Gold Award
Senior & Ambassador
Girl Scouts
Which scout years can earn gold
Any registered Girl Scout who is presently participating in the Senior or Ambassador programs (grades 9th - 12th) may earn their Silver Award. This is the highest of Girl Scouts awards. She does not have to earn the Silver Award in order to participate in the Gold Award program. During her time:
  1. She will Discover issues in her community that she will be able to make a difference with her project
  2. She will then Connect with others in her community to explore how to best tackle the issue.
  3. Lastly, she will then Take Action, by leading a team to complete her project.

Remember, all projects must be completed and the paperwork submitted to council before the 30th of September after her 12th grade year.
Getting Started
If the scouts in your Senior or Ambassador troops are starting to think about whether they would like to pursue their Gold Award they and their leaders should do the following:

     Scouts: Watch The Gold Award 101 Video
     Leaders/Volunteers/Parents: Complete the Take Action course on LARC
                                                   (Menu ~ On-line Training) 

Download the following items:

     Gold Award Quick Start Guide
     Gold Award Guidelines
     Gold Award Process and Timeline
     Project Ideas
     Hourly Guidelines
     FAQs
Complete one or two senior/Ambassador Journeys
Before your Girl Scouts can begin the Gold Award, your Scouts must either have complete one of the following prior to starting their project:
  1. Have earned their Silver Award and complete one Journey in their current scout level.
  2. Complete two of Journeys in their current scout level. 
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However, they can begin their training and "exploring" prior to completing their Journeys.

Senior Journeys

  1. GIRLtopia ~ In GIRLtopia girls develop their own vision of an ideal world and acquire the skills to make it a reality. By exploring women in history, interviewing inspiring mentors, or creating a short film, Seniors learn real-life lessons while building a brighter future.
  2. Sow What? ~ The Sow What? Journey is all about food—how and where it’s grown, harvested, processed, distributed, and consumed—and why it matters. Seniors share their knowledge and host a farmers market, inspire others to eat locally, or plan a community vegetable garden.
  3. Mission: Sisterhood! ~ The powerful benefits of strong, healthy relationships are explored on the Mission: Sisterhood! Journey. Seniors may role-play friendship scenarios, organize a “Girl Power” film club at school, or host a mixer where girls can meet, share stories, and make lifelong connections.

Ambassador Journeys

  1. Your Voice, Your World: The Power of Advocacy ~ Communication takes the stage in Your Voice, Your World: The Power of Advocacy. Girls spot problems, find solutions, and take action. Whether it’s making presentations, using social media, or lobbying government, Ambassadors raise their collective voices to make positive change.
  2. Justice ~ By identifying global environmental issues and creating their own vision for change, Ambassadors on the Justice Journey work together to address food and land-use issues, improve food delivery systems, fight hunger in developing nations, or rediscover healthy eating traditions.
  3. BLISS: Live It~ Give It! ~ Dreams do come true, especially for Ambassadors and the girls and women they inspire. On the BLISS: Live It! Give It! Journey girls may work with aspiring artists, meet successful athletes, or create a college exploration workshop to help others make their dreams a reality.
Girl Training
Once a scout has completed her prerequisites of Journeys and/or Silver Award, she should attend the Good to Gold Training. This course is not mandatory, but it highly recommended. Make sure you plan to take your training early enough in the process as Gold Training is not always offered.
Investigate  
You should start to explore your issue. Using a Mind Map will assist you in this process.

​Once you have your issue, identify an organization to work with for your project. Your contact person there will become your project advisor. They will be able to help you develop your idea. 

Fund raising will be part of your project.
  • If you plan on using any money from your troop, you will need to work with your leader and have a Troop Funds Letter filled out.
  • You may also need to do some additional money-earning activities (MEA). Guidelines for a MEA can be found in Volunteer Essentials.
  • If you plan on soliciting any donations, please review a sample Donation Letter.
  • Any donations over $250 will have to complete a Donation Report

If you have any questions about this process during this time, you can always reach out to  goldawardsupport@gsgatl.org.

Notice of Intent
Submit a Notice of Intent.

In order to submit your Notice of Intent you do not have to have your Gold Award Take Action Project planned out. Rather you simply just have to have your per-requisists (Journey/Silver Award combinations) completed and are ready to start working towards your Gold Award.

Once you submit the Notice of Intent, you’ll be assigned a mentor from the Gold Award Board who will help you in develop your Gold Award Take Action Project Proposal, help you through the interview process and final report.

Create a Plan
Once you connected with your Gold Award Coach, you will begin working with them on creating your Gold Award Project Proposal

Once your proposal is complete, your Coach will approve you for your interview with the Gold Award Panel.

Resources to help you with writing your proposal:
If you plan on advertising or having the press cover your project you will need to fill out a PR Request/Press Release.
Receive Approval from Council
Once your Gold Award Coach has signed off on your proposal, you will then be able to sign-up for a panel presentation to the Gold Award Committee.

There you will receive additional feedback and suggestion from the Committee on your proposed project.

You will also receive the go ahead to begin the Take Action portion of your project.
Take Action, Educate and Inspire
Now that you have your approval from Council, it is time to put your project in motion with your Take Action Project.

Once you have finished your project you will need to complete your Final Report!

Share your project with others by posting your story on Girl Scouts USA’s MapIt! and sharing it on Social Media!
RECEIVING YOUR GOLD AWARD PIN

Service Unit Recognition ~
Each April SU617 holds our own Gold/Silver Award Ceremony. Your paperwork must be submitted and approved by council by January 1st in order to participate in this event. Your leader should contact the SUD of SU617 once you have final approval from council in order to be part of this ceremony.

Council ~ 
Each year in March, the Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta holds a ceremony for all their Gold Award recipients. In order to participate in this ceremony, you will need to have all of your paperwork submitted and approved by the previous September 30th. Any final reports submitted after September 30th, will have waiting until the following March to receive your Gold Award Pin. You will also now be recognized in our Highest Awards Yearbook.

Listing your Gold Award on College, Military and Employment Applications ~
However, do remember, once you have had your final report approved by council, you will be able to list yourself as a Gold Award recipient on your college, military, or employment applications.
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​Source: SU617 leadership and GS of Greater Atlanta Council website
Updated September 2019