GSNEO Gold Award

Learn more about the 2026 Gold Award Girl Scouts and their projects toggle arrow

Download 2026 Girl Scout Gold Award Program

Tip 1: Complete your Prerequisites toggle arrow

You can pursue your Girl Scout Gold Award if:

You’re in high school (ninth through twelfth grade, or equivalent).
You're registered as a Girl Scout Senior or Girl Scout Ambassador.
You have completed either earned the Silver Award, or earned one Leadership Award.
You’ve completed the National Gold Award Training for Youth: National Gold Award Training for Youth
Note: Please make sure to fill out the interest form at the end of the training!

Read through Your Guide to Going Gold (and print out a copy to have on hand as you work on your project).

Tip 2: Manage your Time Wisely toggle arrow

Thoroughly plan to give yourself plenty of time! Plan your Gold Award project 3 – 6 months prior to project implementation date.

Reminders when planning your project:

Reflect on your personal values, education, experience, and interests, and choose an issue you care about. Does the issue affect your community and/or the global community-at-large?
Investigate your issue further to discover its root causes to develop a realistic project and then connect with issue experts to plan your project.
Get help and show leadership by forming a team of at least 5 non-related volunteers to assist you with your project, including a Project Advisor – a non-related adult who has expertise on the issue you have chosen to address for your project.
Keeping the 5 Key Elements of the Gold Award in mind, create a plan and work out the specific details of your Project Proposal including:
- Project description
- Proposed budget and timeline
- How the project will impact you, your target audience, and your wider community
- Your project’s national and/or global link
- Goals to measure your project’s impact
- Plan on how you’ll sustain your project
Your project must be a minimum of 80 hours total from start to finish.

A note to graduating 12th graders: You have until September 1 of your graduation year to finish your Gold Award project and submit your Final Report on GoGold!

Tip 3: Use GoGold Online toggle arrow

Create your GoGold Online account 2-3 months prior to project implementation date at http://gogold.girlscouts.org.

Use Google Chrome as your web browser when using GoGold Online.
Log into GoGold and create a user profile.
Register your project and complete your Project Proposal in GoGold
- Don’t forget to include your proposed budget, proposed timeline, and letter of support on official letterhead from the organization you’re working with.
Submit your Project Proposal to GSNEO in GoGold by the first of the month to be reviewed by the volunteer Gold Award Committee.

Experiencing tech issues with GoGold Online? Please contact: gogoldonline@girlscouts.org.

Tip 4: Know GSNEO's Review Timeline and Connect with your Gold Award Coach toggle arrow

When you feel ready, submit your Project Proposal to GSNEO in GoGold.

Tip: Use the “Gold Award Project Proposal Rubric” to score your own Project Proposal before submitting it so you know you’re on track.

After receiving your project proposal, you will be contacted by the GSNEO staff within 3-5 days. Please note, Gold Award interviews are no longer required. Instead of an interview, GSNEO will connect you with a Gold Award Coach, who will support you as you move forward through your Gold Award Journey.

For questions, please contact Colean Williams, Coordinator Highest Awards and Scholarships: cwilliams@gsneo.org.

GSNEO Money Earning Project Application toggle arrow

You may conduct a money earning project to raise funds for your Gold Award project with caregiver permission. Money earning projects require permission from GSNEO through an application process.

A GSNEO Money Earning Project Application must be submitted a minimum of 4 weeks prior to money earning project implementation and can take up to two weeks to approve or deny.

GSNEO Gold Award Grants toggle arrow

Order of the Silver Trefoil Gold Award Mini-Grant:

Thanks to generous support from the Order of the Silver Trefoil, GSNEO Girl Scouts working on their Gold Award can apply for a mini-grant to help support the cost of their project. If you have already met with the Gold Award committee and your project has been approved, please click here to review the requirements and apply.

CollegeLab toggle arrow

Girl Scouts working on their Gold Award, or Girl Scouts who have already earned their Gold Award have FREE access to CollegeLab.

Benefit from artificial intelligence and expert insight to manage the college admissions process and improve your chance of acceptance!

Learn more about CollegeLab here.

Scholarships toggle arrow

Many universities and colleges award scholarships to Gold Award Girl Scouts. As of 2021, GSUSA Gold Award Scholarships are now being offered annually to one Gold Award Girl Scout in every council.

Learn more about scholarships here.

Credly

Once you’ve earned the Gold Award, you can proudly claim your Gold Award digital credential from Credly! Display it on your social media profiles, including LinkedIn. This allows prospective employers, universities and colleges, military academies, and others to verify your achievement simply by viewing your profile.

Request your Gold Award Girl Scout Digital Credential here.

Life Skills toggle arrow

Watch this video to learn how the skills a Gold Award Girl Scout gains primes her for the fast track when it comes to college admissions and make them an outstanding candidate for academic scholarships and other financial awards.

In 2021, The Girl Scout Research Institute (GSRI) published their report “The Girl Scout Alum Difference” in which they investigated the following question: How do Gold Award Girl Scout alums rate the impact of the Gold Award in their lives? Explore their findings here.

For the Planning Phase of Your Project toggle arrow

Example of a Gold Award Project Proposal
Girl Scout Gold Award Take Action Project Ideas
Girl Scout Take Action Guide
GoGold FAQs (GoGold account required)
GoGold Online
Go For the Gold: Tips from Gold Award Girl Scouts YouTube Playlist
Gold Award Project Proposal Rubric
GSNEO Go for the Gold: Checklist
How Take Action Projects Differ from Community Service Projects
The Girl Scout Gold Award: A Guide for Adults
The Girl Scout Gold Award: A Guide for Project Advisors
The Girl Scout Gold Award: A Guide for Troop Leaders
Your Guide to Going Gold

For the Implementation Phase of Your Project toggle arrow

Council Finder

Issues of the World, meet your match.

Meet the 2026 GSNEO Gold Award Girl Scouts

ARE YOU THIKING ABOUT GOING FOR THE GOLD? HERE ARE SOME HELFPUL TIPS TO GET YOU STARTED!

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR GSNEO GOLD AWARD GIRL SCOUTS

THE GOLD AWARD ADVANTAGE

HELPFUL RESOURCES