Carson of Troop 197, Summerville earned her Girl Scout Gold Award in January 2020. Her project was unique in that it was our only international project. The project was called Shared Tools and sought to solve a problem with a paper production system in the Dominican Republic. Carson had a great Advisory and help team to meet the scope of a project that spanned such a great distance, different culture, and innovative call for resources. Carson worked hands on with the ladies of RePapel in the Dominican Republic to help them improve in paper making which is the industry and technology that sustains them. She sought to improve the process of papermaking, improving the quality of raw paper and finished paper goods made by the ladies of RePapel. Before introducing the smoothing and water extraction tools, they were smoothing the raw paper they produce with deodorant containers. The process is very labor intensive. Because the paper is now easier to produce and finish, with Carson’s developed Shared Tools, the ladies are able to sell their paper and finished products to a wider audience. They are now better able to support themselves, their families and their business.
