The bronze award is the highest award that a Junior Girl Scout can earn between grades 4 – 5. The bronze award requires girls to put a minimum of 20 hours towards a “take action project” that addresses an issue in their local community. For their project, Girl Scout Troop 69046 decided to focus on a school-related issue and gathered with the principals from Fisher Elementary School and Blessed Sacrament, a guidance counselor, and the Walpole Police Department community officer, to discuss different topics facing the community. From that meeting, the main theme that kept arising was that “kindness matters,” and how simple acts of kindness can go a long way in bettering one’s community.
The goal of the project was to reduce the incidences of bullying by changing the culture and environment of the school by becoming Kindness Ambassadors. The girls aimed to model kind, inclusive, and respectful behavior, stopping mean acts, and demonstrating an alternative approach. The girls believe that with a kinder school environment and more acts of kindness, people will be happier and more thoughtful to each other, and their interactions will be more positive.
With help from the Fisher School Digital Learning Coach Karen Wolff, the girls gave up their recess to create a video that was shown during the Fisher School Kindness Week in January 2018. The video showcased several skits pointing out unkind behavior and modeled how to be kind instead. The troop also invited a younger Brownie troop to a meeting to learn about how to become Kindness Ambassadors, and to recognize when someone was hurt or needed some cheering up. The girls practiced how to show someone that you appreciate them and make them feel important. The girls also exchanged kindness rocks that contained uplifting messages of inspiration.
Lastly, the girls used funds earned during their cookie booth sales to purchase a buddy bench for the Fisher Elementary School and dedicated it to Principal Colleen Duggan, who retired at the end of the school year. The bench is engraved with the words “Be a Friend, Make a Friend” and is intended for those in grades K-2 who are seeking friends to play with during recess time on the playground.
The girls hope that through their efforts, others in the community will join them in becoming Kindness Ambassadors and spreading kindness through everyday activities. The 13 girls from Troop 69046 were approved for their bronze award by the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts in October 2019.
