2017 Highest Awards Celebration Program

On May 22, 2017, the Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast celebrated 100 years of Girl Scouting in Southeastern Wisconsin, supporting the mission of building girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place. We look back and reflect on our founder Juliette Gordon Low’s belief in the power of every girl. And we look ahead to identify the best ways to reach girls, keeping them challenged, informed, and entertained. Fueled by the energy and enthusiasm of girls, GSWISE looks forward to the next 100 years.

Program of Events
Opening Flag Ceremony

Welcome

Award Presentations

GSWISE Young Women of Distinction

Closing

Acknowledgements
Many thanks to the Girl Scout Highest Awards Mentor Committee for your ongoing dedication and support.
 * Karen Bitzan
 * Jennifer Brown
 * Amanda Christensen
 * Audrey Edwards
 * Jacquie Gozdowiak
 * Sarah Halstead
 * Heather Hjortnaes
 * Kimberly Newman
 * Penny O’Donahue-Darling
 * Linda Spaulding
 * Alicia Staab
 * Margaret Sutton
 * Dona Turner
 * Amy Zimmerman

Girl Scout Gold Award
The Girl Scout Gold Award is the highest girl achievement in Girl Scouting. Throughout the years, Girl Scout Seniors and Ambassadors (Grades 9-12) earning their Girl Scout Gold Award are challenged to complete a variety of requirements and carry out a project that meets an expressed need in the community. This award symbolizes outstanding accomplishments in leadership development, project planning, and advocating for others.

Sydney Budelier ● Troop 2713
Take it from the Top

“Through this project, I learned that if I put my mind to it, I can tackle any big project by breaking it down into small pieces. Some leadership skills I learned were talking in front of audiences, coordinating, organizing, instructing, and directing. If I could start the project over, the few things I would change is I would start the project earlier, and be more organized as I went along.”

Sydney noticed most of her dance studio was made up of females and because dance is primarily marketed to girls, young boys had the perception that dance was not for them. So Sydney incorporated dance into the Boy Scout program by submitting a Dance Merit Badge. She also created, directed, and hosted an annual Cub Scout hip-hop dance class for her community where the boys earned a fun patch. In addition, she offered a hip-hop class for elementary school boys in the Waukesha and Kettle Moraine school districts. Studio One Dance Company will continue to offer the dance class for the future utilizing the resources Sydney provided.

Bridget Dalton ● Troop 4522
Ronald McDonald’s Board Game Wonderland

“The biggest thing I learned about being a leader is flexibility. When working on a big project like the Gold Award, problems are bound to occur. Whether it be schedule conflicts, construction issues, or legal approvals, as a leader you need to know how to examine the problem, find a solution, and keep going even when you want to give up. Staying positive can really help you and your team to persevere.”

Bridget’s project addressed the needs of family members staying at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin who deal with the trauma of a sick or injured child. Her goal was to help families at the Ronald McDonald House enjoy quality time together while enduring a great deal of stress. Bridget created a scavenger hunt in English and Spanish that helped orient the families to the important features of the Ronald McDonald House. She also designed and decorated a permanent space in the house, incorporating board games to offer a pleasant distraction for families. She created an inventory of board games for the facility and her project will be sustained by volunteers.

Frances Dobbs ● Individual Member
The Things We Take for Granted

“I now have a greater ambition to tackle the greater problems that face the world. I have learned about solidarity and how everyone in the world should work together to tackle issues. I developed a passion for promoting diversity in our world. After my experience in Rwanda, I understood the concept of having a voice in the world. I have the power to advocate for them and raise awareness for them in my own community.”

Learning that many children in Rwanda do not have sufficient materials to learn, Frances created a library at the Amahoro Children’s School to help the children improve their English language skills. She started by writing a pamphlet listing acceptable books for donation. Frances gave many presentations in her community, educating them on the extent of poverty plaguing African countries. This resulted in donations of approximately 1,100 books for the library. Frances traveled to Rwanda to organize the shelves, set up pillows to create comfortable reading spaces, and displayed educational posters throughout the space.

Stephanie Gall ● Troop 1685
Pavilion

“I developed many relationships, learned communication skills, and used my leadership skills. I learned how to address issues and solve them. I also learned how to get others involved and interested in helping me complete my mission. People from all over the campground and my community got together to make this happen. It’s just amazing how giving and helpful everyone can be. Everyone that I approached seemed very willing to help me accomplish my goal.”

