Every year the Change Maker Award recognizes girls who are making a difference in Guiding and creating a better world through community service, friendship, and advocacy. The award highlights girls across all branches, who are taking actions, small or large, local or international, community based or far-reaching.
The Change Maker Award recognizes and encourages girls who are making an impact and celebrates girls’ confidence, resiliency, and independence. It’s a chance to shine a spotlight on outstanding girls for the whole Guiding community to see. The award builds self-esteem and encourages friendship because girls can choose to nominate themself or another girl in Guiding. Girls’ actions make a difference in the lives of other girls and impact their communities – it’s important that we recognize all the ways they’re making change.
From forming inclusive friendships to monitoring waterways, each of this year’s award recipients is making a difference in unique ways. Let’s meet a few of this year’s deserving recipients:
Malina, a Spark from Edmonton, Alberta, makes an effort to be inclusive and play with anyone who may not have any friends. If there’s a new child at school, she’s the first to hold their hand and play with them on the playground so that they don’t feel nervous. She goes to a special speech therapy school and loves to help her friends if they are ever having trouble with words by encouraging them to try again. She’s even learning sign language so she can communicate with many of her friends at school. Great work, Malina!
Charlee, a Guide from Campbell River, British Columbia, loves all animals and helps care for the environment and her community. Charlee is a part of a local group called Greenways, which takes care of local waterways. Charlee is known in this group as a Stream Keeper. She participates in stream walks to make sure that everything is flowing like it should. She also works with the local hatchery to complete salmon counts and intakes. Charlee was recently recognized by her mayor as a result of her ongoing efforts as a Stream Keeper in the community of Campbell River, which is known as the salmon capital of the world. Charlee not only helps the environment, but also her local community by keeping their streams healthy. That’s pretty amazing Charlee!
Alyssa, a Ranger from Brooklyn, Ontario, is an advocate for climate change who takes pride in saving our environment and the ground we walk on. She co-founded both a local chapter of Fridays for Future and Sustainability Durham, which has organized and led shoreline clean ups, clothing swaps and more projects in her local community. Alyssa really stands out in her unit – she has the motivation and drive to inspire others to make a difference in our world. She’s been an active leader within her unit with women in politics by helping to explain and lead the future voters challenge in fun and easy ways. She firmly believes we need to give a voice to ourselves and is an inspiring advocate to help other girls understand how they can make a difference by voting. Alyssa constantly works hard to make an impact through her own actions and shows initiative. Thanks to Alyssa for being a Change Maker!
Ella, a Ranger from Port Moody, British Columbia, has been actively contributing towards her community. At school, she currently runs and facilitates the Kodiak Konversations Club, helping English as an Additional Language (EAL) students to gain confidence in communicating in English through various activities. As a head executive, she feels devoted to this club as she has experience being an EAL student herself, and thus understands others’ hardships and the importance of supporting one another. Ella also launched a project to help students struggling to plan for their future after graduation. Ella was in a similar boat and felt clueless in terms of career choices as she ascended to her senior years of high school. In grade 11, she started the Pathfinder Project, interviewing people with different careers in her community and sharing their stories online for other students to get inspired. She has also volunteered as a Girl Assistant to spread knowledge and to empower young Sparks. Congrats on all the great work Ella!
These are only some of the 2020 recipients. Find the full list on our website and read all their extraordinary stories!
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