GLEN CARBON – Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois (GSSI) is pleased to announce that Michaela Tarpley from Roxana has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can earn. For her Girl Scout Gold Award project, Michaela organized a summer game program at the Alton Boys and Girls Club, as well as provided supplies for the program to continue into the future.
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“I had just come home from a family trip where we played lots of different board, card and dice games,” she explained. “I did more research on games and found that they can help kids learn so many different social skills.”
Michaela first worked with staff at Alton Boys and Girls Club to create detailed lesson plans that were developed to incorporate the best ways that children learn. She also started a game collection drive and was eventually able to donate 50 games to the agency. When the summer program started, she focused each session on teaching a different skill that could help the children in the future – including sharing, how to win and lose graciously, teamwork, strategic thinking and sportsmanship. On the final day of the program, she held an UNO tournament for the kids to practice using all of the skills they had learned. To make a lasting impact, she left her lesson plans for the program with the staff at Boys and Girls Club, as well as built a bookshelf to hold the many games she had donated.
“Many families in my community simple don’t have enough money to buy board, card and dice games for their children to play,” she explained. “Because of this lack of games, children are not exposed to the important skills that playing games provides. Because of my Girl Scout Gold Award project, even if children don’t have games available to them at their house, they will be available to them at the Boys and Girls Club.”
Michaela was happy to have the opportunity to give back to the community and to experience newfound confidence in her ability to make the world a better place.
“I am lucky to have the opportunity to make an impact on people’s lives,” she said. “With hard work, confidence and focus, I can really make a difference.”
Michaela is the daughter of Rachel and Phillip Tarpley. She is a junior at Roxana High School and is has been a Girl Scout for 9 years.
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 five percent of eligible girls earn the prestigious Gold Award.
Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois (GSSI) is a high-capacity Girl Scout council serving approximately 11,300 girls and engaging 4,550 adult volunteers in 40 ½ counties in Southern Illinois. GSSI Mission: Girl Scouts builds girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place. The Girl Scouts organization is the world's largest leadership development organization for girls. In partnership with committed adults, girls develop qualities that will serve them all their lives – such as strong values, social conscience, and conviction about their own potential and self-worth. Today’s Girl Scouts not only enjoy camping and crafts; they also explore math and science and learn about diversity, good citizenship, leadership and teamwork. Girl Scouting is the place where girls experience the fun, friendship and power of girls together. Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois is a not-for-profit organization supported by various United Ways throughout the region. Girl Scouts is a Proud Partner of United Way.
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