In 1980, Girls Scouts introduced the Girl Scout Gold Award as its highest honor, along with the Girl Scout Silver Award. To receive these awards, girls must meet requirements that help them prepare for, and complete, a special project benefiting their communities. Based on requests from Junior Girl Scouts, the Girl Scout Bronze Award was introduced in 2001. Today these three awards are a highlight of the Girl Scout experience.
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Highest Award General Information
Girl Scouts Highest Awards are undergoing a transformation! Just as many other Girl Scout resources are being updated, so are the Highest Awards. This process has a two-year transition period. Girls will have from summer 2009 (when the new guidelines are released) through September 30, 2010 to transition to the new guidelines. All projects under the old guidelines must be completed by September 30, 2011. The guidelines will become official on October 1, 2011 (beginning of the 2012 membership year). If a girl starts working on the award in 2011 and the majority of the work will be done during the 2012 membership year, the new guidelines should be used.
Each of the three Girl Scout Highest awards is designed to challenge girls at an appropriate age level. Earning the Bronze Award is not a prerequisite of earning the Silver Award. Earning the Silver Award is not a prerequisite of earning the Gold Award. Girls who have completed previous awards may find the skills they developed along the way helpful in earning their next award. Girls cannot work on two projects at once. If a girl has not finished her Bronze or Silver Award project and is planning to complete it, she cannot start on the prerequisites for the next award until the previous award is finished.
(Please Note: The award prerequisites at the Silver Award and the Gold Award levels that are outlined in the Girl Scout Cadette and Senior Handbooks are outdated and not accepted at the council as valid work.)
The Girl Scout Bronze Award
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Old Requirements:
(for projects that will be completed by September 30, 2011)
Girls who are registered as Junior Girl Scouts can work on the Bronze Award.
Girls who are in the sixth grade can choose to earn or complete the Bronze Award. Or, girls in sixth grade can choose to begin working on their Girl Scout Silver Award.
New Requirements:
Girls who are registered as Junior Girl Scouts and in grades 4 or 5 can work on the Bronze Award.
Upon completion of the project it is the responsibility of the recipient to purchase the Bronze Award pin. Please forward the final report into the Boise Service Center, 1410 Etheridge Lane, Boise, ID 83704.
The Girl Scout Silver Award
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Old Requirements:
(for projects that will be completed by September 30, 2011)
Registered Girl Scouts who are 11-14 or in grades 6-9 can work on the prerequisites leading up to the Silver Award Project.
Girls must be 12-14 or in grades 7-9 to work on the actual Silver Award Project.
New Requirements:
Girls who are registered as Cadette Girl Scouts and in grades 6, 7 or 8 can work on the Silver Award.
Upon completion of the project it is the responsibility of the recipient to purchase the Silver Award pin. Although Girl Scout Council Staff does not approve the Silver Award recipients must complete the Final Report Form for Silver Awards and turn it into the Boise Service Center, 1410 Etheridge Lane, Boise, ID 83704.
The Girl Scout Gold Award
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Old Requirements:
(for projects that will be completed by September 30, 2011)
Registered Girl Scouts who are 14 -18 or in grades 9-12 can work on the prerequisites leading up to the Gold Award Project.
Online training for Studio2b Requirements
They must be 15-18 or in grades 10-12 to work on the actual Gold Award project.
Girls may not start the Gold Award project without the approval of the Gold Award Committee.
New Requirements:
Girls who are registered as Senior or Ambassador Girls Scouts and in grades 9 through 12 can work on the Gold Award.
Girls may not start the Gold Award Project without the approval of the Gold Award Committee.
Upon completion of the project the council will honor the girl in many ways, including purchasing for her one Gold Award pin (additional pins available for purchase in the council store), submitting her name to her local paper, and sending out announcements applauding her accomplishment to local, state and federal dignitaries.