Who I Am - A Girl Scout Trying to Earn Her Silver Award
Hi! My name is Anusha Kumar and I am a Girl Scout from New Jersey. As a Girl Scout Cadette (I am 14 years old), my goal is to receive the Silver Award. The Silver Award is the highest award a Girl Scout Cadette can get. It requires the girl to put in 50 hours of her time in finding an issue that is important to them and then take action to make a difference.
Steps I Took Toward Earning My Silver Award
The problem that I chose to focus on for my Silver Award was recycling. I came to know that plastic pollution has become an upcoming and serious problem around the world since many individuals choose not to dispose of plastic and other recyclables properly. So, to solve this problem, I chose to educate young children on the effects of plastic pollution and giving them a hands-on experience of upcycling crafts. Some of these crafts were made out of plastic water bottles, cardboard, plastic shopping bags, old CD's, and other recyclable materials that are unfortunately not being disposed of in the proper technique. I attended many local public events that young children love attending and set up a table where I provided materials needed to make crafts such as piggy banks, bird feeders, planters, candle holders, pencil holders, and much more. Furthermore, I held weekly workshops in the fall season at the Plainsboro Recreational Center. Each class, I invited a few children from the ages 5-10 to learn about harmful effects plastic pollution has on the environment, followed by making an upcycled craft and then munching on small treats afterward.
The Result
The children who participated in my workshops and visited my table during public centennial events seemed to thoroughly enjoy making these crafts that are cost effective, environmentally-friendly, and resourceful to them in their future. The children also became knowledgeable on how the environment and wildlife is struggling to cope with all the pollution being spread around the world, and were encouraged to spread this information to their friends and family in an effort to better the environment and spread awareness. Furthermore, these children learnt what to do when they've finished drinking water from a plastic bottle or when they've taken out their order from an Amazon cardboard box. They know to not throw it away. They know how important it is that they either recycle or upcycle it. They know that one cardboard box or one plastic bottle is enough to create and upcycle something that saves money, helps the environment, and helps them organize their own lives. Most importantly, though, they know that they should share this information with their family and friends so that they can do the same. Together, we can save the environment and innocent wildlife from all this plastic and cardboard that will slowly take over our planet. Our environment needs our help, so please, spread awareness.