1. An Overview Earning the Gold Award
Welcome to the Girl Scouts of Central Texas Gold Award Workshop. All of us at Girl Scouts are excited that you are here!
An Overview

2. Congratulations on taking the first steps toward the Gold Award!
Our hope is that this presentation today inspires you, answers your questions, and serves as a guide as you move forward in your Gold Award Project!

3. Courage Confidence Character
Living the
Girl Scout Promise
Our girl scout mission is to build girls of courage, confidence and character. When you go for your gold award -You’ll be living the girl scout promise! 3

4. This workshop includes:
Review of the Gold Award process
Resources for the Gold Award
Frequently asked questions
Tips and resources
(Read the slide)

5. Making the World A Better Place
What do Gold Girls Do?

6. Benefits of Earning the Girl Scout Gold Award
Experience your passion making a difference
Your contribution will be recognized by your community (less than 6% of Girl Scouts Achieve the Gold Award)
College Scholarships
Gold Girls can enter the armed forces one rank higher than other recruits

7. Benefits of Earning the Girl Scout Gold Award (cont’d)
College applications and resumes
Use hours to apply for President’s Volunteer Service Award
Apply for Congressional Award (before project is started)
Develop life skills

8. Stay Informed Now using Go Gold Online
Gold Award workshop participation is REQUIRED
Reminder: There are no Gold Award Consultants at local service unit levels; only Council Gold Award Committee can approve/deny projects

9. Overview of The Process
Step 1
Complete Journey/Silver Award AND Gold Award Workshop
Step 2 Choose an Issue that INSPIRES you!
Step 3
Connect with the community
Step 4
Recruit a team for your project
Gather partner letters
Step 5
Proposal – Project Plan - Budget
Step 6
Submit proposal to Gold Award Committee (GAC) through Go Gold Online
Feedback > Updates > Resubmit
Step 7 Start! Lead your Gold Project!
Step 8 Evaluations Feedback Final Report
Celebrate!
Let’s review the gold award steps, afterwards we will go over each step in detail.
Step 1
Complete your Journey(s) AND Gold Award Workshop. BOTH are required before you can submit your proposal.
Step 2
Choose an Issue that INSPIRES you! What is your passion or interest? Find the root cause, the reason for the issue.
Step 3
Connect with the community; Investigate locally - Research Nationally / Globally
Step 4
Recruit a team for your project, Think about sustainability, Request letters of support from partner organizations
Step 5
Type up your proposal with a timeline, Budget and measurable results
Step 6
Submit your proposal to the Gold Award Committee online. The GAC will give you feedback.
Get feedback. Update your proposal
Resubmit your updated proposal to GAC
Make sure your receive approval from the GAC before you start your project -
Step 7
Lead your Gold Award Project
Plan for 80 hours of leadership; The Team you create is there to support you
Management of time and team is Essential; Maintain your time log
Measure your results
Share nationally/globally
Step 8
Ask your team for evaluations
Send in Final Report online to GAC
Receive GAC feedback and make Updates before you resubmit your final gold award project
Then Look for written approval of your
Gold Award project
CELEBRATE – We can’t wait to celebrate your efforts with you, your family and friends.
Have you Received Approval to Start from the GAC ??

10. Special GSCTX Requirements
Connect to GoGold from the GSCTX Gold Award Resource page to make sure you get ALL the information!
Get the GSCTX Gold Award Checklists for the
Project Proposal
Final Project/Report
Be sure to review and complete all of the attachments for the GSCTX Gold Award Project Proposal and Final Report. Get familiar with the GSCTX Gold Award Resource page.

11. Go GOLD Online www.girlscouts.org/gogoldonline/
Add language regarding the steps

12. Gold Girl Registration
Register Online

13. Profile Section on GoGold
This process will make it much easier for the Gold Committee and YOU to track your progress throughout the entire process. You also have all of your project steps saved if you decide to apply for National Young Women of Distinction.

