CSA Awards

Girl Scout Cadette, Senior, and Ambassador Leadership, Service, Mentoring, and High Awards LEADERSHIP AWARDS The Torch Awards recognize a Girl Scout’s leadership positions in other organizations outside of Girl Scouts. This award can be earned at the Cadette, Senior, and Ambassador level. The Torch Awards have two requirements: 1. Complete one journey program for your age level.

2. Serve for one full term in a leadership position at your school, place of worship, library, town council, community center, after-school club, or a similar organization. For example, you might serve as school yearbook editor, on a committee to organize youth events within your faith community, or on an event-planning board at Girl Scouts. The length of your service will depend on the term specified by the organization or the particular role.

Cadette Silver Torch award

Senior Silver & Gold Torch award

Ambassador Gold Torch award

SERVICE AWARDS Community Service bars are awarded to Girl Scouts who complete at least 20 hours of community service during one age level. This award can be earned at the Cadette, Senior, and Ambassador level.

To earn the bar, first choose an organization you’d like to volunteer with. The organization will need to agree to give you instructions about the work you’ll be doing. Girl Scout leaders can approve your service, so check with them before you begin.

Once you’ve chosen your organization, complete at least 20 hours of service to earn the bar.

Cadette Community Service bar

Senior Community Service bar

Ambassador Community Service bar

Service to Girl Scouting bars are awarded to Girl Scouts who complete at least 20 hours of service to the Girl Scout organization during one age level.

For example, you might volunteer your time at a special event for younger girls, be an office assistant for your council or service unit, or help with special projects. Reach out to your Girl Scout leader, Service Area volunteers, or Council staff to ask about available opportunities.

Cadette Service to Girl Scouting bar

Senior Service to Girl Scouting bar

Ambassador Service to Girl Scouting bar

*Note: Your service hours for these bars need to be separate from those you use toward other awards. Each bar represents a new project, and can only be earned once.

MENTORING AWARDS The Leader in Action (LiA) award is earned by a Girl Scout Cadette who helps a Brownie troop or group work on any of the Brownie journeys. The LiA award is earned by establishing a partnership with a Brownie troop. Have the leader show you the LiA requirements for the journey they are working on (they are found in the adult journey guides).

Cadette Leader in Action Cadette Leader in Action Award Journey Award

MEdia Cadette Leadership in Action Award

WOW! Wonders of Water Cadette Leadership in Action Award

The Program Aide pin is a mentoring training program for Girl Scout Cadettes designed to teach girls how to work with younger youth in program settings. Earning the Program Aide pin consists of three steps: 1. Earn one LiA award.

2. Complete a Council-designed leadership course. Check https://www.gsnwgl.org/en/members/activities.html for upcoming trainings. If in-person training isn’t accessible to you, reach out and ask about our self-study course.

3. Work with younger youth (at least two years younger than you are) over the course of six different activity sessions.

Counselor in Training (CIT) I is an award for Girl Scout Seniors and Ambassadors who mentor girls in a camp setting for one session. The CIT I award requires completion of a Council-designed leadership course, which you can find in our summer camp brochure.

Counselor in Training (CIT) II is an award for Girl Scout Ambassadors who have completed the CIT I course and mentor girls in a camp setting for one session, while focusing your skills in a particular area such as programming, waterfront, or trip leading. The CIT II award requires completion of a Council-designed leadership course, which you can find in our summer camp brochure.

Volunteer in Training (VIT) is an award for Girl Scout Seniors and Ambassadors who mentor girls outside of a camp experience such as leading a troop, for example. To earn the VIT award, you will complete a Councildesigned leadership course for the age group you wish to volunteer with and find a mentor volunteer who is currently leading a group of girls at this level. You’ll work with this troop over the course of a three-to-six-month period. You will need to create and implement journey or badge programming for at least four sessions with this group. For more information, contact info@ gsnwgl.org.

HIGH AWARDS The Girl Scout Silver Award is the highest award a Girl Scout Cadette can earn. It consists of working to find the root cause of an issue you are passionate about, and then developing and implementing a 50-hour project that chips away at that root cause. You are required to fill out a proposal for your project that must be approved by Council staff before you can begin working. Visit https://www.gsnwgl.org/en/members/highest-awards/silveraward.html for more information and to download the guidelines packet.

The Girl Scout Gold Award is the highest award a Girl Scout Senior or Ambassador can earn. This award is for those who want to make a lasting change in their community, locally and globally. It consists of identifying the root cause of an issue you care about and then developing and implementing an 80-hour project that chips away at that root cause, all while ensuring the sustainability of your efforts by creating lasting partnerships.

You are required to fill out a proposal for your project that must be approved by a committee of trained volunteers before you can begin working. Visit https://www.gsnwgl.org/en/members/highest-awards/goldaward.html for more information and to download the guidelines packet.