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Gold Award Spotlight: Lucy D
Girl Spotlight: Lucy Dwyer
Gold Award Girl Scout
Age 17 | Ambassador Girl Scout | Miami, FL
Bronze Award Girl Scout
What are some of your favorite hobbies?
Lacrosse, collaging, and spending time with my dogs.
In a word, what does it mean to say, "I am a Girl Scout"?
Empowering.
As a senior, what are some of your future plans?
I'm currently exploring my future academic and career interests and looking forward to continuing my education after high school.
What is the title of your project?
Get Outside Girls!
Tell us more about your project and how you completed it.
My Gold Award project, Get Outside Girls!, encourages girls to spend less time on technology and more time outdoors, addressing the effects of excessive screen time by helping girls experience the physical, social, and emotional benefits of outdoor play and exploration.
I built a patch program around five key benefits of spending time outdoors: physical health, connection to nature, socialization, improved well-being, and learning about local flora and fauna. The program includes activities like bike rides, scavenger hunts, obstacle courses, and sensory exploration exercises designed to help girls build confidence, strengthen friendships, and feel their best.
To get the word out, I hosted two phone-free events at Evelyn Greer Park where girls completed patch activities and disconnected from technology together — helping 50 girls earn the patch.
The program lives on through troop leaders who continue promoting it at events like Summer Summit and Girl Fest, and I trained younger Girl Scouts to help lead future activities, so Get Outside Girls! keeps reaching girls long after I leave for college.
Why is this project important to you? What gave you the inspiration to approach this topic the way that you did?
Outdoor play has always been part of my life. Every summer I attend a phone-free sleepaway camp in the woods, and Camp Mahachee has been one of my favorite parts of every year.
As I got older, I realized what made those experiences so special was the combination of being outdoors, playing, and disconnecting from technology. I wanted other girls to feel that same freedom, connection, and joy, so I built a project that helps girls develop healthy habits and a lifelong appreciation for the outdoors.
What was the biggest challenge you faced and how did you overcome it?
One of my biggest challenges was adapting my original plans. I initially wanted to build a low-ropes course at Camp Mahachee, but the space and funding it required made it impractical.
It was hard to let go of that vision, but I replaced it with obstacle course activities that fit right into the patch program, and the girls loved them just as much. I also had to rethink how I measured the program's impact, switching from a long-term activity log to pre- and post-event surveys so I could gather feedback right away. Organizing participants into age-appropriate groups made the experience more engaging for everyone, too.
How does this project contribute to your future goals?
I'm still exploring my career path, but I know I'm passionate about children, play, and the effects of social media. This project let me dig into those interests while building leadership, event planning, and youth engagement experience.
Working on Get Outside Girls! confirmed that I want to keep learning about how play, outdoor experiences, and social connection shape kids' development and well-being.
What did you learn about yourself in the process of completing your project?
I learned how much I love working with children and creating positive experiences for them. Whether at Girl Fest or during patch program events, helping younger girls learn, play, and grow brought me real joy.
I also learned that I'm adaptable and can handle unexpected challenges. When obstacles came up, I found ways to adjust and keep moving. As a young Girl Scout, I admired Gold Award recipients and never imagined I'd earn the award myself one day. Completing this project showed me just how much I can achieve when I commit to something that matters to me.
What did you learn about your community in the process of completing your project?
I learned that a lot of parents want their kids to spend less time on screens and more time outdoors, and that kids genuinely enjoy unplugging when they're given the chance to connect and have fun.
Most of all, I learned how supportive my community is. From Girl Scout staff to parents and volunteers, I had encouragement and help at every stage of the project, which made its success possible.
Has your project received any previous awards or accolades?
My project hasn't received formal awards, but it was featured in my school newspaper, The Panther Paper, which helped spread the word about outdoor play and reducing screen time.