14. PLAN AHEAD
Plan ahead to work on the Gold Award for two to four years. It is very difficult to complete all of the required steps for the Gold Award in a couple months.
Don’t wait until your last year as an Ambassador to make the decision to earn the Gold Award. Recognitions are only symbols of your work – it is the quality of the work and what you have learned while doing it that is important.
Do your best work possible. Using short cuts or bending the rules is not in keeping with the meaning of the Girl Scout Promise and Law.
Gold Award Information Packet, page 3

15. Step 1: Complete the Prerequisites
Before you can work on your Gold Award Project, you MUST:
Complete your Senior or Ambassador Journey(s)
Attend (online or in person) the Gold Award Workshop
Only High School girls (Seniors and Ambassadors) are eligible for the Gold Award. You have up to FOUR years to complete– don’t wait until the last minute!
From start to finish, the Gold Award process at a bare minimum may take six- nine months, which is an extremely aggressive schedule. This includes completing journeys, gold award workshop, drafting of proposal, submission to, review and approval by committee; project implementation, final report completion and submission, and then final review by the committee.
If you are a junior or senior in high school, you should be very conscientious of your schedule and the time constraints you will face as you prepare for graduation. You DO NOT want project deadlines hanging over your head second semester of your senior year!
Final reports are due by September 30th of the year in which you graduate from high school. in order to be eligible to receive the Gold Award.

16. BEFORE THE NEXT STEP . . .
Silver Award AND 1 Senior or Ambassador Journey
TWO (2) Senior or Ambassador Journeys OR

17. Step 2: Choose an Idea How do you choose an idea for your project?
Ask your self the following questions:
What are you passionate about in your community?
What community connections have you made?
Who/what has impacted your life?
What has sparked your curiosity?

18. Project Resource
• Think about an issue that you would be energized and enthusiastic to spend many hours working on.
• GSUSA -
Think about identifying the issue’s root cause.
Things happen for a reason– What is the reasoning behind your issue?
e.g. Issue: There is a decrease of music programs in schools
Reason: A decrease in funding, not enough teachers, changes in district/statewide curriculum requirements.

19. Sample Gold Award Ideas
Helping animals /pet training
Recreation opportunities for youth
Improving the lives of the elderly
Diversity and Equality
Environmental Go Green Projects
STEM Opportunities
Enhancing schools and community
Looking for a local partner organizations that will work with you on your gold award project? Click the link at the top of the page.
Some gold award project ideas are
(Read slide bullets)

20. Step 3: Connect with the Community
There are tons of organizations willing to work with YOU on completing a great project!
Where to find them?
Identify your own by talking to people in your area of interest-- teachers, family, friends, etc.
Review the Businesses & organizations that work with girls pursuing the Gold Award document on our website for ideas under RESOURCES
Don’t just consider the obvious choice!
Have conversations with people to discover unique opportunities for you to engage with a less known organization or to do so in a different way.
The more you talk to people, the more you learn and the better your flesh out your project idea.
Who knows– you may end up creating an organization of your own!

21. What’s the need? • Make sure there is a community need for the project
Fill in the gap-what isn’t being done?
• Connect with an adult subject matter expert (not a Girl Scout leader or parent) to be your Project Advisor to bounce around project ideas. Talk to community members. Remember this is much more than a community service project!
Make sure your need isn’t one that is already being fulfilled by an organization. Your job is to fill in the gap. If a nonprofit in need of a literacy program they haven’t had the staff or resources to start, create one! If a school doesn’t have a club that helps combat bullying and teaches inclusivity, start one!

22. Step 4: Recruit Your Team
Who’s a part of your team?
Any person or organization that you plan to work with on your project
Volunteers who will help you implement
Project Advisor
Must include individual’s name, organization and their role in the project
Get letters of support and/or sustainability from organization partners
Anyone who helps you to complete the project in a substantive manner should be counted as part of your team, especially if they are acting in an advisory role
This may include parents, troop leaders, friends
Just be sure to be specific about the role they are playing– e.g., Friend’s name, carpenter to build booths

23. Parents as team members
DO: Help girls brainstorm ideas while keeping in mind this Gold Award Project is GIRL LED
DO: Foster networking, collaboration and communication with organization partners. Be the community advocate for your daughter, help make introductions if necessary
DO: Request and collect actual donations. Gold Girls create and prepare marketing and donation materials
DO: Encourage her to communicate with the Gold Award Committee for questions and challenges
DON’T: Do not be their project advisor unless you are an expert on the topic
DON’T: Parents should NOT make phone calls or decisions for Gold Girls. Parents should not write the proposal or final report for girls; guidance and assistance is allowed

24. Letter of Support & Sustainability
What’s the difference between a letter of Support vs Sustainability?
Support says “we are helping today”
Sustainability says “we will continue into the future”
SUSTAINABILITY LETTER IS REQUIRED
Letter(s) may be an official OR on formal letterhead signed by the sponsoring staff person at organization
You can have multiple letters of support
But you MUST have at least one letter of sustainability– it is REQUIRED with the project proposal
An organization can offer BOTH support and sustainability

