Girl Scouts of Connecticut Honor 86 Girl Scouts with Gold Award

Jennifer Ryan of Wallingford has received the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor a girl can earn in Girl Scouting.

Celebrating its 100th Anniversary this year, the Girl Scout Gold Award requires Girl Scouts grades nine through 12 to spend at least 80 hours researching issues, assessing community needs and resources, building a team, and making a sustainable impact in the community. A Gold Award recipient’s accomplishments reflect leadership and citizenship skills that set her apart as a community leader. Nationally, only 6 percent of older Girl Scouts earn the Gold Award.

Jennifer addressed the inaccessibility of musical instruments for some students who cannot afford them. Jennifer sanitized and refurbished instruments to be rented out by students for a lower cost at her school district. The money that Jennifer collected through the rental system will continue to go towards maintaining and expanding the program to give more students the opportunity to pursue musical interests.

“Since 1916, approximately one million Girl Scouts have made a sustainable impact in their communities,” said Mary Barneby, CEO of Girl Scouts of Connecticut. “We are so thrilled to honor a record number of girls this year and we are excited to see how many more incredible young women will continue to change the world in the next 100 years!”

For more information about the Gold Award or how to become a Gold Award volunteer or mentor, visit http://www.gsofct.org/pages/goldaward.php.