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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
How to earn the Girl Scout Gold Award
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Find an issue in your community or the world that you care about.
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Learn everything you can about that issue through research and trusted sources.
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Form a team by identifying experts and people in your community who could help you.
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Think about the root cause of an issue, then make a plan of how you could tackle it.
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Submit your project Letter of Intent for approval.
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Lead your team and carry out your plan.
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Reflect on the change you’ve created in your community and the world, share your story, and inspire others to make a difference, too.
Tools for your GoGold Journey
- Gold Award Letter of Intent - This is your first step! You will be contacted by GSCB staff and sent additional materials. Most importantly, you will be assigned a Gold Award Mentor at this time. Working with your mentor is extremely important and crucial to completion of your Gold Award Proposal and Final Project.
- Your Guide to Going Gold - This is a newly updated resource to reflect process changes as of August 2025. This workbook must be reviewed. It will provide you with step-by-step instruction, detailed requirements and checklists to help you along the way.
- There are a lot of steps and 80 hours may seem impossible. It's important to breathe and remember two things: First, this is where building a team can be really beneficial. Second, you don't have to do it all at once! When thinking about your timeline, here is a suggestion to consider on how to break the steps into more manageable segments!
- Steps 1 - 3: complete while in 9th grade
- Steps 4 - 5: complete while in 10th grade
- Steps 6 - 7: complete while in 11th grade (*Completing the Gold Award before 12th grade allows you to list it on college and scholarship applications)
- There are a lot of steps and 80 hours may seem impossible. It's important to breathe and remember two things: First, this is where building a team can be really beneficial. Second, you don't have to do it all at once! When thinking about your timeline, here is a suggestion to consider on how to break the steps into more manageable segments!
- Gold Award Training - This is required and can be completed in-person or virtually through gsLearn. More information about training will be shared with you after submission of your Letter of Intent. Trainings will be linked to our events page when available.
- Gold Award Money Earning Application - This form is required if you would like to complete additional money earning activities for your Gold Award project.
- Gold Award Checklist - This helpful checklist will help keep you on track through every phase of your project.
- Gold Award Proposal Rubric | Gold Award Final Report Rubric - These rubrics are the standards that Gold Award Proposals and Final Reports are held to. Refer to them throughout your Gold Award journey.
Resources for Gold Award Supporters
- Project Advisor Guide (PDF)
- Parent/Caregiver Guide (PDF)
- Troop Leader Guide (PDF)
- Leaders and Adults - We recommend that you also review the Your Guide to Going Gold. The required Gold Award Training for Girl Scouts in gsLearn is also available to supporting adults interested in completing it. If you are interested, please contact gogold@cbgsc.org.
Deadline for the Gold Award Process
- September 30th - Deadline to submit Gold Award Final Report to be included in upcoming Gold Award Ceremony. Girls who submit after 9/30 will be invited to the following year's ceremony.
- For Graduating Seniors:
- March 1st of their graduation year - Recommended last day for graduating seniors to submit final reports to be eligible for GSUSA Gold Award Scholarship.
- September 15th of their graduation year - Recommended last day to turn in their Gold Award Final Report for approval. This will allow for review and revisions prior to September 30th.
Resources 
Highest Award Prerequisites
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.
Anyone with questions about the Gold Award Process is invited to attend an upcoming Q&A session hosted by the Gold Award Review Committee. View upcoming sessions.
View our Class of 2024 Gold Award Projects
