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.

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

Hear from some of our recent Gold and Silver Award Girl Scouts on what it means to be a Gold Award Girl Scout.

ambassador high school girl scout wearing sash outside against green background

Become a Gold Award Girl Scout

Ready to change the world, for good?

GET STARTED

Gold Award

Get the guidelines.

How to earn the Girl Scout Gold Award

Let our council know you want to earn it.

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.
Submit your project proposal to our Girl Scout council via GoGold for approval.

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.

More resources

Resources

Your Guide to Going Gold (PDF)
Gold Award Project Proposal (PDF)
Gold Award Final Report (PDF)
Gold Award Guide for Leaders (PDF)
Gold Award Guide for Adults (PDF)
Gold Award Guide for Project Advisors (PDF)

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

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.

Gold Award Guide for Leaders

Gold Award Guide for Adults

College Scholarship Resources

Did you know that there are college scholarship opportunities just for Gold Award Girl Scouts? It's no surprise—organizations want to support the future Go-Getters, Innovators, Risk-Takers and Leaders in our community, and by the time you put the final touches on your seven-step project, you'll have solved a community problem—not only in the short term, but for years into the future.

Below, learn more about local and national opportunities for college scholarships.

Girl Scouts of the USA Resources toggle arrow

List of College Scholarship Resources

Jackson Health System Gold Award Scholarship - Local Scholarship through GSTF toggle arrow

Jackson Health System seeks to award a scholarship to a Gold Award Girl Scout. This $2,500 scholarship will be awarded to one qualified candidate. Apply by May 15, 2026

José Milton Foundation Advancing Women in STEM Gold Award Scholarship - Local Scholarship through GSTF toggle arrow

The José Milton Foundation Advancing Women in STEM Scholarship seeks to encourage academically talented and highly motivated Girl Scouts who are active in Girl Scouts of Tropical Florida and earning a Gold Award in a STEM area to pursue a degree/career in a STEM field. Apply by May 15, 2026

Nicklaus Children’s Health System Gold Award Scholarship - Local Scholarship through GSTF toggle arrow

Nicklaus Children’s Health System seeks to award a scholarship to a Gold Award Girl Scout. This $2,500 scholarship will be awarded to one qualified candidate. Apply by May 15, 2026

Amazon Gold Award Scholarship - Local Scholarship through GSTF toggle arrow

Amazon seeks to award a scholarship to a Gold Award Girl Scout who has made a significant positive impact on people, their communities, and the environment. Apply by May 15, 2026

Burger King Foundation - Local Scholarship through GSTF toggle arrow

Burger King Foundation seeks to award a scholarship to a Gold Award Girl Scout who has made a significant positive impact on people and their community. Apply by May 15, 2026

College Scholarships for Gold and Silver Award Recipients toggle arrow

Check out scholarships just for Gold and Silver Award Girl Scouts at CollegeScholarships.org.

Corinne Jeannine Schillings Foundation Scholarship toggle arrow

The Corinne Jeannine Schillings Foundation is dedicated to preserving the memory of Corinne Schillings, a 26-year-old woman who lost her life in the Baltimore Water Taxi accident on March 6, 2004.

Scholarship: The foundation will award scholarships to deserving young women who have earned the Girl Scout Gold or Silver Award and who plan to or are currently pursuing a college major or minor in foreign language. This scholarship is renewable.

Grant: The foundation will provide an airfare stipend for a Silver or Gold Award Girl Scout who plans to study abroad, regardless of her major/minor. It is not necessary to be a scholarship recipient to apply for this one-time grant; nor are scholarship recipients excluded from applying. This grant is not renewable.

See additional information here.

Society of Women Engineers toggle arrow

The SWE Scholarship Program provides financial assistance to women studying baccalaureate or graduate programs, in preparation for careers in engineering, engineering technology and computer science. See additional information here.

Veterans of Foreign Wars Scout of the Year Scholarship toggle arrow

Annually, the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States awards three individuals who are: Eagle Scouts, Girl Scout Gold Award recipients, Venture Summit Award recipients and/or Sea Scout Quartermasters who have risen above their peers in exemplifying the qualities of that rank. Girl Scouts who are currently registered and have earned the Gold Award are eligible to apply.

The Scholarship Awards are as follows:

• $5,000 1st place National scholarship

• $3,000 2nd place National scholarship

• $1,000 3rd place National scholarship

Girl Scouts should download and submit a completed VFW Scouting Scholarship form, resume of high school activities, scouting record, community service record and letters of recommendation to a local VFW Post; a local VFW Post can be identified by zip code at www.vfw.org

Hiram College Scholarships toggle arrow

Hiram College, in conjunction with Girl Scouts of the USA, is excited to announce new scholarships that recognize personal motivation, service to others, and high achievement. As part of the agreement, exemplary Girl Scouts who have earned a Gold, Silver, or Bronze Award; been referred to Hiram by their troop leader as a strong match for Hiram College; and have been admitted to the College will be awarded a substantial Hiram College Scholarship. See additional information here.

Sweet Briar College Scholarships toggle arrow

Sweet Briar offers the perfect opportunity to expand on the projects and passions pursued by Girl Scouts. With multiple scholarships available for Gold Award Girl Scouts, Sweet Briar is here to support them as they become women of consequence. See additional information here.

Title: National Jewish Committee on Girl Scouting (NJCGS) toggle arrow

The National Jewish Committee on Girl Scouting (NJCGS) will again offer a scholarship opportunity for post-high school education that can be applied for by Girl Scouts who have earned their Girl Scout Gold Award AND their Or Emunah Award, the NJCGS religious award that can be earned by Girl Scouts in 10th to 12th grade.

In addition to the Gold Award and Or Emunah requirements, applicants need to:

Submit the application form:
Complete a brief essay (200-300 words) describing how the applicant’s connection to Judaism has influenced her Girl Scout experience.
Submit at least one reference from a non-relative who knows about the applicant’s Girl Scout, Jewish and/or community activities.

The deadline for submitting all application materials is April 30, 2026

Further requirements and details about the scholarship can be found in the application form at: https://www.njcgs.org/NJCGS-Scholarship-Application-Form.pdf

Further information about the National Jewish Committee on Girl Scouting and the Or Emunah Award can be found at: njcgs.org.

Questions? Contact NJCGS.comm@gmail.com and include the word “Scholarship” in the subject of your email.