Sugar Land Girl Scout’s Craft Program for Special Needs Children Earns Top Honors

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According to the Girl Scout Research Institute’s (GSRI) report The Power of the Girl Scout Gold Award: Excellence in Leadership and Life, Girl Scout Gold Award recipients receive greater lifetime benefits than their peers with regard to positive sense of self, life satisfaction, leadership, life success, community service and civic engagement thanks to their experience in Girl Scouting, including earning their Gold Award.

Hannah Burnett, a senior at St. Thomas Episcopal High School, has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can achieve. The award recognizes girls in grades nine through 12 who demonstrate extraordinary leadership through sustainable and measurable Take Action projects. Less than five percent of Girl Scouts earn the award.

To earn the award, Burnett hosted a two-week session for children attending summer camp at Special Cheers, a therapy center that treats special needs children. Burnett provided craft activities for children of various ages, needs and skill levels, held a craft drive and created a book of crafts to be used for future camp sessions.

“Leading a team of volunteers while teaching special needs children crafts was challenging but also rewarding,” said Burnett. “Through my project, I learned that being a leader takes patience and understanding.” Burnett aspires to get a master’s degree in education and become a first grade teacher.

To learn more about the Girl Scout Gold Award, which turns 100 this year, visit www.girlscouts.org.