Local Floral Park Teens Earn Prestigious Girl Scout Gold Award

Girl Scouts of Nassau County recently celebrated 55 local Girl Scouts who are members of the 2023 Girl Scout Gold Award class who made a sustainable impact, addressing causes they care about in their communities. Floral Park residents Ella Iannitti and Rebecca Reisig were among 55 Girl Scouts throughout Nassau County who reached this milestone.

“Each of the Girl Scouts who earned their Gold Award this year showed fortitude, diligence and enthusiasm in creating and executing a plan to act on a societal issue. We are very proud and impressed by each of them for reaching their goals and leaving a legacy with their communities,” said Randell Bynum, the CEO of Girl Scouts of Nassau County. “Their dedication is evident and their hard work has touched countless lives. This year, we had Girl Scouts addressing real-life issues such as environmental justice and sustainability, mental and emotional wellness, gender equality in sports, and more. We commend each of them for their important work.”

Girls in grades 9-12 begin their Gold Award journeys by identifying a civic or social issue that holds importance to them. Next, a Girl Scout builds a team to support her project with a mission to create a positive impact in her community. Gold Award projects are coordinated so that they can continue long after girls earn their award by establishing nonprofit organizations, publishing books to be added to school library collections, implementing classroom lessons to be taught for years to come or other initiatives to create lasting change. Through the process, Gold Award Girl Scouts become innovative problem-solvers, empathetic leaders, confident public speakers, and focused project managers, while educating and inspiring others. They learn resourcefulness, tenacity, and decision-making skills, giving them an edge personally and professionally. As they take action to transform their communities, Gold Award Girl Scouts gain tangible skills and prove they’re the leaders our world needs.

For her project, “Needs in the Community,” Ella’s mission was to educate local businesses about how to become more accessible for people with special needs. Ella partnered with Karen Phannemiller, director of special education at a local grammar school, and Maura Gallagher, the Franklin Square School District Superintendent of Schools, and created an Instagram page with inspirational quotes and practical advice from experts in different fields. Ella created fliers and QR codes to give local businesses easy access to her online education program.

Through her project, “Fairy Forest Festival and Scavenger Hunt,” Rebecca sought to bring more visitors to Centennial Gardens in Floral Park. She held a Fairy Forest Festival and Scavenger Hunt at the park to raise awareness of all the park has to offer. Rebecca organized volunteers and 12 stations in the gardens that people could explore with over 400 participants. The scavenger hunt was created to show different parts of the garden and include information about various birds. Her Fairy Forest Festival will continue to be held every year and visitors can participate in her scavenger hunt anytime by accessing a QR code at the front gate of Centennial Gardens.

Girls in grades K–12 can begin their Girl Scout journey at any age. As girls grow with Girl Scouts, they learn hands-on leadership skills they’ll use to make their mark through the Gold Award and beyond. To join or volunteer, visit www.gsnc.org/join.

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We Are Girl Scouts: Girl Scouts bring their dreams to life and work together to build a better world. Through programs in Nassau County, across Long Island and from coast to coast, Girl Scouts of all backgrounds and abilities can be unapologetically themselves as they discover their strengths and rise to meet new challenges—whether they want to climb to the top of a tree or the top of their class, lace up their boots for a hike or advocate for climate justice, or make their first best friends. Backed by trusted adult volunteers, mentors, and millions of alumni, Girl Scouts lead the way as they find their voices and make changes that affect the issues most important to them. To join, volunteer, reconnect, or donate, visit girlscouts.org.