25. Step 5: The Project Proposal Plan
OVERVIEW: How do you begin to focus your efforts?
Make sure your project is:
Sustainable- Does it make a long term change? Does your project or advocacy continue beyond your involvement? Will others benefit for years and years?
Focusing on a need beyond the Girl Scout Community
Inspiring others to take action
Measurable- Can you measure how many people you helped or involved, and the impact on a community?
Global– Does your idea have a link to a regional, national and/or global issue?
Just read below -
Make sure your project is Sustainable- Does it make a long term change? Does your project or advocacy continue beyond your involvement? Will others benefit for years and years?
Remember the project needs to serve the community beyond the girl scout community. Girl scouts can be part of your team but the need serves the greater community. NOTE: GSUSA has indicated that it will be allowing projects that help the Girl Scout community in the future, but it has NOT been finalized as of (date).
Make sure your project is Inspiring others to take action
For example, if a girl is working with a place of worship as the partner organization, invite them to advance the gold award project efforts through affiliate programs and other places of worship. The organization can promote the girl’s project on the their website, incorporate the project into one of their educational programs or highlight it in their shared communications. This extends the reach of the gold girl’s project and expands it beyond her local community.

26. What is meant by “global”?
Traditional meaning: worldwide, universal in impact
Additional meaning: to be comprehensive in nature
So even if project doesn’t impact another country, it can be inclusive and expansive in the community it serves.
Read bullets- Your project do NOT need to be an international project, but it does need to reach beyond your local community.

27. Project Proposal Details
Name your project
Provide a proposed start and completion date
Answer ALL of the questions thoroughly, yet concisely
Complete the Project Plan Form
Remember, the Gold Award Committee does not know what your project is about. You want to provide enough detail about your idea so that they can begin to understand and make connections about how your project is Gold-worthy.
You do want some details. It is okay if it changes during implementation; that is why you will update the language in the final report once your project is completed. Right now you are presenting how you envision the project coming to life.
Do NOT leave any questions unanswered; that will guarantee that your proposal to be considered incomplete and returned, which will only delay the approval 27

28. Project Proposal Plan
The Project Plan was formerly known as the “Timeline”
Complete PLAN detailing how you will reach hours of effort on your project. This is anticipated time. i.e. August 2019 > Plan to meet with Director at Natural Gardner to finalize plan of work for project 1.50 hours
Start Time Log – This is actual time spent i.e. July 22, 2019 > spent two hours researching butterfly migration in Texas using online tools
Different name, same purpose: let the Committee know HOW you intend to complete the project over time
Set goals along the way by creating a timeline. Make sure they are SMART goals. Specific, measurable, achievable realistic and timely.
Your Timeline shows your planned, projected hours. Please break down your hours. You shouldn’t have more than 10 hours spent on a block of time
Your Time log is where you write your actual hours spent on your project. Include the hours spent completing the workshop, meeting with your advisor, building your project, etc. The bulk of your hours should be your actual project rather than your planning hours. Average amount of planning time for a project is around 10% of total hours

29. Project Proposal Plan (cont’d)
Time restrictions, requirements, and tips
A minimum of 7 hours must be devoted to showing leadership in the project
Leadership is giving direction rather than taking it
Only 3 hours may be dedicated to paperwork completion
Time estimates (and actuals) should be in less than 10 hour blocks
Remember, this is a leadership project, not just a community service project. Leadership means that you are creating, directing, planning the coordination of activities and people and making the decisions about the direction of the project. Service is the actual delivery of the project program or efforts.
No more that 3 hours should be documented for completion of the project paperwork.
The committee frowns on large chunks of unexplained time in a project plan. Please keep blocks of time limited to 10 hours each. If an activity requires more than 10 hours, it is allowed but you will want to be very specific and detailed in your explanation for the larger chunk of time, even if it is spread out over several days.
So, for example, it may take 15 hours to paint furniture to be used in a butterfly garden. You should be explicit in why it takes so long, such as allowing for drying time between coats of paint, if sanding had to occur first and if drying time needed to be allowed between applying a sealer.

