Ep 154 Honoring Amanda Blake’s Legacy Through the Gold Award
Hearts Of Gold - Reflections from Gold Award Girl Scouts
Release Date: 03/06/2025
Ep 160 From Passion to Action: How Annie Advocated for Pet Safety in South Florida
Hearts Of Gold - Reflections from Gold Award Girl Scouts
Annie discusses her impactful Girl Scout Gold Award project, "South Florida Pet Safety." She highlights the alarming statistic that up to 30% of animal deaths are preventable and shares her mission to educate pet owners in her transient community about unique local dangers. Annie details her creation of a pet safety book tailored specifically for South Florida, covering crucial topics such as heat dangers, wildlife hazards, poisonous plants, and preparedness for natural disasters like hurricanes. She also shares insights on how she funded the project through community sponsorships, emphasizing...
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Ep 159 Embracing Cultural Diversity: Aanya Kasera's Journey to the Girl Scout Gold Award
Hearts Of Gold - Reflections from Gold Award Girl Scouts
Aanya discusses her project, "Sharing the Joys of Cultural Diversity," which focused on fostering understanding and appreciation of cultural differences among children in her community. Aanya highlights two key components of her project: facilitating discussions about cultural identity in local schools and creating a children's book that details her own experiences as an immigrant from India. She reflects on her personal struggles with cultural acceptance and the importance of embracing one’s identity. Join us as Aanya shares her insights and the impact of her work in promoting cultural...
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Ep 158 Empowering Kindergartners: Jola Strayhorn's Journey to the Girl Scout Gold Award
Hearts Of Gold - Reflections from Gold Award Girl Scouts
Jola created an engaging video aimed at teaching kindergartners essential classroom behaviors, which she identified as a need due to the social challenges faced by children during the pandemic. We discussed the research she conducted on the impact of the pandemic on young children, particularly regarding social anxiety and interaction skills. Jola shared her experiences working with her family friend’s nieces, who starred in the video, and the challenges she faced during the filming and editing process. She emphasized the importance of patience and perseverance, especially when navigating...
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Ep 157 Shay Roy-Lewis Her Art Exhibit: Art, Advocacy, and Achievement
Hearts Of Gold - Reflections from Gold Award Girl Scouts
Shay shares insights into her impactful Gold Award project, an art exhibition held at the Overture Center for the Arts. The exhibit aimed to raise awareness about mental health among teenage girls in a positive light, showcasing the strength and creativity of young women artists from the Madison and Dane County area. Shay discusses her motivation to present mental health discussions more positively and highlights the submission process that led to the selection of 16 unique artists. The episode also touches on the themes explored in the artwork, including culture and sexual identity, and the...
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Ep 156 Marly Barnett: Transforming Spaces: The Making of a Children's Art Gallery
Hearts Of Gold - Reflections from Gold Award Girl Scouts
Marley shares her inspiring journey of curating and developing a children's art gallery in partnership with the Southwest Art Gallery and Science Center. At just 16 years old, Marley embarked on this project to provide art-related opportunities for kids in her community in North Dakota, where such resources were scarce. She discusses her passion for art as a self-taught artist, the need she identified in her community, and how her collaboration with the Southwest Art Gallery, which shares her mission, facilitated the creation of this new space. Marley reflects on her experience as a volunteer...
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Ep 155 Building Connections Through Letters: Hannah Crawley’s Girl Scout Gold Award Journey
Hearts Of Gold - Reflections from Gold Award Girl Scouts
Imagine a world where friendships are built one letter at a time. That’s exactly what Hannah Crawley created with her Girl Scout Gold Award project—a nationwide pen pal program connecting Girl Scouts across the U.S. and even Japan. At a time when social media dominated communication, Hannah brought back the magic of handwritten letters, fostering deeper connections and lifelong friendships. Now serving in the military, Hannah reflects on how this project not only strengthened her communication skills but also prepared her for a future where letters remain a vital link. She shares the...
