Local Oyster Bay Area Teens Earn Prestigious Girl Scout Gold Award

Girl Scouts of Nassau County recently celebrated 55 local Girl Scouts who are members of the 2023 Girl Scout Gold Award class who made a sustainable impact, addressing causes they care about in their communities. Oyster Bay, Bayville and East Norwich residents Kate Webster, Kylie Daly and Mariana Panariello were among 55 Girl Scouts throughout Nassau County who reached this milestone.

“Each of the Girl Scouts who earned their Gold Award this year showed fortitude, diligence and enthusiasm in creating and executing a plan to act on a societal issue. We are very proud and impressed by each of them for reaching their goals and leaving a legacy with their communities,” said Randell Bynum, the CEO of Girl Scouts of Nassau County. “Their dedication is evident and their hard work has touched countless lives. This year, we had Girl Scouts addressing real-life issues such as environmental justice and sustainability, mental and emotional wellness, gender equality in sports, and more. We commend each of them for their important work.”

Girls in grades 9-12 begin their Gold Award journeys by identifying a civic or social issue that holds importance to them. Next, a Girl Scout builds a team to support her project with a mission to create a positive impact in her community. Gold Award projects are coordinated so that they can continue long after girls earn their award by establishing nonprofit organizations, publishing books to be added to school library collections, implementing classroom lessons to be taught for years to come or other initiatives to create lasting change. Through the process, Gold Award Girl Scouts become innovative problem-solvers, empathetic leaders, confident public speakers, and focused project managers, while educating and inspiring others. They learn resourcefulness, tenacity, and decision-making skills, giving them an edge personally and professionally. As they take action to transform their communities, Gold Award Girl Scouts gain tangible skills and prove they’re the leaders our world needs.

Through her project, “Benefits of Gardening,” Kate educated children and her community on the benefits of home gardening and composting. She presented information to two summer camps and engaged the campers by having them plant their own tomato or basil plants and decorating kitchen counter compost bins. She had a booth at the Oyster Bay Market and distributed a brochure about her Gold Award project. Kate also created an Instagram page and website to provide information on gardening and how to create a compost pile. Her project is sustained by her website, a composting program at the Boys & Girls Club, and an activities binder donated to the Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary and Audubon Center and her elementary school.

Kylie’s project, “Lifecycle and Importance of a Butterfly,” focused on educating children about butterflies and their role in the environment. She created a butterfly garden as a fun activity for preschool children to learn about the butterfly lifecycle and the role of a butterfly in the ecosystem. Kylie also created an educational packet that teaches preschool children how butterflies develop from larvae to butterflies and the importance of pollination and respecting the environment. The preschool at the YMCA agreed to maintain the garden in the future and to incorporate the project into its yearly curriculum.

Mariana sought to raise awareness of children struggling with stress caused by real-life problems. Through her project, “Yoga and Mindful Breathing with Mariana,” she taught children how to practice yoga and mindful breathing to relax. She also shed light on the importance of yoga breathing patterns while teaching at local Town of Oyster Bay (TOBAY) parks during the TOBAY Recreation Program. Mariana partnered with her yoga instructor to create brochures for her students containing yoga poses, which they eagerly showed their family and friends, solidifying the sustainability of the project.

Girls in grades K-12 can begin their Girl Scout journey at any age. As girls grow with Girl Scouts, they learn hands-on leadership skills they’ll use to make their mark through the Gold Award and beyond. To join or volunteer, visit www.gsnc.org/join.

###

We Are Girl Scouts: Girl Scouts bring their dreams to life and work together to build a better world. Through programs in Nassau County, across Long Island and from coast to coast, Girl Scouts of all backgrounds and abilities can be unapologetically themselves as they discover their strengths and rise to meet new challenges—whether they want to climb to the top of a tree or the top of their class, lace up their boots for a hike or advocate for climate justice, or make their first best friends. Backed by trusted adult volunteers, mentors, and millions of alumni, Girl Scouts lead the way as they find their voices and make changes that affect the issues most important to them. To join, volunteer, reconnect, or donate, visit girlscouts.org.