Silver Award Girl Scouts
in
Service Unit 32-11
The Girl Scout Silver Award is the highest award a Girl Scout Cadette in Middle School, grades 6-8, can earn. It requires that she address a root cause of an issue that she's interested in, has an impact outside of the Girl Scout community, and is sustainable. The project requires pre-approval by the Girls' Troop Advisor. It is suggested that she spends a minimum of 50 hours on the project. A Silver Award can be completed as an individual, or in a small group of two to four people total. If done in a small group, each of the girls must be responsible for one specific piece of the project, and each must spend the full 50 hours on her portion of the project.
Year Name(s) Project
2019 Zoe Antonishek Silver Star
Amelia Hobart
2019 Cassie Fielder Animal Shelter Supplies and Education
Maggie Rose Rook
2019 Ella Franklin Gardens for Wildlife
Tilly Gaughan
2018 Rosie Ballmann "God is Love" project in a box (Christian)
Tessa Brizhik
Perrin Chalk
2018 Aria Grimsby Buddy Bench for Monocacy Elementary School
2018 Grace Parker Cat Covers and Feeding Stations
2017 Abigail (Abby) Antonishek Environmental Awareness Project
Ashley Bass
Marta Brannman
2017 Erin Dower Comfort Cases
Lia Widenhofer
2017 Sienna Grimsby Music Walls at Community Day Care Center
2017 Raenya Sharma Music is the Medicine of Mind
Shreya Sharma
2017 Rachel Yablon Autism Awareness
2016 Caroline Simons Improving Dental and Basic Healthcare in the Amazon Jungle
2015 Rachael Behrend Chesapeake Bay Seminar
Meghan Dower
Emma Parker
Anya Speck-McMorris
2015 Julia Lyons Doody Calls
Charlotte Vogel
2015 Jessica Mense Timberwolves Protect the Earth
2014 Ellen Beal Warm Up America
Gretchen Hundertmark
Anna Morrison
2013 Dorothy ("Dottie") Ballmann Cheers for Bows
2013 Josephine Caruso-Dipaolo Dress Fancy
Mackenzie Gross
Beth Roberts
2013 Megan Grubb Grow Strong
Julia Montone
2012 Grace Beal Share Your Lunch
Anne Hundertmark
2012 Sophia Mense Can You Hear Me Now?
2000 Amber Catron Dollhouse for Charity
Elizabeth Murtha
2019 Zoe Antonishek Silver Star
Amelia Hobart
2019 Cassie Fielder Animal Shelter Supplies and Education
Maggie Rose Rook
2019 Ella Franklin Gardens for Wildlife
Tilly Gaughan
2018 Rosie Ballmann "God is Love" project in a box (Christian)
Tessa Brizhik
Perrin Chalk
2018 Aria Grimsby Buddy Bench for Monocacy Elementary School
2018 Grace Parker Cat Covers and Feeding Stations
2017 Abigail (Abby) Antonishek Environmental Awareness Project
Ashley Bass
Marta Brannman
2017 Erin Dower Comfort Cases
Lia Widenhofer
2017 Sienna Grimsby Music Walls at Community Day Care Center
2017 Raenya Sharma Music is the Medicine of Mind
Shreya Sharma
2017 Rachel Yablon Autism Awareness
2016 Caroline Simons Improving Dental and Basic Healthcare in the Amazon Jungle
2015 Rachael Behrend Chesapeake Bay Seminar
Meghan Dower
Emma Parker
Anya Speck-McMorris
2015 Julia Lyons Doody Calls
Charlotte Vogel
2015 Jessica Mense Timberwolves Protect the Earth
2014 Ellen Beal Warm Up America
Gretchen Hundertmark
Anna Morrison
2013 Dorothy ("Dottie") Ballmann Cheers for Bows
2013 Josephine Caruso-Dipaolo Dress Fancy
Mackenzie Gross
Beth Roberts
2013 Megan Grubb Grow Strong
Julia Montone
2012 Grace Beal Share Your Lunch
Anne Hundertmark
2012 Sophia Mense Can You Hear Me Now?
2000 Amber Catron Dollhouse for Charity
Elizabeth Murtha
Zoe Antonishek, Amelia Hobart
2019 Silver Award Project
Silver Star Project
2019 Silver Award Project
Silver Star Project
Zoe Antonishek and Amelia Hobart set up a display at Poolesville Day seeking help in making cat toys for the shelter.
Cassie Fielder and Maggie Rose Rook
2019 Silver Award Project
Animal Shelter Supplies and Education
2019 Silver Award Project
Animal Shelter Supplies and Education
Cassie Fielder and Maggie Rose Rook collected pet food and supply donations for delivery to the Montgomery Animal Services and Adoption Center. They provided information and education about animal abandonment and adoption to the community through informational signs and their troop through a video presentation.
