Gold Award

Change the world, Girl Scout!

Gold Award Girl Scouts are rock stars, role models and real-life heroes. How do they do it? By using everything they’ve learned as a Girl Scout to solve a problem in their community or make a lasting change in their world.

Seniors and Ambassadors who want to go for the Gold Award build a team of trusted adults, peers and leaders in their community to guide them through challenges and support their success.

Plus? Nothing beats that feeling of seeing real, lasting and sustainable change and knowing it was you who made it happen. It changes the way you see your place in the world—and how the world sees you.

You can become a Gold Award Girl Scout if you:

Are in ninth, tenth, eleventh or twelfth grade
Are a registered Girl Scout Senior or Ambassador
Have completed the Silver Award, a Senior/Ambassador Leadership Award or a Senior/Ambassador Journey
Have participated in a GSCP2P Girl Scout Gold Award training (Register for a training on our event calendar. Registration deadline for these sessions is one week before or until full).

Steps to earn the Girl Scout Gold Award

Identify an issue. Use your values and skills to choose a community issue that you care about.
Investigate your issue thoroughly. Use your sleuthing skills to learn everything you can about the issue you've identified.
Get help and build your team. Form a team to support your efforts and help you take action.
Create a plan. Identify the root cause of an issue and then create a plan to tackle it.
Present your plan and gather feedback. Submit your Project Proposal Form to your Girl Scout council for approval.
Take action. Lead your team and carry out your plan.
Educate and inspire. Tell your story and share your results.

Remember: Girl Scouts may not start implementing their project until they have received approval from the Girl Scout Gold Award Committee.

Resources

Highest Award Prerequisites

Leadership Awards

Celebrate all the ways you lead–yourself, your team, and your community–with new & updated leadership awards.

Journeys

Journeys encourage Girl Scouts of all ages to think critically, boost their problem-solving skills, and make an impact.

Highest Awards FAQs

Going for your Bronze, Silver, or Gold Award? Get answers to the most common questions to get started.

Hey, grownups!

When you support Girl Scouts earning their Gold Award, you’ll help them see their own power and be by their side as they make a lasting change in their community. Download a guide to get started today.

Gold Award Guide for Leaders

Gold Award Guide for Adults

Download the GSCP2P Gold Award Rubric

Download the GSCP2P Your Guide to Going Gold

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Get ready to go for the Gold! During this training, you will learn about the requirements, approval process and helpful tips for earning the Girl Scout Gold Award. Girls will also have the opportunity to brainstorm and receive feedback on their project ideas. Find upcoming trainings on our calendar.

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All Girl Scouts hoping to achieve the highest award in Girl Scouting must meet with the Girl Scout Gold Award Committee to present their proposed project before they begin working on it, and once again when their project has been completed for final approval. Do not begin your project until you have received approval from the Girl Scout Gold Award Committee- please attend one of the dates below.

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April 1 (of senior year): Last date for submitting your Girl Scout Gold Award proposal
March 15: Last day to have your Final Exit Interview completed to be included in that year's recognition ceremony (held in May)
September 15: The official deadline to submit your Final Report after your 12th grade year.
September 30 (after graduating high school): Last date to have Final Exit Interview

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You're ready to be a Gold Award Girl Scout! Submit your Girl Scout Gold Award proposal and find tools and resources by using GoGold Online.

GOGOLD PLATFORM UPDATES: Starting September 2024, Girl Scouts are now able to self-identify special factors their council should be aware of as they pursue their Gold Award on GoGold. When registering for a GoGold account, Girl Scouts will see an optional section titled "Special Factors" where they can answer two questions related to special support they may need to achieve their Gold Award. Updates can be made via the Profile tab at any time.

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GSCP2P Your Guide to Going Gold
Guide for Leadership Experience
Take Action Project Ideas
Girl Scout Take Action Guide
The Difference Between Community Service and Take Action
Girl Scout Gold Award Rubric
Community Agency Agreement Form
Photo Release Form
Girl Scout Gold Award Brag Sheet
Girl Scout Style Guide
Girl Scout Branding & Logos (find highest award logos and brand information here)

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Additional Funding Guidelines (Gold Award Focus is on page 3)
Additional Funding Policy At-A-Glance
Additional Funding Activity Application
Additional Funding Final Report

If girls are doing an additional funding activity to support their Girl Scout Gold Award project including, but not limited to, a car wash, bake sale, applying for a grant, yard sale, etc. then they must sell 60 packages of cookies during the Girl Scout Cookie Program OR 48 boxes of cookies AND 10 items during the Girl Scout Fall Product Program. If they do not plan to do an additional funding activity, they are not required to sell cookies in order to earn their Girl Scout Gold Award.

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Locally: Troops or service units may hold local pinning ceremonies. Girls and their families are encouraged to invite mentors, volunteers, community partners, local dignitaries and many others to celebrate in the successful completion of their project and the ways in which it helped a community. This can happen anytime after the Girl Scout successfully completes her Final Exit Interview.
Council-wide: To recognize all the Silver and Gold Award Girl Scouts, Girl Scouts Carolinas Peaks to Piedmont hosts Silver and Gold Award ceremonies across our council the second Sunday in May.
Digitally: Request your Gold Award Girl Scout digital credential. Share it on social media platforms, including LinkedIn, so prospective employers, universities/colleges, military academies and others will be able to verify your achievement by simply viewing your profile. In joining the ranks of credentialed Gold Award Girl Scouts on LinkedIn, you will also be spreading the word about the power and influence of your Girl Scout experience and how it has helped define the woman you are today.

You can purchase Girl Scout Gold Award keepsakes by visiting our brick-and-mortar shops or online shop. Please note: The Girl Scout Gold Award pin is given to girls by GSCP2P.

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Earning the Girl Scout Gold Award is an achievement recognized by many institutions. Here are a few scholarship options available to Gold Award Girl Scouts:

Check out GSUSA's searchable scholarship database.
Contact the admissions offices at your college/ university to discuss your Gold Award project and how it may link to their leadership and/or community action scholarships.
Each year, GSCP2P selects, at random, recipients for a select number of Gold Award scholarships. Girls will be notified at the ceremony in May.

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Tips from Gold Award Girl Scouts toggle arrow

Are you interested in pursuing the Girl Scout Gold Award, but need more details? Check out the Go for Gold playlist with tips and common questions answered by recent Gold Award Girl Scouts. You can watch each of the individual videos below.

Need More Inspiration? toggle arrow

See what Girl Scouts are doing to make the world a better place by checking out the Take Action projects on this interactive map.
Visit our blog to see what other Girl Scouts in our council are doing to earn their Girl Scout Gold Awards.

The Gold Award Committee

The Gold Award Committee is composed of caring and dedicated volunteers. Each committee member mentors girls as they embark on their journey toward the Girl Scout Gold Award- offering advice, support and guidance along the way. These committee members’ efforts ensure the success of our GSCP2P Gold Award Girl Scouts and their dedication is what makes our Girl Scout Gold Award program possible.

Gold Award Committee members meet monthly to review Gold Award applications, conduct entrance and exit interviews, provide guidance to girls working on projects and award recipients with the highest honor a Girl Scout can achieve. Interested applicants need to have a strong interest in working with high school age girls. Experience with highest awards is preferred, but not required. Please click here to fill out the interest form to learn more!