How a 12-year-old Girl Scout is helping shape a California heat safety bill

EMPOWERING GIRLS TO CREATE REAL CHANGE AND BECOME LEADERS IN THEIR COMMUNITY. THE GIRL SCOUT COOKIE PROGRAM. WE ALL KNOW ABOUT THE GIRL SCOUT COOKIES, RIGHT? BUT THERE ARE MANY OTHER PROGRAMS THAT THE GIRL SCOUTS PARTICIPATE IN. AND JOINING US THIS MORNING IS GIRL SCOUT, NATALY RUBIO AND MADISON COX. THANK YOU BOTH FOR BEING WITH US. WE APPRECIATE IT. YOU’RE WELCOME. THANKS FOR HAVING US. OF COURSE. OKAY, SO AGAIN, WE KNOW ABOUT THE COOKIE PROGRAM, BUT LET’S TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE OTHER PROGRAMS BEFORE WE GET INTO THE SPECIFICS OF YOURS. SOME OF THE OTHER PROGRAMS THAT THE GIRLS PARTICIPATE IN. YEAH. SO THE GIRL SCOUT PROGRAM IS REALLY ALL ABOUT HELPING GIRLS IDENTIFY WHO THEY ARE AND WHAT THEY’RE INTERESTED IN. AND WE CREATE OPPORTUNITIES IN A SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT THAT REALLY ALLOW THEM TO PURSUE THOSE THINGS. OKAY, SO LET’S TALK SPECIFICS ABOUT THE GIRL SCOUT SILVER AWARD PROJECT AND WHAT MAKES IT SO SPECIAL FOR YOU. WELL, THE SILVER AWARD PROJECT IS THE HIGHEST AWARD THAT ANY GIRL SCOUT CAN EARN AND NOT THE HIGHEST, SECOND HIGHEST. AND AS A THE HIGHEST THAT A CADET CAN EARN. TELL ME ABOUT YOUR SPECIFIC PROJECT. MY PROJECT. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT STUDENTS STAY SAFE IN EXTREME HEAT, SO I WANT ALL STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA TO BE TAUGHT THE SIGNS OF HEAT ILLNESS AND HOW TO RESPOND. I’M WORKING. I STARTED WITH MY SCHOOL BOARD, BUT I’M NOW WORKING WITH ASSEMBLY MEMBER TOM LACKEY ON AB1653 TO ADD HEALTH OR EDUCATION TO THE HEALTH FRAMEWORK SO THAT SCHOOLS CAN HAVE GUIDANCE ON HOW TO TEACH THEIR STUDENTS THIS. THAT’S INCREDIBLY TIMELY TOO, BECAUSE WE’RE TALKING ABOUT THESE POSSIBLY RECORD BREAKING TEMPERATURES THIS WEEK. WHERE DOES THE BILL STAND NOW AND HOW CAN PEOPLE SUPPORT YOU? RIGHT NOW, THEY’RE HEARING THE BILL ON WEDNESDAY, AND I MIGHT TESTIFY IF IT’S ON CONSENT. AND OTHER IF THERE’S ANYONE WHO MAY A FIREFIGHTER OR A MEDIC, IF THEY WANT TO WRITE SUPPORT LETTERS FOR THE BILL, THEY HAVE TO BE WRITTEN IN A CERTAIN WAY. SO IF THEY WANTED TO CONTACT ME AT WEATHER-WISE, KIDS@GMAIL.COM, AND I CAN GIVE THEM INFORMATION FOR THAT, THAT WOULD BE AMAZING BECAUSE I DO NEED SUPPORT LETTERS. TELL ME WHY THIS IS SOMETHING THAT’S SO IMPORTANT FOR YOU IN 2022. I WAS NINE YEARS OLD AND SACRAMENTO HAD A RECORD BREAKING 116 DEGREE HEAT WAVE. THE AIR CONDITIONER IN MY SCHOOL’S CAFETERIA WAS BROKEN, AND ALL THE STUDENTS HAD TO EAT LUNCH OUTSIDE ALL WEEK. AND SO LATER I DID A CLASS PRESENTATION ON THE HEAT WAVE, AND ABOUT A THIRD OF MY CLASS TOLD ME THAT THEY FELT SICK WHILE EATING OUTSIDE, BUT THEY DIDN’T KNOW THAT IT WAS HEAT ILLNESS. THEY DIDN’T EVEN KNOW WHAT HEAT ILLNESS WAS. AND SO THAT’S WHEN I REALIZED THAT THERE WAS A LARGE GAP IN EDUCATION THAT WE NEEDED TO FILL ON THIS TOPIC. OF COURSE. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO OTHER GIRLS, PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO SEE THIS INTERVIEW AND SAY, YOU KNOW, I FIRST WANT TO BE A GIRL SCOUT AND OTHERS THAT MAY WANT TO PURSUE, YOU KNOW, A SIMILAR PROJECT. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY? I TELL THE GIRLS WHO WANT TO JOIN GIRL SCOUTS TO ABSOLUTELY DO IT. IT’S ONE OF THE BEST DECISIONS THAT I’VE MADE, AND IT JUST GETS MORE FUN THE LONGER THAT YOU’RE IN IT. AND FOR GIRLS WHO WANT TO DO THEIR SILVER AWARD, IT IS AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE CHANGE IN YOUR COMMUNITY. AND I WOULD TELL THEM TO BE REALLY PROUD ABOUT IT AND JUST FIND A TOPIC THAT THEY LIKE AND PURSUE IT. WELL, WE WILL DEFINITELY KEEP AN EYE ON THAT BILL FOR SURE. AND IF IT PASSES, WE WANT YOU TO