The Gold Award — an official recognition of leadership, time management, creativity, initiative, and skill of Girl Scouts — was presented to 23 Bucks County high-schoolers in a May 22 ceremony. The Advance of Bucks County was fired up to report the recognition.

The girls’ works involved individually identifying a community problem, developing a plan to solve it, recruiting a team to take action, and creating a sustainable solution that will carry forward.

“We are proud to recognize and celebrate the 63 inspiring Girl Scouts who have earned the prestigious Gold Award,” stated Kim E. Fraites-Dow, CEO of the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pa., commenting on the region’s total number of honorees. “While this was a year of extreme change and uncertainty, by believing in their own power and voice, these girls persevered through it all and saw their ambitious projects to completion.”

The Bucks County honorees (last names withheld for privacy purposes) are:

• Sabrina A., Holland, for work done with local animal shelters
• Chakrika A., Chalfont, whose welcome boxes brought positivity to children waiting for foster care placement
• Olivia D., Doylestown, who crafted welcome bags for newly adopted shelter animals
• Genevieve E., Yardley. Genevieve’s efforts educated first through sixth graders on environmental responsibility
• Elayna F., Yardley, creator of a mobile library for school children with dyslexia
• Sarah H., Chalfont, builder of an outdoor classroom
• Julia H., Quakertown, for facilitating video farewell messages from high-school seniors to junior classmates
• Zoe K., New Hope. Zoe’s horticultural skills transformed a church playground
• Natalie L., Furlong, who led an Autism-friendly rehab to part of a Montgomery County zoo
• Jane M., Warrington, for creating clean, safe, and enjoyable educational facilities at Nike Park.
• Juliana M., Richboro, whose wreaths brightened hospice patients at Chandler Hall, Newtown
• Chloe M., Doylestown. Local pollinators appreciated her creation of “bee hotels”
• Maura O., New Hope; she worked to resolve neonatal abstinence syndrome, which occurs when babies are born addicted to opioids and experience withdrawal symptoms
• Autumn D., Doylestown. Autumn crafted pet beds for shelter animals
• Kelly S., Holland, whose team renovated a cat rescue center
• Tara S., Yardley, who encouraged STEM education
• Ashley S., Holland; her work provided new storage units at a local church to ease meal prep for the homeless
• Emma S., Yardley; visitors to her “hammock garden” at Tohickon Valley Park will appreciate the comfort she provided
• Taylor S., Churchville. Taylor’s environmental interest resulted in a pollinator garden
• Reagan W., Yardley, whose 12 bat boxes are designed to encourage growth of this helpful species

More on the exemplary work of these local Girl Scouts is at the Advance of Bucks County.