294. Girl Scout Gold Award: Building the Next Generation of Leaders

[00:00:06] If you ever have wondered what gives you hope about the future, today's conversation may be exactly what you need. It's easy to focus on what's happening in the world and worry about the next generation. But what if there are young women right now learning how to identify problems, build teams, create solutions, and make a meaningful difference in their communities?

[00:00:32] Today, we're talking about the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award a high school girl in Girl Scouts can earn, and the remarkable leadership journey that unfolds along the way. My guest is Cheryl Robinson, author, podcaster, speaker, and leadership advocate who has spent more than two decades supporting girls and young women through the Gold Award process.

[00:00:57] In our conversation, you'll hear stories of courage, service, problem solving, and leadership in action. But more than that, you'll hear why Cheryl believes, and I do too, that the leaders are coming. Young women who are thoughtful, resilient, compassionate, and independently minded. Young women who are learning not only to serve their communities, but how to lead them.

[00:01:24] And that gives me a great deal of hope. So here you go. Thanks for being here. Welcome, Cheryl, to Girl, Take the Lead!. We're so excited to have this conversation about Girl Scouts. Love Girl Scouts. Thank you for having me. Yeah. So let's begin if you would, if you'd introduce yourself to our audience. Sure. Thanks for having me. I have been a troop leader for over 20 years.

[00:01:52] I am a member of Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Badgerland Council and a member of their highest awards committee, which is bronze, silver, and gold awards. And inspired by the Gold Award Girl Scouts that I've worked with, I launched Hearts of Gold podcast in 2018, where I interview Gold Award Girl Scouts from all over the world about their experiences during the Gold Award process.

[00:02:19] And then this spring, I adapted the podcast into a seven book series for middle schoolers. While my heart is in the Girl Scouts Gold Award community, the leadership skills and the stories that I help share are applicable to any student looking to lead with intention. Hmm. Well, maybe we should just back up a second and explain what the Gold Award is to our listeners, because a lot of them are probably not Girl Scout troop leaders like we were. Yeah.

[00:02:47] So the Gold Award is the highest award a high school Girl Scout can earn. It involves an average of an 80 hour project. A lot of projects are many more hours than that. But where it starts is the Girl Scout identifies a root cause. So they see a problem in their community, but they dig a little bit deeper and they figure out what's causing that problem. And that's their root cause. They build a team. They take leadership.

[00:03:14] They have to build sustainability into it. So when their project is over, the intent is that the project continues even without their leadership there. As they're planning their project, they have to build measurement components into it. So it teaches students how to look differently at things and identify what their goals are and in a very tangible way. And they'd be able to say whether they've met those goals or not.

[00:03:45] And then they have to, even though normally this is a community problem, they have to identify how the same problem happens across the nation or across the world also. So those are the components of the Girl Scouts, but it shapes them and it changes them. There is a proposal process. So they basically have to write a business plan and they have to present it to get approval before they can do their project.

[00:04:14] And then when they're done with their project, they have to write up a final report saying what happened, what challenges they had, what didn't work and what worked really well. It takes commitment and effort and leadership. I know full disclosure that Kiki, my youngest was a gold award girl.

[00:04:34] And it was pretty cool to see just the tenacity that it can take for girls to achieve that award at that level. So thanks for your efforts to support those girls to do it. Boy, it's just, it gives you hope, doesn't it? That there's, that the leaders are coming and they're going to be amazing.

[00:05:01] And, you know, it definitely gives, gave me hope to seeing that. Are there other things that you see there with the gold, with the gold award girls? Yeah, well, I, they, they really inspire me. And like you said, with hope, I'm very excited because we've been working for quite a few years and we've finally get gained some traction. And we have a couple of gold award girl scouts that are more recent earners.

