GSNC Gold Award Tool Kit for Elected Officials

Everything you need to know about the Girl Scout Gold Award.

Dear Elected Official,

I’m writing to express my appreciation for the work your office does to honor the accomplishments of youth in our area—and to encourage you to recognize this year’s class of Gold Award Girl Scouts from Nassau County.

Gold Award Girl Scouts don’t just change the world for the better, they change it for good. The Gold Award reflects the extraordinary leadership of those who earn it—girls in grades 9–12 who have developed and carried out projects that address issues in their communities and beyond. Since 1916, approximately 1 million Girl Scouts have earned the Gold Award or its equivalent.

Earning her Gold Award means a girl has identified an issue she cares about, researched it, created and presented a plan for a solution with sustainable and measurable results to her council, and taken action to make that solution a reality.

Furthermore, Gold Award Girl Scouts distinguish themselves among competition in the college admission process and on scholarship applications. A 2021 GSRI research study shows that Girl Scout alums are more likely to hold leadership roles, be successful in achieving their life goals, and be civically engaged—All amazing feats! Most importantly, these girls have shown their commitment to creating a better future for their communities and the world. Earning the Gold Award is one of the most challenging, exciting, and rewarding experiences a girl can have and one of the most prestigious recognitions she’ll attain in life.

If your office already congratulates Gold Award Girl Scouts, thank you! Know that they, and we, appreciate your recognition. If you’re new to acknowledging Gold Award Girl Scouts, you can find useful information in this packet, and/or our box.com folder, as well as customizable materials to recognize these amazing leaders. You’ll find:

l A sample recognition letter

l A sample certificate of recognition

l A sample press release

Additionally, you can help us celebrate the accomplishments of, and spread the word about, Gold Award Girl Scouts by sharing one or more of the following posts on social media:

l For more than 100 years, @GirlScouts have been improving their communities through the #gsGoldAward. Learn more: http://bit.ly/21gNcYa

l The #gsGoldAward gives @GirlScouts the confidence and tools they need to drive meaningful change. Learn more: http://bit.ly/21gNcYa

l Gold Award @GirlScouts don’t just change the world for the better, they change it for good. #gsGoldAward http://bit.ly/21gNcYa

Feel free to contact Girl Scouts of Nassau County at customercare@gsnc.org or 516-741-2550. Thank you again for your support of our girls and future leaders.

Yours in

Girl Scouting, CEO Girl Scouts of Nassau County

About the Girl Scout Gold Award

Gold Award Girl Scouts don’t just change the world for the better, they change it for good. The Gold Award is earned by girls in grades 9–12 who demonstrate extraordinary leadership in developing sustainable solutions to local, national, and global challenges. Since 1916, Girl Scouts have answered the call to drive lasting, impactful change. The Gold Award is the mark of the truly remarkable.

Gold Award Girl Scouts follow seven steps to earn their designation. They:

1. Choose an issue. Use their values and skills to identify a community issue they care about.

2. Investigate. Research everything they can about the issue.

3. Get help. Invite others to support and take action with them.

4. Create a plan. Create a project plan that can deliver sustainable and measurable impact.

5. Present the plan. Sum up their project plan for their Girl Scout council.

6. Take action. Take the lead to carry out their plan.

7. Educate and inspire. Share with others what they’ve experienced and learned.

Did you know…

Our more than 50 million Girl Scout alums are more successful in school, develop a stronger sense of self, and report greater life satisfaction than women who weren’t Girl Scouts in their youth? It’s true!

Girl Scout Research Institute (2012). Girl Scouting Works: The Alumnae Impact Study.

Guidance for Writing and Talking About Gold Award Girl Scouts

Gold Award Girl Scouts don’t just change the world for the better, they change it for good. The Gold Award is earned by girls in grades 9–12 who demonstrate extraordinary leadership in developing sustainable solutions to local, national, and global challenges. Since 1916, Girl Scouts have answered the call to drive lasting, impactful change. The Gold Award is the mark of the truly remarkable.

We want to emphasize the outstanding efforts of girls who earn the Gold Award and the impact of their dedication—innovative and sustainable solutions to challenges they identify in their communities and beyond.

A Gold Award Girl Scout is a high school Girl Scout who works to address an issue she’s passionate about in a way that produces meaningful and lasting change on a local, national, and/or global level. Our Gold Award is the mark of the truly remarkable.

When referring to the award, aim for simply “Gold Award.”

Stick to “Gold/Silver/Bronze Award Girl Scout,” not “Gold/Silver/Bronze Award recipient,” “Gold/Silver/Bronze Awardee,” or “Gold/Silver/Bronze Award winner.” Girls don’t win the Gold/Silver/Bronze—they earn it.

Girl Scouts has three highest awards: the Bronze, Silver, and Gold Award. The Gold Award is the highest award for Girl Scout Seniors and Ambassadors, the Silver Award the highest for Cadettes, and the Bronze Award the highest for Juniors.