Over several years, Stephanie noticed a decrease in campers participating in activities at the Lazy Days Campground. Her project focused on improving family bonding by creating a multigenerational area at the facility. Prior to her project the campground didn’t offer a safe environment for activities, including an accessible stairway. Stephanie built a pavilion structure and fire pit that accommodates all people, including older adults and campers with disabilities, allowing everyone to participate in camp activities. She hosted events utilizing the pavilion and fire pit and refurbished a miniature golf course as another area for families to gather.

Maria Korth ● Troop 9310
Mia the Molar

“I learned to manage large groups and even small groups, and how to take charge and be a leader. I learned how to work as part of a team and be more organized. I am most proud of the experiments with the children because they seemed to be interested and learned a lot from them. I believe I have inspired the kids to want to take better care of their teeth and help to reduce the number of dental problems among children.”

Maria’s project addressed the issue of poor dental hygiene among children. She taught a 3rd grade class about proper dental hygiene and the importance of taking care of adult teeth once baby teeth fall out. She prepared a PowerPoint presentation and facilitated experiments in the class showing what can happen to children’s teeth when they consume too many sugary foods and beverages or smoke cigarettes. Maria created an activity book for the school and included the experiment instructions on a CD for the 1st-3rd grade teachers to include in their personal hygiene lesson plan for years to come.

Laura Kregel ● Troop 4116
Reading Room and Book Club “I can make a difference in the lives of those around me even if at the time I think that my idea is small. For the reading room to look the way I had envisioned it, I needed to lead a team to help accomplish that goal. I developed my leadership skills and my organizational skills. The positive feedback I received from members of the Boys and Girls Club and my community was the most successful part because it let me know that my project is appreciated.”

Reading has always been a big part of Laura’s life. When the Boys and Girls Club in Hartford expressed a need for a new reading room, she knew exactly how she could help. Laura understood the negative impact of low literacy levels in children on a community so she began giving presentations and distributing flyers. With the help of her team, the reading room was completed with new bookshelves, chairs, rugs, a chalkboard, and, of course, books. Bringing attention to the new space, Laura planned and hosted book clubs at the facility where children enjoyed activities and learned that reading can be fun. The reading room, along with the book club, inspired children to enjoy reading as much as she does.

Natalie Lall ● Troop 7224
Gazebo that Guides

“I learned so much about working with people, networking, and the amount of behind the scenes work that people normally do not think of. I learned how to better take charge of situations that I did not feel the most comfortable in. I learned that I have a passion for working with less fortunate members of my community and that I have the power to make a difference in their lives. Several youth in my community told me that that my gazebo has inspired them to do more for the community.”

Natalie designed a project that would provide a space for outdoor education and reflection for the Kenosha community. After conducting a survey and applying for a permit, Natalie built a gazebo with a team of volunteers at the ELCA Outreach Center. In addition, she created an informational booklet teaching clients at the center how to pray/meditate and led a Bible Study session utilizing the new resources she created. The ELCA Outreach Center will keep up with maintenance and will utilize the gazebo to conduct GED classes, host Bible studies, and preserve the garden.

Rachel LeClaire ● Individual Member
Education Evolving in the Environment

“I developed delegation skills while building the garden beds. The physical labor of the task required many helpers and I could delegate work to each helper quite efficiently. I learned that brainstorming with others can help me achieve a task rather than simply figuring out all the information by myself. I discovered that I have the ability to persuade people to change their mind, particularly with convincing the school to allow benches. I realized that by working hard and presenting it effectively, I could change their minds.”

With the exception of a few chapters in Junior Year Biology, Rachel’s school did not offer any classes solely dedicated to environmental science. To resolve this, Rachel created an outdoor classroom in the school’s courtyard along with environmental science curriculum. Her hope was that this would encourage teachers to incorporate environmental science into their classes. The curriculum was developed with several different topics and activities. Rachel built garden beds and provided supplies for teachers so students could take a more hands-on approach to their learning. Biology teachers at the school are now incorporating her lesson plans into their classes.

