Girl Scout Gold Award

Girls working toward earning the Gold Award are required to attend a Gold Award workshop.

Advisors are highly recommended to attend as well. Advance registration is required.

To register, please contact Linda Wilson at 865-688-9440 or 1-800-474-1912.

Girl Scout Gold Award Workshops

Gold Award Mentoring Committee Meetings

To be placed on the Gold Award Mentoring Committe meeting agenda, please turn Gold Award proposals in at least one week in advance. Please contact Jennifer Glaab at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it   or 865-688-9440 or 1-800-474-1912, ext 214 if you have any questions. 

Benefits of Earning the Girl Scout Gold Award

• The Girl Scout Gold Award is the highest award in Girl Scouting. There is prestige associated throughout the country with reaching this level of achievement with the Girl Scouts.
• Girl Scout Gold Award recipients are acknowledged by many government organizations.
• Each year, Girl Scouts of the USA selects 10 "Young Women of Distinction" based on their Gold Award projects and biographical information. These women come together to meet famous former Girl Scouts, learn about our national government and make connections with each other.
• Girls who earn the Girl Scout Gold Award often enter the four branches of the United States Armed Services at an advanced level and salary.
• Girl Scout Gold Award recipients are eligible to apply for $48,000 in scholarships provided by the Elks National Foundation.
• The Girl Scout Gold Award is an achievement lasting a lifetime and should be listed on a woman's resume throughout her career.
• The American Legion presents an American Flag to each girl who earns the Girl Scout Gold Award.
• An increasing number of colleges and universities have established scholarship programs for Girl Scout Gold Award recipients.

Tips for Going for the Gold

Girls must have bridged to Senior Girl Scouts or be an individually registered Senior Girl Scout and be at least 14 years of age to begin working on any of the requirements for the Gold Award.

The Gold Award project should meet all of the following criteria:

• Meet a need in the community outside of Girl Scouting.
• Be specifically designed to earn the Gold Award (not to earn or accomplishing any other award, school requirements, etc.)
• Challenge and stretch the girl beyond her current knowledge to a point of expressed growth.
• The role of the Gold Award Committee is not to accept or reject a girl's plan. Rather, the goal is in helping her design and carry out a project that builds on her previous experiences in Girl Scouting in a way that demonstrates her unique capabilities. In doing so, the girl can embark on an experience that is both meaningful for her personally, enhances her community in some way and is consistent with the purpose of the Girl Scout Gold Award . If necessary, the committee will work with girls on an individual basis to set the appropriate plan for a project.
• The girl working on the project should be the one conducting the research, making phone calls, producing materials and directing the work of other girls, youth or adults who assist with the project. Girls should prepare to spend the required 65 hours of their own time on the project.
• Any printed pieces for the project should contain the following: Girl's Name, Girl Scout Gold Award Project, Girl Scouts of Tanasi Council.

Steps and Process for "Going for the Gold"

• Attend a Gold Award Workshop
• Complete requirements one through four for the Girl Scout Gold Award.
• Select a topic for a Gold Award Project. Contact the organization or group affected by the project to ascertain their interest in having the project completed. Identify a Gold Award Project Advisor. The project advisor should be someone associated with the organization or group affected by the project or possibly an expert in the field of study being applied to the project. Girl Scout advisors and parents are encouraged to help but should not be Gold Award project advisors.
• Submit a Girl Scout Gold Award Proposal to the council Gold Award Committee via the council office in advance of the next committee meeting. The council Gold Award Committee is a group of volunteers and peers in Girl Scouting.
• Attend the council Gold Award Committee meeting and present the Girl Scout Gold Award Proposal to the committee for approval. Girls should incorporate coming before the committee into their plans and schedules as a demonstration of their commitment to earning the award. The committee meets approximately every other month (on odd numbered months) and will make every effort to accommodate the girls' needs. Special needs should be addressed to the Girl Scout office in advance.
• The Gold Award Committee will notify the Senior Girl Scout in writing of the status of the proposal based on one of the following: Approved; Approved with listed suggestions; Approved with listed additions; Consultation with one or more committee members is required to make modifications to the proposal. If suggestions, additions or modifications to the proposal are required by the committee, make plans to implement those in the Girl Scout Gold Award project and process.
• Plan and implement the Girl Scout Gold Award Project with input from the project advisor. A girl must spend a minimum of 65 hours of her own time on the project to earn the award.
• Submit Girl Scout Gold Award Final Report and Girl Scout Gold Award Biographical Information Sheet with a photo (head shot/school photo is fine) to the council office upon the completion of the project. The committee will review the final report and compare it to the original proposal and suggestions made by the committee. A letter will be mailed to the girl from the council office, confirming that the project has been accepted as complete.
• Receive the Girl Scout Gold Award at the Tanasi Council Girl Scout Recognitions event in the spring AND/OR conduct a ceremony arranged by the troop or service unit at which participation by girls and adults from your local area is encouraged. Having this ceremony on site where the project was conducted or will be used is highly recommended. Include staff, board of directors or other individuals related to the benefiting group in the ceremony.
• The Gold Award Final Report, Biographical sheet and a photo must be received by February 1 for the girl to be recognized at the council Recognitions Gala event in the spring of the same year.
• The Gold Award Pin for the girl and the parent pin for a parent are both gifts from the council for a girl's effort to earn the award. For individual girl or troop ceremonies, please contact the council office to make arrangements to receive the pins.

