The Girl Scouts of Suffolk County recently celebrated local Girl Scouts who have earned the prestigious Girl Scout Silver Award during the annual Silver Award Ceremony and Breakfast, which included a keynote address by the Commissioner of the Suffolk County Department of Labor Licensing and Consumer Affairs, Rosalie Drago. The Silver Award program recognizes the power and dedication shared by each recipient as they join an elite group of young women who earn the highest Girl Scout honor a Cadette Scout can achieve. Members of the Port Jefferson Service Unit 602; Adalia Haas, Anna Cordova, Brooke Seedorf, Gabriella Blouin, Olivia Godsey, Victoria Salerno, Faith Hennessy, Hermione Granger, Kylie Smith, Abigail Bozzanca, Giuliana Avella and Mikayla Reyes were among those acknowledged for this great accomplishment.
“The Silver Award is the highest distinction that Girl Scouts in this age range can earn,” said GSSC President & CEO Tammy Severino. “It takes a great deal of responsibility, dedication, and confidence for these Girls to complete these important projects as they create a notable positive impact in their community. I applaud these girls’ commitment to making a difference and joining a highly distinguished group of accomplished young women.”
To achieve a Silver Award, Girl Scouts each tackled a project that held a deep significance to them and would greatly benefit the world around them. To be eligible for a Silver Award, each recipient must complete their Cadette Journey before beginning their Silver Award project. To meet the Girl Scout Silver Award requirements, each candidate must complete at least 50 hours toward their project.
Girls in grades 6-8 begin their Silver Award journey by identifying a civic or social issue they care about. Next, a Girl Scout builds a team to support her project with the mission to create a positive impact in her community by addressing an issue she feels passionate about. Through the process, Silver Award Girl Scouts build invaluable problem-solving, organizational, and leadership skills while educating and inspiring others.
Troop 2986 members Adalia Haas, Anna Cordova, Brooke Seedorf and Gabriella Blouin worked with the Comsewogue Public Library to create a pollinator garden to attract bees and butterflies to the area.
For their project, Olivia Godsey and Victoria Salerno created cat houses made using recycled wood and straw for local feral cats in need of shelter.
Faith Hennessy collected 30 backpacks, filled them with personal essentials and Girl Scout cookies, and distributed them to people in her community that were experiencing homelessness.
Hermione Granger, Kylie Smith and Abigail Bozzanca created a butterfly garden that they painted, watered and decorated for third graders as part of their curriculum. They also donated butterfly books, snacks, and drinks for the butterfly release party.
Giuliana Avella and Mikayla Reyes built, painted and stocked a little free pantry. The pantry is located outside of their community’s public library where those in need can access free essentials.
To learn more about the Girl Scouts of Suffolk County or the Silver Award, visit: https://www.gssc.us/
About Girl Scouts of Suffolk County: The Girl Scouts of Suffolk County is one of the largest youth-serving agencies on Long Island, serving over 15,000 members dedicated to the mission of building girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place. For more information about Girl Scouts of Suffolk County, please call (631) 543-6622 or visit www.gssc.us.
