Highest Awards


 The Girl Scout Gold Award

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.



Online Gold Award Orientation is in a new, easier to access location!

Girls and adults interested in learning more about the Gold Award program at GSSJC no longer need to access the training through the gsLearn platform. The training and corresponding quiz are easily accessible at the following direct links. How easy is that! 

Gold Award Orientation

(https://accessgs.gssjc.org/gao/index.html)

Gold Award Orientation Quiz and Scavenger Hunt

(https://gssjc.jotform.com/241856472470057)

Question: What if I already completed Gold Award Orientation in gsLearn?

You will still get credit for completing the gsLearn version of Gold Award Orientation. If you would like to review the orientation content, please do so at the link above. If you need a certificate of completion or access to the Gold Award Mentor Lookbook and can no longer access it through gsLearn, please email goldaward@sjgs.org. 


Congratulations to Fiona Charlton for being chosen as GSSJC's 2024 GSUSA Gold Award Girl Scout! Fiona has earned an amazing $5,000 scholarship to college through her project Brain Boosting Bites in partnership with the Alzheimer's Association to increase Alzheimer's awareness. Congratulations, Fiona!

Learn more about the GSUSA Gold Award Girl Scout scholarship program here. Each year one GSSJC Gold Award Girl Scout is chosen for this honor. Next year it might be you!

Pictured from left to right: Anna Charlton (Mother and Troop Leader), Fiona Charlton (GS-USA Gold Award Girl Scout), and Tracy Simmons (Gold Award Mentor)

Exciting News! GSSJC is now offering complimentary Lifetime Memberships to graduating Gold Award Girl Scouts. Start your Lifetime of Leadership by going Gold! 

Eligible girls will receive a communication on how to opt in to this extraordinary gift!

Before Gold

Learning About the Gold Award:

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 the Journey/s requirement. Either: the Silver Award and one Senior or Ambassador Journey (including the Take Action Project) OR two Senior or Ambassador Journeys (including the two Take Action Projects).
  • Take Gold Award Orientation. Gold Award Orientation and it's corresponding quiz are very easy to access and take approximately two hours to complete. See the links below.

Online Gold Award Orientation

Gold Award Orientation

(https://accessgs.gssjc.org/gao/index.html)

Gold Award Orientation Quiz and Scavenger Hunt

(https://gssjc.jotform.com/241856472470057)

Question: What if I already completed Gold Award Orientation in gsLearn?

You will still get credit for completing the gsLearn version of Gold Award Orientation. If you would like to review the orientation content, please do so at the link above. If you need a certificate of completion or access to the Gold Award Mentor Lookbook and can no longer access it through gsLearn, please email goldaward@sjgs.org. 

  • 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.
Don't forget to save your Gold Award Orientation certificate of completion email (a screenshot is acceptable) to provide to your Gold Award Mentor as evidence of completion when you reach out!



The Gold Award Mentor Team is a group of Council-level volunteers who are dedicated to working with girls one-on-one to help them achieve the Gold Award. These passionate volunteers are ready to answer any questions you have and support you as your design your project, apply for approval from the Gold Award Review Board, and complete your project. They are your adviser, cheerleader, and supporter throughout the entire process.

You will choose a Gold Award Mentor after you have completed your Journey and Gold Award Orientation pre-requisites by looking through the Gold Award Mentor Lookbook that unlocks at the end of Gold Award Orientation.

Please note that Gold Award Mentors may experience periods where they get many requests or few requests. Please be patient if you are not able to work with your first choice and choose another Gold Award Mentor to reach out to. If you have any questions, reach out to goldaward@sjgs.org.

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.

How to Download/Save your GAO Certificate:


Old way (before October 2024) Download your Gold Award Orientation Certificate (if you took via gsLearn)

  1.  Login to gsLearn
  2.  Click on "Achievements"
  3. Find "Gold Award Orientation"
  4. "Download Certificate"
  5. Save it as "Lastname, Firstname GAO"





New way (After October 2024) Save your Gold Award Orientation Certificate (if you took via jotform)

  1.  Open email that you received upon completion of the quiz and scavenger hunt.
  2. Print/Save as pdf per your email client
  3. Save it as "Lastname, Firstname GAO"



Register for GoGold!  

After Completing the Gold Award Orientation you may register for GoGold (the required platform to submit your proposal and final reports).

  1. Access the guides: click here.
  2. Follow the directions in the “GoGold 2.0 Guide.”
  3. Be sure and pick “San Jacinto” as your council.
(Be sure and take a look at the other files in gsLearn available to you)