Tilly Gaughan and Ella Franklin
2019 Silver Award Project
Gardens for Wildlife
2019 Silver Award Project
Gardens for Wildlife
Tilly Gaughan and Ella Franklin recruited members of the community to get their properties certified as a Wildlife Habitat. With the recent clearing of large areas of habitat for development, they wanted to provide safe places for animals to feed, live and, in some cases, raise their young. They helped nearly 100 people get certified.
Rosie Ballmann, Tessa Brizhik, Perrin Chalk
2018 Silver Award Project
"'God is Love' Project in a Box"
2018 Silver Award Project
"'God is Love' Project in a Box"
Rosie Ballmann, Tessa Brizhik and Perrin Chalk designed, developed and assembled materials for a ‘program in a box’ filled with activities for young girls to explore their relationship with God. Using the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry’s “God is Love” book, they designed learning activities to help kindergarten and first graders engage with the text. They evaluated their preliminary plans with an instructional design specialist and representatives from the target audience. They debated the benefits and challenges of various learning objectives and activity designs.
They designed a skit, games, craft projects and discussion circles to engage young learners in a three part learning program. (God Loves All Things, God Loves Me, I Love God). They developed visual aids, resources and props. They interviewed parents and teachers about learning preferences and favorite activities for kindergarten and first grade learners. Based on their interviews they adjusted plans and materials.
They piloted the program materials at a workshop at Saint Mary’s in Barnesville. The program box was turned over to the Archdiocese of Washington Catholic Committee Girl Scouts for groups to borrow and use.
They designed a skit, games, craft projects and discussion circles to engage young learners in a three part learning program. (God Loves All Things, God Loves Me, I Love God). They developed visual aids, resources and props. They interviewed parents and teachers about learning preferences and favorite activities for kindergarten and first grade learners. Based on their interviews they adjusted plans and materials.
They piloted the program materials at a workshop at Saint Mary’s in Barnesville. The program box was turned over to the Archdiocese of Washington Catholic Committee Girl Scouts for groups to borrow and use.
Aria Grimsby
2018 Silver Award Project
Buddy Bunch for Monocacy Elementary School
2018 Silver Award Project
Buddy Bunch for Monocacy Elementary School
Aria Grimsby designed and built a buddy bench. When a child feels the need for a friend to talk to, he or she can show this by using the friendship bench. Other children and staff will recognize this as a sign that some help, support or comfort is needed and will come to talk with the child. The bench was placed in the playground at Monocacy Elementary School. She made it out of wood with a friendship quote "Friends accept you the way you are" on the backrest. This project created friendship and stops the loneliness on playground.
Grace Parker
2018 Silver Award Project
Cat Covers and Feeding Stations
2018 Silver Award Project
Cat Covers and Feeding Stations
Grace Parker made cat covers for cats in cages, on a capture-spay/neuter-release project. She also made a feeding station for feral cats. This project should help reduce the feral cat population in the area in a humane and subtle way.
Abigail (Abby) Antonishek, Ashley Bass, Marta Brannman
2017 Silver Award Project
"Environmental Awareness Project"
The project was focused on helping people learn how their actions impact the earth. Their stations centered on a certain topic such as oil spills, pollution in water, and biodegradable objects. They came up with a simulation that would engage the audience that they were presenting to. They presented their project tp the younger girl scout troops plus they attended the scout recruitment day.
2017 Silver Award Project
"Environmental Awareness Project"
The project was focused on helping people learn how their actions impact the earth. Their stations centered on a certain topic such as oil spills, pollution in water, and biodegradable objects. They came up with a simulation that would engage the audience that they were presenting to. They presented their project tp the younger girl scout troops plus they attended the scout recruitment day.
Sienna Grimsby
2017 Silver Award Project
"Music Walls at Community Day Care Centers"
2017 Silver Award Project
"Music Walls at Community Day Care Centers"
Sienna Grimsby, eighth grader at John Poole Middle School with Trooop 4300, created a total of four outdoor music walls at two day centers in the Poolesville Community. For the walls Sienna reused metal items such as baking pans, pots and tools. All four walls incorporated items that were being thrown out in addition to PVC pipe to add a different sound. The goal was to mount materials that made a good sound when hit by various ‘drum sticks’. The children who use the walls not only learn about music, they also learn about recycling.
Erin Dower and Lia Widenhofer
2017 Silver Award Project
"Comfort Cases"
Erin Dower and Lia Widenhofer, two sixth grade Poolesville Girl Scouts, Troop 3032, led a service project on January 16, 2017 as part of the MLK National Day of Service. They hosted one of twenty projects offered at the Gaithersburg volunteer site.
The project benefited kids entering foster care in the greater Washington, D.C.- area. There are currently approximately five thousand children in the state of Maryland living away from their families. When these children leave their homes, they often go with nothing more than the clothes on their back. If they are fortunate enough to gather a few belongings, those things are often carried into their foster home in a black trash bag.
