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GOLD AWARD SPOTLIGHT: LAURA WEINTRAUB

When Ambassador Girl Scout Laura Weintraub began thinking about her Gold Award, she focused on a problem she saw every day among her peers and in her community: kids and teens consistently choosing unhealthy snacks not because they lacked interest in nutritious food, but because they didn’t have the knowledge or skills to make healthier choices. With thirteen years of Girl Scout experience and a strong personal interest in cooking, Laura knew she had both the passion and the leadership ability to make a meaningful impact.

Laura’s Gold Award project centered on helping her community develop healthier habits through simple, fun, and nutritious snacks that families could recreate at home. She brought her project directly into the community by hosting educational booths at the Hillsborough Greenfair, National Night Out, and four Saturdays at her local ShopRite. At each location, she talked with families about basic nutrition, shared easy recipes, and handed out recipe cards that encouraged long-term use. Laura also led two hands-on workshops for children ages 8 to 12 at the local YMCA, where participants learned not only how to make the snacks themselves, but also why these choices matter for their overall health.

Laura was inspired to take on this issue after watching many of her own friends gravitate toward sugary, processed snacks over healthier options. She recognized that healthy food can be delicious and accessible when people feel confident preparing it—and she wanted to share that confidence with others. Combining her love of cooking with a desire to help her community made the Gold Award a perfect fit.

For Laura, being a Girl Scout has always been about service, leadership, and the opportunity to create real change. She shared that Girl Scouts has given her pathways to help others, encouraged her to step outside her comfort zone, and empowered her to find her voice. She especially appreciates how the program supports girls who may be shy or quiet, helping them build the courage to lead in ways they may not have imagined.

Laura’s project also exemplifies what the Girl Scouts Highest Awards represent. The Gold Award—Girl Scouts’ most prestigious honor—recognizes girls who identify a community issue, develop a sustainable solution, and take the lead in building lasting impact. Gold Award Girl Scouts go beyond temporary fixes; they create projects that educate, inspire, and continue after their direct involvement. Laura met these criteria by developing resources that will endure: she built a website containing her recipes and step-by-step instructions, distributed recipe cards at all her events for ongoing use, and created a master document for the YMCA so they can continue offering her workshops well into the future. Her project not only addressed an immediate need but established systems and tools that will benefit her community for years to come.

Laura’s work demonstrates the heart of the Gold Award—leadership, vision, and sustainable community impact. By empowering kids and families to make healthier choices and by sharing her passion in a way that others can carry forward, she has truly earned her place among Girl Scouts’ highest achievers.

Congratulations, Laura, on becoming a Gold Award Girl Scout and for making a positive, lasting difference in your community.

November 14, 2025