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Earning the Girl Scout Gold Award

The Girl Scout Gold Award is the highest award that a Girl Scout age 14-18 may earn. Someone once described the Gold Award as being “what you really want to be remembered for” in Girl Scouting. For many, the leadership skills, organizational skills, and sense of community and commitment that come from “Going for the Gold” set the foundation for a lifetime of active citizenship.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Where do I find the requirements for the Gold Award?

Descriptions of the steps for earning the Girl Scout Gold Awards can be found in the Girl Scout Gold Award Go for It! Supplement. The supplements are available for purchase in the Waltham Country Store. Requirements found in A Resource Book for Senior Girl Scouts will no longer be accepted.

Q. Where can I find applications and report forms?

You may call the council office at 781-893-6113 or find them in our online forms library. Deadlines for submission are located at the end of this article and change yearly.

Q. Who may work on the Girl Scout Gold Award?

Girls in grades 9-12 (or ages 14-18) may work toward the Gold Award; however girls must be in grades 10-12 (or ages 15-18) to do the actual service project. Remember the project must be completed and your final report submitted by September 30 of the year that you graduate from High School.

Q. Who signs off on my Gold Award prerequisites or steps 1 – 4?

Your troop leader/advisor.

Q. Can I work with other girls in my troop on a Gold Award Project?

Yes. You can work with others on your Gold Award project. However, each girl has to contribute 65 hours of time to the project, and each girl must play a unique leadership role in the project. Coming up with a large and expansive project for three or more girls to work on is very difficult. Furthermore, your roles must be independent enough that if one person moves, gets sick, or for any reason can't complete her part, your group project can still proceed.

Q. Can I do a project just for Girl Scouts?

No. The whole idea of the Gold Award is that you are doing something to benefit your community and learning those skills that make you a citizen of your community and the world. If you do something for the council, it needs to involve and benefit the community as well.

Q. For my Gold Award project, can I raise money to donate to other organizations, individuals, causes or to fund my project?

No. As a Girl Scout, you cannot raise money for any other organizations or causes. If you need money to help fund part of your project, ask your Gold Award Committee Advisor for guidelines on what you can do. Local businesses may donate products such as printing or supplies.

Q. Do I need to get council approval before beginning my Gold Award project?

Yes. Your leader or advisor will sign off on your prerequisites. However, the Gold Award Committee needs to approve your project. Submit your application by one of the dates listed below and you will be given an interview opportunity. A Gold Award advisor will be assigned to you.

Q. Who are the Gold Award Advisors?

The Gold Award Advisors are volunteers who are committed to helping you succeed with your Gold Award project. They review Gold Award Project Proposals and final reports, help refine projects, keep you on track with the Gold Award project parameters, and help you troubleshoot project problems. Please note, that you will also need to work with a project advisor from the community who will act as your content expert for your project.

Q. Do I need to take training?

No, but it is strongly recommended. Girls who complete training have more successful projects. Training dates can be found in the training section of the Advantage or online. Registration required.

Deadlines for Girl Scout Gold Award project applications and report forms

Deadlines for Girl Scout Gold Award project applications (PDF | MS Word) and report forms (PDF | MS Word), for the 2007-2008 school year are: September 10, October 25, January 7, March 20, April 30, June 2. Interviews for proposals and final reports will be held during the week following the paperwork deadline. For more information, contact Joan Reilly at 781-893-6113 ext. 232. jreilly@ptgirlscouts.org.  Forms should be returned to: Gold Award, Girl Scouts, Patriots’ Trail Council, 265 Beaver St., Waltham, MA 02452.

For further information on the Girl Scout Gold Award, you can visit Girl Scouts of the USA's web site.