Frequently Asked Questions

A troop of Senior Girl Scouts want to work on their Girl Scout Gold Award but they, the Girl Scout Advisor and the girl's parents have many questions. What is the best way to meet the need for information by all these individuals?

Answer: Invite all parents and girls to attend a Gold Award workshop scheduled periodically by the council office, or contact the council office for assistance in scheduling one for your troop or service unit.

A Senior Girl Scout has not yet finished the Girl Scout Gold Award project and is starting college. Is this permissible?

Answer: A girl should complete her Girl Scout Gold Award while she is a Senior Girl Scout. Senior Girl Scouts are ages 14-17 or in grades nine through twelve. The membership year runs through September 30. Therefore the girl will have through September 30 of the year she graduates from high school to complete her Girl Scout Gold Award project.

Cadette Girl Scouts who are bridging to Senior Girl Scouting begin work on Senior Girl Scout activities in June, some of which meet Girl Scout Gold Award requirements. Can these activities count?

Answer: Certainly! As long as each girl is 14 years of age, the completed activities may be applied to Senior Girl Scout recognitions. However, girls are advised not to concentrate their energies on the Girl Scout Gold Award activities exclusively. The focus of the award is not on earning it as quickly as possible. It is designed to foster in girls a sense of a special commitment to oneself, one's community and to the future. Girls must be 15 years old and/or in 10th grade to begin work on the Gold Award project itself.

Do interest projects have to be earned as an entire troop?

Answer: No, not necessarily. Each girl can select and complete interest projects on her own. If several girls want to complete the same interest projects, they may certainly work together.

An individually registered girl is interested in earning the Girl Scout Gold Award . Since she does not have a troop leader or Girl Scout Advisor, where does she go to get started and receive guidance?

Answer: Contact the council office. The staff will work directly with the girl to find a project advisor to provide guidance throughout the process.

A Senior Girl Scout graduates early from high school and begins college. May she work on the Girl Scout Gold Award?

Answer: A Senior Girl Scout who completes an accelerated high school program, begins college, and is still within the age definition of the membership standard, may complete work on the Girl Scout Gold Award during her first year as a college student.

Does a girl have to have earned the Silver Award to earn the Gold Award?

Answer: No. The awards are separate, but it is a good foundation for earning the Gold Award.

What is the difference in a Girl Scout advisor and a Gold Award project advisor?

Answer: The Girl Scout advisor is the volunteer working with older girls that has been approved by the council, received training and serves as the registered leader for the troop. The Gold Award project advisor is the individual associated with the benefiting organization that will be the primary contact for a girl on her project.

Can a girl complete the steps in any order?

Answer: Sort of. Items one through four must be completed prior to making a proposal to the Gold Award Committee for a project. The order in which one through four are completed does not specifically matter. However, the flow of the program is designed to complete in the order presented in the "Go For It" booklet.

Money and the Gold Award Project

Taken from GSUSA's Council Guide for the Gold Award. (adapted from "Go for It" Studio 2B Girl Scout Gold Award Insert)

One of the challenges facing every girl "Going for the Gold Award" is financial. Often, when the planning gets serious, adjustments have to be made in the implementation. On the one hand you are asked to meet a need in your community; on the other hand, you have some major constraints outlined in Safety-Wise, GSUSA Policies and by Tanasi Council. So what's a girl to do?

