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Gold Award Spotlight: Ashritha Nayanala
When Senior Girl Scout Ashritha Nayanala set out to earn her Girl Scout Gold Award, she focused on a global issue she felt deeply connected to: the lack of access to quality digital STEM education for children in underprivileged and rural communities. Through firsthand experience, Ashritha recognized that without exposure to technology, many students—especially girls—are excluded from opportunities that could shape their futures.
Ashritha founded Digital STEM Empowerment for Underprivileged Children, a program designed to bridge the digital divide through hands-on learning, mentorship, and sustainable community partnerships. She launched a Code Club serving 32 underprivileged students at Sarada Vidyalayam, a nonprofit organization supporting disadvantaged children. Working with high school students from across the country, Ashritha designed an engaging curriculum built around “Concept Day” and “Project Day,” using trusted educational resources from the Raspberry Pi Foundation. To ensure her program was effective, she conducted baseline surveys and post-assessments to track student growth and learning outcomes.
To fully understand the needs of the community and successfully implement the program, Ashritha traveled to India, where she taught coding and robotics in a real-world classroom setting. Immersing herself in the local culture allowed her to identify technical challenges, adapt instruction methods, and build meaningful connections with students and educators. What stood out to her most was the curiosity and determination of the children—particularly girls—who were eager to learn despite having limited access to computers and technology.
Ashritha’s work did not stop after the initial launch. She continues to lead weekly Zoom lessons, hosts robotics awareness workshops, and provides mentorship to students, ensuring the program remains active and impactful. To support long-term success, she trained local volunteers and transferred all curriculum materials to school staff so the program could continue independently. She also raised $4,500 in donations and secured $2,000 worth of robotics kits, guaranteeing students had the tools needed for hands-on learning.
Today, the initiative operates under Atmiya, a nonprofit organization, and continues to serve students beyond Ashritha’s direct involvement. Through a nationwide network of trained volunteers, shared resources, and ongoing collaboration, the program remains sustainable and scalable—meeting one of the core requirements of the Girl Scout Gold Award.
Ashritha’s project exemplifies the purpose of the Girl Scouts Highest Awards, which recognize girls who identify a real-world issue, take leadership in addressing it, and create lasting solutions that extend beyond their individual efforts. The Gold Award—the highest honor in Girl Scouting—reflects leadership, vision, and commitment to service, all of which Ashritha demonstrated through her work to empower young learners with confidence, skills, and opportunity.
For Ashritha, being a Girl Scout means leading with both heart and purpose. She credits Girl Scouting with teaching her resilience, empathy, and the importance of lifting others up. Her Gold Award journey is a powerful reminder that meaningful change can begin with a single idea—and grow into something that transforms lives across communities and continents.
Congratulations, Ashritha, on earning the Girl Scout Gold Award and for creating a program that will continue to inspire future generations of STEM leaders.
December 12, 2025
