Rachel Feder from New Athens Designated a Gold Award Girl Scout
Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois congratulates Rachel Feder from New Athens, Illinois for becoming a Gold Award Girl Scout—a designation she earned by leading children at her church to conduct a service project in support of children who were hospitalized.
Rachel wanted to inspire younger members of her church to connect with their faith to serve others, so she led a project to create activity kits for children who are patients at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. First, she researched conditions that can lead to children being hospitalized. She then taught children from her parish about these conditions, which included cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, being paralyzed, and auto-immune diseases. She also shared what she had learned about children’s feelings while they spent extended time in the hospital. To help these young hospital residents feel supported, Rachel led a drive to collect donations such as toys, crayons, and games to make fun activity kits. She also started conversations for her young church members to share their feelings of empathy and compassion, and then guided them to think of ways they could help when they felt concern about an issue.
As they take action to transform their world, Gold Award Girl Scouts gain tangible skills and prove they are the leaders our community and world need. The Gold Award is earned by girls in grades 9–12 who demonstrate extraordinary leadership in developing sustainable solutions to local, national and global challenges. Since the highest award was established in 1916, Girl Scouts have answered the call to drive lasting, impactful change. The Gold Award is the mark of the truly remarkable.
Not only do Gold Award Girl Scouts better their communities through their projects, they often grow themselves through the process and learn skills they can take with them throughout their lives. “I learned a strong sense of self, positive values, and community problem solving,” said Rachel, reflecting on her Gold Award project.
Rachel is the daughter of Katie Feder. She graduated from New Athens Public High School in 2023 and is currently a freshman at Southern Illinois University. Rachel is a Trifecta Girl Scout who has earned the Girl Scout Bronze Award, Girl Scout Silver Award, and Girl Scout Gold Award.
April 03, 2024
