Lauren Rodriguez receives Gold Award

The 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. East Meadow resident Lauren Rodriguez was among the 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,” said Randell Bynum, the CEO of Girl Scouts of Nassau County. “We are very proud and impressed by each of them for reaching their goals and leaving a legacy with their communities. 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, “Girl Code: Encouraging Girls to Code One Click at a Time,” Rodriguez worked to address the lack of women in the tech field by teaching girls from kindergarten to fifth grade how to code. She held virtual and in-person coding workshops where girls were taught basic coding terminology and the history of women in programming. They then completed their own coding project. Her project is sustained by the STEM club at her high school, where members use her guides to host coding workshops. Her resources can be accessed through her website and her Instagram page to find information and a lesson guide about teaching your own coding workshops

Girls in grades kindergarten through grade 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 GSNC.org/join.