Awards: Frequently Asked Questions Q: Why are journeys prerequisites to earn the Girl Scout Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards? A: The journeys give girls a full experience of what they will do as they work to earn the highest awards. The skills girls gain while working on the journeys will help them develop, plan and implement their award Take Action project. Please note that if a girl has completed the Silver Award, she only needs to do one Journey book as a prerequisite for the Gold. The Silver Award counts as the 2nd Journey book! However, girls ARE NOT required to earn the Silver Award it s a choice. If they choose to earn it, it benefits them in many ways as well as replacing one of the Journeys required before beginning the Gold Award. Q: How do girls know when a journey is completed? A: A journey is completed when a girl has earned the journey awards, which include creating and carrying out a Take Action project. See the must-do list between pages 7-11 in each Journey book and/or utilize the Journey related pyramids found here: www.girlscoutseasternmass.org/forms.html Q. What makes the awards guidelines different from the journeys? A: In contrast to journey Take Action projects, which give girls themes on which to base their journey Take Action project, the Girl Scout Award Take Action projects have no pre-designed theme. Girls select their own theme, design, execute and lead their Take Action project. Q: What are the suggested hours for earning each of the awards? A: Not all projects will require the same length of time to complete from planning to sharing and celebration. The time it takes to earn the awards will depend on the nature of the project, the size of the team, and the support of the community. Quality projects should be emphasized over quantity of hours. After the journey(s) requirement is fulfilled, the suggested minimum number of hours to use as a guide is: The Bronze Award -- suggested minimum 20 hours The Silver Award -- suggested minimum 50 hours The Gold Award -- suggested minimum 80 hours Q: Can girls begin working on their awards the summer after they bridge (transition) from one Girl Scout level to the next? A: Yes. Girls can begin to earn the awards over the summer. Q: Are girls allowed to raise money for another organization? (Example: organizing a road race whose registration fees will directly benefit the local animal shelter) A: No, girls are not allowed to raise money for another organization. Updated: 7/2011 1
Q: Do we need a different set of requirements for girls with disabilities to earn the Girl Scout Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards? A: No. The Girl Scout Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards are done to the best of a girl s ability. There is no need to have special requirements for girls with disabilities encourage flexibility and the recruitment of advisors that can work with the girl individually. Q: Can a girl earn her Bronze Award on her own? A: The Bronze Award is a team-based project earned by a group of Girl Scouts. Q: Is sustainability differentiated at each grade level? A: The guidelines give girls tools to examine the underlying root cause of issues, develop a sustainable project plan and measure the impact of their project on their community, the target audience and themselves. There is progression. While Junior Girl Scouts working on their Girl Scout Bronze Award will reflect on how the project could be kept going, Girl Scout Cadettes plan for sustainability. Seniors and Ambassadors work to ensure the sustainability of their project in order to meet the Gold Award standards of excellence. While Juniors explore an issue that affects their Girl Scout community, Cadettes create a community map of their neighborhood or school. Meanwhile, the Seniors and Ambassadors earning the Gold Award assess an issue and its effect more broadly by interviewing community leaders, research using a variety of sources and investigate other community s solutions to a similar problem. Q: Who can earn the Girl Scout Gold Award? A: A girl must be a registered Girl Scout Senior (grades 9-10) or Girl Scout Ambassador (grades 11-12). Q: Can individually registered girl members earn the Girl Scout Gold Award? A: Any girl, who meets the grade-level and membership requirements, can work on her Girl Scout Gold Award. Q: Does a Senior or Ambassador need to do the two journeys in any particular order? A: No. She can complete either two Girl Scout Senior level journeys, two Girl Scout Ambassador level journeys or one of each. Q: How can we make sure that Girl Scout Awards represent quality projects? A: The best way to make sure that a girl is doing the best of her ability is to ensure that both she and her content/project advisor receive orientation about the award and understand the difference between a one time community service opportunity or event and a Girl Scout Bronze, Silver, and Gold Award Take Action project. It s the responsibility of the group/troop volunteer, council staff member or Gold Award Committee Advisor (GACA) (for Gold Award only) to work with the girl to ensure that she meets the quality requirements of the award. Updated: 7/2011 2
