Hilltop Art Education inspires Girl Scout project

SPARTA — When the members of Girl Scout Troop 101 thought about how to make a lasting impact on the local community, they looked to one place in particular: the Hilltop Country Day School art studio.
Founded in 2009 with first graders, Troop 101 — now in eighth grade — has collaborated on many service projects through the years. To earn their Silver Award, the girls have been providing an art enrichment class to the children of families in PATHWAYS 2 PROSPERITY, a local program that helps impoverished families in need attain financial stability. Since October, Troop 101 has been supplying the children with art supplies as well as lessons — many of which were inspired directly from their own classes with Hilltop art teacher SuzAnne Pacala.
Their ultimate goal is to give the children the materials and inspiration to create and explore — an opportunity that is not always an easily accessible part of their lives.
“I am overwhelmed by the spirit of giving these girls have,” said Troop 101 Leader and Hilltop parent Joanna Guarda. “They have a dedication to community service that is always needed.”
Building off the Hilltop technology curriculum, the girls will utilize their video editing skills by piecing together video clips they have been filming each art session to create a short film called “Kids Teaching Kids.” The video will be given to PATHWAYS to use as a tool in their fundraising efforts.
Troop 101 is slated to earn their Silver Award in June.