Massapequa Girl Scouts Honored For Earning Gold Award

MASSAPEQUA, NY — The Town of Oyster Bay recently joined with the Girl Scouts of Nassau County to honor Girl Scouts who have achieved their Gold Award.

"We are so proud to honor such distinguished young women. The Gold Award acknowledges the power behind each Girl Scout's dedication to not only bettering herself but committing to make the world a better place for others," said Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino. "These girls identified needs in their communities and took dedicated action to address them. We are so proud to honor Girl Scouts who have achieved the most prestigious award in scouting."

The honorees included:

Ava Fiorello, of Massapequa: Ava's project, "Chess and Unwind," provides a safe environment for people of all ages to play a game of chess outside while also providing an education on the benefits of chess. Her project aimed for people to get outdoors and to challenge themselves to think differently. Her project consisted of a permanent life-size chess set that will continue to be accessible to residents. Additionally, the senior day care center has added chess to their programming to help engage individuals to improve their mental skills.

Eden Price, of Massapequa: Eden educated youth ice hockey players on safety and injury prevention to earn her Gold Award. She researched and presented information to young players along with their parents on common injuries sustained in hockey, how to prevent those injuries and when to seek medical attention. she also designed a pamphlet and created a website to raise awareness on player safety. Northwell Health and Eden's local hockey rink will continue to use her pamphlet at the Town of Oyster Bay's hockey player safety meetings and it will be permanently posted on the bulletin board when you enter the rink.

Julianna McCarthy, of Massapequa: To earn her Gold Award, Julianna McCarthy successfully set up a sensory path hallway in Schwarting Elementary School. Teaming up with an applied behavioral analysis therapist, Julianna researched how different activities can help sooth a child or increase their stimulation to awaken their sensory systems. In doing so, she created a mood regulator path benefiting children with sensory issues, while also remaining open to all students and teachers. She included a description and purpose of each activity along the path and created a packet for the main office to distribute to other school staff. Her sensory path is sustained by the school psychologist and continues to be utilized by the teachers and staff in the building.

Emma Schneider, of North Massapequa: To earn her Gold Award, Emma Schneider tackled the issue of gender inequities in the STEM field. The goal of her project was to address a lack of exposure and gender biases in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math. She aims to create a growing interest in girls to major in STEM fields. Emma produced a documentary series titled "The STEM Station" that educates girls on what STEM is and types of careers that are available. Her channel includes a guide of what courses girls should take and clubs to join in high school to be prepared for a college STEM major. "The STEM Station" is the centerpiece of Emma's Girl Scout Gold Award and the resources will be sustained on YouTube to help more students pursue a career in STEM.