The Girl Scout Gold Award Information Packet REVISED FOR 2014-2015 TROOP YEAR Asheville Service Center TBA 828-252-4442 Triad Service Center Gastonia Service Center Service Center 8818 W. Market Street Colfax, NC 27235 336-274-8491 130 Camp Rotary Road Gastonia, NC 28052 704-864-9020 Hickory 530 Fourth Street SW Hickory, NC 28602 828-328-2444 www.girlscoutsp2p.org 1 Contents Page 3 4 5 6 7 8 9-21 22 23-24 24-25 26-27 28-32 33 34-37 38 39 The Girl Scout Promise, The Girl Scout Law, The Girl Scout Mission and The New Girl Scout Leadership Experience The 15 Outcomes of The New Girl Scout Leadership Experience Introduction, Prerequisites & Seven steps to earn your Gold Award Benefits of Earning the Girl Scout Gold Award Standards of Excellence Take Action Project Equation Girl Scout Gold Award Toolkit Important Definitions MONEY and Your Highest Award Project Some Frequently Asked Questions about Money Ideas for Money-Earning Activities Frequently Asked Questions about the Girl Scout Gold Award My Girl Scout Gold Award – How do I get started? My Girl Scout Gold Award – Important reminders along the way Girl Scout Gold Award Take Action Project Ideas The Girl Scout Gold Award Manifesto SAMPLE FORMS – do not hand write for submission – draft and personal reference only! Gold Award Project Proposal Community Agency/Organization Agreement Project Timeline Budget Worksheet Highest Award Money-Earning Activity Application (may be filled out by hand) Important - for Girl Scout Gold Award in Girl Scouts Carolinas Peaks to Piedmont! A Gold Award Chat Session is REQUIRED for all girls prior to starting work on the Gold Award. If you are not able to attend a live chat session, a video option is available on the P2P You Tube channel. The link to the video instructions is: http://www.girlscoutsp2p.org/img/Gold_Silver_ChatSession_Instructions.pdf The Gold Award Adult Learning Opportunity is REQUIRED for all troop/group volunteers prior to guiding girls to earn the Girl Scout Gold Award. This is available as an in-person class OR an online self-study. The link is: http://online.girlscoutsp2p-learning.org/gs/sg_index.php Gold Award proposals and final reports may be submitted electronically by scanning and emailing them to girlawards@girlscoutsp2p.org. . DO NOT FAX Gold Award paperwork! 2 The Girl Scout Promise On my honor, I will try: To serve God and my country, To help people at all times, And to live by the Girl Scout Law. Girl Scout Mission Statement Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place. The Girl Scout Law I will do my best to be honest and fair, friendly and helpful, considerate and caring, courageous and strong, and responsible for what I say and do, and to respect myself and others, respect authority, use resources wisely, make the world a better place, and be a sister to every Girl Scout. 3 4 INTRODUCTION Since 1916, Girl Scout’s highest award has stood for excellence and leadership for girls everywhere. Soon, you will be joining the ranks of generations of young women who have made a difference in their communities and beyond. As a Girl Scout, you are part of the sisterhood of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, a global movement comprised of more than ten million girls worldwide who are using their talents to positively impact their communities. With your talent and passion, you too can make changes in your community that can reach people around the world. The Girl Scout Gold Award is the highest and most prestigious award that Girl Scout Seniors and Ambassadors may earn. Fulfilling the requirements for the Girl Scout Gold Award starts with completing two Girl Scout Senior or Ambassador Journeys or having earned the Silver Award and completing one Senior or Ambassador Journey. In order to complete a Journey, you must earn the Journey awards, which include creating and carrying out a Take Action project. Each Journey you complete gives you the skills you need to plan and implement your Take Action award project. After you have fulfilled the Journey(s) requirement, 80 hours is the suggested minimum hours for the following steps: identifying an issue, investigating it thoroughly, getting help and building a team, creating a plan, presenting your plan, gathering feedback, taking action and educating and inspiring others. The suggested minimum hours are not a rule; they are a guide for you to plan your time in achieving your goal. Prerequisites Girls must be in 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th grade (or equivalent) and a registered Girl Scout Senior or Ambassador AND Complete two Journeys (Senior or Ambassador)* OR Earn the Silver Award and complete one Senior or Ambassador Journey.* *Girl Scout Seniors complete Senior Journeys and Girl Scout Ambassadors complete Ambassador Journeys. Seven steps to earn your Gold Award 1. Choose an issue: Use your values and skills to identify a community issue you care about. 2. Investigate: Research everything you can about the issue. 3. Get help: Invite others to support and take action with you. 4. Create a plan: Create a project plan that achieves sustainable and measureable impact. 5. Present your plan and get feedback: Sum up your project plan for the Gold Award committee. 6. Take action: Take the lead and carry out your plan. 7. Educate and inspire: Share what you have experienced with others. 5 Benefits of Earning the Girl Scout Gold Award The Girl Scout Gold Award represents the highest achievement in Girl Scouting; it recognizes girls in grades 9 through 12 who demonstrate extraordinary leadership through remarkable take action projects that have sustainable impact in their communities and beyond. Since 1916, girls have successfully answered the call to Go Gold, an act that indelibly marks them as accomplished members of their communities and the world. Did you know? 59 million alumnae are more successful in school, develop a stronger sense of self, and report greater satisfaction with life than their peers. Higher Education/Career: Girl Scout Gold Award recipients rate their general success in life significantly higher and report higher success in reaching their goals within many diverse domains (education, career, and volunteer work.) Distinguishing herself amongst competition for college Scholarship opportunities Enter military one rank higher Life Skills: Girl Scout Gold Award recipients place significantly higher importance on being a leader. Be a role model to girls Learn time management Empower her to lead Teach her how to make the world a better place Enhance self-worth and confidence Joins networks of Gold Award recipients Provides you with a safe place to try new things Encourages the girl to set goals and aspirations for her life Community: Girl Scout Gold Award recipients report reaching their goals for community involvement. Tackling an issue, locally or globally Providing a sustainable solution to the community Establishing a lifetime network Provides the girl with an adult project advisor and mentor. Girl Scouting Works: The Alumnae Impact Study: A report from the Girl Scout Research Institute, 2012 6 STANDARDS OF EXCELLENCE When you decide to earn the Girl Scout Gold Award, you are on your honor to uphold the Standards of Excellence. These standards set a high benchmark for everything you do and invite you to think deeply, explore opportunities and challenge yourself. Following the Standards of Excellence challenges you to develop yourself as a leader, achieve the Girl Scout Leadership Outcomes and make a mark on your community that creates a lasting impact on the lives of others. Girl Scout Gold Award Steps and Standards of Excellence Girl Scout Gold Award Steps 1. CHOOSE AN ISSUE: Use your values and skills to identify a community issue you care about. 