30. Project Budget
Complete brief budget plan in your proposal on Go Gold Online and plan to complete the Final Report Budget
Budget needs to match exactly in the final report i.e. Income = $ and Expenses = $ (Refer to FAQ for detailed information)
Total may change from estimated in proposal to actual in final, but should still match up in the end
Donated items need to have an estimated value attached and included in the total
Budget is where we get TONS of questions by the committee because there are not sufficient details in the proposal
Remember– the more details you provide in the proposal, the easier it will be for you to complete the final report

31. Where does the for the project come from?
There are lots of ways to fund your project!
Projects are usually funded by:
The girl
Family and friends
Troop funds (if scouts vote on it)
Mini-grants from service units
Sponsorships (amounts over $250 require Council approval)
Other money earning opportunities– GET CREATIVE!
We encourage the girls to use their own money to have a vested interest in the project. 31

32. Other Money Earning opportunities
NOTE: If a girl wants to use an outside method to raise money she MUST have sold Cookies AND Fall Products
A Money Earning Application MUST be completed and turned in to the girl’s local Membership Development Executive
Girls CANNOT request funds; parent/adult must do the asking
GS Dough may NOT be used for the Gold Award project in accordance with GSUSA guidelines.
Check online under Resources and Forms for more details awards/gold-award.html
Family grants or individual girl scout’s personal funds from part-time job
Donation from a partner organization- Contact GSCTX for grants
Money raised as part of the troop (needs Troop approval) The Troop must have participated in both Fall Product sales and Cookie sales and the gold girl must have sold at least one Fall Product Unit and one box of Girl Scout cookies.
Mini-grants or Youth Grants
Facilitate a money earning project – after council product sales (both Cookie and Fall Product).
Read slide
Bullet 1
Bullet 2 add- Any grant requests must be written with the GSCTX grant team.
Bullet 3 add – Troop money earning requests must be turned into the SU Treasurer and additional requirements, not related to product sales, may apply.
After last bullet – is another way to have money for your gold award project
Please refer to the “money earning and sponsorships for bronze, silver and gold awards standard operation procedures” form. You can find this document on the GSCTX website under the gold award resources section. 32

33. DOs and DON’Ts of working with partners organizations
You can help create the materials
You can identify the “who” to market to
You can count the time you spend on this in your time log. YAY!
DON’T:
You can NOT raise money for the organization (that goes directly to the organization)
You can NOT do the asking for $$ donations
You can NOT use Girl Scout Dough for your project
For example:
If you are thinking of going to a company in hopes of getting a donation, the gold girl would identify which company to market to, create the marketing materials, count the time on the time log and indicate the amount as a donation under income on the budget. The gold girl may make a pitch to a manager about her project but a parent must make the actual donation ask.
As stated on the Sponsorship Permission Request Form, all donations of $250 or more must be made to GSCTX and processed internally following the guidelines within Volunteer Essentials. The Gold Girl will be connected to the Resource Development Organization.

34. Step 6: Submitting Your Proposal
Go to GSCTX Gold Award Resource Page:
program/highest-awards/gold-award.html
Review Gold Award Project Proposal and Final Report Checklist
Log into Go Gold Online to fill out proposal:
Attach Letter of Support & Sustainability
Attach Project Plan Form
Wait for response to show it has been received and it is on the agenda for review at the next GAC meeting
(Read bullets)

35. Step 6 cont’d
The Gold Award Committee (GAC) meets between 6:30pm -7:30 pm each month on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays.
Submit by 5:00pm on the Friday before the scheduled meeting date to be reviewed at the Committee meeting.
Use an address that you will check weekly. The GAC will primarily correspond with you via .
Questions or to set up an appointment with the GAC,
Read bullets 35

36. NEED MORE HELP?
Call in. Girls are welcome to call in to the Gold Award Committee to pitch ideas and ask more specific questions regarding their proposed project.
Please request a 10-minute time slot to present or discuss your project with the Gold Award Committee. Use an address that you will check weekly to schedule a call in time.
The deadline to submit your request is 5:00pm the Friday before the committee meeting. Meetings are held on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month and are open to the Gold girls from 6:30 pm–7:30 pm by APPOINTMENT ONLY.
(Read slowly)

