The Girl Scout Troop 4043 is looking to tell more stories than just their own. That’s why they recently donated 15 books to the Southlake Public Library.
An eighth grade Girl Scout group, Troop 4043 aims to increase cultural awareness in the community through reading and storytelling. They formed the “Everyone Is Equal” initiative as part of its Silver Award project, which is an effort to locally support a cause that is important to the Girl Scouts.
“It's about bringing diverse voices into our community via books written by authors that had a connection to their characters,” Scout Elisabeth O’Callaghan says. “It's important that we all learn and understand other backgrounds and cultures to bring unity to our community.”
The project was divided into two parts. The first was conducting a survey where the troop collected responses from Girl Scouts around the world so they could share their stories. The second part was researching and selecting books to donate to the Southlake Public Library that was from more diverse authors.
Scout Emma Henke says the group’s goal is to stop the “one story effect” that generalizes societies through a one-sided perspective.
“I care a lot about equality and respect for all cultures. It bothers me when someone isn’t given a fair chance,” Emma says. “Having more books available written by diverse authors about their experiences adds to our more diverse community and gives everyone a chance to consider different perspectives and stories. It’s fun to see how alike and different we all are.”
Troop 4043 donated the books to the Southlake Public Library on Tuesday, May 26. Scout Lauren Sims says she’s proud of her group’s activism and hopes that it inspires people around the community to read and learn more about other cultures they may have been unaware of.
“Our hope is to cultivate awareness of other cultures that will extend beyond our small group,” Lauren says. “I am proud of our efforts to connect Girl Scouts worldwide and locally and I am grateful for the recognition of our project.”
You can book an appointment to check out a book from the Southlake Public Library by calling 817.748.8243 or go online at SouthlakeLibrary.com. To learn more about Troop 4043, go to their website at Everyone-Is-Equal.com.