Iowa City Girl Scout Brings Awareness to Hereditary Dental Issues
Erin Schmidt-Rundell from Iowa City, Iowa, has achieved the Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can earn, for raising awareness of the gap in insurance for people with hereditary dental issues. After extensively researching the topic, she educated healthcare professionals, dental students, and legislators about the impact of this issue in our region.
“Iowa State Representative Dave Jacoby helped me learn the process of the legislation because my ultimate goal is to go to the State,” explained Schmidt-Rundell. “I now know the process and am planning on going to the legislature. He will continue to help me pursue the bill!”
The Gold Award Girl Scout created a pamphlet about hereditary dental issues, featuring testimonials from individuals who have been impacted by the gap in insurance coverage. She used money earned during the Girl Scout Cookie Program to print the pamphlets and distributed them to places like Iowa Pediatric Dental Centers, College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics, and Prairie Creek Dental. The pamphlets included a link to a video that Schmidt-Rundell developed with Dr. Pollyanne Iben from the University of Iowa College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics.
Gold Award Girl Scouts become innovative problem-solvers, empathetic leaders, confident public speakers, and focused project managers. They learn resourcefulness, tenacity, and decision-making skills, giving them an edge personally and professionally. As they take action to transform their communities, Gold Award Girl Scouts gain tangible skills and prove they’re the leaders our world needs.
According to recent research, Gold Award Girl Scouts are more likely to fill leadership roles at work and in their personal lives and are more civically engaged than their non-Girl Scout peers. Eighty-seven percent (87%) of Gold Award Girl Scouts agree that earning their Gold Award gave them skills that help them succeed professionally. Seventy-two percent (72%) said earning their Gold Award helped them get a scholarship. Changing the world doesn’t end when a Girl Scout earns her Gold Award. Ninety-nine percent (99%) of Gold Award Girl Scout alums take on leadership roles in their everyday lives.
Erin Schmidt-Rundell graduated from Iowa City West in the spring of 2024. She is currently attending Kirkwood Community College.
Gold Award
The Gold Award is the highest achievement a Girl Scout can earn, and it is available to girls in high school who create sustainable change on a community or world issue. Gold Award Girl Scouts address the root cause of a problem, plan and implement innovative solutions to drive change, and lead a team of people to success. As they transform their world, Gold Award Girl Scouts gain tangible skills and prove they are the leaders our community and the world need.
