The Girl Scout Gold Award has inspired girls to find the greatness within themselves and share their ideas and passions to make a difference in their communities and the world. Once achieved, the Gold Award shows colleges, employers, and your community that you’re out there changing the world.
The Girl Scout Gold Award symbolizes outstanding accomplishments in the areas of leadership, community service, career planning, and personal development. Seniors and Ambassadors working toward their Gold Award channel their passions and use their vision to complete a sustainable project that will make a lasting impact in their communities and beyond.
But, what does the Gold Award get you?
Gold Award Girl Scouts do well in life! According to the Girl Scout Research Institute, Gold Award Girl Scouts rate their general success significantly higher than their peers and report greater success in reaching their goals in many areas.
In terms of higher education and career, receiving the Gold Award can help you stand out from the crowd in the college admission process! When reviewing applications, colleges and universities take into account the Gold Award as a meaningful sign of leadership and service. It can also open doors for you to earn scholarships and grants from a number of colleges, universities, and foundations that offer scholarships and grants specifically to Gold Award Girl Scouts. Additionally, Gold Award Girl Scouts, who serve in the armed forces, enter the military one rank higher than their peers.
“Having the Gold Award looks very favorable on the college application,” says Karen Backes, Dean of Admission at College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University. “We know the time, effort, attitude, and courage it takes to complete the Gold requirements. Girl Scouts certainly is a strong way for us to know that the young women involved are leaders, strong, and committed young women.”
Through the process of earning the Gold Award, you learn highly valuable skills that you will use for the rest of your life. You learn to think critically, identify an issue, and use your vision to make a lasting change in the community. The path to Gold challenges you to master time management skills, establish a lifetime network, and become a role model to others while creating a legacy in your community.
With the many skills you gain on your path to Gold, the networks you create, and the relationships you cultivate, there is no limit to where the Girl Scout Gold Award can take you—now and in the future!