Two Westerville high school alumni have been awarded the Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can earn.
Lanie Eckhardt, who graduated from Westerville Central High School in 2022 and currently attends the University of Toledo, and Maggie Price, who graduated from Westerville South High School in 2022 and attends West Virginia University, will be honored in a ceremony on June 11 at the Idea Foundry in Columbus.
The Gold Award is a part of the Highest Awards program, a national program representing a Girl Scout’s time, leadership, creativity and effort dedicated to improving her community. Girls in grades nine through 12 dedicate a minimum of 80 hours to complete the steps to earn the Girl Scout Gold Award. They demonstrate leadership through sustainable and measurable Take Action projects.
Eckhardt’s project, “Portable Slingshot with Physics-Learning Games,” features a portable slingshot target she built and a corresponding information kit to help others make their own slingshot, slingshot target, games for the slingshots and a pamphlet that explained the physics concepts that contribute toward making a slingshot work.
Inspired by her deep love of physics and teaching, Eckhardt wanted younger students to experience more science-based education. She partnered with W.A.R.M. on the project. Eckhardt is currently studying astrophysics at the University of Toledo. She was a Girl Scout for 13 years.
As part of Price’s project, “Musical Memories,” she played music for dementia patients in nursing homes. She wanted to bring joy to residents through music and in the process of her project, people learned why music and social interactions are so important for these individuals. Price is studying elementary education and special education at West Virginia University. She was a Girl Scout for 14 years.
In 2023, 17 girls in the Girl Scouts of Ohio’s Heartland 30-county region earned the Gold Award. Only fewer than 6% of Girl Scouts nationwide are awarded with the Gold Award. Each Gold Award Girl Scout spends one to two years on her project. Approximately one million Girl Scouts have earned the Gold Award or its equivalent since 1916.