Kelly Irwin, a Gold Award Girl Scout, and a junior at Hillsborough High School, has always had a love for music. With the cancelling of many summer camps, she decided to use this opportunity to create a virtual summer camp for students in grades K-5 who share her passion for music.
For her Gold Award project, Kelly organized a three-week virtual camp. The program comprised of vocal warm-ups, songs, basic music reading and more. Kelly posted video lessons and her students demonstrated their learning by submitting video recordings.
“My love for music has always been an inspiration, so when it came to my Gold Award project, I knew it needed to be centered around that passion,” Kelly said in a statement provided by Jaffe Communications. “My goal was to create a safe environment for children who had the same love for music as I do.”
To make her project sustainable beyond her personal involvement, the Girl Scout created a Facebook page with information on how others can make their own virtual music camp.
“Being a Girl Scout has always been about helping others and it has provided me the opportunity to have fun while helping others in my community,” she said in the statement. “Seeing all the great videos and creativity was truly exhilarating, and I hope through my Facebook page that others will continue what I have started.”
Kelly, who has been a part of Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey (GSHNJ) Troop No. 60162 for 12 years, credits the organization for helping her to continually express herself.
“The importance of self-expression through music has such a positive impact on young people,” GSHNJ CEO Natasha Hemmings said in the statement. “Earning the Gold Award is about creating meaningful and sustainable solutions to challenges communities face, and Kelly has certainly accomplished that.”