[00:05:30] You know, so within the last five years or so that have joined our committee. And I'm really excited to have them on the committee because you know, they're closer in age to these girl scouts that are working on this program. And so they can give us different insights and help, help us help those girl scouts differently and in better ways that support them. Well, Cheryl, what, what pulled you to the gold award?

[00:05:55] Was it just that you had been a troop leader and you kind of were in the flow of, of seeing what's possible for girls or how did you get there? I got there because my daughter is also a gold award girl scout. So when my daughter went through the gold award process, seeing that transformation within her firsthand, that inspired me to join our council's mentor group, that highest awards committee.

[00:06:22] And then I went back to school for my master's after my daughter graduated from high school. And it was clear from the beginning that my thesis for my master's program was going to have to feature gold award girl scouts. I'm still surprised and inspired by the ideas that these girls generate and the impact they make on their communities.

[00:06:44] But it really boils down to the changes that we see in the girls themselves, because it really, those girls that truly commit to the gold award process, it, it changes them for their whole life. Yeah, it does. I think it gives them a confidence. That they can do something so big that probably appeared big to them at one point that they could actually get there.

[00:07:14] Yeah. Yeah. And it's, it's not just confident. I mean, it is confidence a hundred percent. But the skills they build there, these are the soft skills that you don't learn unless you like are in something. So, you know, they've learned project management, they've learned leadership skills that are going to benefit them no matter what they do in the rest of their life.

[00:07:36] You know, even just going for a job, they could still be in high school and have finished this gold award and be going against college students or other, you know, other adults and have a much better skill set for that employer that they could get hired over those other candidates too. So like it, it just changes everything. It does. Tell us a little bit about the book series.

[00:08:03] I know you mentioned it in the intro, but what got you there? And I know that perhaps it was the inspiration from the girls that got you to this. It was the inspiration for the girls. Not as many people know about the Girl Scout Gold Award, as they may know about the Eagle Scout. You say Eagle Scout and a lot of people know what that is. And not as many people know about the Girl Scout Gold Award.

[00:08:28] And I wanted to impact that and change that because I felt these girls that had earned this award deserved more recognition and awareness from the public at large. So that's why I started the podcast. I really wanted to highlight the stories and make people more aware. And then the book series has always been in the back of my mind.

[00:08:53] But now over 160 episodes into the podcast, I felt that I had enough enough stories to make a book series. So that's the series is it's built on pure wisdom. The concept is it's built on pure wisdom so that it's not. And again, it's for middle schoolers. So it's not just an adult telling them what to do. It's stories and advice from peers who've already navigated those challenges.

[00:09:20] The books teach the students to be investigators instead of a one time fix. They follow the breadcrumbs of a problem. They ask we use a program called five wise. So they ask why five times in order to help find that root cause that I mentioned earlier. Right. Each book in the series has 11 stories from Girl Scouts. And then it has a chapter that summarizes it and tells the middle helps the middle schoolers.

[00:09:49] It doesn't tell them it helps them figure out and inspire them how to make changes in their own community. And then the guidance in the book, even though the book is for middle schoolers, the guidance in the book can be help can be helpful for adults to help them help their middle schoolers navigate these community issues. And that's hearts of gold reflections. Yes, it's the series is called hearts of gold. The titles are all they sit there reflections of and then there are seven themes.

[00:10:19] So the seven themes are earth guardians stem creative voice health inclusion advocacy and community. Yeah, so they all say reflections of and then whatever theme that book is. Well, I think I read the inclusion. Mm hmm. Do you have a favorite story from there? I do have a favorite story from there. I hate to say that I have favorites. But I do. There is one that really touches my heart.

[00:10:47] And it might be because it has a Wisconsin link. So as I said, you know, I and I've interviewed Girl Scouts from all over the world. So this one has a Wisconsin link. So Anya moved from India to Wisconsin with her family. And when she moved, she said that she felt like a puzzle piece being forced into the wrong box, particularly in the school cafeteria. So when other kids unpack their sandwiches, her lunchbox held the aromatic sense of home.

