Gold Award

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.

Girl Scout Seniors and Ambassadors in GSMISTS must take the Gold Award Training prior to beginning their their project proposal. Information and access to the training can be found on the GSMISTS event calendar.

Learn more from GSUSA's Highest Awards FAQs.

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 or a Senior/Ambassador Leadership Award

How to earn the Girl Scout Gold Award

Complete the Gold Award Training here.

*Remember to complete the survey and provide contact information at the end of your training! When you're ready, a coach from the Gold Award Support Team will be assigned to you.

Together, you and your coach will:
- Identify 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.
- Understand about the root cause of this issue, then make a plan of how you could tackle it.

You and your coach will review your project proposal alongside the GSUSA Gold Award Rubric and decide together on approval.

When your project proposal is approved, you can begin working on your project!

Put your plan into action! Create, collaborate, and make your dream a reality. Then, compile your work through a final report.

When your Gold Award Project is complete, you final report will be submitted and approved by Girl Scouts of Michigan Shore to Shore!

For graduating high school seniors, September 30th is the last day your final report can be submitted to council.

Girl Scout Gold Awardees have the opportunity to share their success through council social media, newsletter communications, presenting to the Gold Award Support Team, and/or the GSMISTS Board of Directors.

Resources

GSMISTS Gold Award Workbook (accompanies online training) (PDF)
GSUSA Gold Award Adult Guide (PDF)
GSUSA Gold Award Troop Leader Guide (PDF)
GSUSA Guide for Project Advisors (PDF)
GSUSA You Guide to Going Gold (PDF)

Helpful Information toggle arrow

We want you to succeed! Please reach out to us at customercare@gsmists.org at any time for support.

Projects Benefitting Girl Scouting

We encourage every Girl Scout to think big and choose an issue that helps the greater community, not just Girl Scouts. In certain circumstances a project may benefit Girl Scouting, though this will require the approval by council.

Individually Registered Girl Scouts

You don't have to be in a troop to earn the Gold Award - Individually registered Girl Scouts, or Juliettes, can earn it too!

Special Factors & Accomodations

We believe in the power of all girls and strive to make accommodations for Girl Scouts to achieve their goals on a case-by-case basis. To request accommodations, use the Special Factors section of GoGold Online.

Limited access to technology? Let us know! We will work with you to develop a plan to access materials and submit your work.

Timeline Considerations

Managing your time, working in all of your other commitments—school, sports, band, religious activities, jobs, and friends—is an enormous challenge.

Think ahead about the time of year that you really do want to work on your Gold Award Project.

Does it need to be during the growing season for a garden project?
Does it need to be done outdoors in good weather?
Do you want to work during spring break?
Are you going to work with children during the school year?
When will your team members be available?

We recommend planning backwards:

Set when you want to be finished
You submit your final report
You share your Gold Award Project results
You ensure sustainability
You do main Gold Award Project work
You get Gold Award Project Proposal approved
You make adjustments to your plan
You submit your Gold Award Project Proposal
You do research, design, and write your Gold Award Project Proposal
Your start date

So how long does all that take? Probably the very fastest you can do all the steps is three months and that is when school is out. It is more likely that you will spread out your work over six to nine months. Plan for interruptions like band/sport season, family vacations, Girl Scout activities, final exams, and more.

Highest Award Prerequisites & FAQ

Leadership Awards

Celebrate all the ways you lead–yourself, your team, and your community–with new and updated leadership awards.

LEARN MORE

Highest Award FAQ

Going for your Bronze, Silver, or Gold Award? Get answers to the most common questions to get started.

LEARN MORE

Leadership Awards

Celebrate all the ways you lead–yourself, your team, and your community–with new & updated leadership awards.

Highest Awards FAQs

Going for your Bronze, Silver, or Gold Award? Get answers to the most common questions to get started.

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.

Need some inspiration? Check out GSUSA’s 2026 Gold Award Girl Scout Class