MADISON – Fifth-graders Leah Jump, Maribeth Williams and Brooklyn Colquett at Columbia Elementary School completed a service project on campus to earn the Bronze Award in Girl Scouts.

Leah, Maribeth and Brooklyn designed and installed a hopscotch game on Columbia’s playground.

Girl Scouts USA introduced the Bronze Award in 2001. Scouts at the Junior level only can earn the honor.

By achieving the Bronze Award, Girl Scouts can collaborate to make a difference in their community, understand the concepts of leadership, reach out to new hobbies or interests for them and realize that small improvements for a community can make a big difference.

Leah decided to become a Scout six years ago when she was in kindergarten. Leah joined the organization so she could help other people. “My troop leaders motivated me (to achieve the Bronze Award) to help our school,” Leah said. “Students will have more things to play with” because of the hopscotch area.

Maribeth Williams, 11, has learned lots of lessons and new ideas since joining Girl Scouts in second grade.

Ten-year-old Brooklyn joined Girl Scouts when she was eight years old and has learned “you can encourage things for other people in our community.”

Brooklyn was interested in the Bronze Award “because I thought it would be very fun. What motivated me was thinking about how happy other kids will be.” Maribeth was interested in the art design for the project.

The girls received permission for their project from Columbia administrators. The Scouts’ supplies included stencils, paper and pencils, paint and brushes for the pavers. They needed shovels to slightly bury the pavers in Columbia’s playground. Their hopscotch project “will benefit kids by making them happy,” Brooklyn said.

Brooklyn’s parents are Tony and Tiffany Colquett. He works at Torch Technologies, and Tiffany works at The Surgery Center.

Maribeth’s parents are Chris Williams, who works for Arby’s, and Summer Williams, an employee at Central Office of Madison City Schools.

Leah’s father is Andrew Jump, who works at QTEC, and her mother Karen Jump works at Columbia elementary. Leah is proud that Columbia was ranked as number four among Alabama’s 718 elementary schools (according to NICHE, a national education research group).