In order to promote dignity for these children, Lia and Erin organized and supervised about one hundred community volunteers to make fifty no-sew fleece blankets.
The girls also made a video to educate the more than a hundred participants involved in the blanket making about the extent and challenges of foster care in this country.
The project benefited kids entering foster care in the greater Washington, D.C.- area. There are currently approximately five thousand children in the state of Maryland living away from their families. When these children leave their homes, they often go with nothing more than the clothes on their back. If they are fortunate enough to gather a few belongings, those things are often carried into their foster home in a black trash bag.
In order to promote dignity for these children, Lia and Erin organized and supervised about one hundred community volunteers to make fifty no-sew fleece blankets.
The girls also made a video to educate the more than a hundred participants involved in the blanket making about the extent and challenges of foster care in this country.
They added the blankets to duffle bags along with pajamas, stuffed animals, dental and hygiene kits, a book, and journal or coloring book. Most of the supplies for the duffle bags were generously donated through a supply drive held by the girls in the early weeks of January. They gave the duffle bags to Comfort Cases, a local organization that works to provide children with the essentials that they need on their journey to a new home.
Raenya and Shreya Sharma
2017 Silver Award Project:
"Music is the Medicine of Mind"
2017 Silver Award Project:
"Music is the Medicine of Mind"
Raenya and Shreya ran a station for kindergarten and elementary school aged girls at an outreach camp. They shared the benefits of music and helped the campers create musical instruments using household and recycled materials.
The project addressed the issue of some children not being introduced to music and its benefits at an early age. Research shows that children that participate in music have better learning ability and positive attitude towards life.
Rachel Yablon
2017 Silver Award Project
"Autism Awareness"
2017 Silver Award Project
"Autism Awareness"
Rachel created a "Light it Up Blue" event at John Poole Middle School. Throughout the week she had short facts shared on the PA announcements leading up to the event; put up posters (which she made); gave out ribbons and bracelets (which she made); had the student/staff "supporters" help to create a poster/mural; and encouraged everyone to wear Blue to support Autism Awareness and be represented in a photograph for the yearbook.
Caroline Simons (currently in SU 32-11),
(with scouts not in SU 32-11: Sophie Stoops, Sofia Politte,
Petra Molina, Maria Suggs )
2016 Silver Award Project:
"Improving Dental and Basic Healthcare in the Amazon Jungle"
In isolated villages along the Amazon River, many people have never seen or used a toothbrush or toothpaste, or seen a dentist. Caroline and her USA Girl Scouts Overseas troop collected toothbrushes, paste and first aid items from several troops in the US, the Peru Scouts, dentists in the US, our school and the US Embassy in Lima. Over 10 months, they made collections of hundreds of toothbrushes, etc. While they were collecting items, they learned about the limited medical and dental resources available to people living along the river.
In March, 2016 Caroline and other scouts traveled with DB Peru to 3 villages. There, they distributed hundreds of toothbrushes, toothpaste and first aid supplies. They taught children how to use a toothbrush. They also gave them disclosing tablets which can be used to show places missed while brushing. They also taught basic first aid.
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They played with the children while their parents were being seen by doctors or were receiving basic health care information. This was a huge help to the parents because they didn't have to worry about the children while they were listening to talks about monthly self checks for cancers and other things like domestic violence.
They also were able to assist the nurses with documentation as they took vital signs and gave vaccines. Finally, they made first aid kits for each family in the 3 villages.
Rachael Behrend, Emma Parker, Anya Speck-McMorris, Meghan Dower
2015 Silver Award Project:
2015 Silver Award Project:
The girls created and ran a one day seminar at John Poole Middle School on the Chesapeake Bay waters, current problems and how to protect and prevent future problems.
Julia Lyons, Charlotte Vogel
2015 Silver Award Project
"Doody Calls"
2015 Silver Award Project
"Doody Calls"
Walking around Whalen Commons on Poolesville Day, Spring Fest or Movie Night, Julia Lyons and Charlotte Vogel in Troop 4300 would often run across dog poop. Researching the problem they discovered a third of all water contamination is caused by dog poop. When it’s not properly disposed of, it can get into the drainage system or leach into underground well water. Dog waste can carry diseases and parasites, so if that gets into the water, it can harm not only aquatic life, but also people or animals who drink from that water.
To help educate the public about the problem, the scouts set up a booth at "Bark in the Park" festival at Whalen Commons, with a large display board and flyers.
The girls made dog waste bag holders that attach to a leash. They sold them at their Bark in the Park booth to help raise funds for dog waste stations.
