Girl Scout Troop #30636

The five girls of GSWPA, Girl Scout Troop #30636, earned their Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest recognized award in Girl Scouting, through the development and presentation of a complete elementary educational package that meets the PA Academic Standard for Environment and Ecology 4.2.4 Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources. It includes reviews, worksheets, activities, and vocabulary with in the five lessons that can be taught to ensure that students are able to retain the knowledge needed as set forth by the PA Department of Education. It also includes a companion coloring book entitled Rita Recycle and the Plastic's Posse. The coloring book contains information regarding recycling, characters which were created and hand drawn by each of the scouts, and a story developed to educate regarding the consequences of non-recycling of plastics. It can be used as a stand alone educational piece for short assemblies, environmental fairs, and other public venues where a full educational lesson would not be practical. The Girl Scouts in Troop 30636 each built their own lesson, and developed their own character before converging their creations jointly to create the educational package. They also studied their leadership skills, and utilized their strengths for marketing and development purposes to ensure that the creative, implementation, and financial processes were a success.

They have experienced success with the assistance and nurturing support from Lake Erie Earth Force, the North East Community Foundation, the Miller Foundation. Without organizations such as Earth Force introducing the importance of community action in the environmental realm, these girls would not have had the opportunity for education, guidance and structure that laid the paths for their works and passions. Without financial support from community partnerships, neither Earth Force nor the groups participating in its programming can continue their earth works.