Making Church a Little Easier for Every Child

For my Girl Scout Gold Award—the Girl Scout equivalent of an Eagle Scout project—I wanted to do something that would help the church I love and the children I have volunteered with since they were in the nursery. That led me to InJoy, our ministry for children who benefit from a little extra care and attention.

For my project, I added sensory boards, weighted blankets, and a new bookshelf to the InJoy classroom, along with a sensory board for the family room in the sanctuary.

I wanted each part of the project to meet a real need. The sensory boards in the InJoy classroom include lights, a mirror, a locking door, wheels, calculators, zippers, buttons, and a variety of textures. For the family room, I created a board using different textured carpets, turf, and laminates. Because the family room allows parents and children to step away from the sanctuary while still seeing and hearing the worship service, the board gives children a quiet way to have the sensory experiences they need while their family remains connected to worship.

“I wanted to do something that would help the church I love and the children I have volunteered with since they were in the nursery.”

The weighted blankets were designed with the same purpose in mind. I made them using sequin pillowcases and beans for weight so children can use the sequins as a fidget while also benefiting from the added compression. These resources can help when a child becomes overstimulated, is having a difficult moment, or needs additional help transitioning into or out of the classroom.

I also noticed that the bookshelf in the InJoy classroom had seen better days, so my dad and I built a new one together.

I certainly didn’t do all of this alone. My friends Amelia Semrad, Olivia Howell, Rachel Smith, and Sarah Mui joined me, and together we worked to create the sensory boards and weighted blankets. Having my friends be part of the project made the experience even more meaningful.

“Even when things weren’t easy in the moment, I knew there was a larger purpose behind what I was doing.”

There were setbacks along the way, and a big part of this journey was learning to rely on my faith through them. Even when things weren’t easy in the moment, I knew there was a larger purpose behind what I was doing.

I have loved these children and volunteered with many of them since they were babies. Being able to use my Gold Award project to make their experience at church a little more comfortable and supportive meant a great deal to me.

More than anything, I came to understand that God could use this project—and use me—to help teach the gospel to the children of our church. What began as a Girl Scout project became an opportunity to serve children I already loved, give something back to the church I love, and put my faith into action.