2. INVESTIGATE: Research everything you can about the issue. Standards of Excellence Live the Girl Scout Promise and Law. Demonstrate civic responsibility. Use a variety of sources: interview people, read books and articles, find professional organizations online. Remember to evaluate each source’s reliability and accuracy. Demonstrate courage as you investigate your issue, knowing that what you learn may challenge your own and others’ beliefs. Identify national and/or global links to your community issue. Seek out and recognize the value of the skills and strengths of others. Respect different points of view and ways of working. Build a team and recruit a project advisor who will bring special skills to your Take Action project. Lead the planning of your Take Action project. Work collaboratively to develop a plan for your project that creates lasting change. 3. GET HELP: Invite others to support and take action with you. 4. CREATE A PLAN: Create a project plan that achieves sustainable and measurable impact. 5. PRESENT YOUR PLAN AND GET FEEDBACK: Sum up your project plan for your Girl Scout council. Submit a Project Proposal to your council that is concise, comprehensive, and clear. Describe your plan including the Girl Scout Leadership Outcomes you want to achieve and the impact you plan to make on yourself and the community. Articulate your issue clearly and explain why it matters to you. Accept constructive suggestions that will help refine your project. Take action to address the root cause of an 7 6. TAKE ACTION: Take the lead to carry out your plan. 7. EDUCATE AND INSPIRE: Share what you have experienced with others. issue, so that your solution has measurable and sustainable impact. Actively seek partnerships to achieve greater community participation and impact for your Take Action project. Challenge yourself to try different ways to solve problems. Use resources wisely. Speak out and act on behalf of yourself and others. Reflect on what you have learned when you present your Girl Scout Gold Award Final Report to your council. Summarize the effectiveness of your project and the impact it has had on you and your community. Share the project beyond your local community and inspire others to take action in their own communities. WITH the community (not FOR the community) Girlled Take Actio n Proje ct Meets one of the Take Action Outcomes 8 GIRL SCOUT GOLD AWARD TOOLKIT Stay organized and keep track of your ideas, contact information, appointments, and plans with the Girl Scout Gold Award Toolkit. This toolkit includes a “standards of excellence” tracking sheet, tips, planning guides, and advice to help with each step of your Take Action project. Use these tools as you need them—and don’t forget that your journey(s) include tools and ideas, too! 1. Choose an issue: Use your values and skills to choose a community issue that you care about. Check out the DecisionMaking Tips in your toolkit. If you have more than one issue that you are passionate about, interview others to help you decide. Practice making your pitch and see how it feels. You can also make a 15-second video, write a bumper-sticker slogan or come up with another fun way to sum up why this issue is important to you. Tools: Decision-Making Tips Interview Tips Making-Your-Pitch Tips 2. Investigate: Use your sleuthing skills to learn everything you can about the issue you’ve identified. Zoom in on your issue to identify a specific aspect of it that you would like to address because focused effort has more impact than a big idea that’s scattered. Log on: Check news sites and the sites of organizations related to your issue. Explore how the media in other countries cover your issue. Note: Before doing your online research, take the Girl Scout Internet Safety Pledge at www.girlscouts.org/internet_safety_pledge.asp. Go to the library: Find books that offer in-depth analysis about your issue, read your local newspaper, and look for magazine articles that offer different perspectives on your issue. Interview people: Talk to your friends, neighbors, teachers, business owners and others who can offer information or insights about the issue you’ve chosen. Knowing the various causes of a problem enables you to figure out unique ways to solve it. Use the Mind-Mapping Tool in your toolkit to create a diagram that tracks a problem and its possible causes. Tool: Mind-Mapping Tool 3. Get help: Invite other people to join your team to support your efforts and help you take action. Consider reaching out to classmates, teachers, friends and experts from organizations and businesses. Networking with people can make you a more effective leader. Also, the more people you have behind you, the more likely you will positively influence your community. You are the leader of your team – plan your project, motivate your team, learn from others. Choose a project advisor, a person with expertise in the topic of your Gold Award project. An advisor can help you identify resources, provide insights, solve problems and provide additional background information on your chosen issue. Tools: Teaming Tips Project Advisor Tips 9 4. Create a plan: Going for the Girl Scout Gold Award requires you to address the root cause of an issue and, thus, make a lasting impact in your community. Take a look at the Sustainability Tips in your toolkit for ideas. Create a plan that outlines the best use of your time and talent, your resources and your team’s talents, making the most with what you have that’s your challenge! Tools: Project Planner Planning and Budgeting Tips Sustainability Tips 5. Present your plan and get feedback: Fill out the Project Planning Checklist in your toolkit to organize your thoughts and make sure you have everything you need before you hand in your Project Proposal Form to your Girl Scout council for approval. Include what you’ve learned, why your project idea matters, with whom you’re teaming and your plan for making your project sustainable. Girl Scout council approval is required before you can continue working on your project. Once your project is