Alexandra Mazurkiewicz ● Troop 4014
Project Bat House Muskego

“I greatly increased my leadership skills during this project, it was most apparent when I instructed people on how to build a bat house step-by-step. I learned new skills in communication and woodworking and that I can be a good leader and mentor, even though I didn’t realize it right away. I developed critical thinking skills when I had to calculate the amount of wood I would need to make the houses, as well as how to fix a step in my bat house plans. I felt more connected with my community when I discussed my plans with the city forester and when I requested help from my classmates at school.”

Alexandra was concerned about the threatened bat species being wiped out throughout Wisconsin due to white nose syndrome. She took the opportunity to educate her community to increase their population by building special bat houses. These houses prevent moisture from allowing white nose syndrome to spread and provide places for bats to nest and reproduce, growing populations back to their natural state. She also educated her community on native species and saw the impact of her efforts when volunteers involved in her project shared what they learned with others. The school board has expressed interest in expanding her project for the future.

Lauren Mossman ● Troop 7224
Planting Native Plant Species at Pringle Nature Center

“While doing my Gold Award, I came to appreciate all the other Gold Award recipients that came before me. I know that they had to be truly dedicated to their root issue and wanted to make a difference in the world. By achieving my Girl Scout Gold Award, I learned how to present myself as a confident person. This helped me receive donations because people saw me as someone who was committed and would get the job done.”

When visiting Pringle Nature Center, Lauren saw that the landscape surrounding the main building

was filled with invasive species. Being aware of the negative impact of invasive species, she constructed a living example of a Midwest native species garden including plant signage. She developed and facilitated educational activities focusing on the importance of native species which she made available for the naturalist at the nature center to continue to utilize with various youth groups. Lauren also created a brochure describing the differences between invasive and native species that is available for all guests at the nature center and at local nurseries. The native species landscape will continue to be managed by the Friends of Pringle Nature Center.

Jennifer Schroll ● Troop 2789
Girls Night in the Shop

“There are a lot of girls that are interested in the machine shop, but they never had the opportunity or they never knew it was an opportunity to get involved. By opening shop classes I can get girls to start thinking about career options and to give girls who have thought about it, an option to try it out in a comfortable, judgement-free area. The most successful aspect of my project was the excitement that the girls got from their projects and the way they started to feel empowered by their new-found skills.”

Jennifer noticed there was an overwhelming ratio of males to females involved in classes utilizing the machine shop at her school in Oconomowoc. This was creating a large obstacle for girls to explore their interest in these activities. To combat the issue and expose more girls to basic machine shop skills and STEM careers, Jennifer designed a multi-night course allowing girls to complete projects in the machine shop. To create awareness about her class she created a presentation, videos, made announcements, and placed posters around her school. Jennifer’s class focused on how the machine functions and how to use it safely. During the class, girls learned basic skills on the lathe, bandsaw, MIG welder, and mill while making multiple projects led by her school’s robotics team and other upperclassmen.

Miranda Spindt ● Troop 2854
Healthy Water, Healthy Life

“I feel the most important thing I gained was perspective. These missions help me understand that not everyone in the world has access to basic needs like shelter, food, and clean water. I can’t help but come home and be more grateful for what I do have and be inspired to do more for those that don’t. I’m hoping that the overall health of the community will improve over time and less long term complications of water and food borne illnesses will be seen.”

Inspired by her church medical mission, Miranda educated the community Paita in Peru about the need for safe drinking water and provided much needed resources. People in the settlements drill holes into pipes to obtain more water than is rationed by their government which can lead to contamination. Patients seen at the mission clinic were provided with a pamphlet that Miranda created explaining how to recognize symptoms of different kinds of water and food borne illnesses common to the area. It also reviewed good hygiene and shared ways to clean water without a filter. Miranda assembled and distributed 50 gravity fed purification filters for the local settlements and taught the Peruvian families who received the first round of filters about use and maintenance.

Girl Scout Silver Award
The Girl Scout Silver Award is the highest award that can be earned by Girl Scout Cadettes (Grades 6-8). This award represents a girl’s accomplishments in Girl Scouting and her community as she grows and works to improve her skills while improving the lives of others. By earning this award, she has demonstrated that she is a person of character and capable of devoting herself to a worthy task.

Troop 1032 ● Emily Kurszewsi, Gabriella Sutherland
Throws for Tails

Emily and Gabriella made 35 blankets for Brentwood Animal Clinic’s dogs and cat cages so pets and stray animals could be comforted when they came into the facility for treatment. The clinic displayed some of the blankets to inspire others to make more.

