As the COVID lockdown set in, several incidents that occurred in the summer of 2020 brought to light racism in the United States on a large scale. Along with that, sexism and religious intolerance also became more commonplace. I noted this and began to think about what I could do, though I was only 15 at the time I knew I should be doing more. A few months later as I started thinking about the Girl Scout Gold Award project, I knew I wanted to do a project that would inspire inclusion, diversity and acceptance . I felt that to make the biggest impact I needed to start with the youngest generation – elementary school students. The idea for my project began to form and I determined that I wanted to expose young students to all sorts of people – various races, religions, ethnicities and home dynamics. I knew this would only be feasible through books.

With my project plan set, I recruited a team and worked with them to implement my vision. They offered general project advice, assisted with the creation of the website, brainstormed book activities and tested prototypes. In addition to friends, team members included Sara Rodriguez, my Gold Award mentor, whom assisted with finding teachers who were interested in sharing my project with their class. As well as Mindy Choate, a principal at an elementary school in the Austin area who I consulted with regarding my book selection and overall advice regarding my project.

This is an awesome initiative! – Tara Garrett, Principal, MacGregor Elementary School

Thanks so much! If you end up with any extra books we would love them at our very diverse school, Red Elementary! Good luck on your Gold Award! – Kathryn Jacklitsch, Librarian, Red Elementary

We love our new books! Thanks Megan!– Sara Rodriguez, Teacher, Frasier Elementary School