Q: What is the difference between a group/troop volunteer and a Girl Scout Gold Award content/project advisor in the Girl Scout Gold Award process? Do girls need both? A: A Group/Troop Volunteer is the adult who works with an ongoing group or troop of girls. The Group/Troop Volunteer helps girls with the pre-requisites and paperwork and signs off on the girls work. Once a girl identifies her issue, the group/troop volunteer might help her identify a person in the community who could be a great content/project advisor. A Girl Scout Gold Award content/project advisor is a volunteer that guides a girl as she takes her project from the planning stage to implementation. The content/project advisor is typically not a girl s parent or a Girl Scout group/troop volunteer. The content/project advisor is typically someone from the community who is knowledgeable about the issue and who can provide guidance, experience and expertise along the way. Q: Why can t a parent be a Girl Scout Gold Award Content/Project Advisor? A: Girls are encouraged to connect with their community when earning the Girl Scout Gold Award. That means working with a content/project advisor who will help the girl to network and reach beyond her comfort zone. Q: At what point should a Girl Scout Gold Award content/project advisor be identified? A: The content/project advisor should be identified in the planning phase before the Girl Scout Gold Award Project Proposal is submitted to the council. The content/project advisor expands the network of adults and provides expertise for a girl s project. If a girl has an idea before she starts any work on her Girl Scout Gold Award, she might want to identify her content/project advisor from the very beginning. Q: What is the role of the council s Girl Scout Gold Award committee? A: Some councils have developed Girl Scout Gold Award Committees to support Girl Scout Seniors and Ambassadors as they go through the process of earning their Girl Scout Gold Award. Girl Scout Gold Award Committees are typically comprised of community members, educators, key volunteers and young women who have earned their Girl Scout Gold Award. The Committee works with designated council staff. The committee s role is to ensure that girls projects meet the national guidelines. Generally, the committee reviews Girl Scout Gold Award Project Proposals, makes recommendations for project development and resources, reads the final report, and makes a recommendation to the council on whether to approve the project. In some council the committee approves the project. If a girl s project has not yet achieved its goals, the committee provides suggestions and tips to help her develop a high quality Gold Award project. At Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts, each girl gets a Gold Award Committee Advisor after her Proposal Meeting. Together, the girl and her Gold Award Committee Advisor make a Project Plan Agreement. When the girl is finished with the Gold Award project, her Gold Award Committee Advisor discusses the project with the girl, reads the Final Report and gives the girl approval for completion. Then the girl comes in for a Final Presentation with other committee members. Q: What does it mean to have a sustainable project? A: A sustainable project is one that lasts after the girl s involvement ends. A focus on education and raising awareness is one way to make sure a project is carried on. Workshops and hands- on learning sessions can inspire others to keep the project going. Another way to create a sustainable project is by collaborating with community groups, civic associations, non-profit agencies, local government, and/or religious organizations to ensure the project lasts beyond the girl s involvement. Q: How does a girl measure project impact? A: Girls identify their project goals for their community, target audience and themselves by developing Updated: 7/2011 3
success indicators using a matrix provided in the guidelines and Gold Award Toolkit!. Q: Can a girl earn the Girl Scout Gold Award even if she hasn t been in Girl Scouts very long? A: Yes! She just needs to be a registered Girl Scout Senior or Ambassador to begin her Gold Award project. Q: What if a girl is 18 and graduating? Can she complete her project when she is in college? A: The girls ultimate deadline is September 30th of the year in which she graduates. Ex: if she graduates in 2020, she has until September 30th, 2020. Q: What if a girl s project is not completed by the council ceremony time? A: This is up to the girl. She might be recognized for her work in progress at the Girl Scout Gold Award Ceremony for her peers, or she can be honored in a separate ceremony or come back for the councilwide ceremony the next year. If the council has a set time for honoring Girl Scout Gold Awardees, this should be part of the orientation to girls planning their Girl Scout Gold Award. Girls and their project advisors are encouraged to work within the council timeline; however, the ceremony time should not dictate whether or not a girl is able to earn her Girl Scout Gold Award. At Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts If girls want to be recognized at the Council Gold Award Celebration, she must finish her project, discuss it with her Gold Award Committee Advisor, obtain her signature and mail the signed Final Report to Council at the specified address to be received by 5pm on May 1 st, no ex c ept i ons wi t h be m ade. The Gold Award Celebration occurs around the 3 rd week of June and is by invitation only. Each girl is able to invite her own guest (i.e. parents, siblings, family, adult volunteer etc). Q: Are there any patches or pins girls can earn by