‘Girl Scouts is not all arts and crafts’

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Hannah Fox wanted to help feed her community.

And for her Girl Scout Gold Award she attempted to do just that.

“My project was based on farm to table,” Fox said. “My main goal was to get fresh food out to my community, and I did so by creating an educational website.”

The website lists the benefits of fresh food, where fresh food can be purchased, and also how to grow food at home. 

Fox receive her award in December.

Fox said her own experiences inspired the project.

“I grew up with fresh food,” she said. “I wanted to be able to give my community what I had.”

To earn the Gold Award scouts must first earn the Silver Award and plan and implement a “Take Action” project that reaches beyond the Girl Scout organization and provides sustainable, lasting benefit to the community. Gold Award Service projects require a minimum of 80 hours of work in planning and actually completing the project. Plans must be developed with the aid of an advisor and the proposal must be approved by the local Girl Scout Council and a final report must be submitted and approved when the project is completed.

Fox’s journey to her Gold Award wasn’t without its issues.

Her project did not get approved at first.

“I had to sit my proposal paperwork,” she said. “Then it was finally approved.”

Fox spent 85 hours working on the project but she said the time was worth it.

“There are many benefits to having your gold award,” she said. “It was a great topic for my college scholarship essays and it was very rewarding to know that I have made an impact in other people’s lives. Even if I didn’t reach my entire community, it was a good feeling to know that I reached some.”

Fox said the hardest part was prioritizing the project over more fun tasks.

“I was very busy with school, volleyball, and other hobbies, so in order to finish I had to make sacrifices in order to make the time to complete it,” Fox said.

Fox said the process taught her that it really does take a support system to complete a project like this.

“Their support is what pushed me to finish,” she said. “Without them I really doubt I would have gotten the award.”

Fox said she looks back on her time in scouts fondly.

“For me, scouting was a way for me to stay in touch with my friends who I didn’t go to school with. We were all very busy, and Girl Scouts allowed us to easily keep in touch with them,” she said. “Girl Scouts is not all arts and crafts. It is about learning new skills, making friendships, and gaining confidence.”