Before I Die Wall
Olivia is creative and enjoys art. She also likes
getting to know people in her community. The more she observed her
community, the more Olivia noticed the lack of art in it. Olivia
discovered that art provides more than just beauty for a community; it
provides a means of connection and inspiration for its citizens.
Olivia learned that there were some initiatives to beautify her
community including a soon-to-be-built River Walk, which will include
stationery art installations, but it wouldn’t address the larger issue
of people making connections with their fellow neighbors.
For her Silver Award project, Olivia was inspired by an international
art movement called “Before I Die.” Olivia decided the best way to
merge her interest in art and community building would be to install
an interactive art wall in her community. Olivia put her leadership
skills to the test by presenting her project idea and the benefits it
would have on the community to her town’s Director of Finance, the
Mayor, and other town administrators.
To ensure her
project would have a lasting impact and measurable outcomes, Olivia
knew the art wall would need to be located in an area where there
would be a lot of foot traffic. Finding a suitable location was not
easy, but Olivia overcame this challenge by working with the local
Community Center. Together they were able to secure a location for her
art wall.
Olivia was very excited to see how successful
her project was and never imagined that it would turn out the way that
it did. Her advice to others working on their Silver Award is to not
procrastinate and to go out of your comfort zone because it pays off.
Silver Award Girl Scout, Olivia McCartney
04 May 2020
