BRIDGEWATER, NJ — A Bridgewater-Raritan High School student has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award after creating a project aimed at making architecture and STEM learning more accessible to children.
Sahana Rajiv, who will enter her senior year at Bridgewater-Raritan High School in September, was honored with the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest achievement in Girl Scouts.
According to the Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey website, Sahana created a tool designed to help young people engage with architecture, design and STEM concepts in a hands-on way.
"For my Gold Award project, I developed a program that introduces children to architecture through hands-on building with LEGO bricks and STEM learning tools," Sahana explained. "This community service initiative was designed to make architecture education more accessible and engaging for young learners."
According to the website, her project included a web-based platform that converts 3D model files into buildable LEGO sculpture instructions.
The site states that the tool gives students a hands-on way to explore complex concepts in a creative format and was intended to help bridge technology and accessibility.
The website also says Sahana built and deployed the platform using Cursor, then led interactive workshops where students learned how the software works and created their own models.
According to the site, participants developed problem-solving skills, explored design thinking and built confidence using technology.
To support the project over time, the website says Sahana donated lesson kits to a local library’s LEGO club, created facilitator and student guides, trained youth volunteers to lead future workshops and produced online tutorial videos.
Her web app remains publicly available.
"I wanted to create something that combined creativity with STEM and made complex ideas feel approachable," she said. "Students can use emerging technology not just for entertainment, but to build meaningful tools that help others learn."
Damian Storey, assistant principal for the Class of 2027 at Bridgewater-Raritan High School, praised the achievement. "This is an amazing accomplishment! Combining software like Cursor with Legos was a great idea."
Sahana also reflected on what the award means to her work in the community.
"Being a Girl Scout means using leadership and creativity to make a meaningful impact on my community," said Sahana. "It’s about identifying a problem, taking initiative, and building a sustainable solution."
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