Troop 1050 ● Ava Beisenstein, Catherine Fink
Helping Women and Children Who Are Victims of Domestic Abuse

Raising awareness about domestic abuse, Ava and Catherine organized multiple drives and inspired hundreds of donations for Sojourner Family Peace Center in Milwaukee. Donations included personal items, daily necessities, and items for women and children. They also created an activity book for the children at the center

Troop 1185 ● Gianna Houston
Little Cuties

Giana made and sold pet ornaments and baked goods to raise money that helped spay two rabbits and provided food for ten other animals at K&R. She also advocated for small animal foster care and adoption in Wauwatosa schools and Great Lakes Expo at Wisconsin State Fair Park.

Troop 1253 ● Anna Becker, Ella Drzadinski, Tori Frank, Veronica Huot, Ellen Killoran, Kellyn Singer, Naomi Voglewede, Rebecca Zelten
 St. Alphonsus Gaga Ball Pit and Benches

Troop 1253 built a gaga ball pit at St. Alphonsus Catholic School to provide older children with more playground equipment and an opportunity to get kids active at recess. They thought that giving kids something new to play with would help them go back to class revitalized and ready to learn.

Troop 1397 ● Genevieve Gottlieb, Emma Moran, Charlotte Quehl, Fiona Sook, Savannah Wood
Activity Award for Silver Spring Neighborhood

The girls in Troop 1397 identified that the Silver Spring Neighborhood Center had little resources. As fellow members of the community, they worked with the center to make a reversible chalkboard and Velcro board that can be hung on a classroom wall to help preschoolers learn their shapes, colors, and letters.

Troop 1397 ● Mira Ahrenhoerster, Emily Henley, Ella Kattman, Abigail Lim, Eve Nersesian, Ella Patty, Lauren Reichert
 Water Bottle Filling Station

Troop 1397 reduced plastic water bottle usage and improved access to low-cost water by installing a water bottle filling station at Whitefish Bay Middle School, providing a sustainable source of clean water. They educated younger students about the importance of reducing the use of plastics and conserving water and influenced the WFB Civic Foundation to provide a 2nd water station.

Troop 1497 ● Lucy Pyne, Elizabeth Wal
Environmental Career and Fun Day

Lucy and Elizabeth are very interested in the preservation of our environment so they teamed up with others to plan and host an Environmental Career and Fun Day afterschool event. Through games and activities, they taught the children about the environment, its dangers, how they can help, and picked up trash alone the shoreline of Lake Michigan.

Troop 2006 ● Hailey Gudynowski, Victoria Mazurkiewicz
Home Alone?! Staying Safe While Having Fun!

Hailey and Victoria planned and led an activity session for kids to learn about staying safe and having fun while being home alone. During this session, they taught children various activities and held an information circle to talk about different scenarios and what to do in certain situations.

Troop 2006 ● Trinity Slavik
Sewing for Milwaukee

Trinity combined her love for sewing and wanting to help her community to produce multiple pillow case dresses for those in need in the Milwaukee area. She contacted Sheraton Hotels and received donations of pillow cases to help her carry out her project.

Troop 2080 ● Ariana Nichols, Lauren Young
St. Boniface Food Pantry Cart

Ariana and Lauren built a food cart for the St. Boniface Food Pantry. The cart will help the food pantry with organizing and storing food. They were inspired to help after visiting the food pantry and seeing their need for a new cart.

Troop 2080 ● Jaime Mohs, Sydney Staab
What to do When You Find a Stray

Jamie and Sydney made a video for the Washington Humane Society that depicts what to do when you find a stray dog. The girls also shared their video through YouTube and Facebook. They chose this project because they both love animals and wanted to provide a tool that the humane society can continually utilize.

Troop 2130 ● Genna Rynders
No-Kill Humane Societies

Genna educated the community on the benefits of supporting no-kill animal shelters. She provided a list of ways and opportunities for people to get involved, such as making cat and dog toys, and created a donation box where she collected hundreds of donated items from the group’s wish list.

Troop 2156 ● Cassidy Nowicki, Brittney Tran
Big Bend Art Stools

Cassidy and Brittney planned and executed a beautification project at Big Bend Elementary. They designed, painted, and sealed the tops of 36 stools in the art rooms which will benefit 400 students a year at the school. All of the materials for their project were received through donations.

