Understanding official health guidelines can be hard enough for adults. Imagine the challenge they present for kids. That thought struck three girl scouts who made it their mission to put directives from the Centers for Disease Control into words young people can comprehend.
“We wanted to rewrite the CDC’s information and make it fun,” said Lily Crick, 15, a member of the Tucker-based Troop 14567. “Public health is really important, and we’re teens who want to look at an adult topic from a teen’s point of view.”
Fellow scout Gnouma Fofana had the same idea. “When I was in elementary school, public health was mainly about bullying, diseases and depression, but the way they were explained never resonated with me,” she said. “I wanted this younger generation to feel the way I wanted to feel about.”
Along with troop member Leslie Lutz, the team began reworking information on the CDC site.
“We each wrote two sections, then partnered with the CDC and emailed them every draft we had,” said Crick. “Talking with people there was really hard, but we needed to get everything just right.”
The project took about three months to complete and included meetings with the CDC, writing, reviewing and putting together a website. The team also worked with CDC designers to create a “fun patch” that middle and high school Girl Scouts can earn by visiting the site and taking a quiz. So far, more than 300 scouts have taken the test on topics around bullying, emergency response, diet and exercise, and mental, respiratory and sexual health.
The troop’s efforts earned them Girl Scout Silver Award and the designation as “Women of Distinction” for excellence in community leadership. Last summer, they hosted the first Girl Scout Day at the CDC museum that included a women-in-science scavenger hunt and interactive exhibits about health care careers and national issues such as toxicology and epidemiology.
They’ve also started sharing their project at public events and schools. Recently, Crick and Fofana visited with fourth and fifth graders at Livsey Elementary in Tucker.
“We talked about bullying from a teenager’s point of view, and I wasn’t completely sure they got it,” said Fofana. “But when we finished, kids came up and asked a lot of questions. One kid hugged me. So I feel we’re making a difference.”
The troop plans to visit more schools in the future. Meanwhile, they continue to work toward individual Gold Awards and Ambassador status as scouts.
“I’ve been in scouts since the Daisy level (around 5 to 7 years) when it was a big troop, but now only three of us are left,” said Crick. “I’ve stayed with it because I’ve learned a lot, and the opportunities I’ve gotten are so cool. And to work with the CDC was a huge opportunity.”
Visit the troop’s project online at gshealthpatch.org.
Who’s doing good? Each week, we highlight a deserving individual, charity or event such as a fun-run, volunteer project or other community gathering that benefits a good cause. To suggest a story, please email hm_cauley@yahoo.com or call 770-744-3042.
About the Author
