How the Gold Award Unlocks Unlimited Opportunities for Girls

Girl Scouts of the USA are 2.6 million strong – and these girls and women are not just making a mark, they are making a difference. Girl Scouts are big thinkers, groundbreakers, and role models. And at the pinnacle of the program, is the Gold Award, the highest award in Girl Scouts. Open only to girls in high school, the Gold Award is one of the most prestigious awards in the world for girls—and one of the most difficult to earn—and it’s only available to Girl Scouts. Gold Award Girl Scouts are inspiring leaders who make big things happen by impacting the worlds of STEM, education, agriculture, medicine, and more on a local, national, and global level.

Today’s youth are more vocal than ever about the change they want to see, and girls who participate in Girl Scouts are more than twice as likely to exhibit community problem-solving skills than girls who don’t (57 percent versus 28 percent). Research verifies that participation in Girl Scouts and earning the Gold Award are linked to the development of critical leadership and achievement skills.

Not only do the seven steps of a Gold Award project address a community or global problem—both in the short term and for years to come—but they also prepare girls to be leaders and hone skills that are important to all fields of work. The 2018 National Gold Award Girl Scouts exhibited business sense and an entrepreneurial mindset to help achieve their outcomes, such as by raising hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding, working with politicians to create legislative change, and educating others. Their actions prove how girls are successful in their own right, how their financial decisions generate substantial economic impact, and how they are prepared to be our next generation of business leaders.

he National Gold Award Girl Scouts will receive a combined $100,000 in college scholarships from Susan Bulkeley Butler, founder of the Susan Bulkeley Butler Institute for the Development of Women Leaders and former member of the Girl Scouts of the USA Board of Directors; a combined $50,000 in college scholarships from the Kappa Delta Foundation; and a combined $50,000 in college scholarships from Arconic Foundation. Applications for the distinction were reviewed by a panel of previous National Gold Award Girl Scouts, leaders from a diverse array of fields, GSUSA executives, and a representative from the Kappa Delta Foundation.

“The Gold Award is right at the pinnacle, it is the highest award a Girl Scout can earn and she is doing it so indecently,” said Dr. Andrea Bastiani Archibald, PhD, Chief Girl & Parent Expert at Girls Scouts of the USA. ‘She is identifying the issue of concern to her and developing her unique solution and the solution is sustainable that is a significant requirement of the Gold Scout Gold Award. We want these solutions to address root causes or problems and be lasting. ‘

The majority of women who earned their Gold Award display more positive life outcomes compared with women who did not participate in Girl Scouts in their youth, including being more optimistic about their future; seeing themselves as leaders; and being more civically engaged, particularly in politics.

“For my Girl Scout Gold Award project I created a nonprofit called Jr Ocean Guardians and thru that I got to educate the younger generation on how they can help or hurt or planet,” said Gold Award Girl Scout Shelby O’Neil. “When I was in the classroom I noticed they had nothing challenging them so I created a challenge called NO Straw November. That is where I challenge people who medically donate straws to give up their straws for the whole month of November and overall realize that plastic pollution they can contribute to.”

Girl Scouts like the 2018 National Gold Award Girl Scouts will continue to defy expectations and act as outstanding change-makers. To join or volunteer with Girl Scouts, visit www.girlscouts.org/join.

Gold Award Girl Scout: Shelby O’Neil

Shelby founded the nonprofit Jr Ocean Guardians to combat waste and defend the environment. Initiating a movement called No Straw November, she encouraged people who don’t medically need a straw to reject unnecessary plastic straws during November because they’re a main source of ocean pollution. As a result of her advocacy, Shelby’s resolution proclaiming November to be No Straw November in California was approved by the state assembly. She also conducted a letter-writing campaign to executives at prominent corporations, convincing a leading airline to formally discontinue its use of non-recyclable plastic straws and working with other companies to improve their sustainability practices. Shelby’s organization, with support from Girl Scout troops and notable environmental activists, has eliminated the use of millions of plastic straws and promoted reusable alternatives.

GS Executive: Andrea Bastiani Archibald

Andrea Bastiani Archibald, Ph.D. is the Chief Girl & Parent Expert at Girls Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) where she develops and supports the implementation of national strategic initiatives to effectively serve girls and their families. In this capacity, she oversees content development for National Program offerings; serves as a liaison to the Girl Scout Research Institute contributing to both original research and program evaluation; and to the Girl Scout Public Policy and Advocacy Office in Washington, DC, working to support girls’ issues through national legislation.

Interview/Photo Courtesy: Girl Scouts of the USA.