The Gold Award is the Highest Award a Senior or Ambassador Girl Scout can earn and represents the most prestigious achievement in Girl Scouting. At the Gold Award level, girls work individually to identify an issue of importance to them and make a sustainable and measurable impact in their community. Gold Award recipients have distinguished themselves as change-makers and leaders in their communities who have demonstrated their passion, motivation, and leadership skills to make the world a better place.  

The Gold Award requires 80 hours of take action and the approval of both the Project Proposal and Final Report forms by the Gold Award Committee. Learn more about what to expect in the Gold Award process below.

Before Gold

Learning About the Gold Award:

• Review all materials provided on the Highest Awards Online Community.
• Carefully read the GSSJC Gold Award Project Guide.
• Girls can take the Older Girl Take Action Workshop to learn more about Take Action.

Eligibility: Senior or Ambassador Girl Scouts (9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th graders) are eligible to complete the Gold Award through September 30th of the year they graduate 12th grade (i.e. during the fall after graduating).

Prerequisites:

• Complete one prerequisite. Either: the Silver Award, a Senior or Ambassador Journey, or a Leadership Award on the Highest Awards prerequisite menu found here.
• Take Gold Award Orientation. Gold Award Orientation is offered in person on a quarterly basis or self-paced online (links below). Search for upcoming dates for in-person Gold Award Orientation here.

• Choose a Gold Award Mentor. Once you complete Gold Award Orientation, you will receive a certificate of completion email with your grade and a link to the Gold Award Mentor Lookbook. This document has the bios, availability, and contact information of the approved Council-wide Gold Award Mentors. Choose one and contact them to see if they are available to take new girls at this time. Mentors with open availability will almost always be able to take you, but Mentors with limited availability may or may not be able to accept your request if multiple requests are sent to them. Please be patient if you are not able to work with your first choice and choose another Gold Award Mentor to reach out to.
  

Steps to the Gold Award

Project Proposal:

• Sign up for GoGold Online.
• Work with your Gold Award Mentor and utilize the GSSJC Gold Award Project Guide to plan your project. Make sure your project meets Take Action (as opposed to community service) guidelines.
• Submit your project proposal via GoGold Online with all required supplemental documents and Gold Award Mentor signatures.
• Ask your Gold Award Mentor to add you to the next Gold Award Review Board agenda. Review Board meetings usually occur every two weeks.
• Once the Review Board meeting is complete, you will receive an email with your results within one week.

Project: Once approved, implement your project. If your project changes, consult your Gold Award Mentor who will help you decide if you need to fil out an addendum or resubmit your project proposal for review by the Gold Award Review Board.

Final Report:

• After completing your project, work with your Gold Award Mentor to fill out and submit your Final Report with all required supplemental documents and Gold Award Mentor signatures.
• Ask your Gold Award Mentor to add you to the next Gold Award Review Board agenda.
• Once the Review Board meeting is complete, you will receive an email with your results within one week.

Take Note

• Girls working on their Gold Award will be supported through the process by two adults: the Gold Award Mentor and the Project Advisor. The Gold Award Mentor supports the girl through the process of designing her project and getting her project proposal and final report approved by the Gold Award Review Board. The Project Advisor is an expert in the girl’s Gold Award project topic and/or is a representative of her partnering organization.
• Girls must work with a GSSJC-approved Gold Award Mentor. A project cannot be added to the Gold Award Review Board meeting agenda without the approval of a Gold Award Mentor. Girls choose a Gold Award Mentor from the Gold Award Mentor Lookbook document which is available at the end of Gold Award Orientation on gsLearn.
• Check the Online Community for more details about what to expect after earning the Gold Award (how to pick up a pin, attending Gold Award Ceremony, Gold Award scholarships, etc). 

After Earning the Gold Award

• Gold Award Pins – GSSJC offers all Gold Award Girl Scouts complimentary Gold Award pins! Schedule a time to pick up a Gold Award pin at the Girl Scout Center by filling out this request form. Pins can also be picked up at a Gold Award Headshot Day (hosted at the Girl Scout Center in January and March each year) and Gold Award Ceremony in May.
• Gold Award Certificate – GSUSA Gold Award certificates are printed once a year for Gold Award Ceremony. All certificates that are not picked up at Gold Award Ceremony will be mailed out in June. We are not able to provide Gold Award certificates for local ceremonies in advance of Gold Award Ceremony.
• Gold Award Headshots – Council offers two free professional headshot days, usually in January and March. Pictures will be used at Gold Award Ceremony and in the Highest Awards Yearbook. If you are not able to attend, you can submit a picture to goldaward@sjgs.org.
• Gold Award Yard Signs – GSSJC offers two kinds of complimentary yard signs to Gold Award Girl Scouts: a "Proud Gold Award Girl Scout" sign for residences and project signs to be placed at the location of your Gold Award project, if applicable. Schedule a time to pick up a Gold Award yard sign/s at the Girl Scout Center by filling out this request form. Yard signs can also be picked up at a Gold Award Headshot Day (hosted at the Girl Scout Center in January and March each year) and Gold Award Ceremony in May.
• Promotion and Highlighting
• All Gold Award projects are highlighted in the Golden Link.
• All Gold Award projects are shared on social media, some as a group and some individually. Limited individual social media highlights are determined on a variety of factors and all projects are entered for consideration.
• All Gold Award projects are highlighted in the annual Highest Awards Yearbook.
• Read the Gold Award Publicity form for more information about additional options for local promotion.

At Gold Award Ceremony girls will:

• walk across the stage while their project is highlighted and take a formal picture with the CEO and President of the Council.
• receive their Gold Award certificate, Gold Award pin (if not already picked up), a copy of the Highest Awards Yearbook, and a special Gold Award gift exclusive to the girls who attend Gold Award Ceremony.
• take part in the annual Gold Award Class photo.
• have the opportunity to meet and take pictures with Council VIPs.
• explore the exhibits, slide show, and photo booths available from check in to departure.

Gold Award Scholarships

GSSJC Gold Award Girl Scouts are eligible to apply for two scholarship programs: the GSUSA Gold Award Girl Scout Scholarship and the Emerald Circle Scholarship.

GSUSA Gold Award Girl Scout Scholarship

• One winner per council annually receives a scholarship of $5,000.
• Girls apply in the spring of their senior year of high school if they earned their award by March 31 of their senior year OR in the spring of their freshman year of college if they earned their award after March 31 of their senior year.
• Learn more here: https://www.girlscouts.org/goldawardscholarship.

Emerald Circle Scholarship

• Multiple winners within GSSJC annually receive scholarships between $1,000 and $3,000.
  
• Girls apply in the spring of their senior year of high school if they earned their award by March 31 of their senior year OR in the spring of their freshman year of college if they earned their award after March 31 of their senior year.
• Learn more here: https://www.gssjc.org/en/members/for-girl-scouts/emerald-circle-scholarship.html.

VFW Scout of the Year Scholarship

• One winner per VFW Post (many posts in the geographic area of GSSJC) with varying amounts. Winners move on to the district, state, and national levels for additional scholarships.
• Learn more here: https://www.vfw.org/community/youth-and-education/scout-of-the-year