KindCraft wanted to share with you a little about participating in the "Inspire A Girl" event on Sunday, April 7, 2019. The 2019 G.I.R.L Expo and Gold Award Ceremony was held at the Overland Park Convention Center. The Gold Award represents the highest achievement in Girl Scouting. 47 Gold Award Girls Scouts were honored this year. This prestigious award is earned by a select group of scouts who are committed to improving their communities and advocating for a lasting change.
At the event, KindCraft was honored with the "Community Supporter Award" for its contributions to Girl Scouts of NE Kansas and NW Missouri. The Community Supporter Award recognizes a group in the community who has partnered with Girl Scouts and whose service has resulted in outstanding benefits to the girls.
KindCraft was nominated and chosen for the Community Supporter Award by multiple people. Their nomination letters, given to KindCraft President Courtney Smith, as part of her awardee packet, included touching statements that meant the world to our KindCraft leaders.
"I fully endorse KindCraft as an amazing partner in our community-we are so grateful for their wonderful events, their amazing organization, and the powerful, positive messages they send to al our scouts and all the families in our communities." -writes Heather Farha (SU 678 Assistant Manager and Leader Consultant).
So you may be wondering how KindCraft contributes to the Girl Scouts of NE Kansas and NW Missouri. KindCraft's events are always open to Girl Scout troops and their families. At any given event, you can see a troop working together at our monthly events.
In addition to that, KindCraft has also supported individual Girl Scouts who were working towards a specific GS achievement. For example, KindCraft partnered with Girl Scout Ambassador Hayley Nitz for her Gold Award. Hayley facilitated a workshop for families to make toys out of upcycled materials for an orphanage in Uganda.
In 2018, KindCraft two Girl Scouts, Emily Nitz and Parker Vanhooser, facilitated a workshop for families to create plarn (plastic yarn) from plastic sacks. This project earned them their Silver Award. The plarn was donated to another organization and was crocheted into plastic mats for the homeless. This project was one of KindCraft's monthly service events, offered to hundreds of families.
Emily and Parker were one of very few Silver Award Scouts chosen to attend the Inspire A Girl event. They were able to setup a booth and share with hundreds of people what they did for their project. Here they are telling future scouts and their families all about making plarn for plastic mats for the homeless.
Hundreds of future scouts visited each station, which gave the girls an opportunity to share their project, including pictures, samples, and a brief presentation. Emily and Parker brought some of the plarn (plastic yarn) that KindCrafters helped make. There were so many inspiring projects-everything from playground maps and games, to inspirational art for mental health, and even a coloring book designed using children with illness's likes and interests.
Mid-afternoon a brief ceremony was held to thank volunteer honorees for their support of Girl Scouts. Girls Scouts of NE Kansas and NW Missouri's Chief Executive Officer, Joy Wheeler, thanked volunteers for their role in helping scouts achieve their awards. Joy explained that scouts need the opportunities that volunteers provide and how they will continue to need community support in the future.
It was at this ceremony that KindCraft received the Community Supporter Award.
There were so many community partners set up to share opportunities with scouts. The scouts were having a wonderful time walking from station to station, learning about ways they could work with our community.
KindCraft thoroughly enjoys seeing scouts at our events and we have had fun getting to know so many inspiring girls and their leaders. In fact, these young girls are not only inspiring future scouts, they are inspiring hundreds of adults and families in our KindCraft community. Thank YOU girls, for being such an inspiration for so many!!