Eden Lieske earns Girl Scout Gold award

OAK RIDGE – Girl Scouts Carolinas Peaks to Piedmont recently announced that Eden Lieske, a resident of Oak Ridge, has earned her Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest achievement a Girl Scout can earn.

Lieske, 18, is a 2023 graduate of Northwest Guilford High School and a member of Girl Scout Troop 1950. For her Gold award, she constructed an outdoor horse stall at Circle C Equestrian Center, part of Keyauwee Program Center in Sophia, entirely out of eco-bricks. Eco-bricks are plastic water bottles stuffed with plastic items inside, such as plastic bags or food trash. The stall took over 1,300 bottles to construct. Lieske wanted a creative way to educate others about plastic pollution and hopes her project will show how items labeled as single-use can be turned into something sustainable.

Girls in high school are able to earn their Girl Scout Gold Award by creating sustainable change on a community or world issue. These Scouts address a problem’s root cause, plan and implement innovative solutions,and lead a team of people to success. Each girl must dedicate a minimum of 80 hours to planning and carrying out her project, which must benefit the community and have long-lasting impact.

For more information about Girl Scouting in northwest Guilford County, visit www.girlscoutsp2p.org.