Molly Ewing of Nottingham earns Gold Award, Girl Scouting’s highest honor
NOTTINGHAM, NH – At just 17 years old, Gold Award Girl Scout Molly Ewing is on a strong path to make the world a better place. Interested in how nonprofit organizations work with town governments, she decided to help the public understand just what some of those nonprofits do and why their tax dollars are going to these organizations.
The Nottingham teen’s Gold Award project, Educating Community Members of Local Taxpayer-funded Nonprofits, resulted in a series of podcasts that make it easy for the average person to get a picture of what organizations like Southern New Hampshire Services, CASA, Haven NH, The Richie McFarland Children’s Center, and the Seacoast Mental Health Center provide.
The Gold Award is Girl Scouting’s highest honor for girls in grades 9-12, the capstone achievement for a Girl Scout that changes the world for the better. Gold Award Girl Scouts spend more than 80 hours on their projects.
“Tackling this project took a level of clarity of purpose that in my opinion is far beyond her years,” said Peggy Small-Porter, executive director of the McFarland Children’s Center and Ewing’s Gold Award adviser. “She was interested in finding the right balance between impact and feasibility and I think she was successful in reaching that goal by focusing on her town specifically. The structure and process she created can be duplicated by other community-minded folks in different towns. I hope she feels successful, confident, but always wanting more. I believe her determination and curiosity will take her far.”
Ewing said her existing relationship with Small-Porter and desire to help do something for nonprofits led to the project.
“Over the course of a couple weeks, we figured the best way is to reach out to different nonprofits,” she said. “The struggles they face – finding funding, the stigma around their causes.”
Rather than just writing about nonprofits, Ewing decided to use today’s technology to create podcasts on each nonprofit – which required a crash course in learning to interview on Zoom, edit using Audacity, and upload to Soundcloud.
“I never did a podcast before!” said Ewing. “That was one of the more challenging parts.”
Now the public can listen to those interviews, posted on community Facebook pages and town websites. You can find them on Soundcloud at https://soundcloud.com/user-494212033.
Ewing has been a Girl Scout since kindergarten, participating in camporees, community projects, and trips, and of course selling Girl Scout Cookies, which fund these endeavors. She attended the Global Leadership Conference a few years ago, which addresses social issues girls can get involved in. She’s traveled to New York City and Boston with her troop. Becoming politically aware and active, she has even testified in front of the New Hampshire Senate on a gun control bill. She’s also an athlete, playing basketball and volleyball for her high school.
The experience has piqued Ewing’s interest in communications and journalism, but she’s also considering a future in political science, the humanities, or working for a nonprofit. She’s exploring her college options now, as she finishes her senior year at Coe Brown Northwood Academy.
“It is a gift to be part of a person’s path to discovery as they refine their clarity of purpose, even if for a short stint,” said Small-Porter. “It helped me have a better appreciation for our collective future.”
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 1916, 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.
Molly Ewing 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. The Gold Award is the mark of the truly remarkable.
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.
- Eleven young women from New Hampshire and Vermont earned their Gold Award in the 2019-2020 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!
About Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains: Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains is recognized throughout New Hampshire and Vermont as a leading expert on girls. Our Girl Scout Leadership Experience is a one-of-a-kind leadership development program for girls, with proven results. It is based on time-tested methods and research-backed programming that helps girls take the lead—in their own lives and in the world. Through our exciting and challenging programs, Girl Scouts not only participate but also take the lead in a range of activities—from kayaking, archery, and camping, to coding, robotics, financial literacy training, and beyond! Serving girls throughout New Hampshire and Vermont, girls discover the fun, friendship, and power of girls together. Visit www.girlscoutsgwm.org .
