Local Girl Scout Helps Students with their Mental Health
Simone Punchak
Warwick, R.I. (May 9, 2024)—Girl Scouts of Southeastern New England is excited and proud to announce that Simone Punchak from Providence, RI has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award in Girl Scouting. Simone’s Gold Award project is titled Spreading Mental Health Awareness through Posters. After recognizing the drastic effects COVID-19 had on youth mental health and acknowledging that they lingered years after the initial peak of the pandemic, Simone decided to take action. She observed that many students were struggling but unwilling to seek aid. This left students in need of assistance with no one to turn to and no resources to help them. For her Gold Award project Simone addressed this issue by creating mental health posters and a website. The posters touch on a variety of topics: addressing an addiction to vaping, spotting the signs of depression, coping in an anxiety attack, talking about body image and eating disorders, wellness ideas, encouragement regarding opening up about experiences, etc.
There is also a Spanish version of each poster. Along with the website and posters, she created affirmations. These affirmations have “I” statement phrases on them, as well as motivational messages. By putting these up around the school and other schools, an environment that acknowledges mental health has been created. Rather than struggling alone, students can look to one of the posters to help guide them. Even if a student is not struggling themselves, they can use the information on the posters to help someone else by guiding them in times of difficulty or recognizing the signs.
Being a Girl Scout has taught me to have confidence in my capabilities. Growing up, girls faced constant comparisons to boys in derogatory terms: “you run like a girl,” “you hit like a girl,” “girls aren’t strong enough.” These attitudes, reinforced by society’s portrayal of women, left me questioning my capabilities. Rarely did books feature female CEOs or presidents, and superheroes were primarily men. In a world where a little girl is bound to question whether or not she is capable, it’s hard to not doubt one’s self. Before the influence was detrimental to my self-image, I joined Girl Scouts. Girl Scouts gave me experiences that provided me with the evidence to prove that I was capable of what a boy could do. I had gone camping, learned how to start a fire, knew first aid, done archery—all before middle school. Being supported by a community dedicated to empowering girls has allowed me to dare to dream of becoming someone in power; that contribution to my self-image is an aspect of being a Girl Scout I greatly admire,” said Simone Punchak, Gold Award Girl Scout.
About the Girl Scout Gold Award
Since 1916, Girl Scouts have been making meaningful, sustainable change in their communities and around the world while earning this award. The Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award in Girl Scouting, acknowledges the power behind each Gold Award Girl Scout’s dedication to not only empowering and bettering herself, but also to making the world a better place for others. These young women are courageous leaders and visionary change makers. They are our future, and it looks bright!
Simone will join the millions of Girl Scout alum around the world who have successfully created, developed, and executed “Take Action” projects that have positively impacted their communities and the world, earning Girl Scouts’ highest award.
Gold Award Girl Scouts become innovative problem-solvers, strong and empathetic leaders, confident public speakers, and focused project managers. They learn resourcefulness, tenacity, and decision-making skills, giving them an edge personally and professionally. As they take action to transform their communities, Gold Award Girl Scouts gain tangible skills and prove they’re the leaders our world needs. The 2024 Gold Award Girl Scout class identified issues in their communities, took action, and found or created solutions to earn their Gold Awards, addressing real-life problems such as environmental sustainability, racial justice, mental and physical well-being, and gender inequality in STEM.
According to recent research, Gold Award Girl Scouts are more likely to fill leadership roles at work and in their personal lives and are more civically engaged than their non-Girl Scout peers. Eighty-seven percent (87%) of Gold Award Girl Scouts agree that earning their Gold Award gave them skills that help them succeed professionally. Seventy-two percent (72%) said earning their Gold Award helped them get a scholarship. Changing the world doesn’t end when a Girl Scout earns her Gold Award. Ninety-nine percent (99%) of Gold Award Girl Scout alums take on leadership roles in their everyday lives.
Earning the Gold Award is just one of the amazing things girls and gender-expansive youth can do as part of Girl Scouts. To join Girl Scouts or learn more about volunteering, please visit www.gssne.org/join.
We Are Girl Scouts
Girl Scouts bring their dreams to life and work together to build a better world. Through programs across Southeastern New England, girls and gender-expansive youth of all backgrounds and abilities can be unapologetically themselves in a safe space as they discover their strengths and rise to meet new challenges. Backed strong friendships and 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. Girl Scouts feel comfortable trying new things without the pressure to be perfect, speaking their minds, and processing their emotions in healthy ways. They discover how being different makes them special, strengthens their sense of belonging, and, ultimately, makes them proud to be themselves. That’s the magic of Girl Scouting. To join us, volunteer, reconnect, or donate, visit gssne.org, follow @gssne on Instagram, follow @GirlScoutsofSNE on Twitter, and like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GSSNE.