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Highest Awards
Gold Award

Gold Award

high school gold award girl scout with natural hair wearing ambassador vest

Change the world, Girl Scout.

The Girl Scout Gold Award is the highest and most prestigious award in Girl Scouting. 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.

During their 10th – 12th grade years, Seniors and Ambassadors who want to go for the Gold Award commit 80+ hours to building 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.

A Lifetime of Courage, Confidence, and Character

Participating in Girl Scouts is a powerful factor for developing courage, confidence, and character, which in turn builds a foundation for success in education and careers, enables a lifetime of leadership, and provides high levels of life satisfaction.

Gold Award Girl Scouts become innovative problem-solvers, empathetic leaders, confident public speakers, and focused project managers -- the leaders our world needs.

87% of Gold Award Girl Scouts agree that earning their Gold Award gave them skills that helped them succeed professionally
72% said earning their Gold Award helped them get a scholarship
99% of Gold Award Girl Scout alums take on leadership roles in their everyday lives

Every graduating Gold Award Girl Scout is eligible to apply for GSUSA’s National Gold Award Scholarship, an annual grant awarded to one Gold Award honoree in each of Girl Scouts’ 111 councils nationwide.

2025 Gold Award Ceremony

GSGLA Girl Scouts are hard at work, doing what it takes to earn their Gold Award, and we're gearing up for our most inspiring event of the year!

Don’t miss your chance to celebrate the remarkable achievements of our Gold Award Girl Scouts who have dedicated themselves to community service and leadership. The 2025 Gold Award Ceremony will be held on June 1, 2025, at the Pasadena Civic Center. Get more details and purchase tickets here.

In the meantime, watch this video to see the impact of the Girl Scout Gold Award.

Previous Gold Award Yearbooks

2024 Gold Award Class Yearbook
2023 Gold Award Yearbook
2022 Gold Award Yearbook
2021 Gold Award Yearbook
2020 Gold Award Yearbook

You can become a Gold Award Girl Scout if you:

Are in ninth, tenth, eleventh, or twelfth grade.
Are a registered Senior or Ambassador.

Have completed two Senior or Ambassador Journeys, or have earned the Girl Scout Silver Award and completed one Senior or Ambassador Journey.

Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles 2022 Gold Award Class

Become a Gold Award Girl Scout

Ready to change the world for good? Visit Go Gold Online.

GET STARTED

Get the guidelines.

Hear what supporters of Gold Award Girl Scouts have to say about earning the Gold Award:

How to earn the Girl Scout Gold Award

Register for a workshop.

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 through Go Gold Online 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

Download the Girl Scout Workbook (PDF)
Gold Award Proposal Attachments (PDF)
Project Advisor Guide (PDF)
Parent/Caregiver Guide (PDF)
Troop Leader Guide (PDF)
Guide for Leadership Experience (PDF)
Gold Award Pre-Proposal Submission 5-Point Checklist (PDF)
Final Report Attachments (PDF)
How To: Videos from Gold Awardees
Change eForm
Request for Mentor
Extension eForm
Girl Scouts with special needs have the opportunity to earn highest awards. Click here for more information.

Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles is proud to announce that Montserrat H., has been selected to receive the 2024 GSUSA National Gold Award Scholarship!

The Girl Scouts of the USA Gold Award Scholarship recognizes one outstanding Gold Award Girl Scout per council who has demonstrated extraordinary leadership to drive lasting change in their community and beyond. Montserrat will be able to use the scholarship toward tuition, fees, books, and supplies required for coursework at accredited institutions in the United States to continue her education.

Montserrat’s Gold Award Project, "Lowering Surface Temperatures," tackled urban heating in low-income communities by advocating for environmental justice. She led volunteers in planting a native garden and painting a pathway to reduce temperatures, lowering the surface temperature by 10°F. Montserrat also educated the community through presentations and events, highlighting the importance of green spaces and clean air.

We’re so proud of you and can’t wait to see what more you accomplish, Montserrat!

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