In 1916, Girl Scouts introduced the Golden Eagle of Merit. In 1980, after a few name changes, the award was reintroduced as the Girl Scout Gold Award. The Girl Scout Gold Award is the highest honor a Girl Scout can earn. The project aims to emphasize the recipients betterment of herself and her ability to improve the world.

The Girl Scout Gold Award is girl-lead, meaning the recipient must lead and organize her own project. The project should address a unique need in the community it is meant for and make a difference in that community. 

There are seven steps in the Gold Award process.
1. Identify an issue.
2. Investigate it throughly.
3. Get help and build your team.
4. Create a plan.
5. Present your plan and gather feedback.
6. Take action.
7. Educate and inspire. 

The Girl Scout Gold Award benefits the recipient in many ways. Team building, project planning and time management are all important parts of the Gold Award process. After completion, girls have been able to experience being a leader and have attained valuable skills for work environments across many fields. Girls also learn confidence and self worth when completing the project as they learn how impactful they can truely be. Recipients also become involved within their community. They are able to make meaningful connections with community members and that network lasts a lifetime. 

Learn more about Girl Scout Gold Awards here.