Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri Silver Award Project Creates a Welcoming Space for Mental Health Support

ST. LOUIS, MO – A memorial garden at a local middle school is offering students and community members a renewed place for comfort, reflection and hope, thanks to four Girl Scouts from Troop 774. Sydney, Iris, Faith and Lillian earned the Girl Scout Silver Award by transforming the garden into a mental wellness space filled with inspirational artwork, encouraging messages and resources designed to support those who visit.

The Girl Scouts were inspired by their interest in youth mental health and the experience of a local middle school community grieving the loss of a student who died by suicide. A memorial garden had been established at the school, but the troop wanted to work with school staff and community members to identify meaningful additions that would encourage healing and promote mental well-being.

“I felt inspired to pursue my Highest Award because mental health needs more representation,” Sydney said. “I wanted to give other people a safe space where they could go and decompress.”

The Girl Scouts reached out to community members and received donations for most of the materials needed to complete the project. They restored decorative flowers previously created by an eighth-grade class, priming and repainting each one before adding inspirational messages. They also used donated stones and paint to create a mental wellness rock garden.

To extend the project’s impact, the Girl Scouts recruited school staff members to help students continue replenishing the rock garden. They also partnered with the school’s social workers to provide a flyer featuring mental health resources in a box available to anyone visiting the garden. The social workers will continue stocking the resource box, helping ensure the project remains a source of support for the school community.

“Our project has created a place where students and members of the community can come and de-stress,” Lillian said. “Sitting in the garden is a great way to find a moment of peace.”

The completed additions brought color and encouragement to the garden during the dormant winter months. This summer the garden is blooming again, and the painted flowers and inspirational messages continue to enhance the experience for visitors. The school also shared the project on its website and Facebook page to make the broader community aware of the new resources.

“Our project had a positive impact on the mental health of the school community,” Iris said. “By improving the garden, we made it feel more comforting and beneficial. I am most proud of the transformation. We truly left the space better than we found it.”

Throughout the project, the Girl Scouts strengthened their abilities to plan, collaborate, adapt and remain committed to a long-term goal.

“I learned that big projects take a lot of preparation, time and commitment,” Faith said. “Being flexible and able to shift throughout the process is what really makes a project great. Girl Scouts has shaped me to be an active member of my community and someone who cares about others.”

By completing their Silver Award project, Sydney, Iris, Faith and Lillian demonstrated how Girl Scouts use their interests, leadership skills and compassion to create sustainable change in their communities.

“I’m proud of my friends and me for working hard and giving back to the community,” Lillian said. “I learned that dedication and commitment can turn into something great.”

The Girl Scout Silver Award is the highest honor a Girl Scout Cadette can earn. Through the award, girls identify a community need, develop a sustainable solution, and demonstrate leadership while creating a lasting impact.

For more information about Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri’s Highest Awards program, visit girlscoutsem.org/highestawards.