The Girl Scout Gold AwardWhy earn the Gold Award? Changes with the Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards include the following: Bronze will now be for the 4th-5th Grades; Silver for the 6th-8th Grades; and Gold for the 9th-12th Grades. Each girl must complete the Take Action project and do one Journey for the Bronze and Silver awards. For the Gold Award, the girl must complete one Journey and the Silver Award or two Journeys. Register for a free workshop to learn about the new guidelines. Why earn the Gold Award?The Girl Scout Gold Award is the highest award in Girl Scouting -- and organizations around the country recognize this honor. Girl Scout Gold Award recipients are eligible for scholarships, and girls who earn the Girl Scout Gold award may enter the four branches of the United States Armed Services at an advanced level and salary. The Girl Scout Gold Award is more than a recognition. It sets a woman apart as a community leader. This lifetime achievement should be listed on a woman's resume throughout her career. What are the project requirements?Girls must be an individually registered Girl Scout and be a Girl Scout Senior or Girl Scout Ambassador. Any girl who meets the grade level and membership requirements may work on her Gold Award. A Gold Award project should meet all of the following criteria:
What steps should I take to "Go for the Gold?"
Frequently Asked QuestionsA Girl Scout has not yet finished the Girl Scout Gold Award project and is starting college. Is this allowed? A girl has until she turns 18 or until the end of the Girl Scout membership year (September 30th) of her senior year of high school to finish her Gold Award project. Cadette Girl Scouts who are bridging to Senior Girl Scouting will begin work on Senior Girl Scout activities in June. Can these activities count? Yes. Girls can begin to earn the awards over the summer of the transition (or bridge) to the next Girl Scout level. Do Journeys have to be earned as a troop? No. Each girl may select and complete journeys on her own. The journeys give girls a full experience of what they will do as they work to earn the highest awards. The skills girls gain while working on the journeys will help them develop, plan and implement their award Take Action project. An individually registered girl is interested in earning the Girl Scout Gold Award. Since she does not have a troop leader or Girl Scout advisor, where does she go to get started and receive guidance? Contact your council service center. Staff will work directly with the girl to find a project advisor to provide guidance throughout the process. Does a girl have to have earned the Silver Award to earn the Gold Award? No. The awards are separate, but the Girl Scout Silver Award is a good foundation for earning the Gold Award. What is the difference between a Girl Scout advisor and a Gold Award project advisor? A Girl Scout advisor is a volunteer working with older girls that has been approved by the council, received training and serves as the registered leader for the troop. The Gold Award project advisor is the individual associated with the benefiting organization that will be the primary contact for a girl on her project. Money and the Gold Award ProjectFrom GSUSA publications.
One of the challenges facing every girl earning her Gold Award is financial. Often, when the planning gets serious, adjustments have to be made in the implementation. On the one hand, you are asked to meet a need in your community; on the other hand, you have some major constraints outlined in Safety-Wise, GSUSA policies and by the Girl Scout Council of the Southern Appalachians. What's a girl to do? 1. You may not ask for money as a girl member of Girl Scouts. You may not ask for materials or services (technically called gifts-in-kind) either from the business community. This asking is considered fundraising by both the IRS and GSUSA policies - and for a lot of reasons, legal and otherwise, adults are the only people who can raise money for Girl Scouting. If you really need to get a donation of materials or need some funds to accomplish your project, work with your Girl Scout advisor to accomplish this. They have a Resource Guide, that has all the details and requirements for girls and troops related to money. 2. You can't raise money for another organization as a Girl Scout. That means you can't have a car wash and tell people that you are giving the proceeds to a homeless shelter for meals, you can't ask for pledges for a walk-a-thon to benefit breast cancer research, and you can't hold a benefit dance to raise money for someone's kidney operation. What you can do
FAQSo, what is the message GSUSA is sending about money and Gold Award projects?Projects that may incur significant expenses or materials are not the best choices for girls. Girls need to select projects that utilize resources readily accessible to them such as their own time, talent, effort and that of other volunteers in the community. How will the money component affect approval from the Gold Award mentoring committee?Girls are asked to address financial needs for the project in the proposal. Girls should be prepared with all the details about expenses and have alternative plans should their first choice not work out. All these details need to be in the written proposal, and the girl should be prepared to discuss this with the committee. Is it best to pick a project that does not require much money or supplies to accomplish, or that involves a material drive with individuals or community groups?Yes. Resources for Girls Earning the Gold AwardGold Award Project Advisor. This individual is generally the primary contact person for a girl at the benefiting organization. Girl Scout advisors and parents are encouraged to help but should not be Gold Award project advisors. In addition, the following resources are available to assist girls earning the Gold Award: Girl Scout staff, at the council office, are there to assist girls with questions or challenges that earning this award may present, 865-688-9440. The Gold Award committee can be of assistance to girls prior to the proposal stage if particularly difficult questions arise. Contact the council office to submit your question to the committee, 865-688-9440. Each service center maintains Gold Award projects from the past. Girls, parents and advisors are welcome to schedule a time to review some of the past project details. 865-688-9440. Often girls who have earned the Gold Award are willing to meet with or speak to girls, parents and advisors about their experience. This can be very inspiring to girls and give them the chance to ask questions peer to peer. |
The Girl Scout Promise
On my honor, I will try:
To serve God and my country,
To help people at all times,
And to live by the Girl Scout Law.
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