Writing a children’s book teaching about boundaries

WVHS senior Elizabeth Verboys has been a Girl Scout since she was in first grade, and is currently working on her Gold Award Project. She calls her project Wisdom Wings, and her goal is to raise awareness around child sexual abuse and advocate for victims. The centerpiece of the project is a book that Elizabeth is writing.

“It’s a kid’s book about consent and boundaries, because I really think it’s important to educate kids at a young age,” she said. “It’s targeted more towards younger elementary school kids, and meant to be a conversation starter for kids and their parents.”

Elizabeth wrote the whole story and is having another Girl Scout illustrate it. She said she’s wrapping the book up now, and plans for it to be out in the spring.

“I’m working through the publishing process now, which is all new to me,” she added. “It’s all been a learning experience!”

Elizabeth is already working closely with the Orange County Mental Health Association to schedule public readings of her book. She also has a meeting on the calendar with Senator Skoufis to discuss NYS law loopholes related to sexual abuse cases. She publishes everything going on with her Gold Award on her Instagram, www.instagram.com/wisdomwings.gold.

“I also make care packages for victims who are reporting their cases, as a way to help them through the process, and give them information they might need,” said Elizabeth. “I’ve dropped off packages at the Port Jervis and Wallkill police stations, and this week I’m dropping bags off in Warwick.”

Elizabeth is also taking part in the WVHS Senior Project this year, and her goal in that program is to learn American Sign Language (ASL). She’s already been working closely with a mentor, and plans to tie her learning into her project with Scouts.

“Kids with disabilities are often victims,” said Elizabeth. “So I think being able to read the book to them, learning ASL and being able to read it to kids with impaired hearing, that’s really important.”

Prior to her Gold Award Project, the longtime Scout also completed the organization’s Silver and Bronze Award projects.

“Bronze you work on in fifth and 6th grade, and I sewed cat beds for the local animal shelter and collected dog food to be donated,” Elizabeth recalled. “For my Silver Award, I grew spider plants and put a plant in every classroom in the Middle School.”

Elizabeth said she’s looking forward to completing her two big projects and seeing them come together. Of course, she has graduation and college on her mind. She has applied to a handful of schools, including the University of Buffalo and some city schools. Her fingers are crossed for Buffalo, where they offer a strong criminology program, and her brother goes there. She said it’s her interest in forensic psychology that first attracted her toward the field, and she’s been inspired by her uncle, who is an investigator himself.

“I’ve had such positive experiences with the different officers and detectives here in Warwick, working with them through Girl Scouts. They’ve all just been a really good influence on me,” said Elizabeth.