approved, take a look at your Project Planner from step 4. Do you have everything you need? Tools: Project Planning Checklist Project Proposal Form 6. Take action: Lead your team, carry out your plan. Use the tools you have developed in the previous steps and remember to check your journey(s) for tips. If you hit a speed bump along the way, learn from it and find ways to adjust your plan. 7. Educate and inspire: Tell your story and share your results. You can inspire someone who has never before considered taking action to do something! Use the Reflection Tool in your toolkit to identify how this experience has affected you and how your views may have changed. Finally, complete your Girl Scout Gold Award Final Report, which is a comprehensive account of what you’ve done, with whom you’ve connected, the lasting impact you’ve made and what this experience has meant to you. Tools: Sharing Tips Reflection Tool Girl Scout Gold Award Final Report Congratulations! Celebrate! Be sure to thank your project advisor, your team, and all the other people who helped you along the way. 10 Standards of Excellence Tracking Sheet Girl Scout Gold Award Steps 1. CHOOSE AN ISSUE. Notes Regarding Your Progress and Significant Dates Standards of Excellence 2. INVESTIGATE. 3. GET HELP. 4. CREATE A PLAN. 5. PRESENT YOUR PLAN AND GET Live the Girl Scout Promise and Law. Demonstrate civic responsibility. Use a variety of sources: interview people, read books and articles, find professional organizations online. Remember to evaluate each source’s reliability and accuracy. Demonstrate courage as you investigate your issue, knowing that what you learn may challenge your own and others’ beliefs. Identify national and/or global links to your community issue. Seek out and recognize the value of the skills and strengths of others. Respect different points of view and ways of working. Build a team and recruit a project advisor who will bring special skills to your Take Action project. Lead the planning of your Take Action project. Work collaboratively to develop a plan for your project that creates lasting change. Submit a Project Proposal to your council that is concise, 11 FEEDBACK. 6. TAKE ACTION. 7. EDUCATE AND INSPIRE. comprehensive and clear. Describe your plan including the Girl Scout Leadership Outcomes you want to achieve and the impact you plan to make on yourself and the community. Articulate your issue clearly and explain why it matters to you. Accept constructive suggestions that will help refine your project. Take action to address the root cause of an issue, so that your solution has measurable and sustainable impact. Actively seek partnerships to achieve greater community participation and impact for your Take Action project. Challenge yourself to try different ways to solve problems. Use resources wisely. Speak out and act on behalf of yourself and others. Reflect on what you have learned when you present your Girl Scout Gold Award Final Report to your council. Summarize the effectiveness of your project and the impact it has had on you and your community. Share the project beyond your local community and inspire others to take action in their own communities. Decision-Making Tips You are about a make a big decision that will have a significant impact on your life and may even change it forever. Take some time to reflect and get inspired. Start with yourself. What inspires you? Is it something in your school, community, country, or the world? 12 What motivates you into action? Is it people, events, activities, places? What skills, talents and strengths do you have to offer? How do you want to make a difference? As an advocate for justice? A promoter of environmental awareness? As a trainer, mentor or coach? As an artist, actor, or musician? As an organizer of petitions or campaigns? As an entrepreneur? Can you think of another role? What motivates, inspires, and interests others? Can you build a team to support your idea? What would benefit the community both immediately and long-term? Check back through your Girl Scout leadership Journey(s). What interested you that you might be able to translate into an award project? Need some inspiration? Search through these sites to see what others are doing to address issues in their community. United We Serve: www.serve.gov Global Citizens Corps: www.globalcitizencorps.org Global Youth Action Network: www.youthlink.org Global Youth Service Day: http://gysd.org/share Learn and Serve America: www.learnandserve.gov Prudential: www.spirit.prudential.com Taking IT Global: www.tigweb.org United Nations Millennium Development Goals: www.un.org/millenniumgoals World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts: www.wagggs.org Youth Venture: www.genv.net Interview Tips Find out what you need to prepare and conduct an interview. 1. Making arrangements: Decide who you would like to interview, contact the person and set up a date and time. 13 2. Preparation: Gather research and background information to help you formulate questions to ask the interview subject(s). Use these sample interview questions to get you started, and then add some of your own. If you need help choosing an issue, you’ll want to ask the following types of questions: What are the biggest challenges/problems that you have faced or are facing? What do you think is the root cause of these issues? What will it take to address these issues? Are there any resources available to do that? What do you consider to be the strengths of the community? If, on the other hand, you’ve already chosen an issue, move ahead to the interview. 3. Conducting the interview: Bring a notebook to take notes. Here are some tips: Find a quiet place where you’ll have each other’s full attention and agree to turn off your cell phones. Start by thanking the interviewee for her/his time and then briefly describe your project. Keep questions simple and related to the issue at hand. Do your research. Preparation is key! Ask the person you interview if she or he would like to hear more about your project as it develops. Send a thank-you note to everyone you interview within a week of the interview. Mention the possibility of a followup interview. 4. Reviewing information and setting up a possible follow-up interview: Your interview is over. Now what? You have to sift through to find the information that’s relevant to what you are working on. If there are some gaps that you need to fill, contact your interview subject(s) to get more information and to find out whether or not you have your facts correct. Remember to check and recheck your facts! Making Your Pitch You’ve seen the advertisements and most times you even remember the slogans. What makes them memorable? It could be because they’re clever or catchy or funny. Now that you’ve chosen your issue, think of a way that you can let people know about it. You should be able to describe the issue you’ve chosen in about 15 seconds. Here are some tips to help you do that. Make it memorable: Develop a slogan. What makes you remember the slogan in those commercials on TV? How can you incorporate that into your pitch? Target your audience: Who are you trying to reach? If you are aiming for kids, think of a story or riddle that would relate this to them. Young kids love to rhyme. If you’re reaching out to adults, no cute stories! Think about your audience and try to tailor your pitch so that it connects with them. How you will help: You’ve gotten their attention with your story. Now tell them what your project will do to make their lives better. 