Girl Scout Gold Award Project Enhances Library

(LEFT TO RIGHT: EFFINGHAM PUBLIC LIBRARY DIRECTOR AMANDA McKAY, LIBRARY YOUTH SERVICES MANAGER SARA SMITH, SOPHIA BALLARD, AND GIRL SCOUT LEADER DAWN QUICKSALL)

Many listeners are familiar with a Boy Scout Eagle Scout project, usually a civic endeavor to mark a Scout's progress through the ranks to the top award a Boy Scout can receive.

Girl Scouts have the same award, known as the Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can achieve.

Effingham's Sophia Ballard has completed her Gold Award project in preparation for receiving her award.

Sophia, the daughter of Ken and Deena Ballard, is a student at Effingham High School. She chose as her project a business tree bookshelf. The book shelf is located in the innovation lab on the first floor of the Effingham Public Library. 

Sophia assembled the tree out of six 4-by-eight-foot sheets of plywood. She hand drew the design, cut it out, sanded and painted it. The business tree book shelf holds books on business concepts tailored to youth that Sophia also donated.

Sophia is scheduled to receive her Gold Award on April 9.