Good News: Martin earns Girl Scout Gold Award through Accessible Swim Lessons project

Grain Valley High School junior Ellie Martin recently completed the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor that can be achieved by a Girl Scout. For her project, Martin spent over 80 hours creating a website designed to help parents and guardians teach those around them how to swim. The site includes instructional videos, assessment sheets, drills, and structured lesson plans.

Martin said her goal was to eliminate as many barriers as possible that might prevent members of her community from feeling safe in or around water.

"I was able to partner with several Girl Scouts of Northeast Kansas and Northwest Missouri (GSKSMO) platforms, as well as other local organizations, to share my project directly with scouts and families across Missouri and Kansas. In total, it’s estimated that the project reached over 2,500 families—giving them access to swim instruction materials ahead of the summer," Martin said. 

Martin has participated in Girl Scouts since she was in kindergarten, starting her journey as a Daisy with a small group of other Girl Scouts who are still participating together today. Martin said her troop has saved their cookie money for the past several years as they plan to take a capstone trip together, either to Savannah, Georgia (the birthplace of Girl Scouts) or to a location where none of the four girls have visited before. 

Martin said the most rewarding part is not only developing their own leadership skills, "but being able to teach these skills to younger girls".

"It's very rewarding to work with girls from 6th to 12th grade at day camp and serve as a role model." 

Martin explained that the Gold Award is often compared to the Boy Scout's Eagle Scout honor but explains one main difference.

"They both have their benefits, but what is unique about the Girl Scouts Gold Award is that it must be sustainable. That's something we work hard on, making sure they can last past our involvement."

Martin's Accessible Swim Lessons site can found at: Accessible Swim Lessons. 

Grain Valley High School junior Ellie Martin has completed the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award that can be earned by a Girl Scout. Martin created a website to help parents and guardians teach their child to swim. Photos courtesy Ellie Martin. 
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