Local Oyster Bay Teens Earn Prestigious Girl Scout Gold Award

OYSTER BAY, NEW YORK (JUNE 2022) — Girl Scouts of Nassau County recently honored Oyster Bay residents Kate Blundin and Joan Olivero for earning their Gold Awards. The Gold Award is the highest and most prestigious award a Girl Scout can achieve, as it recognizes the remarkable dedication she has for improving their community and the world around them. Kate and Joan were presented with their Gold Awards at the Girl Scouts of Nassau County's 2022 Gold Awards Ceremony, joining an elite group of 53 young women from throughout Nassau County who earned the highest honor a Girl Scout can achieve.

“The recipients of this year’s Gold Awards have displayed diligence, compassion and altruism in approaching issues facing their communities,” said Randell Bynum, the chief executive officer of Girl Scouts of Nassau County. “Their efforts have not gone unnoticed in their communities and their impacts will leave an imprint for years to come. I applaud them for addressing topics like social justice, mental health, the environment and more, while putting forth solutions to create a better world.”

The Gold Award program is designated for girls in grades 9-12 and is intended to help girls explore civic and social issues they are passionate about pursuing. The process of earning a Gold Award begins with a Girl Scout identifying a civic or social issue, then drafting a plan to approach the issue and, lastly, partnering with volunteers or community leaders to implement it. The plan implemented needs to be sustainable and reach beyond the Girl Scout’s personal community.

For her Gold Award Project, “NOSHKids,” Kate Blundin taught children about giving back to their community by addressing food insecurity. During the pandemic, multiple food pantries and soup kitchens struggled to keep up with the demand in families seeking assistance. Kate partnered with NOSH, a North Shore Soup Kitchen program that delivers groceries to those in need. She taught children about food insecurity through discussions, presentations, and videos and led an activity through which they wrote notes and made bracelets dedicated to the cause. She also created a YouTube video of her presentation and information about how you can get involved. Kate is an alumna of Lawrenceville School and just finished freshman year at the University of Richmond.

Joan Olivero addressed the issue of e-waste in her Project “Cord Clutter Connection.” She partnered with the Town of Oyster Bay, Best Buy, and ERI National Recycler to educate consumers about the benefits of repurposing electrical cords. Joan hosted a grassroots information and collection center at her local farmer’s market and a town hall to connect members of her community about recycling programs. She made a website with resources highlighting the negative effects of irresponsibly disposing e-waste, the benefits of recycling, and accessible e-waste recycling programs.

Joan’s program will be sustained through Town of Oyster Bay officials and has sparked a discussion in changing the town’s current e-waste sanitation website and pamphlet policy. Joan is a recent graduate of Oyster Bay High School and will attend Northeastern University in the fall.

According to the Girl Scout Research Institute, girls who have achieved their Gold Award, experience greater life success due to a greater sense of self, satisfaction, leadership, life achievements, community service and civic engagement. Gold Award Girl Scouts who enlist in the U.S. Armed Forces may receive a higher pay grade and can receive scholarships or other recognition from most colleges or universities.

For more information about the Girl Scouts of Nassau County and the Gold Award program, visit www.gsnc.org.

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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 leads the way as they find their voices and make changes that affect the issues most important to them. To join us, volunteer, reconnect, or donate, visit girlscouts.org.