Girl Scout Gold Award Project Helps Young Readers Gain Confidence In Cranbury and Beyond

Lily works with ELL students as part of her Gold Award project.

By GSCSNJ Newsroom Staff

Lily Berkery, a Junior at Princeton High School and a member of Girl Scout Troop 72911, is working to combat summer learning loss for English Language Learner (ELL) students through her Girl Scout Gold Award project, Building Reading Confidence. Her work is already making an impact in the Hightstown and Cranbury communities.

Lily identified through her research that student reading loss over the summer is primarily due to the lack of access to programs and opportunities to read.  Many of the programs available to practice and advance reading skill in the summer months are very expensive and out of reach for some families.

Fewer than 6% of Girl Scouts complete the rigorous program and earn the Gold Award, one of the organization’s highest achievements. The award challenges Girl Scouts to identify a pressing issue, investigate its root causes, and create a sustainable solution that leads to lasting change. For Lily, that issue is summer reading loss, which disproportionately affects ELL students who may not have access to academic enrichment outside of the school year.

“Reading was one of my favorite things to do when I was younger, and I want to help other kids become more confident in their English language reading skills,” Lily said. Her project offers free reading sessions to students in grades 1 through 8, with a particular focus on those enrolled in the Cranbury School Summer Academy and Recreation Camp. With the support of local educators and librarians, Lily has developed a program that complements classroom instruction and gives students a chance to strengthen key reading skills, like identifying plot and characters.

In March, Lily hosted a reading session at the Hightstown Library—one of several planned events to help students maintain and build reading skills year-round. She also brought her program abroad during a school exchange trip to Peru, where she read to young English learners at San Jose de Monterrico School in Lima.

What sets Lily’s project apart is its emphasis on sustainability. She partnered with the LINC leadership program at Princeton High School to establish a service initiative that will continue beyond her graduation. Local high school sophomores will fulfill community service hours by volunteering to read with elementary students at the Cranbury Public Library during the school year. Lily’s work ensures the program will live on, providing valuable literacy support for years to come.

Lily is one of more than sixty Girl Scouts currently pursuing their Gold Award across Central and Southern New Jersey. Each of these projects represents a unique effort to tackle real-world challenges—from mental health awareness to environmental sustainability—by developing creative, youth-led solutions that benefit the wider community.

Her story is a reminder of the values at the heart of Girl Scouting: courage, confidence, and character. As Girl Scouts continue to take the lead on issues that matter, one thing is clear—every community deserves Girl Scouts.

To learn more about the Girl Scout Gold Award or to support local Girl Scouts, visit www.gscsnj.org.