Why I'm Passionate About Helping Kids with Disabilities - A Gold Award Story

Submitted by Angela, 2014 Girl Scout Gold Award Earner. 

We will be sharing stories of our 2014 Girl Scout Gold Award earners who have helped their local communities with a sustainable Take Action project. 

All 2014 Gold Award recipients will officially be honored in April 2014 at the GSSGC Gold & Silver Awards Gala.

My name is Angela, I am 18 years old and a graduating senior after 13 years of Girl Scouts. This past summer I completed my Gold Award Take Action Project. My event was Kids Being Kids, a day where kids with disabilities and those without could play baseball and soccer together.

My sister Chrissy lives with a disability and I have helped with my sister’s challenger baseball team for the past 6 years. In doing this I have seen firsthand how kids who do not have disabilities either look down or do not understand  those with special needs. I felt there was a need to introduce regular kids to others like my sister, but in the right way. If it was not done correctly, friendships would not be made, and it would feel forced.  It was important to me to teach that there is no difference between them.

On the day of my event I blended all of the participants together randomly into four groups. Two groups started playing soccer, while the other two played baseball. When the groups changed sports they were given the opportunity to change teams or stay on the same team. This allowed them to stay with the friends they had made or make new ones on another team. Most stayed on their original teams, but still reached out to other team members.

Being able to hold my event opened my eyes to see that this was a need in my community. A majority of the kids who participated would not have normally made the friendships they had that day. It was a great for special needs kids to participate with others on a field where everyone could be themselves and make friends. This event could not have turned out better and I am so happy I was given this opportunity to change my community. Thank You.

Angela will graduate high school this year. Her goal is to attend California State University, Monterey Bay and study marine biology.