To educate the John Poole Middle School (JPMS) community about the issue, Charlotte and Julia contributed an article entitled "The Poo in Pollution" to "Timberwolves Protect the Earth", an online publication created and edited by their troop member Jessica Mense. In the article they include a link to their website. http://jpmsearthday.weebly.com/the-poo-in-polution.html
Julia and Charlotte created a "Doody Calls" website to draw attention to the problem and spread the word.
Project website: http://doodycallspickitup.weebly.com/.
Julia and Charlotte Vogel took their case to the town of Poolesville. They delivered a presentation to the Parks Board, which endorsed their project. The scouts then went before the town commissioners, who voted to approve their project and award a grant to cover the costs of dog waste stations for three of the town parks.
Julia and Charlotte installed dog waste stations at Whalen Commons, Stevens Park and Halmos Park. Two stations can be found in each of the parks; they are marked by green signs and green boxes that dispense waste bags.
Jessica Mense
2015 Silver Award Project
"Timberwolves Protect the Earth"
2015 Silver Award Project
"Timberwolves Protect the Earth"
To educate the John Poole Middle School (JPMS) community and raise awareness of Earth Day at JPMS, Jessica Mense with Troop 4300 created and edited an online publication in celebration of Earth Day and asked for submissions from staff, teachers and students of JPMS. http://jpmsearthday.weebly.com/
The second part of the project was a large mosaic mural Jessica created out of thousands of individually screwed in recycled bottle tops. It shows the JPMS mascot, the Timberwolf, howling in front of the Earth.
The finished six foot by nine foot mural made up of 6 panels that is installed on the wall in the school’s main hall. The plaque that is hung next to the mural has a Quick Response (QR) code that will take those with the smartphone application directly to the online Earth Day publication and the article describing the harmful impact discarded bottle caps have on marine life.
Anna Morrison, Gretchen Hundertmark, Ellen Beal
2014 Silver Award Project:
"Warm Up America"
2014 Silver Award Project:
"Warm Up America"
Anne Morrison, Gretchen Hundertmark and Ellen Beal planned and ran two events where participants made fleece blankets to donate to Warm Up America, an organization that gives hand-made blankets to homeless shelters, teen pregnancy homes, battered woman’s shelters, nursing homes, hospices and a variety of social service agencies. They were able to make their goal of 50 blankets.
Dorothy ("Dottie") Ballmann
2013 Silver Award Project:
Cheers for Bows
2013 Silver Award Project:
Cheers for Bows
Dottie Ballmann ran two events where the community made hair bows for children in the hospital.
Josephine Caruso-Dipaolo, Mackenzie Gross, Beth Roberts
2013 Silver Award Project:
"Dress Fancy"
2013 Silver Award Project:
"Dress Fancy"
Working to benefit the Betty Ann Krahnke Center, a domestic violence shelter for women and their children, Beth Roberts, Mackenzie Gross and Josephine Caruso-Dipaolo in Troop 430 collected clean, gently used party dresses and sold them to the community. The girls used the proceeds from the sale to buy badly needed supplies for the Center, especially toys and baby supplies for the Kids Room.
Megan Grubb, Julia Montone
2013 Silver Award Project:
"Grow Strong"
2013 Silver Award Project:
"Grow Strong"
Megan Grubb and Julia Montone in Troop 430 ran the "Grow Strong" program at Camp CHICA for girls in grades K-6. Girls who did the program discovered the elements of a healthy lifestyle, developed critical thinking skills to make healthy life choices and learned to develop healthy relationships with their peers.
Grace Beal, Anne Hundertmark
2012 Silver Award Project:
"Share Your Lunch"
2012 Silver Award Project:
"Share Your Lunch"
Using funds raised to purchase materials, Grace Beal and Anne Hundertmark made and delivered 64 lunches to Carroll House. They also developed a Share Your Lunch action plan for interested groups where in addition to a personal lunch, everyone could bring a lunch to share with a transitional housing facility.
Sophia Mense
2012 Silver Award Project:
"Can You Hear Me Now?"
2012 Silver Award Project:
"Can You Hear Me Now?"
Using a noise meter she embedded in a mannequin and nicknamed "Lola", Sophia Mense in Troop 430 raised awareness of the effects of noise pollution by testing more than 70 elementary and middle school students to see whether they were listening to their iPods or other MP3 players at an unsafe volume.
She asked the students to sign pledges not to listen too loudly or for too long.
She asked the students to sign pledges not to listen too loudly or for too long.
Sophia also made bookmarks that she distributed at the John Poole Middle School (JPMS) science fair to raise awareness of the issue in the community.
Amber Catron & Elizabeth Murtha
2000 Silver Award Project
"Dollhouse for Charity"
2000 Silver Award Project
"Dollhouse for Charity"
Elizabeth is pictured with Megan Lyons (who helped but she had already earned her Silver before moving to Poolesville) and Amber Catron who earned the Silver project with Liz. They built and made furniture for a Dollhouse that was donated to a charity.