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 or a Senior/Ambassador Leadership Award

ambassador high school girl scout wearing sash outside against green background

Become a Gold Award Girl Scout

Ready to change the world, for good?

GET STARTED

How to earn the Girl Scout Gold Award

Let Manitou Council's Director of Program Quality, Abby Weber, know you want to earn it.

Find an issue in your community or the world that you care about.
Learn everything you can about that issue through research and trusted sources.
Form a team by identifying experts and people in your community who could help you.
Think about the root cause of an issue, then make a plan of how you could tackle it.
Submit your project proposal to our Girl Scout council for approval.

Lead your team and carry out your plan.
Reflect on the change you’ve created in your community and the world, share your story, and inspire others to make a difference, too.

Resources

Your Guide to Going Gold (PDF)
Gold Award Project Proposal (PDF)
Gold Award Final Report (PDF)
Gold Award Guide for Leaders (PDF)
Gold Award Guide for Adults (PDF)
Gold Award Guide for Project Advisors (PDF)

Highest Award Prerequisites & FAQ

Leadership Awards

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

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Highest Award FAQ

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

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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.

If you have any questions about earning the Girl Scout Gold Award contact Abby Weber. Abby is also available to meet with troops or girls to give more information on the Gold Award, to begin brainstorming project ideas, and more. Contact Abby to set up a virtual or in-person Gold Award meeting.

National Jewish Committee on Girl Scouting Scholarship toggle arrow

The National Jewish Committee on Girl Scouting (NJCGS) is excited to announce a new program: a scholarship for post-high school education that can applied for by Girl Scouts who have earned their Gold Award AND their Or Emunah Award (the religious award that can be earned by Jewish Girl Scouts in their high school years).

This Girl Scout year will be the inaugural year for the scholarship. The committee plans to award at least one scholarship of approximately $500. Applicants are required to:

Fill out the application form.
Complete a brief essay (200-300 words) describing how the applicant's connection to Judaism has influenced her Girl Scout experience.
Submit at least one reference from a non-relative who knows about the applicant's Girl Scout, Jewish, and/or community activities.

The deadline for submitting all application materials is March 30, 2025. Further requirements and details about the scholarship can be found in the application form.

Further information about the National Jewish Committee on Girl Scouting and/or the Or Emunah Award can be found on their website.

Questions? Contact NJCGS.comm@gmail.com and include the word "Scholarship" in the subject of your email.

Check out this flyer for more details!

Advocate Health Community Scholarship toggle arrow

Advocate Health is awarding $5,000 scholarships to students enrolled in health care and STEM-related fields.

Amount: $5,000
Requirements: Enrolled at least part-time in health-related field (STEM, business, human resources, information technology, finance, etc.); minimum high school cumulative unweighted GPA of 2.5 or above; must demonstrate financial need
Preference will be given to Zero-assigned/PRN/Registry (0.0 FTE) teammates, dependents of teammates, and community members
Preference will be given to past or present participants of Advocate Health's Workforce Development Pathway Programs
Application deadline: March 31

Carthage College toggle arrow

Carthage College is excited to offer the Carthage Commitment Scholarship, open to active Girl Scout members.

Amount: Covers tuition not met by federal and state grants for Wisconsin families with a household income under $65,000, ensuring no out-of-pocket tuition cost at Carthage (renewable for up to four years)
Eligibility requirements:
- Be admitted to Carthage 1
- Submit the FAFSA
- Have a household income of less than $65,000 (be PELL Eligible as determined by te FAFSA)
- Have a high school GPA of 2.5 or above
- Be a member of Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast
How to apply: To be considered for the Carthage Commitment, students must apply for admission to Carthage. They must also submit the FAFSA. Students can apply online at carthage.edu/apply with fee waiver code: COMMITMENT
More information: Scholarship details are found here
Questions? Reach out to the Carthage Office of Admissions at 800-351-4058 or admissions@carthage.edu

GSUSA Gold Award Scholarship toggle arrow

The GSUSA Gold Award Scholarship recognizes and provides financial support to one Gold Award Girl Scout per council and one from USA Girl Scouts Overseas.

Scholarship recipients must have completed a Gold Award project that demonstrates extraordinary leadership and measurable, sustainable impact and addresses an issue of national and/or global significance.

Scholarship details will be released in March 2025.

Milwaukee School of Engineering toggle arrow

The Milwaukee School of Engineering offers a scholarship for Girl Scouts who have earned their Gold Award.

Scouting Scholarship

Contingencies: The tuition-based scholarship is renewable for up to six years (12 full-time terms) so long as students continue to be full-time and meet the SAP policy.

Requirements: Students must submit a letter of recommendation from their troop leader to their admission counselor.

Gold Award Girl Scouts

Stories from our Manitou Council Gold Award Girl Scouts!