01 Sep “We want to make a difference.”
Savannah Riddles wants to make a difference, a big difference.
And in large part, she’s already done it. She’s also only 14 years old.
Savannah is the junior leader for Girl Scout Troop 471 here in Austin. AEN readers might remember Girl Scout Troop 471 from an earlier podcast we produced in the spring about the Children’s Climate March. Organized by a group of elementary school-aged Girl Scouts and led by Savannah and their adult troop leader, Marty McDougal, the Children’s Climate March took place in downtown Austin on April 25th, 2015. The goal of the march was to encourage the world’s political leaders to take action on climate change and to start making some serious changes now.
But just because the march is over doesn’t mean that the work is done. Savannah spent a good deal of her summer publicizing the march, in an attempt to spread its message across the country, and ultimately the world. She created a website, sent emails, and launched a social media campaign, all aimed at encouraging children and teenagers to act on climate change. If all goes well, she hopes her efforts will win her the Silver Award, the second highest award a Girl Scout can earn.
Over the past few months Savannah has learned a lot. Not only has she figured out what it takes to build a website and gain an audience, but she’s discovered what it means to be a leader and make a difference. She learned how to break out of her shell and take action. Ultimately, she learned more about herself.
This is Savannah’s story, in her own words.
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