14 Personalize it: Why this project? Why this target audience? How will doing this make you a better person? Do it: Put it all together. Explain your idea in a short and motivating way that clarifies for you, your potential team, target audience and supporters. Remember, 15 seconds. Go! Mind-Mapping Tool Create your own mind-mapping diagram like the one shown here, using one of the issues facing your community. Follow these instructions. Write the community issue in the middle of the paper or any where that works for you. Think about what some of the causes of this issue could be. In this example, one of the main causes of car accidents is bad weather. Notice how many different causes connect from bad weather. Now, try connecting the different causes you come up with to each other and to the main issue. How do the causes connect to each other? Do you see a pattern? This activity will help you come up with different ways to approach a problem, as well as different ways you might go about addressing it. Teaming Tips Think about the people who might be able to help you put your project into action. Choose people who will stick it out until the project is complete. You don’t have to limit your team to people your age or just Girl Scouts. 15 Working in a group will help you make a bigger impact and cover more ground than you would on your own. It might be challenging at times, but remember to always be honest and fair, friendly and helpful, considerate and caring and responsible for what you say and do. Here are a few tips to keep in mind as you build your team: Promote a sense of trust and belonging Share ownership Clarify roles and responsibilities Communicate regularly and openly Respect diversity Have fun and be creative Be open to new ideas and different ways of working Keep learning and growing Project Advisor Tips Here you’ll find tips for selecting and working with your project advisor. Reach out: You’ve figured out the issue you’re going to address with your project. Now it’s time to find an expert to help along the way and give you advice and suggestions. Ask your troop/group volunteer or your council for suggestions. Then, select a few people who are related to your issue area with whom you’d like to work. Safety first: Before you meet with new people, talk to your troop/group volunteer for some safety tips and do’s and don’ts. Make sure your family knows who you’re talking to and meeting with. Ask: Start with your first choice, and if she or he can’t help, go to your next choice. (Hint: There may be many others who are willing to help!) Approach the people you selected one at a time. Introduce yourself by sending a brief letter or e-mail, explaining what you’re working on and the advice you would like. Give some background. Give an estimate, asking about time commitments and which way would be best to communicate. Say thanks: When an individual accepts, send her or him a thank-you note, along with a brief description of your project and a list of areas where you think you’ll need the most help. Think ahead when asking for help: Before you compose an e-mail or call your project advisor, think about how you can simplify a problem you’re having so that she or he can offer quick suggestions. Share your progress: Make sure to tell your project advisor (in a quick e-mail or phone call) about your progress and how her or his help is making your project better, easier and so on. Celebrate together: After your project is completed, invite her or him to your Gold Award ceremony and/or your own celebration. Don’t forget to send a thank-you note! 16 Project Planner A Girl Scout Gold Award Take Action project addresses the root cause of an issue, produces impact that is measurable and sustainable and is a local project that links to a national and/or global issue. Here are a few tips to help you lay out your project plan: Set project goals: What is your project? _______________________________________________________________________ Why does it matter? ________________________________________________________________________ Who will it help? ___________________________________________________________________________ The difference I intend to make in the world is __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ Steps to meet the goals: List step-by-step what it will take to reach your goal. Be as specific as possible so that you can put together a timeline and draw on your team to help you reach your goals. Develop a timeline: This will help you determine how much time should be allotted to each part of your project. Think about money-earning: Brainstorm ways to finance your project. If needed, speak with your Girl Scout troop/group volunteer to make sure that your ideas are in line with the Girl Scout policies. Check with your council. Remember, you can make an impact without spending money by influencing policy and so on. Establish a global link: Consider how to connect your project to an issue that affects people in other parts of the country or the world. Use the following questions to help you determine what you need and what you need to do. What is the goal that you would you like to achieve with your project? How do you plan to achieve this project goal? What are the foreseeable obstacles? Aside from your team, troop/group volunteer and project advisor, do you need any one else to help with your project? What supplies will you need? If necessary, how will you earn money? How will you measure your success as you go? 17 How will your project create lasting change? Planning and Budgeting Tips It’s budget time! Start by figuring out what you need and where you can get it for little or no cost, if possible. If it’s not possible, think about how much it is going to cost and how you can cover those expenses. Many projects are possible when you concentrate on the issue at hand. Use your influence and leadership skills to come up with ways that you can make a difference that might not include earning money. List the steps to achieve your goal What resources and materials will you need? Where can you get the resources and materials? How much will they cost? How do you plan to cover these costs? Does your plan sound doable? If not, take a step back and refocus. Try to find a different angle to pursue. Work with your