The work is done and now all Palmetto High rising senior Emma David needs is the actual Girl Scout Gold Award, which she will receive next year at the annual spring ceremony. She was finishing her paperwork earlier this month.
For her Gold Award, David developed a program called “Eat Healthy, Live Healthy” for children in second to fifth grade. She did presentations at two elementary schools, talking to students about the value of healthy eating.
“I went to Palmetto Elementary and did one in South Pointe,” she says. “I made a demonstration and a booklet on how to have a healthy diet. It includes healthy recipes, instructions of things they have to follow and games they can play.”
David wants to help children avoid the struggles with weight that she went through at one point in her life. She developed healthy eating and exercise habits to help her through those times.
“It was at the end of eighth grade, early ninth grade,” she says. “Then, it was ‘Oh wow, I need a change.’ It is easier when they are young kids instead of having to go into this change.”
David is a member of Florida Future Educators of America so she gave the lesson plans to Palmetto’s FFEA club sponsor so they could be used in classes next year.
“Through FFEA, we go to elementary schools,” she says. “Mainly at Palmetto Elementary. They have after school activities where they might need volunteers. Or at certain events.”
Which is why she did one of her presentations at Palmetto Elementary in front of the after-school care children. She did her other presentation at South Pointe Elementary because her aunt is an administrator at the school.
“My family is very teacher based,” she says. “My mom is a substitute teacher, my grandma works at Palmetto Elementary. She works in the library and the computer lab. My aunt is the vice principal at South Pointe Elementary. She helped me make the lesson plan and make sure it works for the younger children.”
Outside of school, David volunteers at the Debbie School, a part of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Miami, where she works with children with and without disabilities.
“You’re teaching them skills, you read them books,” she says.
Volunteering there helped her gain a greater understanding of the dietary restrictions some of the kids have and why certain kids require certain things.
She’s a member of School Board member Dr. Larry Feldman’s Student Leadership Advisory Council.
“We visit different schools and see how they function,” David says. “We learn about issues that are going on in Miami-Dade.”
At school, David is a member of the National Honor Society and next year she will be in the television production class.
“I like to be in a few clubs and dedicate my time to it,” she says. “Girl Scouts took a large portion of my life and my time.”
For college, David expects to stay in Florida.
“I’ve visited UCF,” she says. “Both of my parents graduated from UF. I’m doing a summer program at UF called Humanities and the Sunshine State. I get to live as a college student for a week or so.”
Since she’s good with computers, she wants to major in computer science or computer engineering.
“I designed the booklet for my award,” she says. “I like designing things. I’ve been involved with different computer classes since sixth grade. I took graphic design classes in middle school.”
Linda Rodriguez Bernfeld
