Gold Award

Benefits of the Girl Scout Gold Award

Every year Girl Scout Seniors and Ambassadors make an amazing journey and act upon issues that are important to them by earning the Girl Scout Gold Award. The Girl Scout Gold Award is the highest and most prestigious award in Girl Scouts. Earned by only five to six percent of Girl Scouts nationally, this award focuses on a 14- to 17-year-old's interests and personal journey through leadership skills, career exploration, self-improvement, and service.

Benefits of the Girl Scout Gold Award

  • Girls who earn the Girl Scout Gold Award often enter the one of the four branches of the United States Armed Services with an advanced level and salary.
  • An increasing number of colleges and universities have established scholarship programs for Girl Scout Gold Award recipients and for girls who have been very active in Girl Scouts, even if they have not completed the Girl Scout Gold Award.
  • Every Girl Scout Gold recipient can look forward to greater access to scholarships, internships, and community awards.
  • The Girl Scout Gold Award showcases a girl's outstanding accomplishments and skills, such as leadership and organization, a sense of community, and commitment to potential employers, lending considerable prestige to her resume.
  • Girls who earn the Girl Scout Gold Award can be nominated for consideration as a recipient of the national Young Woman of Distinction honor, where America's top-ten Girl Scout Gold Award recipients are honored for their extraordinary leadership and remarkable community action projects.

Getting Started

  • Must be currently registered through GSU as a Girl Scout and between 9th and 12th grade.
  • Must work on the project as an individual.
  • 80 hours minimum are required.
  • Complete 2 Journeys (Senior and Ambassador) OR Earn the Girl Scout Silver Award and complete complete only 1 Senior or Ambassador Journey.
  • Take Action on a community issue you care about and get to the root cause of the issue.
  • Take Action training is required for all those who are going for their Girl Scout Gold Award. Please see your current Pathways to Fun Stuff for upcoming dates.
  • Make sure your project is sustainable (i.e. keeps going after you are done).
  • Turn in formal application proposal to council staff for approval 4-6 weeks prior to starting the project. Please plan on being available for an interview with the committee on the third Tuesday of the month after you turn in proposal. You will be contacted for a time. If you turn your application in after the third Tuesday of the month, but are still in that month, your interview will be the following month on the third Tuesday. The staff and review committee will decide if the requirements have been met.
  • Please review carefully GSU Gold Award 101 supplemental packet.
  • Please turn in final report no later than 1 month after completing project.
  • If you have any questions about awards please email: bstrand@gsutah.org

Important Forms: