Three Steamboat Springs Girl Scouts have earned their Gold Award which is the highest honor in Girl Scouts. They are Katherine Knapp, Catherine LaRock, and Jacey LaRock. Details on their projects are below.

 

Press Release from Girl Scouts of Colorado; April 22, 2024

29 Colorado Girl Scouts earn Gold Award, the highest honor in Girl Scouts

 

Girl Scouts make our world a better place by taking action to address issues facing their local communities. There are no better examples of this Girl Scout spirit and resiliency than the 29 Girl Scouts from across Colorado who this year earned the distinction of Gold Award Girl Scout, the highest honor in Girl Scouts. Gold Award Girl Scouts are high school girls who address issues they’re passionate about by planning and implementing a project that produces lasting change in their communities and beyond. They include:

 

• Katherine Knapp, Band Building Blocks, Steamboat Springs – As a musician herself, Katherine noticed an issue in her community with middle schoolers being asked to sign up for band without prior exposure to instruments at school. To address this, she formed a volunteer group of high school musicians who go to the local middle school and introduce various instruments to prospective fifth graders. The program is a success, and the middle school students enjoyed the experience, fostering a positive association with music and encouraging greater participation in high school band.

 

• Catherine LaRock, BLT for the Wilderness, Steamboat Springs – For her project, Catherine developed a program aimed at educating kids in her community on first aid and Leave No Trace principles in the wilderness, recognizing that limited knowledge in these areas often deters outdoor activities. She tackled the issue of access by implementing her outlined curriculum at the local Boys and Girls Club, providing hands-on instruction to fourth graders. Through this initiative, she empowered children with essential skills and knowledge to safely enjoy outdoor adventures while fostering environmental stewardship.

 

• Jacey LaRock, Just Have Confidence, Steamboat Springs – Jacey aimed to tackle the challenges of low self-esteem and confidence among younger children, particularly those who are influenced by unrealistic beauty standards on social media. To address this, she developed and presented a comprehensive curriculum focusing on self-care practices, confidence-building exercises, and the importance of giving and receiving compliments. Her initiative culminated in delivering the program to local fourth graders, and she has provided the curriculum to the school for use in future classes.

 

A Gold Award Girl Scout, no matter her background or ability, learns to tap into the world-changing power within her. She takes the lead in designing and enacting a plan for change and makes a positive impact in her community and beyond.

Gold Award Girl Scouts discover they have the power to create the future they want for themselves and others, and it shows. According to recent research, Gold Award Girl Scouts are significantly more satisfied—with their personal lives and professional careers—than non-Girl Scouts. Eighty-five percent of Gold Award Girl Scouts say that earning their Gold Award gave them skills to succeed in their daily lives, and eighty-seven percent say it gave them skills to help them succeed professionally.

“Gold Award Girl Scouts don’t just change the world for the better, they change it for good—and these Girl Scouts embody everything this achievement stands for,” said Leanna Clark, CEO of Girl Scouts of Colorado. “Each of these young women addressed an issue that’s important to her in order to earn her Gold Award, and she’s grown as a leader in the process. We congratulate each of these Gold Award Girl Scouts on this momentous accomplishment, and I can’t wait to see what they can achieve in the future.”

 

Open only to girls in high school, the Girl Scout Gold Award is the most prestigious award in the world for girls. The Gold Award project involves seven steps: 1. Identify an issue, 2. Investigate it thoroughly, 3. Get help and build a team, 4. Create a plan, 5. Present the plan and gather feedback, 6. Take action, 7. Educate and inspire.

 

Gold Award Girl Scouts become innovative problem solvers, empathetic leaders, confident public speakers, and focused project managers. They learn resourcefulness, tenacity, and decision-making skills, giving them an edge personally and professionally.

 

Changing the world doesn’t end when a Girl Scout earns her Gold Award: 96% of Gold Award Girl Scouts say their experience inspired their ongoing commitment to service or volunteering, and 95% say it made them more responsible members of their communities.

 

You can learn more about these extraordinary young women and their projects on the Girl Scouts of Colorado blog. You have permission to use the photos and biographies of any of the girls listed above in print or online publications. If you would like to interview any of these Girl Scouts about their project and the impact it had, please contact Hannah Gutkind, Girl Scouts of Colorado public relations manager.

 

 

We Are Girl Scouts 

Girl Scouts bring their dreams to life and work together to build a better world. Through programs 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 alums, Girl Scouts lead the way as they find their voices and make changes that affect the issues most important to them. To join us, volunteer, reconnect, or donate, visit girlscoutsofcolorado.org.  

 

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