Girl Scouts' Highest Awards
Girl Scout Gold, Silver, and Bronze Awards

The Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards are the highest awards Girl Scouts can achieve in Girl Scouting.  The Girl Scout Gold Award (for Girl Scouts 14-18) was introduced in 1980 as the highest honor, along with the Girl Scout Silver Award (for Girl Scouts 11-14). 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 (ages 8-11), the Girl Scout Bronze Award was introduced in 2001. Today these three awards are a highlight of the Girl Scout experience.

To learn more about the new award guidelines, please click HERE.

Click here to find all the Learning Opportunities in our Online Program Guide and Register Online!

The Girl Scout Gold Award®, the highest award in Girl Scouts, focuses on a 14- to 18-year-old Girl Scout's interests and personal journey through leadership skills, career explorations, self-improvement, and service.  The Girl Scout Gold Award was updated in 2004.

Download Gold Award Packet

Requirements:  (Individual)
Girls must submit a Gold Award Project Proposal to the Dakota Horizons Council for approval before implementing the planning phase.  The actual project should take 65 hours, including the planning time. 

It is evaluated after completion by the Gold Award Committee.  The project should have reach and

impact beyond its completion. 

• Earn 3 Interest Project Patches related to the Girl Scout Law,
• Earn a Focus Book charm of your choice,
• Document 30 hours in a leadership role,
• Earn the Gold Career award by completing 40 hours of career exploration, and
• Earn the Gold 4B’s challenge (Become, Belong, Believe and Build). 

Someone once described the Girl Scout Gold Award as being "what you really want to be remembered for" in Girl Scouting. For many, the leadership skills, organizational skills, and sense of community and commitment that come from "going for the Gold" set the foundation for a lifetime of active citizenship.

Learning Opportunities- Gold Award.  Highest award for Senior and Ambassador Girl Scouts. 

Attendance is required to complete award.

Download Silver Award Packet

Requirements:  (Troop/Individual)
The actual project should take 40 hours, including planning time.  It should provide leadership experiences and service to support a community project or an organization in the community.  Girls should take an active role in planning and implementing the tasks to achieve this award.

• Earn 3 Interest Project Patches related to parts of the Girl Scout Promise and Girl Scout Law,
• Earn the Real Deal Charm,
• Earn the Silver Leadership Charm by

              spending 15 hours in a leadership role,

• Explore careers and earn the ‘Your Own Business’ patch to obtain the Silver Career Charm, and
• Earn the 4B Challenge (Become, Belong, Believe and Build). 

Learning Opportunities- Silver Award.  Highest award for Cadette Girl Scouts.

The Girl Scout Bronze Award® recognizes that a Junior Girl Scout has gained the leadership and planning skills required to follow through with a project that makes a positive difference in the community.  It is the highest award a Junior Girl Scout can earn,

Download Bronze Award Packet

Contact your local Program & Learning Specialist for more information.

Requirements:  (Troop)
The actual project should take 15 hours, including planning time.  During the implementation of this project Girl Scouts should demonstrate a sense of leadership and a commitment to the community.

• Earn 2 badges related to the ‘project’,
• Earn 1 of the Girl Scouts signs, and
• Earn the Junior Aide Bar or the Junior Leadership Pin.