The Gold Award is the capstone/pinnacle of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience. So: to earn Bronze and Silver Awards, Girl Scout Juniors and Cadettes complete Take Action projects—service-learning projects that reflect an understanding of issues in their communities. Girl Scout Seniors and Ambassadors who set out to earn the Gold Award also engage in service learning, but they take it to the next level—tackling issues that are dear to them and driving meaningful and lasting change in their communities and beyond.

Please don’t compare our highest awards with the Eagle Scout rank or any other organizations’ recognitions. Let our girls and their amazing work stand on their own. And remember, the type of service behind the Gold and the Eagle is different—for their Gold Award, Girl Scouts partner and engage with fellow community members to develop sustainable solutions to issues affecting their communities; to achieve the Eagle Scout rank, a Boy Scout plans, develops, and leads others in a service project of significant community impact.

Additional examples of accurate phrasing:

l I became a Gold/Silver/Bronze Award Girl Scout because I earned my Gold/Silver/Bronze Award.

l The Gold Award is the standout achievement of girls who develop meaningful, sustainable solutions to challenges in their communities and the world.

l The Gold Award is anything but a one-time service project; the young women who earn it change the world in tangible and lasting ways.

l In the girl-only, girl-led environment of Girl Scouts, a young woman pursuing her Gold Award is compelled to move beyond her comfort zone to try new things—and to fail and get back up again— on the way to making her world a better place.

Gold Award Girl Scouts and Our Highest Awards:Visual Guidelines

Highest Awards Lockups

Use the Bronze, Silver, and Gold Award Girl Scout lockups when updating old assets or creating new ones.

The lockup should not be altered.

So:

l Don’t change the wording, add type, or create other logos based on the lockup.

l Don’t crop the lockup or put a box around it.

l Don’t emboss, shade, outline, distort, or rotate the lockup.

l Avoid using drop shadows except to separate from busy backgrounds.

(Note: Certificates available in House and Senate Office Supply Store for members of Congress )

upon your receipt of the Gold Award of the Girl Scouts of the United States of America.

Sample Letter of Recognition to Gold Award Girl Scout

[DATE]

[GIRL NAME]

[ADDRESS]

[ADDRESS]

Dear [GIRL NAME]:

Congratulations on becoming a Gold Award Girl Scout! In so doing, you have truly distinguished yourself—earning the most prestigious award in the world for girls. As you know, Gold Award Girl Scouts don’t just change the world for the better, they change it for good. By earning your Gold Award you join other inspiring leaders who are making a sustainable difference in their communities and beyond.

The Gold Award represents extraordinary leadership, refreshing creativity, and a commitment to making a lasting impact—in other words, it represents you. The skills and values you have developed through Girl Scouting are clearly helping you make the world a better place. Please accept my best wishes and highest confidence in your continued success.

Again, congratulations on this prestigious and well-deserved honor. As always, I am deeply proud of the outstanding young people of [COMMUNITY/STATE], you among them, and I commend you for the incredible accomplishment.

Sincerely, [NAME]

Sample Press Release for Elected Officials

[ELECTED OFFICIAL NAME] Congratulates [LOCATION] Gold Award Girl Scout for [PROJECT FOCUS]; example: Senator Doe Congratulates Smallville Gold Award Girl Scout Jane Doe for Developing Sustainable Green Space

[DATE]

[MEDIA CONTACTS]

[CITY, STATE] — Today, [ELECTED OFFICIAL NAME] congratulates Gold Award Girl Scout [GIRL NAME] for earning Girl Scouts of the USA’s most prestigious award. To earn the Gold Award, [GIRL NAME] developed and carried out [PROJECT NAME], focused on [PROJECT OBJECTIVE].

Gold Award Girl Scouts don’t just change the world for the better, they change it for good. The award acknowledges the power behind each Gold Award Girl Scout’s dedication to not only empowering and bettering herself, but to making the world a better place for others. Indeed, Gold Award Girl Scouts, girls in grades 9 through 12, demonstrate extraordinary leadership through projects that address some of society’s biggest challenges in a sustainable way, impacting their communities and beyond.

“In earning her Gold Award, [GIRL NAME] exemplifies leadership for the greater good,” said [ELECTED OFFICIAL NAME]. “[GIRL NAME] saw a need in her community and took dedicated action to address it.”

Gold Award Girl Scout [GIRL NAME] has distinguished herself as a true community leader and change-maker who has made a meaningful and sustainable difference in the world. Her accomplishments reflect leadership and social responsibility that set her apart from her peers. And research predicts a bright future for her: Gold Award Girl Scouts go on to become more successful in school, develop a stronger sense of self, and report greater life satisfaction than women who weren’t Girl Scouts in their youth. Some colleges and universities even offer scholarships unique to Gold Award Girl Scouts, and award recipients who enlist in the United States Armed Forces receive advanced rank in recognition of their achievements.

Since 1916, approximately 1 million Girl Scouts have earned the Gold Award or its equivalent.