A cleaner Claremont, thanks to Girl Scout
Kylie Tilton earns Girl Scout Gold Award with anti-littering project
October 23, 2025
CLAREMONT, NH – Kylie Tilton had to endure vandalism, disappointment and her own shyness to achieve Girl Scout Gold Award status, but she persevered and now Claremont is better off for it.
Tilton, 18, spent nearly four years on her Gold Award project, How Long Until It’s Gone? Her first effort included installing kiosks around town illustrating the length of time it takes for common items that litter parks and streets to biodegrade. For instance, it will take 500 years for a disposable diaper to degrade. Shortly after the kiosks were installed, vandals broke into the displays, forcing her to remake them with stronger materials. To encourage even more litter disposal, she raised the funds to purchase tobacco disposal units on Pleasant Street in Claremont. She also trained Girl Scout Troop 60263 how to recycle.
The Girl Scout Gold Award is the highest honor offered to Girl Scouts in grades 9-12, and few achieve it. Tilton spent 90 hours on her service project.
Tilton said people don’t have enough easy ways to dispose of litter.
“Some people just don't know how litter affects our environment,” she said. “Not enough people care about the environment and take advantage of resources.”
Finding time in her busy life to finish was already difficult, but the vandalism was most discouraging.
“It made me so sad and angry I wanted to quit the project,” she said. Still, she learned that “I am strong, and caring, and nothing can change that or bring me down, and I am passionate about a clean future - and right is right, even if no one else does it.”
Tilton gained valuable skills through her work, including project management, budgeting, community-building, collaboration, and public speaking. She said she would change nothing if she had to start over, proud that the kiosks and disposal containers will last for years.
“I was lucky to have four years to complete the project,” she said, “which allowed for the finding time aspect, and coordinating with the project supporters and groups I presented to.”
James Contois of the Claremont Senior Center was Tilton’s project advisor and mentored her in construction techniques and power tool use.
“She worked hard in (the kiosks’) construction: sawing, drilling, sanding, digging and attaching materials into complete kiosks,” he said. “She was very successful in working with multiple city and town officials in developing appropriate site locations for maximum visibility. She even briefed the Claremont City Council - a daunting task for anyone. Kylie's kiosks are very informative about the long-term impact of waste. A minor setback occurred when one of her kiosks was vandalized. Kylie and her mother developed and acquired vandal-proof materials and repaired the kiosk. She then continued building more kiosks to complete her project with these new materials. Kylie is to be commended for her commitment to the environment and educating people about waste harm.”
Tilton graduated from Stevens High School last spring and moved with her mother to North Carolina, where she is taking a gap year. She plans to attend culinary school and hopes to open her own cupcake bakery.
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Gold Award Girl Scouts don’t just change the world for the better, they change it for good. The Gold Award is earned by girls in grades 9–12 who demonstrate extraordinary leadership in developing sustainable solutions to local, national, and global challenges. Since 1912, Girl Scouts have answered the call to drive lasting, impactful change. They earn college scholarships, demonstrate high educational and career outcomes, and are active in their communities.
Kylie Tilton has answered the call to drive lasting, impactful change, and her Gold Award is a testament to her remarkable dedication to improving her community and the world.
About the Girl Scout Gold Award
- Gold Award Girl Scouts on average spend one to two years on their project.
- A Gold Award project must be sustainable after the girl’s involvement ends.
- The average age of Gold Award Girl Scouts is 17.
- Since 1916, more than 1 million girls have earned the Gold Award or its equivalent.
- Gold Award Girl Scouts are entitled to enlist at a higher pay grade when they join the military.
- University research indicates that noting you are a Gold Award Girl Scout on a college application is influential in the admissions decision-making process.
- Eight young women from New Hampshire and Vermont earned their Gold Award in the 2024-2025 membership year as part of Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains.
- The Girl Scout Gold Award is the mark of the truly remarkable.
We Are Girl Scouts
Girl Scouts bring their dreams to life and work together to build a better world. Through programs from coast to coast, Girl Scouts of all backgrounds and abilities can be unapologetically themselves as they discover their strengths and rise to meet new challenges—whether they want to climb to the top of a tree or the top of their class, lace up their boots for a hike or advocate for climate justice, or make their first best friends. Backed by trusted adult volunteers, mentors, and millions of alums, Girl Scouts lead the way as they find their voices and make changes that affect the issues most important to them. To join us, volunteer, reconnect, or donate, visit girlscouts.org.
Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains serves girls throughout New Hampshire and Vermont through volunteer-run troops, events, and virtual programs. Visit www.girlscoutsgwm.org to learn more.
