January 9 is National Fourth Graders Day, a time to celebrate the magic of being 9 and 10 years old. Fourth-grade students take on more challenges in elementary school while still letting their imaginations shine. Eureka Girl Scout Troop 2996 showcased their fourth-grade spirit when they decided to build a GaGa pit at Most Sacred Heart School to earn their Girl Scout Bronze Award.
Grace Boeger, Violet Branson, Camryn Callahan, Josie DuBois, Adrianna Guzman, Eleri Mueller, Lillian Petre and Gloria Sease worked together to bring a sense of community to their school’s playground. These young leaders started by creating a PowerPoint on their project and presenting it to the school board for approval. After they received support, the girls began researching and gathering donated materials. The girls then identified and prepared the ground for the site before constructing the new GaGa pit. Finally, the Girl Scouts held a grand opening where they shared a demonstration of the GaGa pit with the school.
“It’s important to be a good role model to younger Girl Scouts,” said Gloria. “It’s the third highest achievement in Girl Scouts and only a Girl Scout Junior (4th-5th grader) can earn it. It feels good to know you have helped the community.”
“I feel proud of what we did, and I think it makes a positive impact on the community because a lot of people at our school like GaGa Ball,” said Lillian.
The Girl Scout Bronze Award is the highest honor a Girl Scout Juniors, girls in 4th-5th grade can achieve. It requires girls to identify a need in their community and dedicate more than 20 hours on average toward addressing and solving the issue. When Girl Scout Juniors focus on an issue they care about, learn the facts, take action to make a difference, and gain the confidence and skills that catapult them to lifelong success.