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Ep 154 Honoring Amanda Blake’s Legacy Through the Gold Award
Hearts Of Gold - Reflections from Gold Award Girl Scouts
Full transcription available on Cee-Cee Deslaurier-Tate about her incredible Girl Scout Gold Award project, which honors the legacy of Amanda Blake, best known as Miss Kitty from Gunsmoke. Cee-Cee dedicated over 1,000 hours to creating a documentary highlighting Amanda’s conservation work, including her efforts to save endangered cheetahs and launch the first no-kill animal shelter in Arizona. Through extensive research, interviews, and a fundraising initiative, Cee-Cee has helped preserve Amanda’s impact on wildlife conservation. She shares how her passion for the Old West and...
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Ep 153 Makayla Hoefs' "Coding for Cookies" Project
Hearts Of Gold - Reflections from Gold Award Girl Scouts
# Full transcription available at [heartsofgoldpodcast.com](http://heartsofgoldpodcast.com/) ## Episode Summary Makayla Hoefs shares the inspiring story behind her Girl Scout Gold Award project, *"Coding for Cookies."* This innovative initiative bridges Girl Scouts and robotics, offering young girls hands-on STEM experiences through engaging events. Makayla discusses how her project evolved, collaborating with the Minnesota and Wisconsin Lakes & Pines Council, and making the program sustainable for future generations. Listen to hear about the impact she's made, the challenges...
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Ep 152 Montserrat Hidalgo - Environmental Justice Through the Gold Award
Hearts Of Gold - Reflections from Gold Award Girl Scouts
In this inspiring episode, we sit down with Montserrat Hidalgo, a recent high school graduate and environmental justice advocate. Montserrat shares her journey from Girl Scout Gold Award recipient to an emerging leader in her community. Learn how her project tackled urban heating and environmental racism in South East Los Angeles, the collaborative research that fueled her work, and the global connections she forged. About Our Guest: Montserrat Hidalgo is a recent graduate of South Gate High School and will be attending Williams College in the fall to double major in Environmental Studies and...
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136B Isabel Santiago Reyes - Follow up from Sangam India World Center visit
Hearts Of Gold - Reflections from Gold Award Girl Scouts
This bonus episode has Isabel popping in to share her experience from her trip to the Sangam World Center in India.
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Cee-Cee Deslaurier-Tate about her incredible Girl Scout Gold Award project, which honors the legacy of Amanda Blake, best known as Miss Kitty from Gunsmoke. Cee-Cee dedicated over 1,000 hours to creating a documentary highlighting Amanda’s conservation work, including her efforts to save endangered cheetahs and launch the first no-kill animal shelter in Arizona.
Through extensive research, interviews, and a fundraising initiative, Cee-Cee has helped preserve Amanda’s impact on wildlife conservation. She shares how her passion for the Old West and storytelling led her to this project, the challenges she faced along the way, and how Amanda’s legacy continues to inspire her.
In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
✨ How Cee-Cee discovered her passion for the Old West and Amanda Blake
✨ The process of making a documentary as part of a Gold Award project
✨ The importance of preserving history and conservation efforts
✨ Insights into the Girl Scout Gold Award journey
🔗 Follow Cee-Cee’s journey: https://www.facebook.com/KittyARussell/
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More from Cee-Cee
I am currently a Freshman in college, studying theater and entrepreneurship. As a 12-year Girl Scout, I was honored to receive my Gold Award last year after dedicating over 1,000 hours to creating a Created a 2.5 hour documentary as well as designing several physical memorials in honor of actress and animal advocate Amanda Blake ("Miss Kitty Russell on the TV Western "Gunsmoke"). As a "Miss Kitty" Tribute Artist/Impersonator, during the Summer I make appearances at New Jersey's Wild West City theme park, appearing in theatrical skits. From time to time I can also be found at Goldfield Ghost Town in Apache Junction, AZ. In the future, I plan to continue work as a tribute artist, expanding my work of preserving the legacy of past generations. Eventually I plan on opening my own Old West-themed dinner theater.