Girl Scouts Who Earn It: Part 1

"I see that this traveling experience will bring to me greater understanding of the world in its entirety. Knowing this, I will better understand how the contacts of the world connect."

Kelly Wolf, an 11-year Girl Scout from Ohio, has quite the dedication to community service, surprisingly at the young age of 16. And most of this work has been for the benefit of others. Adopting families during the holidays, assisting troubled youth with emotions through art, donating to food pantries and clothing stores, improving awareness of animal shelters, initiating delivery of supplies and clothing to Puerto Rican orphanages, and assisting the Girl Scout summer programming office to lead activities and teach skills.

Where does Kelly get such motivation? A large part of it comes from her dedication to learning life skills and enriching her own mind through being a student in summer programs. She has realized and understood the positive impact these experiences have had on her life and overall outlook. Saddle Up, a horseback riding camp through the Appalachian Mountains, and Dive In, a scuba diving camp, are two camps that have expanded Kelly's mind and encouraged her to do more.

"The camps gave me a chance for independence."

And this is only the beginning.

Kelly applied for the Costa Rica Outward Bound Underwater Explorers course this summer, for which her acceptance was obvious. She described her passion to come in her application essay:

"Scuba diving is a story worth living a million times over. It is an exhilarating experience that confines you into a world of silence and a place among a thousand places that is to be calm and serene, all the while, pushing you into endless opportunities for exploration and adventure."

Sounds like an Outward Bound student already.



The Destinations program, on behalf of Girl Scouts USA, is a chance for members to participate in enriching travel and adventure opportunities, ages 11-18. Girl Scouts must apply through their respective Councils. Applications consist of an essay explaining their ambition to attend, two recommendations describing her as a qualified participant, and a general Q&A portion.

Costa Rica Outward Bound has been a Destination location for more than five years. In 2010, there are four Destinations for ages 13-18: Underwater Explorers, Rainforest River & Reef, Service Challenge, and Catching Waves. Click on the studio2b links on their respective crrobs.org pages to find the applications.