Highest Awards


Distinguish yourself with 
the Girl Scout Highest Awards

The Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards are the most prestigious leadership awards you can earn as a Girl Scout. Bronze, Silver, and Gold Award recipients have distinguished themselves as leaders and change-makers by creating a long-lasting impact in their community in any topic of their choice. How amazing is that?

Distinguish Yourself with the Highest Awards by: 

  • Developing advanced leadership skills like communication skills, adaptability, responsibility, time management, and project management.
  • Demonstrating self-motivation and commitment in an area that excites you.
  • Stepping outside your comfort zone to work with adult experts in the community.
  • Earning scholarships and having a stand-out college/career resume! 

You don’t have to wait until you’re older to make a difference in the world. Be empowered to make the world a better place today by earning a Girl Scout Highest Award.

Medallas al mérito 

Tu brillas cuando haces del mundo un lugar major. Las Medallas al mérito también pueden ser tuyas. El primer paso es desarrollar los Journeys. Si necesitas información en español, contacta a Agustina Ruiz, aruiz@sjgs.org.

Girls and adults are invited to join in to these monthly open office hours with the experts in Highest Awards! Registration not required. Click the link below at time of session to get the Zoom link.

Please be sure to review all materials here prior to attending. Your question is likely to be answered!

WHO: Girls and adults who have questions about Highest Awards, no matter where they are in the process! 

WHAT: Open office hours to get your questions answered by the GSSJC Highest Awards staff and volunteers!

WHEN/WHERE: Usually (but not always) on the Third Thursday of the month at 7pm via Zoom. 

HOW: Get the dates/link at: https://www.gssjc.org/en/discover/activities/events.html?q=reilman. Registration not required. 



Announcing: Highest Awards Experience Boxes!

Coming soon in November 2025!

What are Highest Awards Experience Boxes?

You may have heard of GSUSA's Girl Scout Experience Boxes--new resource kits for new troops and troop leaders. GSSJC is creating a similar resource for new volunteers and girls to Highest Awards! GSSJC's Highest Awards Experience Boxes are being designed for and will be made available to Junior and Cadette troops to assist them in earning the Bronze or Silver Award.

There has already been a lot of excitement for this concept and we look forward to getting them to you very soon!

What can I expect from my Highest Awards Experience Box?

The Highest Awards Experience Boxes will contain an interactive, engaging, game-like experience that will take you and your girls step-by-step through the Highest Awards process with activities and resources provided right at the moment you need them. This resource is intended to demystify the Highest Awards process and requirements for volunteers so you can successfully guide your girls, in a fun, engaging way, through designing and implementing their Highest Awards project.

(Please note, the Highest Awards Experience Boxes will come as a package--most likely a mailer--rather than an actual box.)

How can I get a Highest Awards Experience Box for my troop?

This resource will be made available (either by mail or in Girl Scout Shops) to Junior and Cadette troops in November 2025.

We are still developing an effective distribution plan. Eligible troops/troop leaders will receive an email with more information as it comes available. Information will also be posted here when it is ready. We ask that you do not reach out with questions about this resource until information is available here and via email. We know many of you are excited to receive a Highest Awards Experience Box and are working hard to get this resource to you as fast and effectively as possible!

Congratulations to Carolyn Durso for being chosen as GSSJC's 2025 GSUSA Gold Award Girl Scout! Carolyn has earned an amazing $5,000 scholarship to college through her project You're Not Alone, Little Zebra, helping children with rare diseases and chronic illnesses feel less isolated, in partnership with Texas Children's Hospital, PRISM (an EDS specialty clinic in Maryland), and the Ehlers-Danlos Society to. Congratulations, Carolyn!

Learn more about the GSUSA Gold Award Girl Scout scholarship program here. Each year one GSSJC Gold Award Girl Scout is chosen for this honor. Next year it might be you!

Exciting News! GSSJC is now offering complimentary Lifetime Memberships to graduating Gold Award Girl Scouts. Start your Lifetime of Leadership by going Gold! 

