The Girl Scout Gold Award is the most prestigious award in the world for girls, and it’s available exclusively to Girl Scouts. Open to girls in high school only, the Gold Award allows girls to tackle issues that are the most important to them. From ocean pollution to expanding education access, Gold Award Girl Scouts are the change-makers of tomorrow that are actively making a difference in their communities and the world beyond.
By the time you submit your Gold Award, you’ll have completed seven steps to develop a lasting solution to the challenge you’ve tackled. Read on for the seven simple steps to going Gold!
- Identify an issue.
Have you noticed an underlying problem in your community or the world at large? Use your values and skills to choose an issue that you care about.
- Investigate it thoroughly.
Research everything you can about the issue you’ve identified using a variety of sources. This could include interviews with people, books and articles, and online news and sites of related organizations. Identify national and global links to your community issue to track the root of the problem and ways to solve it.
- Get help and build your team.
Form a team to support your efforts and help you take action. Classmates, teachers, friends, business owners, and professional experts can all make fantastic allies in making your project possible! Girls should also choose their project advisor during this step, who will help her identify resources, provide insights, solve problems, and provide additional background information on her chosen issue.
- Create a plan.
Once you’ve identified your goal, create a plan to make it happen! Keep in mind the best use of your time, resources, and your team’s talents.
- Present your plan and gather feedback.
Submit your Project Proposal Form to your Girl Scout council for approval. Describe your plan, why the issue you chose matters to you, and how you will make your project sustainable. The project must be approved before girls can continue working on it!
- Take action.
It’s time to put that plan into motion! Lead your team, challenge yourself to try different ways to solve problems, and seek out partnerships to achieve greater community participation and impact for your project.
- Educate and inspire.
Tell your story and share your results. Complete your Girl Scout Gold Award final report, reflecting on what you’ve learned, and present it to your council. Share the project beyond your local community and inspire others to take action in their own communities!
Gold Award Girl Scouts are set up for success beyond their years in high school! Girls will be able to stand out in the college admissions process, earn exclusive scholarships, establish a community network, master their time management skills, and tackle an issue on a local or global level.
To learn more about the Gold Award, visit here!
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