37. Characteristics of Strong and Weak Proposals
Strong Proposals:
Fill in ALL sections with thoughtful, complete answers
Complete all requirements
Clearly identify all partners
Provide complete estimated budget and project plan
Has leadership component
Weak Proposals:
Have insufficient details
Has an unrealistic timeline for completion
Community service only with NO leadership component
Lacks proper signatures
No letter of sustainability provided
Common Questions/ concerns regarding Projects:
We do not support group projects
• We do not support “just” building something (i.e., picnic tables, bat houses, trails). The project needs to entail more than a structure.
• A one time event by itself is NOT sustainable. Education and change might come in the form of a curriculum or handout that the gold girl creates for continued training. Your project must have an educational component.
• We do not CURRENTLY support projects that benefit the Girl Scouting community (there is discussion at the national level of allowing these projects in the future).
• We want girls to research how the project connects locally, nationally and globally.
• A partner organization MUST sustain the project. – Either a benefiting agency or a club/group that will continue to “facilitate and educate”

38. Step 7: Lead Your Gold Project
Use your proposal as your guide
Don’t be afraid to make changes as you need to
Don’t be afraid to ask questions or ask for help
Reflect and review often to make sure you remain on track

39. Be a strong leader
• Be prepared to go outside of your comfort zone. • Management of time and team is essential; Make adjustments along the way. Maintain your Time Log. • Your girl-led project is 80 hours minimum of YOUR work. The Team is to support you –track the team’s hours separately.

40. Be a strong leader (cont’d)
• Document your project; take photos & keep a blog, journal or notes • Ask for evaluations from your team • Measure your results along the way • Remember to share your project for maximum impact. Your efforts will continue and be sustained through others. • Lead, educate, train, inspire, network, collaborate, have fun!

41. Standard of Excellence
Your challenge is to develop yourself as a leader, achieve your Girl Scout leadership outcomes, and make a mark on your community that creates a lasting impact on the lives of others.

42. Step 8: Final Report, Evaluations, Feedback
Finish Strong!
Gather feedback, supporting documentation, and evaluations for your final report
Complete Final Project Report (HINT: Use your project proposal as a guide)
Details, details, details!
Submit Final Report online by April 1 to be eligible for the annual GSCTX Gold Award ceremony in June
Remember: completing your Gold Award makes you eligible for other recognitions also;
keep in mind other deadlines you may have including college and scholarship applications

43. Celebrate!
• Be a guest of honor at Girl Scouts of Central Texas’ annual Gold Award ceremony • Invite your family, friends and others who helped you earn your Gold Award

44. Reflections from Girl Scout Gold Award Recipients
“Pick a topic that you feel passionate about, because you will devote a large majority of time and soul into this project. Never be afraid to ask for help from volunteers and troop members. Chances are if you are passionate about something, so is someone else who would love to get involved. This isn’t a project to get just for the prestige of saying you earned it, it is a chance to inspire change. When you face a great challenge, which you most certainly will, do not give up. Look for a different perspective, because from a different angle a mountain might seem like a molehill.” Gwendolyn C., 2015 Gold Girl
“if I had to do something differently, I would have done more dives to take more videos of the reefs. I might have started sooner on the project as well.”
Isabelle G., 2018 Gold Girl
Gwendolyn C a 2015 Gold Award Recipient said
Many girls say that the Gold Award Project is the accomplishment in their lives that they are most proud of. 44

45. Reflections from Girl Scout Gold Award Recipients (cont’d)
“I learned from this project that I need to work on my explanations, creating a timeline, and being more organized. As mentioned before, I do not always explain things well the first time, and need to revise things. I had planned on finishing this project junior year, but it was extended another year because I found it hard to make time and I often believed I had more time than I actually did.” Morgan B., Ambassador Girl Scout
“It’s hard to get people to do extra work and commit to it in advance. Kids change their mind or something comes up and they can’t make the commitment. I learned that I need to over plan as a leader and make sure I have a back up plan in case something doesn’t work out.”
Cecilia G., Ambassador Girl Scout
“I definitely learned that I am person that tends to micromanage. At first, I wanted every bin to be perfect. However, I eventually had to learn that leaders don’t complete projects, but they help others complete them.”
Ellie M., Senior Girl Scout

46. How To Reach the Gold Award Committee
Make an appointment with the GAC If you have updated project questions or need to communicate with your assigned GAC member: Contact the Gold Award Committee
Read slowly

47. Thank you!
Remember to complete the online evaluation to receive credit as having completed the workshop. Girl Scouts of Central Texas is excited that you have taken these first steps toward the Gold Award Project. Thank you in advance for demonstrating your leadership skills and making a difference in your community!
The online evaluation can be found on the same page as the gold award workshop.