Top National Honor Goes to Nassau County Girl Scout

Garden City, NY (October 7, 2015) — Girl Scouts of Nassau County (GSNC) is happy to announce that Julie Kapuvari was selected for one of Girl Scout’s highest honors, and was named by Girl Scouts of the USA as one of the “2015 National Young Women of Distinction,” for her Gold Award project, “Pollination Project: Don’t Bee Afraid, Bee-lieve.” for addressing the issue of Colony Collapse Disorder which affects the honeybee population.

This special honor and designation by Girl Scouts of the USA showcases Julie Kapuvari’s extraordinary leadership over a project that had measureable and sustainable impact and addressed a global issue. Julie is a 2015 graduate of Massapequa High School and was one of only 10 young women nationwide to receive the award.

Kapuvari discovered that since 2006, beekeepers have been experiencing major colony losses of 30% to 90% of their apiaries that were later attributed to Colony Collapse Disorder. This has been directly harming commercial beekeeping and pollination operations. Julie helped address this problem by becoming a beekeeper, conducting presentations for a variety of groups, educating them about the need for bee colonies and pesticide free environments. Julie’s colony is on an organic farm. The colony will contribute to its sustainability and productivity, while the organic farm creates a safe haven for the endangered species.

“Girl Scouts of Nassau County is so happy to have Julie Kapuvari recognized for her work to preserve bee colonies. Helping the public to understand that bees are a key indicator in environmental sustainability is so very important to plants and people.” said Donna Ceravolo, Executive Director and CEO of the Girl Scouts of Nassau County. “We know that Julie will continue her commitment to the environment while attending Cornell this fall.”

Julie Kapuvari received a college scholarship from both the Kappa Delta Foundation and Girl Scouts of the USA. Each generously provided a $5,000 scholarship and to all of the ten National Young Women of Distinction.

This year, Julie received her Gold Award at GSNC’s Ceremony held on June 20, 2015. She will be honored at a national recognition ceremony hosted by Girl Scouts of the USA. She will also be featured in a livestreaming TED Talk–style event with her fellow National Young Women of Distinction. Both the recognition ceremony and livestream will be held on October 7, 2015, in New York.

Earning the Gold Award is just one of the fun and amazing things girls can do as part of Girl Scouts. To join Girl Scouts or learn more about volunteering, please visit: www.girlscouts.org/join.

We’re the Girl Scouts of Nassau County: We’re 27, 000 strong – 27, 000 girls and adults who believe every girl from Nassau County can change the world. It began over 100 years ago with one woman, Juliette Gordon “Daisy” Low, who believed in the power of every girl. Today, we continue her vision of building girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place by helping them discover their inner strength, passion and talents. And with programs in Nassau County, across Long Island and throughout the United States, there’s a chance for every girl to do something amazing. We’re the Girl Scouts. To volunteer, reconnect, donate or join, visit www.gsnc.org or contact Donna Rivera-Downey at 516 741-2550.

About Kappa Delta

Kappa Delta Sorority is a national organization for women with more than 230,000 members, 159 active collegiate chapters, and more than 500 chartered alumnae chapters nationwide. In 2009, the sorority created the Confidence Coalition, an alliance of organizations and companies committed to promoting confidence in girls and women. In 2010, Kappa Delta established International Girls Day to empower girls to reach their potential. It also created International Women’s Friendship Month for women everywhere. Kappa Delta is active in a number of philanthropic endeavors, including the prevention of child abuse and confidence-building programming with Girl Scouts of the USA. Kappa Delta’s national headquarters is in Memphis, Tennessee. For more information, visit www.kappadelta.org.

###