Last spring, graduating seniors across the country fulfilled years of hard work and dedication as they tossed their caps in the air and prepared to embark on a new chapter. Solanco High School seniors Anna Rineer and Ava Martin were no exception, but they approached another hard-earned achievement: the Girl Scout Gold Award.

Ava and Anna, members of Chestnut Level Girl Scouts, each received the Gold Award after completing projects to benefit Solanco High School. Anna's project involved constructing an outdoor classroom and garden, and Ava coordinated the installation of benches at the school's softball fields.

When deciding on a Gold Award project at the start of their high school careers, Ava and Anna pursued ventures that would serve the community as well as each of their own personal interests and ambitions. Ava is a lifelong softball player currently studying engineering at Widener University; Anna, who is now studying horticulture at the University of Massachusetts, said her project was inspired by her love for the outdoors and plants.

In addition to fitting Ava and Anna's individual passions, each project required the scouts to apply skills learned in high school. Ava's experience using equipment in her manufacturing class helped her confidently oversee the installation of the benches. Anna utilized concepts learned in her landscaping course and knowledge of plants to complete the outdoor classroom, but the task also provided an opportunity to gain experience using power tools and paving a walkway.

"Gold Award projects have to take 80 hours from the time they start developing a plan up to the final scoop of mulch or screw in the benches," said Troop 71266 leader Amy Rineer, who is also Anna's mother and Ava's aunt. "(Ava and Anna) started coming up with ideas in 9th grade, and it probably took both their entire senior year to get it done."

Once Girl Scouts decide on a project, the first order of business is to create a project team that includes teachers or community members. Ava worked closely with the high school's softball coaches and athletic director, and Anna's team comprised the principal and agriculture teacher. Not only do Gold Award projects require 80 logged hours of work and planning, but each project must be sustainable enough to benefit the community long-term.

Although Girl Scouts may earn the Gold Award without receiving the Bronze Award in elementary school or the Silver Award in middle school, Ava and Anna have now received all three commendations. "Girl Scouts progress in everything they do," Amy said. "You can see a fourth-grader still honing leadership skills, but by the time they get to the Gold Award, they've developed those skills."

Chestnut Level Girl Scouts is always accepting new members. For more information, email Amy at 6scoutrineer@gmail.com.