Troop 2195 ● Kallie Forward, Katie Papador, Gabriella Ramsey, Krithika Senthil
Hope House Help

Kallie, Katie, Gabriella, and Krithika organized a hygiene product drive for Hope House, an organization that helps people find housing, work, and education opportunities. They collected the products after canvasing their neighborhood with flyers and bags placed on doors and presenting to their local church. Their project taught them the value of leadership, teamwork, and helping those in need.

=== Troop 2195 ● Emily Gatzow, Caya Myles, Megan Riesenberg === Hope Network Collection

Emily, Caya, and Megan brought awareness to the Hope Network to help single mothers and their children. They created and distributed flyers and bags placed on doors in their neighborhood collecting items such as clothes, blankets, and toys for families in need. They also organized items at the Hope Network facility.

=== Troop 2246 ● Grace Buth, Alexis Lofy, Isabella Nielsen, Emma Stueland, Grace Willer === Reorganize the Costume Room

Troop 2246 helped make their school’s costume room more useable by reorganizing all of the costumes, placing signs to assist others in storing costumes appropriately, and by optimizing space on the storage racks and creating more storage. They also took pictures of all the costumes to catalogue the inventory for the future.

=== '''Troop 2280 ● Allie Davies, Skyler Hastings, Delaney Hennes, Emma Joecks, Martina McGrath, Holly Miller, Emily Pillow, Marguerite Rick, Morgan Schwulst''' === Contractor

Troop 2280 built a wheelchair assessable bridge at their local park with the help of their families and the Richfield Historical Society. First they prepped for concrete foundation blocks, then sleepers were fastened, decking was attached, and then it was painted. The bridge provides people a better avenue from the Mill House to the Lillicrapp Welcome Center.

=== Troop 2296 ● Emily Berger, Madison Luppnow, Janvi Malik === Teen Hangout Area

After talking with the Women’s Center manager, Emily, Madison, and Janvi learned that many teenagers visiting the center don’t have a place for themselves since much of the children’s spaces are dedicated to younger age levels. They created a teen reading nook giving teens a space to relax, read, draw, color, or write stories at the center.

=== Troop 2232 ● Bailey Schultz === Harvesting for the Hungry

Bailey grew and harvested a vegetable garden which included prepping the land to serve as her garden, planting, weeding, harvesting, and finally taking the produce to the West Bend Food Pantry. Her garden has helped families in her community by providing healthy food while teaching her responsibility and time management.

Troop 2323 ● Charlotte Bergman, Alexis Scheel, Sierra Tetzlaff

Welcome Home Baskets

Charlotte, Alexis, and Sierra provided welcome home baskets to low income homeowners and veterans selected by Rebuilding Together. The baskets included cleaning supplies, artwork created by Girl Scouts, and Girl Scout cookies. The homeowners benefitted from their project through the sharing of friendship and a sense of community.

Troop 2466 ● Megan Wallenfang

American Legion Flag Disposal Box

Megan created a flag drop box where the community can bring worn out flags to be properly retired. She received donations and educated the public about the flag drop box through a rededication ceremony. The American Legion will use the disposal box for years to come to ensure flags are retired properly and to teach the community about proper flag disposal.

Troop 2466 ● Kristina Harms, Alexis Rebholz

Little Free Library

Kristina and Alexis created and installed a Little Free Library in their town of Pewaukee to promote literacy and enthusiasm for reading and give additional options for accessing books beyond their public library. They involved the Pewaukee Area Historical Society and their families in their project.

Troop 2483 ● Emily Frederick, McKenzie Lange, Anna Wawrzyn

Library Fun

Emily, McKenzie, and Anna planned and built a Little Free Library. They chose their project to provide children and adults with a convenient way to access books. The hope is that their project will encourage people in the community to enjoy reading. They organized a badge burst to help fund their project.

Troop 2557 ● Jessica Endries, Monica Miller, Angelina Pieters, Naomi Schliepp, Molly Shields, Ashlyn Wolmer

St. Agnes Birdhouse Library

Troop 2557’s project helped celebrate the centennial of St. Agnes Parish and School. They installed a birdhouse library near the property’s flower beds and benches for the children in the community. They also purchased a centennial brick and placed the brick directly under their library to showcase their contribution.

