Gold Award Spotlight: The Doom of Distracted Driving

Samantha, a Girl Scout Ambassador from Chesapeake, has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor and achievement a girl can earn in Girl Scouting.

For her project, Samantha focused on educating people in her community about the dangers of distracted driving. She began her project by conducting research about driving distractions and state laws pertaining to distracted driving. She then put together a PowerPoint presentation that she shared with classes at her school, local Girl Scout and Boy Scout troops, the Grassfield High School PTSA, the staff at a local State Farm office, the Greenbrier DMV and other community members. At the end of each presentation, Samantha invited participants to pledge to drive conscientiously. She also put together baskets with information that she delivered to banks, libraries, YMCAs and other places frequently visited by members of the public. Each participant at Samantha’s presentations received a small token to remind them to drive safely.

“I chose this project because I wanted to warn people of the dire consequences that can result from distracted driving,” Samantha said. “My project impacted not only new drivers, but also drivers who have been on the road for many years.”

In order to ensure that her project has a sustainable impact on the community, Samantha has arranged for the orchestra director at Grassfield High School to share her presentation with his students each year. He will also host discussions about distracted driving with his students.

The Gold Award requires girls to identify an issue in the community and carry out a Take Action project to address the matter through leadership work. Nationwide, less than six percent of eligible Girl Scouts earn the Gold Award, which adds Samantha to an elite group of female leaders across the country with the honor. In 2016, Girl Scouts are celebrating 100 years of girls changing the world during the centennial year of the Girl Scout Gold Award.