The Silver Award is one of the highest awards in the Girl Scouts. It is given when a Girl Scout is a cadet or in grades 6-8. In addition to earning badges, a Girl Scout must complete an “action project.” She must identify an issue she cares about and select a project that can lead to lasting change.

Clover Rashby, who just finished 8th grade at Forest Charter School last year, has been a student there for four years. During her time there, she saw a particular wall graffitied multiple times and then painted over with gray paint. “It made me sad because I love my school, and having part of it painted over with boring gray paint (to hide graffiti) doesn’t reflect that feeling of the school,” Rashby said. “The wall is right across from the younger kids’ playground, and I thought it would be nice for them to have something colorful to look at while they play.”

Rashby’s mural includes a lot of symbolism to capture the spirit of the school she loves. The central focal point of the mural is the school mascot, a tree, but Clover added a seed and sprout to symbolize the growth that is happening at Forest Charter. Other symbols represent the inclusive spirit of her school. There is a rainbow to represent the LGBTQ students as well as the uniqueness of all students, circles in various shades of brown and tan to represent all races, and hearts to represent the love that comes from the teachers and staff. Rashby also added gray circles and ovals. She says, “Our school takes mental health very seriously and I thought these shapes kind of look like gray clouds, which reminds me of the support our school provides for mental health.”

At Forest Charter, the response to the mural has been positive. Executive Director MeShawn Simmons said, “The mural is incredible. I’m so happy to have something colorful in this space!”

Rashby says she is grateful to the many people who helped her create this mural, from the permitting process to the painting. She received help from administration, teachers, students, and even graduates of Forest Charter School. Her fellow Girl Scouts also helped with the painting. She is especially grateful to Knight’s Paint, who not only recommended the best products for a long-lasting mural, but also donated all of the paint and materials to her free of charge.