Shruti, a high school senior from Lexington, earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, through her project, “Speak Up!” to help youth find and raise their voices by enhancing the public speaking capabilities of students internationally. Through online and in person camps, workshops, and classes, Shruti led global teams of teachers in creating and teaching robust curriculums for an international audience to develop public speaking, confidence, and argumentation abilities. Shruti’s classes covered topics such as introduction to debate, persuasion tactics, opinion-based writing, and speech delivery; and reached over 300 students from primarily underprivileged backgrounds.

When asked about the most successful part of “Speak Up!,” Shruti reflected by admiring her “students’ development from hardly stringing a sentence together without stuttering due to a lack of confidence, to giving highly persuasive, 5+ minute speeches on issues surrounding their communities and families.”

Earning a Gold Award is the highest honor in Girl Scouts that will be with a Girl Scout for the rest of their life, making them stand out on college applications, in applying for internships, and engaging in job interviews. Girl Scouts are eligible to earn the Gold Award in grades 9-12 after completing two Senior or Ambassador leadership Journeys. To start, a Girl Scout identifies an issue in their community, drafts a plan to address a root cause, and leads a team of volunteers to implement it, requiring a minimum of 80 hours of service. No matter the project, when a Girl Scout’s Gold Award is complete, they will have made a sustainable impact on the world that continues beyond their involvement.

Gold Award Girl Scouts don’t wait for permission, they take immediate action and make change happen, on their own terms. Become a champion of change for Girl Scouts like Shruti and donate today.