Eligible girls will receive a communication on how to opt in to this extraordinary gift!


Online Gold Award Orientation is in a new, easier to access location!

Girls and adults interested in learning more about the Gold Award program at GSSJC no longer need to access the training through the gsLearn platform. The training and corresponding quiz are easily accessible at the following direct links. How easy is that! 

Gold Award Orientation

(https://accessgs.gssjc.org/gao/index.html)

Gold Award Orientation Quiz and Scavenger Hunt

(https://gssjc.jotform.com/241856472470057)

Question: What if I already completed Gold Award Orientation in gsLearn?

You will still get credit for completing the gsLearn version of Gold Award Orientation. If you would like to review the orientation content, please do so at the link above. If you need a certificate of completion or access to the Gold Award Mentor Lookbook and can no longer access it through gsLearn, please email goldaward@sjgs.org. 

Advice from the Highest Awards Committee


I’ve worked with a lot of adults over the years who are starting the Highest Awards process with their girls. My first piece of advice is always to really understand how to work with girls at their level. If you haven’t had the opportunity yet, I recommend that you take Partnering with Juniors or Partnering with Cadette, Senior, and Ambassador Girl Scouts, where you will gain insight on how girls think, how to guide them in girl planning, and when to step back so girls can develop leaderships skills.

My second piece of advice is to learn all you can about the Take Action since Highest Awards projects are fundamentally Take Action Projects. Check out the Take Action page here on the Highest Awards Online Community for more information about the Take Action progression.

My final piece of advice is to read the Highest Awards Online Community and project guide for your Highest Award all the way through to understand the process. If you have additional questions, seek out related trainings. A trained adult is best equipped to help girls develop to their highest potential.”

Magna Cayll, Highest Awards Committee ~ Facilitator, Highest Awards Advocate Team Lead

What are the Highest Awards?

Highest Awards projects are Take Action Projects where girls:

1)     Identify an issue/concern in their community,

2)     Identify one root cause of their issue/concern, and

3)     Develop a sustainable solution to address the root cause of their issue/concern.

Take Action Projects are different than service projects. See the chart below for the key differences.


Girls can learn more about Take Action Projects by reviewing the information on the Highest Awards Online Community as well as signing up to attend a Take Action Workshop. Girls should practice the Take Action process during their pre-requisite Journey/s prior to beginning their Highest Award.

Are Journey/badge Take Action Projects different than Highest Awards Take Action Projects?

Note: As of July 14, 2025, GSUSA invites girls to complete a Take Action Project in conjunction with either a Journey or a badge. For more information about GSUSA's Leadership Awards update, visit GSUSA's Leadership Awards page and GSSJC's Highest Awards Online Community "Prerequisites for Highest Awards" page.

The concept of Journey/badge Take Action Projects is the same as Highest Awards Take Action Projects. However, there are a few small differences.

  • Journey/badge Take Action Projects should match in theme to the theme of the Journey or badge whereas Highest Awards Take Action Projects can be on any topic.
  • Journey/badge Take Action Projects do not require Council approval; however, each of the Highest Awards require an increasing level of approval from Council.
  • There is no hours requirement for Journey/badge Take Action Projects; however, the Highest Awards require an increasing number of minimum hours.

Please note that a Take Action Project completed as a Highest Awards prerequisite does not count as a Highest Awards Take Action Project. These are two separate projects the girls can undertake. In most cases these will be two completely different project concepts addressing completely different issues/concerns. If a girl would like to expand her Journey/badge Take Action Project into a Highest Award Take Action Project, there needs to be a very clear distinction between the two projects.

The Highest Awards: Side By Side

The Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards represent individual steps in the Highest Awards leadership progression, with increasing requirements at each level to help girls develop their skills. However, with different processes at each level, it can seem confusing. Check out the Highest Awards comparison chart below to understand the main differences between the three awards.