Here is how the project went:
I created The S.H.E.A. Project, which stands for Sea Turtles. Healing. Empowerment. Awareness. It’s all about combining two things I really care about—helping sea turtles and supporting kids going through tough medical journeys. I want to bring a little hope, education, and fun to both causes through hands-on learning, creativity, and kindness. Here’s what I did: ● Made 81 care kits for pediatric cancer survivors and their siblings at the Children’s Cancer Center. Each kit will have a sea turtle plush, ocean-themed sensory items, turtle fact cards, affirmations, and a note from me. ● Launched a Facebook page for The S.H.E.A. Project by August 15, 2025. I post updates about turtle facts, educational resources, and my video series. I’ll track views, likes, and shares to see how far my message is reaching. ● Created a video series. The series shares stories about turtlesand shows how we can all make a difference. Episodes on my FB page. ● Led 4 workshops at the Children’s Cancer Center for kids ages 5–12 in the survivorship program and their siblings. Each 60-minute session taught them about sea turtle rehab and ways they can protect ocean animals and spread kindness. All workshops completed October 4th, 11th, 18th and 25th, 2025. Will be doing more workshops in May 2026. ● Launched my Girl Scout patch program for The S.H.E.A. Project on the Girlslovescouting.com website. 115 patches have already been completed. Scouts will be able to earn the patch by doing fun and meaningful activities focused on sea turtle conservation and helping others. You can find requirements and buy it at Girlslovescouting.com I tracked the impact by counting care kits given out 61 and counting, how many kids join the workshops up to 24 each week, videos and posts on FB page and how many people earn the patch, 115 so far. 375 hours and counting for The S.H.E.A. Project including my Clutch Crew hours.
Through this project I/we learned:
I’m proud to say I not only reached my goals but also created a project that will continue to grow and make an impact beyond my Gold Award. So far, 375 total hours have been dedicated to The S.H.E.A. Project — 150 of my own and 227 from my amazing 26-member Clutch Crew of volunteers. I hosted four workshops at the Children’s Cancer Center for children in survivorship and their siblings. I will be hosting more workshops in May 2026 and will be attending the Roots and Shoots Environmental Expo in February 2026. Each one combined learning about sea turtles with creative, hands-on activities that helped the kids feel encouraged, connected, and cared for. I also hosted two workdays for my Clutch Crew to get everything organized and prepare all of the supplies for our projects. Together, we even made 50 sea turtle Legos as part of the Shell Buddy Boxes. To expand the reach of my project, I created a Facebook page that now has over 300 followers who stay updated on my sea turtle conservation work. I also produced a series of educational videos covering topics like the seven sea turtle species, how to help hatchlings, and ways to reduce pollution and plastic waste. One of my proudest accomplishments is designing the S.H.E.A. Project patch, which has already been earned by more than 115 people. The patch requirements are available on GirlsLoveScouting.com, and anyone can purchase one for $3.00 to help spread awareness and support sea turtle conservation. I also created eight original sea turtle coloring pages and two PowerPoint presentations—one featuring 106 sea turtle facts and another highlighting all seven species. These materials will be available on the Gulf Youth Ambassador website to inspire and educate even more people. I had the incredible opportunity to reach over 1,900 people while showcasing my project at Girl Scout Fest, where I taught visitors about sea turtles and how they can help protect them. My project’s impact will continue through others as well. I’ve recruited many of my friends to keep volunteering at the Children’s Cancer Center, and an Interact group.
What I/we might change:
Something I would do differently, I originally wanted to work with the Florida Aquarium but learned that the Florida Aquarium had a lot of rules and restrictions about working directly with sea turtles, so I couldn’t partner with them the way I originally hoped to. At first, I was disappointed because that was a big part of my plan. But instead of giving up, I decided to look for other ways to make a difference and stay involved in sea turtle conservation. Even though my project didn’t go the way I first imagined, it actually led me to something even bigger working with Roots and Shoots and this mini grant. I learned that sometimes when things don’t work out the way you expect, it can open the door to something even better — and you just have to keep swimming forward, like a sea turtle.
My/our favorite part of this project was:
I loved working with the children at the Children's Cancer Center teaching them about sea turtles and doing the sea turtle crafts. I also loved going to Anna Marie Island to film the videos and docuseries. I also loved getting my peers involved to help me put together the shell buddy boxes. It was an amazing experience.
Some tips, tricks or fun facts about the project:
It is important to be organized and have a plan. The more you can plan in advance the easier it is to work you plan and stay focused on your mission, that is what I did. Also if things don't work out exactly how to first plan it just think outside the box and come up with a different option. If you have a passion for something share it and other people will feel your excitement and want to get involved.
