Chloé Iannitti, a Floral Park Girl Scout, earned her Gold Award in a unique way. Iannitti published a children’s book on self-acceptance.
“A Walk in the Park“ takes readers on an adventure with Ellie, who is being bullied at school. As Ellie walks in the park, she encounters bystanders who help her navigate a path of self-acceptance.
Iannitti said she has watched her friends, peers, and even herself struggle with self-acceptance, but it was her mother who helped her find her place.
“The biggest thing that inspired me about this message and this particular book was something my mom told me. She said, ‘There are 1,000 things interesting about you, and what you look like is not one of them,'” said Iannitti.
While Iannitti wrote the story, she said, she used an AI tool to create the illustrations: Canva AI.
She said, “There’s so much potential for these new technologies to be used for good and especially for someone who might not have the budget to hire an illustrator.”
The Girl Scout Gold Award is the highest honor a Girl Scout can earn. It is presented to high school-aged Scouts who identify an issue they are passionate about and develop a sustainable project to address it.
Gold Award recipients must dedicate at least 80 hours to their project, demonstrating leadership, creativity, and a lasting impact on their community. Only about 5% of eligible Girl Scouts earn the prestigious award, which is recognized by colleges, universities, and employers.
“What I find really important about these projects is that it has to have a sustainability element, so while our girls go on to do great things as young women, this project still contributes to a school, community, or the library,” said Kris Thomas, Iannitti’s Girl Scout troop leader.
As for the sustainability of Iannitti’s project, she has been reaching out to local elementary school superintendents and principals to arrange readings of her book in classrooms, hoping to make a difference in young students’ lives.
So far, she has read to about 10 classes at Washington Street School in Franklin Square, with children ranging in age from 8 to 12. At the end of March, she will also read to students at John Lewis Childs School in Floral Park.
Iannitti has chosen to make the book free and has funded the project herself.
However, due to the book’s sudden popularity, she is looking for more affordable ways to print in bulk. She initially planned to only reach out to local libraries to have a copy of her book on the shelves, but she has received much more publicity than she expected.
She said she wasn’t anticipating that as many people would want the book as they had, but she has gotten more than 200 requests from parents, teachers, schools, and others for a copy.
“I’ve been a Girl Scout since I was in kindergarten, and I feel like when you’re little, it was kind of one of those things that everyone signed up for; the moms would go to meetings with them, but I really found sisterhood through my troop… It’s really empowering, and I think it’s something every girl should do because it helps you with a lot of life-changing skills, and it gives you the confidence to know that making a difference is possible,” said Iannitti.
