Accessibility is still an issue for many

KENSINGTON, NH – The historic Kensington Public Library building, built in 1895, has not been easy for anyone with disabilities or who uses a stroller or other device to enter. That’s not unusual for old buildings, but as the community begins an expansion of the facility, one Girl Scout stepped up to make the public more aware of the need for accessibility. Olive Lovvik has earned the highest honor in Girl Scouting for her project, Spread Awareness about Accessibility and Disabilities.

Lovvik, 17, of Kensington, is a senior at Phillips-Exeter Academy and a Girl Scout Ambassador, which is for girls in grades 11 and 12. Her mother is a trustee of the Kensington Public Library, and suggested to Olive that she work on accessibility.

“So that got me started on this issue,” she said. “And I was a lot more comfortable tackling this issue, because I've worked with it in the past. We used to have these core value projects at my school, and I did one around noticing accessibility, or specifically inaccessibility, on campus, and bringing it to the awareness of facilities and different management groups. And then also, for my Silver Award, I made books with my troop for preschool kids who have different learning abilities.”

Lovvik held eight workshops over two years in the community, teaching people about the need for accessibility for the disabled, seniors, people using strollers, or anyone else with mobility issues.

“I also held a movie and discussed the impact inaccessibility had on the storyline,” she said in a report on the project. “I held a display in the Kensington Public Library that showed books with characters in the disabled community or directly taught how to support disabled individuals. This worked to build understanding and empathy for those in the disabled community so people could understand the purpose and need for accessibility. By chipping away at the majority who overlook the problem, we get closer to real change.”

She worked with Victoria’s Victory Foundation, a nonprofit quality‑of‑life organization dedicated to empowering people with mobility disabilities through community support, financial assistance, and knowledge‑based resources. As a result of her connections with that organization, a person who participated in one of her workshops helped them with a grant application that resulted in a $10,000 grant which will go on to help those with disabilities.

“Olive is extremely bright, self-sufficient and driven to accomplish goals - especially those that can make meaningful impact in the world, said her advisor, Nancy Splaine.” Olive elevated a social issue that was a curiosity to her to a community of those who chose to engage and learn.Through hosting workshops to discuss accessibility and disability, she heightened awareness to a diverse group from the community and inspired all who took part, to continue the dialog, elevate and continue the conversation seeking to make important change in our towns and our thinking as individuals.”

Lovvik has been a Girl Scout since third grade. She has enjoyed friendships, earning badges, camping, selling cookies, taking trips, and doing community service through her Girl Scout troop.

“What I love so much about my troop is - sometimes I find that Girl Scouts can be a little regimented or very orderly, and I'm not that kind of person as much, and my troop is a little different, and a little more willing to draw outside the lines, and to have fun, and to do that kind of stuff,” she said. “I think their energy that they brought to Girl Scouting really gave me a new perspective and created a great community that I still feel part of.”

For example, her troop volunteered at Camp Lincoln through the YMCA and at town events, traveled to Cranmore and Boston, and also learned to bake and cook together.

“One time we made pasta,” she said, “and it was a little chaotic!”

She said Girl Scouts is about “finding a community that you can do fun and silly things with, but you can also help people.”

Earning the Gold Award wasn’t easy, Lovvik said. “It was really hard at a lot of parts, but it’s been really rewarding. I’ve made a lot of connections with a lot of the people that came and it’s been amazing.”

As Lovvik finishes her final year of high school, she is in the highest honors group, participates in many clubs, is manager for the softball team, and sings in a rock band. She is busy exploring colleges and hopes to have a career in psychiatry, with an interest in helping younger children.

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Gold Award Girl Scouts don’t just change the world for the better, they change it for good. The Gold Award is earned by girls in grades 9–12 who demonstrate extraordinary leadership in developing sustainable solutions to local, national, and global challenges. Since 1912, Girl Scouts have answered the call to drive lasting, impactful change. They earn college scholarships, demonstrate high educational and career outcomes, and are active in their communities.

Olive Lovvik has answered the call to drive lasting, impactful change, and her Gold Award is a testament to her remarkable dedication to improving her community and the world.

About the Girl Scout Gold Award

•Gold Award Girl Scouts on average spend one to two years on their project.

•A Gold Award project must be sustainable after the girl’s involvement ends.

•The average age of Gold Award Girl Scouts is 17.

•Since 1916, more than 1 million girls have earned the Gold Award or its equivalent.

•Gold Award Girl Scouts are entitled to enlist at a higher pay grade when they join the military.

•University research indicates that noting you are a Gold Award Girl Scout on a college application is influential in the admissions decision-making process.

•Twelve young women from New Hampshire and Vermont earned their Gold Award so far in the 2025-2026 membership year as part of Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains.

•The Girl Scout Gold Award is the mark of the truly remarkable.

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We are Girl Scouts of the USA, a nonprofit organization dedicated to building girls of courage, confidence, and character.

Girl Scouts discover who they are, tap into the power inside them, and build the confidence to let it shine. Through programs from coast to coast and overseas, girls of all backgrounds and abilities come as they are to explore their passions, meet new challenges, and develop hands-on skills. They find their strengths in science labs and on hiking trails, at cookie booths and in front of city councils. Backed by millions of alums and a network of dedicated adult volunteers and mentors, Girl Scouts drive change to make the world a better place. Along the way, they uncover the tools they need to lead with joy, on their own terms. Join us, volunteer, reconnect, or donate.

Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains serves girls throughout New Hampshire and Vermont through volunteer-run troops, events, and virtual programs. Visit www.girlscoutsgwm.org to learn more.