girl scouts of the colonial coast
For her project, Madison created a physical fitness curriculum for children who attended the Chesapeake Parks and Recreation Summer Blast Program. Her goal was to show the children in the program, who ranged in age from six to 12, that physical fitness and exercise can be fun. During each day of Madison’s two-week program, she introduced children to warm up exercises and fitness activities and asked them questions to get them to think about what activities they enjoy most and how they could exercise at home. Her curriculum included themed days, such as Track and Field Tuesday, during which students participated in running relays, long jumps, sprints and other track and field events.
“One third of children in America between the ages of six and 17 do not engage in any form of physical activity,” Madison said. “Children should want to participate in fitness, and learning fun and exciting ways to exercise is just what they need.”
Madison assembled a manual with directions and supply lists for running her program that she donated to Chesapeake Parks and Recreation so that her program can be replicated in the future. She also created pamphlets about the importance of physical fitness for children that she handed out at local elementary schools and daycare centers.
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 Madison 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.
