Saturday, February 8, 2014

Kara Schwinke from Teutopolis Earns the Girl Scout Gold Award


 
 
Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois (GSSI) is pleased to announce that Kara Schwinke from Teutopolis has received the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can receive. 
For her project, Branching Out, Kara organized a tree planting project in Teutopolis Community Park, which included recruiting community donors to purchase trees.  She also held a tree presentation program from children in grades K-4, during which she discussed the positive impact of trees on the environment.   
“I wanted a project that would beautify our City Park,” said Kara.  “Trees provide beauty, shade, wildlife habitat ad oxygen production.”   
Kara was pleased by the community support for her project.  “Many people helped in many ways,” she said.  I believe that planting trees will be contagious and others will want to do projects in the park.”   She was also grateful for the personal growth that earning the Girl Scout Gold Award provided.  “I learned I am capable of doing great things for my community,” she said, noting that she gained valuable experience planning a project, organizing a team and speaking in front of others.
Kara has been a Girl Scout for 12 years.  She is currently a senior as Teutopolis High School and plans to attend college to major in Physical Therapy next year.  She is the daughter of Carl and Tina Schwinke.
 
The Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can earn, recognizes a Girl Scout's commitment to excellence as she develops skills and values to meet present and future challenges in her life.  To earn the Girl Scout Gold Award, a Girl Scout Senior or Girl Scout Ambassador must design and carry out a project that fulfills a need within a girl’s community, creates change, and is sustainable.   The project must be completed with a suggested minimum of 80 hours of work.  Only about 6 percent of eligible girls earn the prestigious Gold Award.