Evangeline Rockwell of Nashua is now a Gold Award Girl Scout
NASHUA, NH – The COVID-19 pandemic has touched almost every part of our lives and required action from people of all ages – including the youngest among us. Evangeline Rockwell took action to help students from kindergarten through eighth grade understand the pandemic and how it would mean significant changes to their school year. She created a series of videos schools can use which successfully helped students adapt.
Rockwell, 17, of Nashua, spent over 87 hours on her Girl Scout Gold Award project, COVID-19 Video Campaign, learning video production and animation from scratch and working with school officials to present accurate information and make the videos available to all. 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.
Last fall, Saint Christopher Academy in Nashua was looking for a way to explain to its students how things would change under pandemic restrictions. The school nurse and Evangeline’s mother talked with the Girl Scout Ambassador and devised a plan to create a series of informational videos.
“I reached out to the school,” Rockwell said, “and asked where do you need focus? What is the biggest struggle? And I would create it in response to that.”
She made sure to communicate at a level that was straightforward enough for younger children without speaking down too much. Her series of “Covideos” addressed what was different as school began, what to do about back-to-school jitters, why students need masks, the importance of keeping masks clean, maintaining social distance, quarantining, and a final review video made just this past March to remind everyone to maintain the pandemic restrictions. The full series can be viewed at https://www.saintchrisacademy.org/apps/video/.
Rockwell had to quickly teach herself how to shoot and edit video, and she exceeded basic skills, even learning how to create animations for her openings and closings.
“Learning about virus protocol is not the most engaging subject for children, so writing scripts to make the videos interesting, engaging and understandable definitely was a challenge,” she said. “Scheduling when to shoot the videos to avoid being in the building during school hours was another obstacle.”
Once the videos were produced, she needed to get them in front of her intended audience, sharing them through the school website and Facebook. Reactions were positive. These videos will be available into the future for any future use requiring similar regulations.
Rockwell found that the experience taught her not just video skills, but how to handle large, long-term projects, and how to plan and direct a team.
Girl Scouting has been part of Rockwell’s life since third grade. She enjoyed summer camp, and has done a bike trip around Lake Champlain as a Girl Scout. She was a top seller of Girl Scout cookies a few times, which helped fund her activities. She took part in Girl Scouts of the USA’s national convention, and will represent the council and national organization at the 37th World Conference of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts in April. She also serves as a girl representative on the board of directors for Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains. As a student, she is president of the 1804 Society, a leadership organization at the Academy of Notre Dame in Tyngsboro, Mass. She plans to attend Saint Anselm College in Goffstown in the fall, majoring in English.
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.
Evangeline Rockwell 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.
