Reading Project Earns Griswold Girl Scouts’ Highest Award

By SARAH ROBERTS
ONEONTA

Isabel Griswold, a member of Oneonta-based Girl Scout Troop 30043, recently celebrated the opening of the Oneonta World of Learning Book Nook, a space created by Griswold to allow young readers, including those who are neurodivergent, a chance to explore reading in a comfortable environment.

The OWL Book Nook opening on Saturday, February 1 was attended by about two dozen people and featured a variety of fun events, including a reading by Huntington Memorial Library Youth Coordinator Donna Foote of books with neurodivergent characters, toys and books as door prizes, and cookies the children could decorate themselves.

“I hope the community can gain a place for kids to read in the ways they like best,” Griswold said, adding, “I wanted to include resources that would help parents know what neurodiversity is, and to also know what some signs are to identify if your child may be neurodiverse, and who to ask for help in evaluating your child.

“I am neurodiverse and my own experiences made me want to make it easier for kids to find out what kinds of books they like to read,” Griswold explained.

The title of Griswold’s Gold Award project, “Reaching Neurodiverse Children through Reading,” framed the plan Griswold had for the space from the beginning. Features of the space especially designed for neurodivergent children include cushions for kids who seek stimulation or need to fidget, as well as a quiet space for children who need less stimulation in order to feel comfortable.

The Gold Award is the highest award in Girl Scouts, according to the Girl Scout website. Those who earn it “set themselves apart from their peers through their perseverance and grit,” finding meaningful ways to address some of the most pressing issues facing their communities, acting on issues they are passionate about, and discovering they have the power to create the future they want.

The Oneonta World of Learning, a hands-on exploratory space for children, is open to anyone from the greater Oneonta area. More information and the OWL schedule can be found at https://sites.google.com/view/oneontaworldoflearning/home.

“Any kids from nearby towns can come and use OWL during open play times. The Book Nook is nice for kids because it is a little different from a busier school library or the city library. Many times there are just a few kids there,” Griswold said.

Funding the project was a potential obstacle to Griswold. The project was originally denied a grant that would have been used to purchase books and supplies; however, through donations of books and money for the needed lumber, Griswold managed to gather the necessary materials.

The book drive organized by Griswold collected nearly 900 books from various sources.

“Since the books were mostly donated, if a child wants to keep a book, they can,” Griswold said.

Griswold also worked with WSKG Public Media and PBS Kids to feature their new show, “Carl the Collector,” a raccoon with autism, during a recent event.

“I learned a lot from the WSKG Director of Education Brieanna Moreno, and I plan to visit her and get a tour of her studio. It also gave me an idea for a future job, since I discovered through this project that I might be interested in working with kids, and I also love writing,” Griswold reported.

Griswold has been a Girl Scout for 13 years, and previously completed her Bronze and Silver awards as part of a group. Her Bronze Award was a book drive for the Bassett Hospital Reading Program, orchestrated by Troop 30043. Her Silver Award, a butterfly garden for OWL, was completed as part of a trio.

The Gold Award required a project for which Griswold had to create her own plan and assemble her own team to complete the work.

“I had no woodworking skills at all. I had to rely really heavily on my dad to cut wood and help me create the shelves. My uncle, Tim Ashe, helped us figure out a plan. Originally I had planned a bunk bed type of structure, but my Uncle Tim shared the worries about trying to fit that structure in the space, and I modified my original ideas,” Griswold said, when asked about some of the challenges that had to be overcome.

“I also had the help of team members Kim, Russ, and Maria Griswold, Skylar and Kirsten Gargash, Donna Foote, and Kathy Ashe,” she added.

Continuing her volunteer work with OWL, Griswold will be an activity leader on Saturday, March 22 during OWL’s “Paintfest: Nature” event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at FoxCare Center in Oneonta.