girl scouts of the colonial coast
For her project, Gabriella constructed a greenhouse made entirely of recycled soda bottles at Yorktown Elementary School. Gabriella also made laminated teaching aids for students to use in the greenhouse to help them learn the parts and lifecycle of plants. Teachers at the school will be incorporating the greenhouse and teaching aids into their STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) curriculum for students to have the opportunity to learn in creative, hands-on ways outside of the classroom.
“A teacher at Yorktown Elementary was looking for someone to build a greenhouse at the school to enhance their STEM program,” Gabriella said. “Now, with this outdoor learning space, students will be able to grow plants all year round.”
After completing the greenhouse, Gabriella created a video about how to create a soda bottle greenhouse that she placed online for anyone to use as a guide. She also gave a presentation at the Virginia Living Museum to talk to members of the community about building a soda bottle greenhouse.
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 Gabriella 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.
