Girl Spotlight: Lauren P., Gold Award Girl Scout
Ambassador Girl Scout
Miami, FL
What are some of your favorite hobbies?
Community service, hanging out with friends, traveling, golf, pickleball, scuba diving, boating, and listening to music.
In a word, what does it mean to say, "I am a Girl Scout"?
Perseverance
What is the title of your project?
Empowering Children and Literacy
Tell us more about your project and how you completed it.
My project addressed the issue of illiteracy and the lack of empowerment children experience. Many children in under-served communities were deprived of books, and gaps in their education were drastically enlarged, especially with the pandemic. My Gold Award project served to combat this by providing children with resources and inspiration. During my project, I hosted book drives through my 501c(3) nonprofit organization, Page by Page book drives. I published my experiences in starting my nonprofit to change the world in a children's book. I wrote, edited, and illustrated the book myself, making it a children's book so that children could be inspired to be the change they want to see in the world, no matter how old they are. By seeing a youth figure who began to change the world around her in second grade, I hope to empower millions of children. I made sure that my book was sustainable by distributing it to one library in each of the fifty states, while also making it available on Amazon worldwide so that anyone can find my journey. I also continued to distribute my book to organizations I have worked with, so I knew my impact could be immediate. I continued my Gold Award by establishing a youth ambassador in each school I have worked with around the country and the world. Schools signed on to choose a new youth ambassador each year to continue the efforts of the book drives each year while also teaching the lessons of my book. Both my training ambassador program and book are sustainable beyond my involvement, and I am so proud to say so. My project was one of the most challenging but rewarding tasks I have ever completed, allowing me to know how many lives I have and will continue to impact through my book, my story, and my efforts.
Why is this project important to you? What gave you the inspiration to approach this topic the way that you did?
This project is incredibly important to me, as I have had a passion for literacy throughout my life. In the past nine years, I have run book drives through my nonprofit. I wanted to approach eradicating illiteracy in a new way that could reach so many more than I could ever imagine, and what better way to do that than Amazon? My inspiration to approach my topic in the manner I did by publishing a book was because of the pandemic and recognizing how hard it was to get books to children at that time. Additionally, so many children can imagine the amazing things they may one day be able to do but don't act on it. That is why I based my book around my story of beginning my nonprofit in just second grade, to give children the sense that they can do anything and have a role model to look up to if need be. Literacy and reading have always been a passion of mine and continue into activities I participate in today, such as speech and debate. Not being able to express oneself is one of the greatest hindrances a person may have and I hope no one has to experience this, yet unfortunately that is not the reality of it. Through the establishment of my ambassador program, the distribution of my book in all fifty states, and the book drives that continue to run, I know that my small steps are making a huge difference in children's lives daily.
What was the biggest challenge you faced and how did you overcome it?
I ran into many obstacles while completing my Gold Award project, some big and some small. The first obstacle I encountered was the amount of editing I had to do to my writing! Things I thought were perfect could always be improved. Another big obstacle was figuring out how to do illustrations affordably. Finding a good publishing company also proved challenging. There were so many out there to choose from, but I wanted to find the right one for me. After much trial and error, I finally found the perfect one.
I overcame these obstacles with persistence, determination, and grit. Service is my passion and I knew that all the work I was putting into this was eventually going to help the people and children of the world. I overcame the editing challenge by taking my time and not rushing. The illustrating obstacle was certainly an issue and I problem-solved by partnering with an app to make pictures that were taken of me look like an illustration. This project allowed me to learn so much.
How does this project contribute to your future goals?
This project contributes greatly to my future goals because it empowered me. I never realized how much I could do at my age – even though I always claim I do – until after this project. After publishing my book, I saw that the sky was the limit, allowing me to gain the inspiration to publish my research paper in the Journal of Literacy and Communication. Because I had published my book, once I wrote my research paper, I persisted and did not give up until it was published. This project was something that challenged me but also reminded me to not give up because sometimes the smallest people can make the biggest changes.
What did you learn about yourself in the process of completing your project?
I learned how powerful I was during this project. Never did I imagine I would be able to publish a book on Amazon, let alone for it to be available worldwide. I am proud to call myself an author and advocate for all those who cannot advocate for themselves. This project demonstrated to me my passion and grit, allowing every venture I had after it to be filled with determination, passion, and resilience. I used communication skills, empathy, active listening, problem-solving, flexibility, creativity, responsibility, and so much more during my project. These are all skills that have helped me greatly today.
What did you learn about your community in the process of completing your project?
In the process of completing my project, I learned that there are multiple sides to every community. There is the side of youth who are eager to learn, and another of youth in need of help from other youth. These sides, among many others, allowed me to see a greater need in my community than I had before, creating a desire in me to help to the best of my ability. I learned that communities are constantly growing, and if we as a society help these communities grow with ideas of empowerment, service, and compassion, we can change generations, create movements, eradicate illiteracy, and change the world for the better. I learned that there will never be an end to my efforts, as I believe everyone deserves the right to read and own books. This is why I am so thankful for how sustainable my project is. No matter where I am, I know I am always helping.
Has your project received previous awards or accolades?
My Gold Award project itself has not, but components of it have when in context with my 501c(3) nonprofit organization, Page by Page. Recently I was honored with the Florida State Youth Advocate Award and The Disney Magic Maker Award. I am also a finalist for the World Literacy Foundation's Contribution to Literacy by a Youth Award. I will find out if I win at the World Literacy Summit at Oxford University in April, where I will also be highlighted as a keynote speaker to demonstrate my work and my research. I have also been recognized by numerous political figures. I am so excited that my work is being recognized. My awards are not the end of my work, but merely the beginning.
