Ready to Go Gold,
Silver or Bronze?
We hold highest award
workshops and webinars
throughout the year. Visit
gswpa.org/activities and
search for “Gold,” “Silver”
or “Bronze” in the Activity
list search bar to see
upcoming sessions.
Award
Gold
Award in Action
Memory Boxes for
Alzheimer’s patients
For her Gold Award project, Katie Cubellis gave
Alzheimer’s and dementia patients at the Vincentian
Home a way to access their memories.
She was inspired by her great grandmother. Over
the years, it’s become more difficult to interact with
her due to memory loss and other cognitive issues.
“When talking to my grandmother,” Katie shares,
“I realized that memories of her past were much
more accessible than her short-term memory.
She really enjoyed going through old pictures.”
“For her, the memory box provides the same experience.
The boxes are categorized and themed depending
upon the residents’ hobbies and interests. They can be
used as a reminiscing activity for the patients and their
family or friends who are visiting.”
The highest achievement any Girl Scout can
earn, the Gold Award recognizes Seniors and
Ambassadors (grades 9-12) who demonstrate
extraordinary leadership by completing sustainable
and measurable Take Action projects that address
important community needs. For more info, visit
gswpa.org/go-gold.
Katie created 52 memory boxes with themes including
beach, baking, gardening, music and more, to help
with their cognitive skills. She worked with Troop
50126, educating the girls on Alzheimer’s and dementia,
and in turn, they helped her put the memory boxes
together and test them with residents at the home.
Katie is a senior at Avonworth High School in Sewickley.
Visit gswpa.org/go-gold to see
more Girl Scouts Going Gold!
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