For many Girl Scouts, earning the Gold Award represents the culmination of years of dedication, leadership and service. But for members of Franklin Square/West Hempstead Troop 1268, the honor reflects something even deeper: personal initiative, resilience and commitment to meaningful change.
Three girls in the troop and four overall in the unit earned the prestigious award.
Unlike typical group Scouting activities, the Gold Award, the most prestigious award Girl Scouts can earn, is an individual endeavor. Each Girl Scout must independently identify a community issue, develop a sustainable solution and execute a project that creates lasting impact.
Involvement and guidance from troop leaders, like Kim Gaudiosi, of Troop 1268, is intentionally limited, allowing the girls to seek their own personal initiative for the project.
“As troop leaders, we step back,” Gaudiosi explained. “Once they complete the prerequisite journey, the rest is on them. We can support if they need volunteers, but we don’t guide the project.”
Instead, each Scout works with a Gold Award mentor, assigned through her local council, who reviews proposals, provides feedback and ultimately approves the completed project. The process is rigorous, requiring more than 80 hours of documented work — though many Scouts exceed that significantly.
“They put in far more time than what’s required,” Gaudiosi said. “Every step has to be documented, from identifying the issue to proving the project is sustainable.”
That emphasis on sustainability sets the Gold Award apart. Projects cannot be one-time events; the Scouts must demonstrate how their projects’ impact will continue after they step away.
For Gaudiosi’s daughter, Annie, a troop member and a senior at H. Frank Carey High School in Franklin Square, that meant tackling teen mental health — an issue that she’s witnessed firsthand affecting her peers.
“I’ve always been a really big advocate of mental health, and I noticed that I was seeing a lot of kids in my school around me struggling a lot mentally,” Annie said, describing the inspiration behind her project.
She said she was excited to begin her Gold Award journey
because it gave her the opportunity to focus on mental health advocacy, especially for teens who may be struggling but feel uncomfortable seeking help from professionals like therapists or guidance counselors. Her goal was to create a space where young people would always feel they had someone they could talk to.
Annie organized workshops at the Franklin Square Public Library, creating peer-based spaces where teens could connect and support one another. While turnout was sometimes smaller than expected, she adapted, finding value in more personal interactions.
“My whole kind of slogan of it was teens helping teens,” Annie said.
It can be intimidating for teens to open up to adults who may not understand their experiences, Annie said, adding that many feel more comfortable speaking with someone closer to their own age. She added that workshop participants reported stronger connections because the sessions were peer-led.
Her project also helped her grow personally, building confidence in leadership and public speaking — skills she plans to carry into a future studying criminal justice and psychology.
Another troop member Katherine Gilman, also a senior at H. Frank Carey took a different approach, focusing on education and equity in STEM. She founded a math research program at her school, advocating for advanced academic opportunities and expanding access across her district, including underserved schools.
Despite ongoing generational efforts, she said women significantly underrepresented in STEM, making up about 30%. Gilman explained that she created her club to be an inclusive, welcoming space where girls feel encouraged and supported, rather than overshadowed by male peers.
“I personally recruited girls, and I encouraged them throughout the research process,” she said, adding that her club now has an even gender split, if not a slightly higher number of girls. Gilman also shared information about the gender gap on her website to inspire others across the country to start similar initiatives.
In addition, she presented her project to female math professors at local universities and connected with women in STEM through national organizations, including the National Girls Collaborative Project. “I got insights from them and shared them with my club members, as well as on my website,” she said.
She said the experience showed her how much she enjoys mentoring others, especially her club members and younger students she helped guide. “I really do love mentoring people,” she added.
Despite the collaborative spirit within the troop, each Scout maintained independence in her work, preserving the integrity of her individual vision. Still, they supported one another throughout the process and were recently recognized together at a school awards ceremony.
What makes their achievements particularly notable, Gaudiosi said, is how distinct each project remains.
“They’re so different, and that’s what makes it special,” she said. “It shows these ideas truly came from them.”
The projects that led the Girl Scouts to earn Gold Awards not only address pressing community issues but also set the foundation for continued impact long after their project is officially complete.
