Be a Gold Award Girl Scout | Girl Scouts Western Pennsylvania

Start your Gold Award Experience

Gold Award Girl Scouts are dreamers and doers who take the phrase “make the world a better place” to the next level. The Girl Scout Gold Award is the mark of the truly remarkable! Seniors and Ambassadors who earn the Gold Award tackle issues that they care about and help make a difference in their community and beyond. Think of the Gold Award as a key that can open doors to scholarships, preferred admission tracks, college, and amazing career opportunities!

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Completing Gold Award Training is a required step to earn your Gold Award.

Earning the Gold Award is a journey, and you don’t have to navigate it alone. Please be sure to complete the survey at the end of the training to let us know you're interested in going for Gold, and we will connect you with a Gold Award coach.

Not sure where to begin? After training is complete, join a Gold Award FAQ and Brainstorming session to explore ideas and ask questions.

Supporting a Girl Scout on her Highest Award journey?
Caregivers and volunteers can be an important source of encouragement throughout the Gold Award journey. The How to Support a Gold Award Girl Scout training will help you understand the Gold Award process, what is expected of the Girl Scout, and your role in supporting her along the way. The training also covers how to encourage girl-led decision-making, provide appropriate guidance without taking over the project, and help your Girl Scout navigate challenges while building independence and leadership skills.

How to earn the Girl Scout Gold Award

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.
Present your plan and gather feedback
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.

Gold Award Guidelines

Review the guidelines for earning the Gold Award.

Gold Award Timeline

View the timeline for earning the Gold Award.

Project Advisor Guide

Parent/Caregiver Guide

Troop Leader Guide

More Resources and Helpful Information

Key Dates

First Friday of the month: Last day to submit a proposal for its review in any month.
April 1: Recommended last day to submit proposals for graduating high school seniors. Please note that proposals will NOT be accepted from high school graduates after August 1.
September 15: Graduating high school seniors must turn in their final report to their Gold Award mentor for approval by this date of their graduation year. This will allow time for review and revisions if needed by September 30.
September 30: Absolute last day for graduated high school seniors to be approved for their Gold Award Final Report.
March 1: Final report approval to be invited to that year’s Court of Awards ceremony. If your final report is not approved by this date, you will be invited to the following year’s ceremony.

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Gold Award Project Proposal Rubric

Gold Award Supplemental Forms
Use these while completing your award requirements and submit them with your final report.

Gold Award Final Report
The final report is part of the GoGoldOnline process. This form is for informational purposes only.

Communicating with your Project Advisor
Use this letter/email template to educate your project advisor about Girl Scouts and the Gold Award.

Using the Girl Scout Brand for Highest Awards
Procedures for using the Girl Scout brand (logos, fonts. colors, Girl Scout Servicemark, Girl Scout Trefoil, etc.) for your Highest Award project.

Highest Awards: AI and ChatGPT Use Policy
This policy outlines how Girl Scouts may utilize ChatGPT or similar AI tools to support their work on Gold Award proposals and final reports, while ensuring that their final work remains their own.

Additional Insurance Request Form

Trip & High Adventure Application

Safety Activity Checkpoints

If you need any additional forms not listed here, visit our Forms Library and search by keyword or choose the “Girl Awards” category.

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To make a positive change, sometimes money is needed, but keep in mind that a project can be successful without it. Please refer to page 16 of your Guide to Going Gold to follow our funding policy.

Girl Scouts must follow the Highest Award Solicitation of Donations Request policy to accept donations for their Highest Award. View the policy and apply.

The Louise Blackburn Pielmeier Endowment Fund has been established to assist Girl Scouts Western Pennsylvania Senior and Ambassador Girl Scouts with funding needs for their Gold Award projects. Criteria to receive funding are as follows:

The Girl Scout must have an approved Gold Award proposal with a detailed budget and
discuss the need for help in obtaining funds with their Gold Award Mentor. The mentor will help determine if applying to the endowment is appropriate.
Apply to the endowment.

The SPE Foundation Grant for Girl Scouts was established to provide financial resources for Girl Scouts pursuing their Gold or Silver Award whose project is making a positive impact on community recycling, promoting plastics sustainability, or addressing diversity issues in STEM.

Girl Scouts who have an approved Silver or Gold Award proposal can apply.
Award amount: $150-$250 per project.
To learn more and apply, please visit the SPE Foundation Grant Award for Girl Scouts.

Ask a Gold Award Girl Scout toggle arrow

How Do I Choose an Issue for My Gold Award?
How Do I Develop a Realistic Gold Award Project?
How Do I Find a Project Advisor?
How Do I Balance a Gold Award Project with School and Life?
How Do I Know I’m Ready to Submit My Gold Award Proposal and What Happens Next?
What Happens After my Gold Award Proposal is Approved?
How Do I Measure and Sustain the Impact of My Gold Award

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As you work towards your Gold Award, there are a few important things to keep in mind. These helpful guidelines can help you plan your project and make informed decisions while you brainstorm your project idea.

For more information, check out Girl Scout of the USA's Highest Awards FAQ.

Single girl smiling at the camera, wearing a sash

GoGold Online

Submit your Gold Award proposal and find tools and resources.

GET STARTED

Need help? This video will take you through the GoGold Online process from start to finish.

Earned your Gold Award?

Congratulations–you are now part of a national sisterhood of Gold Award Girl Scouts! Here's what comes next.

Press

Girl Scouts Western Pennsylvania staff and members of the Gold Award Committee will gather national and state citations on your behalf from prominent United States Government officials and will be given to you during the council ceremony, as well as used to promote your awesome work through media channels.

We also strongly encourage you to send the press release to your local media and to obtain local citations. Please let us know what publication you send your press release to so that we can monitor your accomplishments.

Highlight Your Accomplishments toggle arrow

As a Gold Award Girl Scout, you have tackled an issue that is dear to you and drove positive, sustainable change in your local community and beyond. You transformed a vision into reality, and we’re so proud of your accomplishment.

GSUSA is offering a complimentary digital badge for you to highlight your Gold Award on LinkedIn and other social media channels. Click here to display your credentials with pride and show the world–and potential employees.

When you sign up for your credentials, you’ll have an opportunity to enroll in the Girl Scout Network, GSUSA’s new community of Girl Scout alums and supporters across the country.
Be a Gold Award Social Medial Influencer
The Gold Award gets you ready for life. It’s proof that you’ve already made a lasting change in your community and beyond. Inspire your passion in others by sharing the change you wanted to make through your Gold Award.

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As a new Gold Award Girl Scout, you will be receiving an invitation in early spring to the next Council Court of Awards ceremony. Your participation is free, but please be sure to RSVP as soon as possible after receiving the formal invitation.

In preparation for the yearly Court of Award Ceremony, you will be contacted by council staff and committee members in early spring. Please be sure to respond as needed so that we can ensure our ceremony is a celebration that represents all of our Gold Award Girl Scouts.

Please note Girl Scout Gold Award pins will be given during the ceremonies; however, you may request to receive your pin at an earlier time for a special celebration. Please contact acarson@gswpa.org to make that request.