[00:11:15] She was anxious about being judged so she would hide her food or sit alone to keep her culture a secret. She even tucked away her passion for traditional Indian dance. She was a dancer and she didn't share that skill with anybody. But her turning point came when she realized her younger sister was starting to hide her heritage as well. So refusing to let the cycle of shame continue, Anya chose this as her gold award project.

[00:11:43] She stepped in the role of a storyteller and she wrote a picture book. And it celebrated cultural diversity. But she didn't just write the book. She also created a school club where students finally began to respect and understand all those unique flavors that all of their peers have, all of the different things that go on in their school.

[00:12:05] So, you know, I guess, what do you think are some of the key takeaways our listeners should get from a story like that and from your series? It's it's that connected. First of all, you need a personal. The student needs a personal connection. If they have a personal connection to the project, that project is going to be a thousand times better than if it's an adult saying here. This is what you should do for a project.

[00:12:34] So it really needs to come from the student's heart. And so that means that that that adult that they need to move from being a manager to be more of a facilitator. So instead of fixing things, they need to like have guardrails and be supportive. And then and then, you know, when students run into challenges or they're having trouble making decisions, don't just give the answer. Ask questions instead.

[00:13:01] Like if you do that, then what happens? Right. So that they can really think through the whole thing themselves. Some it's kind of a light that you've mentioned a form of mentorship. Mm hmm. Yeah. To help to help the girls keep going. Mm hmm. Yeah. Mm hmm. So. Is there any other takeaway that you want our listeners to have before we. End our episode today.

[00:13:30] I would love people to. Adults to read these stories and realize how they can support their own students, because. There are so many ways that we can do it, and sometimes it's challenging in these days.

[00:13:52] There are so many activities students can choose from that helping them even navigate that and helping them make the decision of where they should spend their time. You know, these books can even even though this is about volunteering and project management, the concepts from these books can even help navigate that process. Hmm.

[00:14:13] So where can our viewers and listeners find your books and also like support? Maybe their local councils. Yeah. So to find my books, they're available at all booksellers. Um, my name is Cheryl with an S. So it's S-H-E-R-Y-L M. Robinson.

[00:14:39] And so that's my website also Cheryl M. Robinson dot com, but they're on Amazon. They're at bar. You can ask for them to be ordered like through Barnes and Noble or your local books retailer. You might not find them on the shelves, but they can all order them. Um, you can ask your library to order it and have it on the shelves so that not only you, but other people can share these stories. Um, I have some free resources. If you go to my website, I have some free resources.

[00:15:07] So I have a root cause review and a volunteering handout. Um, so those, um, are ways to start generating some ideas and things like that. And I agree. How can you support Girl Scouts? There are so many ways and you don't have to have a daughter in Girl Scouts to do it. Right. Um, we are always looking for adults with special talents to help us, uh, in Girl Scouts.

[00:15:33] And that's whether that's mentoring, you know, our gold award Girl Scouts serving on the board at your local council, um, donating just to support the mission. Like all of these things are things you can do. You can be a troop leader too. We always need troop leaders. Um, but you don't have to be a troop leader to volunteer with Girl Scouts.

[00:15:54] And if you don't know where to start, like you don't even know where Girl Scouts are in your community, Girl Scouts.org has a council finder. And so you can go there and you can put your zip code in and it will tell you who your local council is and how to get in touch with them. And I'll put that into the show notes so people can find that in your books and everything else. So Cheryl, I'm kind of curious what, how you're going to answer this question. What would you tell your 20 something self today?

[00:16:24] Uh, well, first of all, I would be telling, I would go back even a little bit further and tell my high school self to go get your Girl Scout gold award. Because I did not earn the gold award. I was a Girl Scout through seventh grade and then we moved and the new school didn't have a Girl Scout troop. Um, but knowing what I know now, like you can be an individual Girl Scout. You don't have to be part of a troop. Um, so I, I would first of all tell myself to continue being a Girl Scout and earn my gold award.

