Kids & Family

Brighton Senior On Track to Earn Highest Girl Scout Award

Andrea Bonomo is the first in her troop to complete her Gold Award project.

When Brighton High School Senior Andrea Bonomo first joined Girl Scouts 12 years ago, she always knew she was going to finish the program - and she will in May by receiving her Gold Award.

The 17-year-old just completed her Girl Scouts Gold Award project at the Brighton District Library. The Gold Award, the highest award a girl scout can achieve, is earned through a detailed service project in the community. Girls must first earn Bronze and Silver Awards before they are eligible for a Gold Award.

Bonomo's project was a four-part program called 'Connect with Nature' and was held in Millie's Garden at the Library. Kids took partΒ in various eco-friendly activities, which included planting an herb garden, creating a tie-dye t-shirt using natural tie-dye boiled from plants, making bird feeders out of plastic water bottles, learning recipes from the garden and taking a nature walk.

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"That's my thing," she said about her eco-friendly project. "That's what I think is really important and I don't think enough people realize that it's not a joke. You really need to help the environment or it's not going to last forever. I wanted to do something that would show kids how to be eco-friendly. All the crafts we do are sustainable nature things and how to help the Earth."

The last program was held last week. Bonomo now needs to fill out paperwork and submit her report. She will receive her award in May.

Find out what's happening in Brightonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Bonomo's mother Brenda started Troop 728, which today has five members. Most of the girls have been in the troop together since first grade.

Bonomo will be the first troop member to complete her Gold Award. A few other members are getting started on their projects.

"Andrea was kind of shy when she was in first grade -- really shy," Brenda Bonomo said. "The school needed another troop because there were so many girls who wanted to join. Since Andrea wanted to join, I said I'd be the leader. I just wanted to do it to be with her.

Brenda said she was not surprised that her daughter is on her way to earning the highest award in girl scouting.

"I'm very proud of her," she said. "I've seen so much potential in her that I knew this was going to happen."


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