troop/group volunteer, project advisor and Take Action team to find solutions to problems and obstacles that come up along the way. Sustainability Tips Girl Scout Gold Award projects are not one time events—they create lasting change. You can ensure a lasting project by setting clear timelines, collaborating with community organizations, building alliances with adults and mentors and keeping good records. Sustainability often involves influencing others to pitch in. Here are some examples of sustainable projects. Example #1 18 Community issue: Food waste from school lunches poses a danger to the environment. Root cause: No community composting or recycling program. Take action: Create a food-waste composting program for the school. Making the solution sustainable: Work with school officials to find biodegradable plates and cups to use in the cafeteria. Work with town/state food waste officials to ensure the system is in place. Implement a plan in your school to separate their cafeteria waste into composting, recycling, and trash bins. (Farmers can use the compost to fertilize crops, improve the quality of the soil, decrease soil runoff and so on.) Get a commitment from school administrators to carry on when your project is complete. Making your project bigger (national and/or global link): Recruit students at schools in the area to develop the program for their schools and/or contact local and state officials about adopting the program. Global link: Find out how people in other parts of the world deal with food waste in schools. What kinds of programs do they have in place? How can you learn from this? Example #2 Community issue: Teen suicide. Root cause: Lack of awareness and prevention. Take action: Establish an awareness and prevention program. Making the solution sustainable: Produce a short video that can be used in other communities with an online brochure outlining the steps to an awareness and prevention program. Share the video and online brochure with schools and community organizations. Making your project bigger (national and/or global link): Share the program with local youth groups, health/human services agencies, community centers, church/synagogue/mosque community centers, or school district. Project Planning Checklist The answers to all of the questions below must be yes before you submit your plan for council approval. Will your project demonstrate your leadership skills? Have you set your project goal and identified what you would like to learn? Have you chosen your Take Action team? Have you discussed the project with them? Have you created a budget for the project? Have you created a plan to raise funds, if necessary? 19 Have you made a timeline for your project? Does your project address a need in the local community and have you found national and/or global links? Can your project be sustainable? Does your project challenge your abilities and your interests? Once you answer yes to all the items on this checklist, you’re ready to submit your Girl Scout Gold Award Project Proposal. Sharing Tips Here are a few suggestions for how you can demonstrate your project achievements and share what you learned: Create a Web site or blog or join a social networking site (Facebook, MySpace, and so on) to post updates and details about your project and its impact on the national and/or global community. Log on to some Web sites where you can share your story: GSUSA website – MAP IT! tool: http://forgirls.girlscouts.org/map-it-girls-changing-the-world/ World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts: www.wagggs.org/en/projects Taking IT Global: www.tigweb.org Global Youth Service Day: www.globalyouthserviceday.org Create a campaign that showcases your cause. Make buttons, posters, and flyers to let people know about your cause. Present what you have learned and what your project will do for the community at a workshop for community members. Make a video about the effects of your project. Post it online. Invite friends, community leaders and people from organizations who are tackling the same or a similar issue to take a look at it. Write an article for your local newspaper or create a newsletter about your project. Reflection Tool Reflection is more than talking about your feelings; it’s about thinking critically, solving problems, and interpreting and analyzing the results of your experiences so you can gain a better understanding of who you are. After you complete your project, take some time to assess yourself. 1. Which values from the Girl Scout Promise and Law did you employ? 2. Which new leadership skills have you developed? 20 3. How are you better able to advocate for yourself and others? 4. How has your access to community resources and relationships with adults changed as a result of this experience? 5. How important has cooperation and team building been in developing your leadership skills? 6. What changes would you make if you were to do this project again? 7. Has this helped you get an idea of what your future career might be? 8. Now that you have planned, developed, and taken action on your project, how are you better equipped to pursue future/life goals? IMPORTANT DEFINITIONS BUDGET - Will you need money for your project? How much will it cost? How will you get the money? List all your expenses and talk with your advisor or one of the Program Managers at our council about how to cover these expenses. Projects should be financially realistic. You must obtain approval from our council if you plan to raise funds or solicit donations. Remember, girls cannot engage in direct solicitation for money. ***See MONEY and Your Gold Award Project*** COLLABORATIVE ORGANIZATIONS – If your project is focused on an existing organization or program, then your project must expand its work. The project must meet a need that is currently not being met. If you are working with an existing organization make sure to have the agency/organization contact person sign a community agency/organization agreement form approving the work of your project. Submit this form with your project proposal. 