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Troop 2756 ● Winnie Pearson

Birdhouses for Virginia Highlands Health & Rehab Facility

Hoping to brighten the lives of the residents at the Senior Home at Virginia Highland, Winnie made ten bird houses that she painted with many different colors and patterns. The bird houses were hung at the facility outside the residents’ windows on shepherd hooks, which she secured through donations from local nurseries.

Troop 2762 ● Alyssa Labs

Stocking Stuffer for Hepatha

Wanting to do something with her church, Alyssa gave stockings to Hepatha Lutheran Church in Milwaukee. She provided Christmas stockings, including toys, fruit, and a small gift such as lotion or a book, for children in need. The stockings were themed for girls, boys, and Alyssa also included some gender-neutral options.

Troop 2873 ● Julia Dianich, Sophia Knudsen, Haley Konobrodski, Andrea Samuels

Toys for Jeannie’s House

Julia, Sophia, Haley, and Andrea cut, sanded, painted, and mod-podged several lacing boards and educational blocks in Spanish for Jeannie’s House of Joyful Noise which houses educational toys for children in Guatemala. Their projects were shipped with their church mission trip and delivered to the facility for children to play with.

Troop 2953 ● Allison Gundrum

Beach Little Library

Allison selected a little library for her project to help families read more books when they go to the beach. She drew up the plans, painted the door, and nailed the wood together. Her little library helped the Village of Slinger by making the park more family friendly and by providing access to books.

Troop 2983 ● Kyah Bratz, Taylor Dahl, Ashley Fenton, Jordyn Hanacik, Mollie Kellenberger, McKenna Krueger, Emma Kureck, Jessica Preisler, Olivia Schaul, Alivia Windisch, Zoe Zamiatala

Stone Bank School Music Hallway Project

Troop 2983 worked all year to determine a great project to leave Stone Bank School better than they found it. The girls used leadership skills and worked with school officials to make the music hall a more appealing, functional place for students, teachers, and visitors. They created a musical mural and added safe hooks for people to use.

Troop 3020 ● Nicole Derse, Emma Maurer

All I Have in One Bag

Nicole and Emma found it shocking that in Milwaukee more than 80 foster children move out of their homes every month using garbage bags as luggage. Partnering with SaintA’s the girls acquired 356 duffle bags that will be distributed to people in their program. To get the word out, they created a flyer and posted on social media.

Troop 3020 ● Kennedy Ellis, Lindsay Williams, Kamille Montgomery

How to Take Care of Animals Coloring Book

Kennedy, Lindsay, and Kamille feel very saddened by animal abuse so they made 100 coloring books depicting how to treat animals properly through pictures and text. The coloring books were shared with K5-1st grade elementary students at their local school. They girls also connected with their humane society.

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Troop 3020 ● Leighton Kennedy, Michelle Markuson, Suzy Muldowney, Lizzie Gist

LGBTQ+ Information Packet

Leighton, Michelle, Suzy, and Lizzie had a goal to educate and promote the acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community and address the lack of curriculum and clubs being offered at their school. They made four educational booklets covering eight different topics which were made available in the guidance counselor office for students seeking information or support.

Troop 3020 ● Grace Blunck, Elissiah Wittbrot

Love from Girls to Girls

Grace and Elissiah made welcoming bags for girls their age at the House of Love Youth Homes. When they arrived, girls received a bag which included hygiene products and basic items to make them feel special and welcomed into their new temporary home during a difficult time in their lives.

Troop 3032 ● Maria Serrano, Kathryn Williams

Recycle the Present. Save the Future!

Believing strongly that recycling is very important, Maria and Kathryn optimized recycling at Longfellow Middle School by raising student awareness. After speaking with the school, they got students involved and created posters for every classroom that the school will use every year. They also created a slideshow to reinforce what the students learned.

Troop 3032 ● Brenna Powers

Seeds for Health

Brenna created a project to increase the amount of fresh food available to people in poverty. She made flyers with seed packs attached to them and gave presentations to spread the word. The flyer listed all the food pantries that accept fresh produce while the seeds gave the recipients a chance to grow fresh produce for the pantries.