Read the following and be sure to check out the additional details in the Go for It Studio 2B Girl Scout Gold Award Insert.

1. You can't ask for money as a girl member of Girl Scouts. You can't ask for materials or services (technically called gifts-in-kind) either from the business community. This asking is considered fundraising by both the IRS and GSUSA policies - and for a lot of reasons, legal and otherwise, adults are the only people who can raise money for Girl Scouting.

What you can do: If you really need to get a donation of materials or need some funds to accomplish your project, work with your Girl Scout advisor to accomplish this. They have a book, the Volunteer Resource Guide , that has all the details and requirements for girls and troops related to money.

2. You can't raise money for another organization as a Girl Scout. That means you can't have a car wash and tell people that you are giving the proceeds to a homeless shelter for meals, you can't ask for pledges for a walk-a-thon to benefit breast cancer research, and you can't hold a benefit dance to raise money for someone's kidney operation.

What you can do: This is where it gets a bit tricky

Your troop can hold a car wash or birdhouse sale and can charge a fee to an approved event for your troop's treasury. However, your troop must have council permission for any money-earning activity. Discuss with your troop the need for funds for your project and determine as a group if this is how the troop would like to spend a portion of their troop treasury. If there are several girls, the troop may decide to donate a specific amount to each girl's project, but the decision is up to the troop as whole.

Pay for the expenses associated with the project out of your own pocket.

Obtain support by seeking materials from individuals such as friends, family, your church, school or other organizations you are a member of, rather than soliciting the business community.

Some Questions Asked by Tanasi Council Advisors and Girls

So, what is the real message GSUSA is sending about money and Gold Award projects?

Projects that may incur significant expenses or materials are not the best choices for girls. Girls need to select projects that utilize resources readily accessible to them such as their own time, talent, effort and that of other volunteers in the community.

How will the money  component impact approval from the Gold Award Committee?

Significantly. Girls are asked to address financial needs for the project in the proposal. Girls should be prepared with all the details about expenses and have alternative plans should their first choice not work out. All these details need to be in the written proposal, and the girl should be prepared to discuss this with the committee.

So, it is best if I pick a project that does not require much money or supplies to accomplish, or that involves a material drive with individuals or community groups, correct?

Yes, that is best.

Resources for Girls Earning the Gold Award

Girls will need access to the following to accomplish earning the Gold Award:

GSUSA produced Studio 2B Basics Binder and Go For It Gold Award Studio 2B insert. These materials list in detail all the requirements for girls to accomplish each step of the Gold Award . Both are available through the Girl Scout Shop. Contact us at 865/281-8990, This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it or visit us at 1600 Breda Drive in Knoxville.

GSUSA  produced Studio 2B Focus Books. Each book covers different topics and girls can choose based on interests. To earn the Gold 4Bs Challenge, girls will need access to the Write Now focus book. All are available through the Girl Scout Shop. Contact us at 865/281-8990, This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it or visit us at 1600 Breda Drive in Knoxville.

GSUSA  produced Interest Projects for girls 11-17. This book contains all the details and requirements necessary to complete Interest Projects. It is available through the Girl Scout Shop. Contact us at 865/281-8990, This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it or visit us at 1600 Breda Drive in Knoxville.

Tanasi Council produced Going for the Gold booklet with required paperwork inside.

Gold Award Project Advisor. This individual is generally the primary contact person for a girl at the benefiting organization. Girl Scout advisors and parents are encouraged to help but should not be Gold Award project advisors.

In addition, the following resources are available to assist girls earning the Gold Award:

Girl Scout staff, at the council office, are there to assist girls with questions or challenges that earning this award may present, 865-688-9440.

The Gold Award committee can be of assistance to girls prior to the proposal stage if particularly difficult questions arise. Contact the council office to submit your question to the committee, 865-688-9440.

Visit the Tanasi Council web site at www.tanasi.org for details on the Gold Award.

Tanasi Council has several filing cabinets full of Gold Award projects from the past. Girls, parents and advisors are welcome to schedule a time to review some of the past project details. 865-688-9440.

Often girls who have earned the Gold Award are willing to meet with or speak to girls, parents and advisors about their experience. This can be very inspiring to girls and give them the chance to ask questions peer to peer.

Tracking the Steps to the Gold Award is a booklet that is available from Tanasi Council to help keep up with the necessary paperwork and requirement details. This booklet is a number of pages and will therefore be available one per troop to Girl Scout Advisors or for individually registered girls.