A Girl Scout’s work with a nonprofit connecting English speakers with people in Ukraine allowed her and the people she interacted with a chance to learn about what makes their cultures similar and unique.
Waverly resident Sierra Lavelle, a member of Girl Scout Troop 50968 in Clarks Summit, became a mentor for ENGin, a nonprofit organization that connects volunteer English speakers from around the world with people in Ukraine to help them learn English for her Gold Award project.
For the last six months, the Abington Heights High School senior, 18, has conversed with four teens from different parts of Ukraine through video conference, talking Saturday and Sunday mornings. She currently speaks with two teens on weekends.
Their conversations are typically about things happening in their lives and the media, art and books they enjoy, but they have also discussed the American and Ukrainian systems of government.
Sierra learned about ENGin through her dad, Patrick Lavelle, who works in information technology at Cognizant. He worked with her when she first became involved in the organization.
“We both decided that would be a really good thing to look into and talk about,” Sierra said. “We both mutually decided we would take the steps to reach out and see if this was something that they would be willing to work with.”
Sierra Lavelle poses for a photo at her computer during a teleconference for ENGin, a nonprofit that connects English speakers with people in Ukraine to help them learn English. Sierra, a member of Girl Scout Troop 50968 in Clarks Summit, worked with the organization for her Gold Award. (Courtesy of Patrick Lavelle)
Sierra Lavelle listens during a video conference with a student in Ukraine. (Courtesy of Patrick Lavelle)
Sierra Lavelle listens during a video conference with a student in Ukraine. (Courtesy of Patrick Lavelle)
She said she was the first Girl Scout to volunteer with the organization. As part of her project, Sierra was asked to research ways it can improve its outreach with Girl Scouts and young people in general.
“That took a bit to work on, but it ended up going really well,” she said.
Sierra said talking with the teens in Ukraine has allowed her to learn more about their culture and for them to learn about American culture.
“It’s fascinating,” she said.
The most interesting topics of discussion, Sierra said, have been differences between how Americans and Ukrainians celebrate holidays like Christmas and Easter and how driving is taught in the two countries. She also discovered that Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat are the most popular social media platforms for Ukrainian teens.
However, the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia isn’t far from the minds of the teens. Sierra said the war comes up during their conversations, with one teen telling her about how she is trying to maintain a positive outlook, despite her father fighting in the war. They have also told her about how the war impacts their daily routines, with schedules for electricity use in place, which she said figure into scheduling conversations.
Sierra hopes people see how the war impacts people in Ukraine.
“I think it’s important that people realize that this is a real thing that’s happening,” she said. “It’s a huge part of how people are functioning.”
Sierra, who has been involved in Girl Scouts since the age of 6 and plans to study education and East Stroudsburg University, said it is good for people to hear different perspectives and keep an open mind about how different cultures may operate.
She learned she received Girl Scouts’ highest achievement earlier this month and will get the award at a ceremony later this spring. Sierra is happy to receive it and is pleased with how her project turned out.
“It’s been something that I’ve been passionate about and have been working toward since I was little and I’m really happy to finally have it,” she said. “I think my project has been a huge success and it’s been a real eye opener overall.”