21 COMMUNITY ASPECT - The idea of the Girl Scout Gold Award is that you do something to benefit your community and learn those skills that make you a citizen of your community and the world. The Gold Award project should reach beyond the “world” of Girl Scouting and extend into the surrounding community, region and beyond. GLOBAL ASPECT – For a Girl Scout Gold Award project, you should identify national and/or global links to your selected issue. You should learn from others and use what you’ve learned in the planning and implementation of your project. Once your project is complete, develop a plan to share the results of your project beyond the local community. GOLD AWARD COMMITTEE MEMBER – The Gold Award committee member works with Girl Scouts to ensure that the Gold Award application process meets the highest standard according to the Girl Scout program. Your Gold Award committee member is a resource person who is knowledgeable about the Gold Award project requirements, expectations, and process, including GSUSA policies and prerequisites. This committee member is there to answer questions, insure safety and provide encouragement. LEADERSHIP: Leadership can require creating a vision and an outcome, setting a goal, developing a plan of work, creating the scope of the project, functioning in a director capacity, delegating to others, making decisions for change, creating a list of needs and resources, creating a budget, evaluating the performance of yourself and/or others, writing reports and accepting accountability for the outcome. PROJECT ADVISOR – While your troop volunteer can guide you through the Journey and the project idea phase, you will need to seek a project advisor once you have determined your project. You are encouraged to use resource people who are knowledgeable in the field in which you are doing your project. Your advisor is there to answer questions, insure safety, provide encouragement, follow GSUSA policies, but not to do the project for you. Throughout your project, you are responsible for maintaining contact with your project advisor(s). SERVICE: Service is based on working within a plan that is already established, acting as an assistant or helper, using a prepared list of resources, using existing funds that are allocated to you, asking permission to make changes, and reporting to a supervisor for direction. You will have your team provide service for your project. SUSTAINABILITY – A Gold Award project includes provisions to ensure sustainability. Gold Award projects should be ongoing in their effort or because you have trained others to carry on the work. How can this project continue when you are gone? If the project is an event, the event should be something that people will want to continue for the next year. If it is a service, it should be something that creates change or action with long-term possibilities, empowering others besides just the girl. If it is something tangible, it should come with a plan for use and maintenance within the community. MONEY and Your Highest Award Project One of the challenges facing every girl earning her Bronze, Silver, or Gold Award is money. There are specific policies you must abide by which are outlined in this Highest Award Information Packet, and in our council’s board-approved policies, Volunteer Essentials, Safety Activity Checkpoints, and the Blue Book of Basic Documents (2012 edition.) You may need to adjust your project plan when you begin making decisions about money-earning projects. Gold Award candidates: Clear the adjustments you have made in your project plan with our council and share you plan with your Gold Award committee member and program manager. 1. While working on your Highest Award project, you may be involved in seeking in-kind donations, provided two requirements are met: a) You MUST receive approval from the program manager or resource development staff member in the council service center by submitting a Highest Awards Money-Earning Activity Application at least 30 days prior to the solicitation. 22 b) You MUST be accompanied by a parent/guardian, troop/group volunteer, Gold Award project advisor*, or Gold Award committee member* to make a presentation to potential funders. *Gold Award candidates only 2. While working on your Highest Award project, you may NOT engage in any direct solicitation for money. An adult, from those listed above, must make the request for cash donations. Girls are encouraged to make the case for support for all types of assistance for their project, but the “ask” for money must be made by an adult. You need to fully describe your project to a potential donor. You could schedule a meeting in-person. You could create a Power Point or similar presentation. You could also write a letter or brochure to solicit for in-kind donations. If you distribute any written solicitations, they must include your signature, along with an adult’s signature (from those listed above.) 3. You can hold money-earning activities to earn money for your Highest Award project, provided the following requirement is met: a) You MUST receive approval from the program manager or resource development staff member in the council service center by submitting a Highest Awards Money-Earning Activity Application at least 30 days prior to the money-earning activity. You, along with your troop/group, can hold a bake sale or car wash, or your troop/group can charge a fee to an approved event that you put on to earn money for your troop/group’s activities. Your troop/group may then decide to use that money toward the completion of a Highest Award Project, such as the purchase of materials. It must be a troop/group decision on how to allocate the funds, which can be used for individual projects*. *Gold Award candidates only If you are an individually registered member, things are slightly different. You cannot earn money as an individual Girl Scout for yourself. The money you earn must be deposited into a bank account held by either a troop/group or service unit. Next, you must present your need for funds to that troop/group or service unit. The troop/group or service unit will then make a decision about the dispersal of the funds. You will still need to submit a Highest Awards Money-Earning Activity Application to your local service center at least 30 days prior to your money-earning activity. 4. You MUST participate in our council’s Cookie Program in order to participate in any additional money-earning activities or solicitations related to your Highest Award project. This applies to girls in troops AND individually registered girls. Participation in GSCP2P’s Cookie Program for the purpose of highest awards is defined as: a) Providing cookie program training to both parents and girls b) Setting a troop sales goal c) Selling at least four cases (48 packages) of cookies – per girl – if in a troop, this can be the per girl average for the troop d) Following all other guidelines/deadlines/policies, etc. set forth for the cookie program 5. You cannot raise money for another organization as a Girl Scout. That means you cannot have a bake sale and tell people that you are giving the proceeds to a homeless shelter for meals. You cannot ask for pledges for a walk-a-thon to benefit breast cancer research or hold a benefit dance to raise money for Sally’s kidney operation. 6. NO money earned from money-earning activities or solicitations can be deposited into personal bank accounts. 