St. James School 8th-grader installs Buddy Bench for Girl Scout Silver Award project

Charlotte Gauntner, an eighth-grade student at Saint James School, earned her Girl Scout Silver Award for her Buddy Bench project.

The Silver Award is the highest honor a Cadette Girl Scout can earn. Gauntner initiated her six-month project in June 2021, meeting with her project advisor Jeanne Riley, Father Brian Noel, and the head of maintenance, Anthony Chavez.

Knowing the increasing challenges students and young people have faced throughout the past two years with the pandemic and with school changes, Gauntner recognized a need to help younger students in her school to be able to communicate when they are feeling left out or in need of friends with whom to play. She wanted her project to help reduce social isolation (especially because so many children were distanced during covid), help improve mental well-being and hopefully prevent bullying.

She worked to research, obtain donations and funds and assemble a Buddy Bench outside the Saint James School gym so kids would have a place to sit during recess.

She also brought other students on board to produce a teaching video that shared helpful wording kids could use when they feel lonely and in need of a friend. Involving other students in her teaching strategy through the video presentation allowed students to recognize even their peers and older students need help communicating sometimes. Gauntner also focused on reminding peers how each of us can and should be a noticer of those around us.

Gauntner visited each classroom K-8 to educate on this project as well as donated five books to the SJS Library.

She hopes to make a lasting impact and create a place where others can “Be A Noticer” for those in need.