GLEN CARBON - Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois (GSSI) is pleased to announce that Shelby Tingley from Granite City has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can receive.
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For her Girl Scout Gold Award project, called Homing the Homeless Birds, Shelby wanted to help birds that had their nests destroyed. She noticed that nests being built on or around people’s homes were often knocked down by the residents, so she decided to build houses in trees to provide a safe place for the birds. Shelby researched and built five bird houses and also taught other Girl Scouts how to make the bird houses. She then enlisted the help of other Girl Scouts to monitor the bird houses and keep seeds nearby. Her hope is that the birds will find the safe haven she built next spring.
Shelby credits Girl Scouts and her Gold Award experience with providing her great leadership skills. “The most important thing I have learned through Girl Scouts is to not be afraid to try new ideas to achieve my goals,” said Shelby. “It has taught me how to be a great leader and an empowering woman,” she added.
Shelby is the daughter of Penny Tingley. She is a 2016 graduate of Granite City High School and currently attends Hickey Vet Tech Institute. Shelby was a girl member in Girl Scouts for 10 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 5 percent of eligible girls earn the prestigious Gold Award.
Today, Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. is the largest voluntary organization for girls in the world. Its sole focus is to meet the needs of all girls (ages 5-17) from diverse racial, ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. Today’s Girl Scouts not only enjoy camping and crafts, but 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. For more information, please call Tricia Higgins at 618.242.5079.