23 Some Frequently Asked Questions about Money Q: Can I use my own money on the Girl Scout Bronze, Silver, or Gold Award Project? A: Yes. If you want to use your own money, you can. You may receive help from your family, too. However, you are encouraged to work with others to earn the money. That is part of the process. Earning your Bronze, Silver, or Gold Award is not meant to be a hardship on a family or individual. When designing your project, it’s important to think creatively about how you can make a difference with little or no money. You can talk to your troop/group volunteer or your project advisor* about ideas for financing the project or arranging for the donation of materials and services. *Gold Award candidates; Silver Award candidates, if a project advisor is recruited Q: Can I ask friends and neighbors for help? A: Of course! You want to give the community a chance to be involved in your Bronze, Silver, or Gold Award project. You will probably be surprised at those who are willing to give of their time, money, or goods to support your project. Don’t forget that you must have council approval prior to any solicitation for gifts-in-kind. Q: What if what I want to do costs too much? A: It’s better to succeed with a smaller project that is within your budget than to be unable to complete a larger project because it exceeds your budget. Be realistic about what you can and cannot do. Work with your troop/group volunteer or project advisor* to develop a reasonable budget for your project. If your resources are not sufficient for you to realistically accomplish your goal, then you need to rethink the project. Planning is the key to a good Highest Award project. Think it through and do your homework! Gold Award candidates: You will submit an estimated budget with your Project Proposal. *Gold Award candidates; Silver Award candidates, if a project advisor is recruited Q: Is it all right to seek help from other organizations when earning my Girl Scout Bronze, Silver, or Gold Award? A: Yes, with some qualifications. Many service organizations have budgets for community projects. You can use their interests or goals as leverage to support your project and get volunteers to help you. Be sure to research local service organizations. Even some businesses give employees time for community service hours and projects. However, remember the procedure about seeking in-kind or cash donations. (Our council may be asking the same group for a major donation and you don’t want to interfere with our council’s “ask” or vice-versa.) Don’t let the organization’s agenda drive your vision for your project. Q: I know I can’t raise money as a Girl Scout for other organizations, but can I do it on my own? A: As an individual, you can volunteer for other organizations, but you should not identify work that you do to raise funds for another organization as part of your time going toward the Girl Scout Bronze, Silver, or Gold Award. Additionally, you may not present yourself as a Girl Scout to the public in this process since you are a volunteer for another organization. For example: If your local Red Cross needs money to purchase training dummies, you may participate under their supervision as an individual volunteer to raise funds, but you cannot count that service as part of your time toward any Girl Scout award or service hours. However, you can plan a Highest Award project using the equipment that was purchased as part of your efforts as a volunteer for that organization. Q: What should happen with the money raised by a money-earning project or a monetary donation? A: All money should be deposited into the troop/group bank account, not a personal bank account. As with any money earned by the troop/group, a unanimous decision must be made by the troop/group on how to spend the money. For materials or supplies needed for a Bronze, Silver, or Gold Award project, the troop/group makes the purchases from the troop/group bank account. If there are funds remaining after a Highest Award project is complete, the troop/group can make the decision to donate the remaining money as they see fit. 24 Q: What if a donor wants a receipt for tax purposes? A: Any in-kind or monetary donation can be tax deductible and you can let a potential donor know this when you (or the adult in the case of cash donations) make your ask. Gifts of time are not tax deductible. If a donor is making a monetary donation and would like a receipt for tax purposes, that money must be donated directly to our council as a ‘designated gift.’ The money must be clearly designated for your Bronze, Silver, or Gold Award project, including your name and troop/group number. Our council will issue a check to the troop/group for the amount of the donation and issue a tax receipt letter with tax language to the donor. Neither a girl nor the troop/group has the authority to legally issue a tax receipt letter. Only our council, with non-profit status, has the legal authority to do so. If a donor is making a donation of goods, materials, or other gifts-in-kind and would like a receipt for tax purposes, the local Regional Executive in the council service center needs to be notified regarding the donation. The actual donation does not have to physically pass through a council service center. After the donation is made, the Regional Executive will provide a thank-you from our council. The donor is responsible for assigning a value to the donation and filing it on their taxes. Q: Can we charge for a Girl Scout event to earn money? A: If it is a service project, a fee can be collected to cover the cost of materials. The project ceases to be a service project if you are charging a fee for the event above cost. If you are doing a Girl Scout event (e.g., a badge workshop, bike rodeo, etc.) and are planning to charge a fee above the cost of materials, this is a money-earning project and you must first receive approval from our council. Provision should be made for scholarships for troop/groups or individual girls who cannot afford fees to your event and you must be clear in your advertisements and materials that this is a money-earning event for your troop/group. If your Bronze, Silver, or Gold Award project is an event for the public, you can charge a fee to cover the cost of materials. Q: Can time spent on a money-earning activity be counted towards my total Bronze, Silver, or Gold Award project hours? A: Yes, but only if you are showing true leadership while in the planning and implementation of your money-earning activity. Time spent on money-earning activities should not be excessive when compared to the total hours spent on your Highest Award project. The focus should be on your actual project, not the money-earning activity. Good Ideas for Money-Earning Activities – YES! YES! YES! Reminder: All Girl Scout money-earning activities must have approval from your local Regional Executive in the council service center at least 30 days prior to the money-earning activity. All money-earning activities must abide by policies outlined in the appropriate Highest Award Information Packet, in our council’s board-approved policies, Volunteer Essentials, Safety Activity Checkpoints, and the Blue Book of Basic Documents (2012 edition.) Girls must participate in the Cookie Program in order to participate in any additional money-earning activities related to her Gold Award project. 