completing the Journeys? A: Yes! Visit http://shop.girlscoutshop.org for details! Q: Where can I get the Journey books? A: Your local Council Store (Middleboro, North Andover, Waltham) You can go there or visit http://store.girlscoutshop.org/info or by going to the main web site www.girlscoutseasternmass.org and clicking on Shop at the top of the page. Q: Do I need to complete the entire Journey book, including the Take Action project in the Journey book? A: Yes. Each book lists the activities that are required to earn the award associated with the Journey book, which includes the Take Action project. Girls might plan and execute a Take Action project in the Journey book that helps lead her to what her Bronze, Silver or Gold Award (take action) project will be. Some girls may choose something for the Bronze, Silver or Gold that is unrelated to the Take Action project she/they did for the Journey book award. Q: I read through the Gold Award Toolkit, but there are some things that I feel I need more practice or an activity to get me ready, are there activities anywhere? A: Yes! Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts combed through the Toolkit to make changes or additions to best help you along. We also put together some Additional Resources (and Activities) to help you along the way. You can find these additional activities under the Resource Library and Forms at: www.girlscoutseasternmass.org/forms.html Updated: 7/2011 4
Q: I m a gr ou p/troop volunteer, helping my girls through the Journey books, each girl is different and wants to focus on different things. How can I keep track!?! A: Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts created what we call a Journey Agreement Guide. The purpose of this document (found at www.girlscoutseasternmass.org/forms.h t m l ) is to help the girl going on the Journey and the Adult Volunteer make an agreement together, almost like a check-list, that will surely help both the girl stay on track but also help the adult volunteer chart her progress and ultimately feel comfortable signing off on the work that she has done. But remember it s important that Group/Troop Adult Volunteers allow the girls flexibility in earning the Journey books. The books aren t meant to be checklists, they re meant to be guides with certain required activities if the girl wants to earn the associated award and ultimately strive for the Gold Award. Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts offers Leadership Essentials Training for all Adult Volunteers. The training helps volunteers build the necessary skills to guide the girls through the new Girl Scout Leadership Experience (GSLE). Q: What is the Gold Award Toolkit? Where can I find it? A: The Gold Award Toolkit was designed by GSUSA to provide girls with a great deal of tips and tools for beginning the Gold Award project and seeing it through to its completion. Found here www.girlscoutseasternmass.org/forms.html Q: Once I have done the pre-requisites, completed each step in the Gold Award Toolkit & have filled out the Project Proposal Form, what do I do next? A: Have your Group/Troop Advisor sign off on your pre-requisites. Sign the form yourself. Indicate which date/location you d like for your in-person Proposal Meeting from the listed date choices Mail it by the deadline you re aiming for in your Timeline to: Girl Scouts Eastern Massachusetts Attn: Gold Award 111 East Grove Street Middleboro, Ma 02346 Note: Deadlines can be found on the Proposal Form located within the Toolkit. Q: How will I be notified that my Proposal has been received? A: You and your listed Group/Troop Advisor will receive an email from the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts staff person in charge of the Gold Award. Q: What happens at the Proposal Meeting? A: You and at least two Gold Award Committee Advisors will meet in a room and discuss your idea and plan. They will offer you suggestions on ways to expand or change your project and help you figure out who your Content/Project Advisor could be if you haven t already figured it out. Q: What happens after the Meeting? A: You will receive a letter in the mail with your Gold Award Committee Advisor s (GACA) contact information It is your job to call your GACA. During your phone call you will discuss the Project Plan Agreement (PPA) o The PPA is a contract between you and your Gold Award CA o It details what you intend to do, how often and how you will contact your GACA and extra info Once the PPA is complete, you both sign it and mail a copy to the address listed above. When it is received, you and your GACA will receive an email that says it s been received Once you get that email you may begin working on your Gold Award Take Action project Updated: 7/2011 5