Troop 3051 ● McKenna Gonyer, Emily Koch, Emma Levra, Isabella Swirth, Rose Towey, Olivia Wetley

Warm Winter Welcome

McKenna, Emily, Emma, Isabella, Rose, and Olivia recognized that many people don’t have the proper clothes to keep them warm through the winter months so they made 23 scarves and ten blankets for Penfield Children’s Center. They also collected many hats, gloves, and additional scarves for donation.

Troop 3206 ● Rowan Hildebrandt

Save the Bats

Rowan discovered bats were declining in numbers so she devised a plan for getting the community involved in helping them. She developed a program that addressed fears, reasons for declining numbers, the importance of bats, and how the community could help. She also gave out bat house plans and made bat house examples.

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Troop 3242 ● Clare Kunschke

The Cookie Hunt

Clare created nine geocaches relating to Girl Scout cookies and planted them in various parks, encouraging children to visit parks more often and find pleasure in geocaching and the outdoors. The cookie caches also helped the community celebrate 100 years of Girl Scouts selling cookies.

Troop 4353 ● Katherine Pendowski, Morgan Rogacki, Haley Wehr

Operation Christmas Child

Katherine, Morgan, and Haley sent more than 1,000 Christmas themed shoeboxes to less fortunate children in other countries. The boxes were filled with both necessities and fun items. The girls helped organize and lead a packing event, securing 170 volunteers to pack all the shoeboxes.

Troop 4472 and Individual Member ● Anna Andler, Emma Andler, Brooke Wood

Book Buddies

Anna, Emma, and Brooke shared in their caring of pets. After speaking with local animal shelters, they decided to start the Book Buddies program where children are encouraged to read to cats. This assists the children with public speaking skills while socializing the animals for faster adoption.

Troop 4472 ● Kayla Andler, Hadley Borchert, Julia Fischer, Lorena Marrari, Ella Pellegrino, Hailey Richards, Abby Savatski, Isabelle Stark

Book Swap and Book Drive

Troop 4472 planned and led a book swap and drive to provide books to children in need. They promoted the swap and drive to families at their school, encouraging age level appropriate books that were donated to Family Promise.

Troop 4580 ● Katelyn Amen, Faith Holland

Every Dog Deserves a Home

Katelyn and Faith collected materials to make dog toys and leashes and they worked with JR’s Pups-N-Stuff rescue center to encourage adopting and fostering animals. On adoption days the girls gave presentations to dog owners encouraging them to spay and neuter their pets in an effort to decrease overpopulation.

Troop 4580 ● Kylie Bilello, Olivia Hoffman

Fleece 4 Hearts

Kylie and Olivia met many families at the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin who rarely ventured beyond the hospital walls. Wanting to provide these families with extra joy during the holidays, they involved their community and sent 35 Christmas gift bags filled with blankets and toys to the children in Cardiac ICU.

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Troop 5900 ● Jaisyn Daher

Pet Adoption and Donation Drive

Jaisyn connected her passion for animals and love for helping others by creating an event to help the Kenosha Humane Society. She advocated to get more dogs adopted and she collected so many donated items they almost didn’t fit in the bed of their truck for delivery.

Troop 8617 ● Maizie Salinas

Homework Helpers

Maizie planned and led a homework helping group to help children better understand and complete their assignments. Middle school students were recruited and received training to mentor elementary school students.

Troop 9178 ● Jakyla Crump, Kennedy Martin

Blankets on Wheels

To ease the lives of others, Jakyla and Kennedy provided children with disabilities 12 special handmade blankets that could be placed over their wheelchairs and not get caught in the wheels. The blankets were intended for use in the winter to help keep the children warm.

Troop 9178 ● India Carrasquillo, Sidney Thomas, Trinity Wilhoit

Ease Way Project

India, Sidney, and Trinity worked to bring Mahone Middle School, Indian Trail Daycare, two YMCAs, Cicchini Asphalt LLC, and Kenosha Unified School District together to provide a safe passage between neighboring properties. The Ease Way path connects the YMCA with a 10-yard asphalt walkway benefiting the entire Kenosha community.

Troop 9422 ● Kandelara Arnold

Breathe Green

After a fire at her school, Kandelara was concerned about indoor air quality. She set up booths at school functions to educate others on the effects of indoor air pollution on their health and learning potential. She educated others on appropriate products and using plants to detoxify the air.