The 2009 Gold Award Recipients for SU 617 were honored in a ceremony on March 29. This year’s honorees completed three projects that were of direct benefit to the community. The award represents hours and hours of work. The process strengthens the participants' leadership, project management and communication skills.

The Gold Award recipents were:

• Amanda Wilson, sophomore at Starr’s Mill High School.

Wilson earned her Gold Award by establishing a free student tutoring and mentoring program for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren (GRG), a program that supports the many grandparents in Fayette County who are raising their children’s children.  These individuals strive to help their grandchildren when they struggle with academics. However, school curriculums have changed a great deal since the grandparents were students, and many private tutoring services charge much more than these individuals can afford on a fixed income.  To address this critical issue, Amanda contacted schools throughout Fayette County to locate students seeking community service hours and willing to help. Soon, Amanda began networking and matching GRG families with tutors and mentors, starting with recruits in the Beta Club at her own Starr’s Mill High School.  Next, she created a directory of all the services and points of contact available to the GRG organization, including free internet tutoring links, information on organizational and test taking skills, library programs and scientific data on the importance of reading to children.

• Jennifer Leonard, senior at McIntosh High School

Leonard earned her Gold Award by redecorating the Teen Room at the Peachtree City Public Library. She painted the walls blue with vibrant yellow and green circles, and built a striking stain glass mobile. She sewed three pillows for the room and posted a bulletin board to advertise teen-related events and services. She also set up three poster cases to advertise shows put on by local community groups. Leonard received invaluable technical assistance for her project from Steve Shankle, Laura Mullen, Tammi Herrmann and her Scout Leader, Amy Vassey. Inspiration for the project came from her mother and her passion for the library where she worked for many years.

• Brittany Stone, junior, McIntosh High School

Stone earned her Gold Award by helping to develop the master landscape plan for the new Peachtree City Scout Lodge located at Peachtree City United Methodist Church and by implementing the initial phase of that plan. Both goals supported an additional objective; to provide long-lasting beautification to the Scout Lodge building and surroundings. The initial phase of the landscape plan included the planting of two Sycamore trees and a slow-growing Majestic tree to mark the entrance of the Scout Lodge entrance.  Next, with the help of many volunteers, ranging from friends, family, fellow Girl Scouts and Boy Scout Troop #175, she constructed planter beds for the front of the building and filled them with Compacta Hollies.

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