[00:16:54] Um, but then I would say stay open and flexible. Life's going to take you to different places than you plan. And that's where the growth happens. That's where you learn. That's where you expand your knowledge. That's where you become the person that you are. Um, and I, you know, along those same lines, you know, be willing to pivot. So when those things happen, um, be willing to go down that new path. Um, it's just leading you to the next opportunity. Yeah.

[00:17:22] Well, even though you didn't get the gold award, I think the fact that you did your thesis on the subject, that you are supporting girls in this such a, um, wonderful, inspiring way. Definitely. Definitely. It earns you the gold award. So I give it to you hands down. Well, thank you. And, and I have been recognized.

[00:17:46] Um, I am honored to say that I, uh, the thanks badge is the highest award that an adult in Girl Scouts can earn. Um, and that recognizes ongoing leadership at a, a broad level. You know, it's beyond, it's beyond the troop. And, um, then after you earn the thanks badge, if you continue, there's, they have what's called a thanks to, and I am honored to say that I have been awarded the thanks to badge. So Girl Scouts have, my counsel has recognized, um, the work that I've done.

[00:18:16] Thank you for saying that I should also have a gold award. I can't go back in time and change it. Now the last thing, um, did you get a chance to go to our online store and pick something for yourself? I don't have a Girl Scout themed one. I should probably make one. And, uh, but if there was something else that you saw there that you would like for me to say. I did. And they were all so beautiful. Oh my goodness. They're so inspiring. They're so pretty.

[00:18:44] The one that really spoke to me though, was the finding joy card that was inspired by Lisa. I work from home in the summer. And so, or I work from home period, but in the summer, when I work from home, I actually work outside on my deck. Um, I'm in rural Wisconsin. So I have this amazing view and, um, I, we have, we, we feed hummingbirds. We feed all the birds. We do all of the things.

[00:19:09] And, and there are times in the summer when I have to duck because the hummingbirds are zooming around. And they do make a noise, don't they? They just tell you they're coming. Oh, that's great to hear. And I'm glad you liked that one. And I, my pleasure to send it to you. So thanks Cheryl so much for sharing your passion with us and inspiring us. It gives us, I mean, as I said, it gives us hope that things can get better.

[00:19:38] And I think the kids are the hope and our future. And so whatever we can do to help them be successful, I think is, is it just, it warms my heart. Hmm. Thanks for being here. Thank you, Cheryl, for sharing your passion and the work you're doing to support the next generation of leaders. What stayed with me from this conversation is something I've been thinking about ever since we recorded it. It's easy these days to focus on what's broken, what's divided and what's not working.

[00:20:06] But Cheryl's stories reminded us that there are young women across the country identifying problems, asking hard questions and learning how to solve some of the biggest issues in our communities. They're learning how to lead. And perhaps that's the greatest gift of the Girl Scout Gold Award, not simply the recognition, but the transformation that happens along the way. Because I saw it in my own daughter.

[00:20:34] These young women are developing confidence, resilience, compassion, and the ability to turn ideas into action. They're becoming strong, thoughtful, independently minded leaders. The leaders are coming and they're going to be amazing. If you'd like to learn more about Cheryl, check our show notes. You'll find all the links there. If you liked this conversation and it resonated with you, be sure to join us later in the week with a soundbite.

[00:21:04] It'll be a short reflection inspired by today's episode. After talking with Cheryl, I found myself thinking about hope. What is it exactly? How is it different than optimism? And whether trust plays a role in helping us believe the future is worth investing in. We'll explore those questions together in the reflection.

[00:21:30] I'm calling hope, trust, and the leaders who are coming. Until then, remember, leadership isn't about having all the answers. It's about being willing to take the next step forward. And as always, be willing to take the lead in your own life. Thanks for being here. Bye. Bye. Bye.