Target Audience: Young black Girl Scouts.

Sustainability: The Girl Scouts that received the materials will be able to pass on what they learned. The handouts can also be shared with more families and friends of Girl Scouts.