Girl Scout Gold Award

History
The Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award in Girl Scouting, recognizes the leadership, effort, and impact of girls in grades 9-12. Only about five percent of eligible girls take the rigorous path towards earning this prestigious award, but those who complete the journey change the lives of others and their own in amazing and significant ways.

The roots of the Girl Scout Gold Award are in the history of the organization, whose tradition of the highest leadership awards for Girl Scouts have included: The Golden Eaglet of Merit (1916-1919), The Golden Eagle (1919-1938), First Class (1938-1940), The Curved Bar (1940-1962), and First Class (1962-1980).

Benefits

• A national award, with national standards, it represents girls' time, leadership, creativity and effort contributed to making their community better.
  
• An increasing number of colleges and universities have recognized the achievements leadership abilities of Girl Scout Gold Award recipients by establishing scholarship programs for them. GSUSA does publish the Scholarships for Girl Scouts Directory, which lists these schools.
• Girls who have earned the Girl Scout Gold Award often enter the four branches of the United States Armed Services at an advanced level and salary, having been recognized for their level of leadership shown in earning the Girl Scout Gold Award.
• The Girl Scout Gold Award projects themselves solve community issues and improve lives and the process creates assets for the community and the future.
  

Gold Award Project Submission Process
All Gold Award submissions are reviewed by the Gold Award Review Committee every fourth Monday of the month. Girls will need to submit Girl Scout Gold Award Application or Girl Scout Gold Award Project Final Report. Girls MUST submit proposals six weeks prior to the start date of project.

Gold Award Process-Indvidual Project

• Submit Gold Award paperwork by the 15th of each month.
  
• Mail paperwork to:
  Girl Scouts of Ohio's Heartland Council, Inc.
  Attn: Gold Award Review Committee
  1700 WaterMark Dr.
  Columbus, OH 43215
• Gold Award candidate notified regarding decision of committee by 1st Friday of the month.
  

Please be sure to make copies of all paperwork submitted.

Gold Award Review Committee
The Gold Award Review Committee (GARC) is dedicated to helping a Girl Scout Senior or Ambassador succeed in earning her Girl Scout Gold Award and to ensure that projects meet GSUSA guidelines. The committee will review the size, scope, and cost of project and make recommendations for project development and to guarantee that the project is appropriate to earn the Girl Scout Gold Award. The GARC has the authority to approve and deny projects.

Interested in joining the committee? View the Gold Award Review Committee Job Description.

Questions? Contact Alexis Howze.