Q: When I ve finished my project what do I do? A: Read through your PPA and the Final Report to see if you have done everything you need to do If you have questions, contact your GACA When you re ready, fill out the Final Report and send it to your GACA She ll review it and have a conversation with you over the phone Once she has signed it, mail it to the same address as you did with your Proposal & PPA, again indicating which date/location you d like for your Final Presentation (the dates for this occur on the same nights and times as the Proposal Meetings, giving girls beginning the Gold Award an opportunity to see and talk with a girl who has earned the Gold). You will again get an email confirmation that it s been received etc Your GACA s signature means that you ve earned the Gold Award! Q: Can I send in my binder, pictures etc? A: Please only send in the Final Report form. You can bring all the extras to your Final Presentation Q: What s the purpose of the Final Presentation if my GACA s signature means I ve earned the award? A: The purpose of the Final Presentation is to provide you with closure and an opportunity for reflection. It also gives you an opportunity to learn how to advocate for yourself and your successes, skills, and talents. Think of it as career preparation! Q: Do I receive an official letter from Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts? A: Yes! You will get this in the mail a few days following your Final Presentation. The letter will include information for having a family/troop/community ceremony to celebrate & commemorate your accomplishment! A letter will also be sent to your family and your Service Unit Coordinator Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts will coordinate recognitions/certificates/pin on your behalf details are in the letter. TIP: Hang on to the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts letter (for life!) you ll most likely need it numerous times to prove you have earned the Gold Award for various scholarships etc. Keep it in a safe place or in your scrap book. Q: Additional Questions? A: Bronze: Contact bronzeaward@girlscoutseasternmass.org Silver: Contact silveraward@girlscoutseasternmass.org Gold: Contact goldaward@girlscoutseasternmass.org Updated: 7/2011 6
Girl Scout Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards, at a Glance AWARDS GRADE GIRL SCOUT BRONZE AWARD Girls must be in 4 th or 5 th grade and a registered Girl Scout Junior OVERVIEW Complete a Junior Journey Be part of a troop or group where girls take the lead Take action on a community issue the troop or group cares about Help and guidance provided by troop/group volunteer Suggested hours included in the girl, adult, and council material *Council approval needed for any money earning TAKE ACTION PROJECT *After the girls complete the journey(s) including the associated take action project(s) as a pre-requisite, the girls must also plan and execute a take action project to earn the bronze, silver or gold awards SUSTAINABLE Group Take Action Project focuses on something the girls care about that they would like to improve within their Girl Scout or local community. Puts the Promise and Law into action After the project is complete, girls develop an understanding of sustainability by talking together about how solutions can be lasting. GIRL SCOUT SILVER AWARD Girls must be in 6 th, 7 th, or 8 th grade and a registered Girl Scout Cadette Complete a Cadette Journey Work as an individual or in a small group where girls take the lead Take action on a community issue that the girls care about Help and guidance provided by troop/group volunteer Suggested hours included in the girl, adult, and council material *Council approval needed for any money earning Individual or group Take Action Project that makes the local neighborhood or community better. Puts the Promise and Law into action Girls demonstrate an understanding of sustainability in the project plan and implementation. GIRL SCOUT GOLD AWARD Girls must be in 9 th, 10 th, 11 th, or 12 th grade and a registered Girl Scout Senior or Ambassador Complete two Journeys (Senior or Ambassador) or Earn the Silver Award and complete one Senior or Ambassador Journey Individually girl led; girl selects and recruits Content/Project Advisor Take action on a community issue the girl cares about Help and guidance provided by Content/Project Advisor Suggested hours included in the girl, adult, and council material *Council approval needed for any money earning Individual Take Action Project that makes a lasting difference in the local community, region, or beyond. Puts the Promise and Law into action Take Action Project includes provisions to ensure sustainability. GLOBAL PROJECT APPROVAL After the project is complete, girls develop an understanding of the wider world by talking together about how others may experience the same problem that their project helped resolve. Troop/Group Volunteer Each girl must fill out and submit a Final Report form to receive a certificate of commendation and authorization to purchase the Bronze Award pin at any Council store *Adhere to guidelines in the Volunteer Essentials and Safety Activity Checkpoints Girls connect with new friends outside their immediate community, learn how others have solved similar problems and determine if the ideas of others can help with their plan. Troop/Group Volunteer Each girl must fill out and submit a Final Report form to receive a certificate of commendation and authorization to purchase the Silver Award pin at any Council store. Girls identify national and/or global links to their selected issue. They learn from others and develop a plan to share the results of their project beyond the local community. Once a girl is assigned a Gold Award Committee Advisor by Council, together they ll make a Project Plan Agreement (PPA). The PPA and permission of the Gold Award Advisor gives the girl approval to begin. The Gold Award Advisor also gives final approval upon completion. Questions: goldaward@girlscoutseasternmass.org silveraward@girlscoutseasternmass.org bronzeaward@girlscoutseasternmass.org Updated: 7/2011