1. Sell Girl Scout cookies and participate in the fall product program. Think big — sell cases to businesses as gifts to clients or employees; arrange for booths at sports events or college dorms. 2. Provide childcare at special events during the holiday season or community events. (Be sure to have an adult trained in first aid present.) 3. Make homemade cards for special occasions and sell them. 4. Pick up litter after an event. 5. Do face-painting at a community event. 6. Wash neighborhood windows. 7. Walk pets or offer pet sitting services. 8. Make crafts and sell them. 9. Rake leaves for family, friends and neighbors. 25 10. “Sack Sit” at a local mall or shopping center while shoppers do holiday shopping. 11. Provide gift wrapping services – add it to the “Sack Sitting” and you have a great one-stop service. 12. Make and sell corsages for service unit father/daughter dances. Take pre-orders. 13. Make holiday decorations and sell them. 14. Make and sell baked goods. 15. Create, design and sell cookbooks – must not violate any Girl Scout or other copyrights. 16. Conduct a car wash. 17. Create items and offer them for a silent auction at a local Girl Scout event or meeting. 18. Make and sell food at a special event. It is recommended that this be food that does not require refrigeration. 19. Offer the service of sewing on badges and patches for Girl Scouts. 20. Council program event or workshop for other girls. BAD Ideas for Money-Earning Activities – NO! NO! NO! 1. Sale of commercial products or services through order taking or home demonstration parties, such as: Pampered Chef, Krispy Kreme, Avon, Mary Kay, etc. 2. Raise funds for another organization while acting as a Girl Scout. This includes foundations, other non-profits, or political parties. 3. Raise funds where the money goes to individual members of the troop. 4. Internet sales of any kind. 5. Raffles or games of chance. Do not sell chances to win a piece of furniture, a quilt, etc. 6. No door-to-door sales with the exception of the cookie program. 7. Do not create and resell any item that has the trademarked Girl Scout logo or brand on it. 8. No projects where GSUSA or our council might be perceived as endorsing a political party. 9. Any activity that takes place during the fall product or the cookie program or during a United Way blackout period. (Please contact your local Regional Executive in the council service center for dates in your area.) 10. An unapproved money-earning activity. AGAIN, DON’T FORGET… These procedures apply SPECIFICALLY to Girl Scout Highest Award projects (Bronze, Silver, and Gold Award.) All other money-earning policies for non-Highest Award related activities still apply. Girls MUST have council approval and an adult present for any solicitation of gifts-in-kind. 26 An adult MUST make the “ask” for any monetary donations. ALL money-earning activities and solicitations must have council approval. Girls MUST submit requests for money-earning activities or solicitations using the Highest Awards Money Earning Activity Application at least 30 days prior. Girls MUST have participated in the Cookie Program in order to participate in any additional money-earning activities or solicitations related to her Bronze, Silver, or Gold Award project. NO money earned from money-earning activities or solicitations can be deposited into personal bank accounts. Frequently Asked Questions About The Girl Scout Gold Award Q: Who can earn the Girl Scout Gold Award? A: A girl must be a registered Girl Scout Senior or Girl Scout Ambassador. Q: Can individually registered girl members earn the Girl Scout Gold Award? A: Yes! Any girl, who meets the grade-level and membership requirements, can earn her Girl Scout Gold Award. 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 earn her Girl Scout Gold Award. Q: Can a girl who is developmentally disabled/delayed earn the Girl Scout Gold Award? Don’t we need a different set of requirements? A: The Girl Scout Gold Award is something done to the best of a girl’s ability. It is totally possible to work with someone who needs to adapt the program with the existing requirements. There is not a need to have special requirements for girls who are developmentally disabled or delayed — encourage flexibility and the recruitment of advisors that can work with the girl individually. Q: Can girls begin working on their Gold Award prerequisites the summer after they bridge from Girl Scout Cadettes to Girl Scout Seniors? A: Yes! Girls can begin to work on their Senior Journey over the summer. Q: What if a girl is 18 and graduating? Can she complete her Gold Award when she is in college? 27 A: A girl has until she turns 18 or until the end of the Girl Scout membership year (September 30th) when she is a senior in high school to earn her Gold Award. If she turns 18 during her senior year in high school, she has until the end of the Girl Scout membership year when she is a senior to earn her Gold Award. Q: What if a girl graduates and is 18 and doesn’t have her Gold Award completed? A: In this case the girl would have until September 30 of the year she graduates to earn her Gold Award. Q: Does a girl have to have earned the Girl Scout Silver Award in order to earn the Girl Scout Gold Award? A: No, not at all! However, it’s a great foundation for the process. If you have earned your Silver Award, you only have to complete one Girl Scout Journey as your Gold Award prerequisite instead of two. Q: Why are Journeys prerequisites to earn the Girl Scout Gold Award? A: The Journeys give girls a full experience of what they will do as they work to earn the Gold Award. The skills girls gain while working on the Journeys will help them develop, plan and implement their Gold Award Take Action project. Q: Does a Girl Scout 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. However, she must complete a Journey appropriate to her grade level. For example, a Senior cannot complete an Ambassador Journey, or vice-versa. 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. Q: What makes the Gold Award 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 Gold Award Take Action projects have no pre-designed theme. Girls select their own theme, design, and execute their Gold Award Take Action project. Q: What are the suggested hours for earning the Girl Scout Gold Award? 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 number of people recruited to assist in carrying out the project, 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 80 hours. Q: Do the hours put into planning and researching a potential Gold Award project count towards the hours needed for the Girl Scout Gold Award project? A: Yes. Girls begin tracking all time spent working on their project at Step One: Choose an Issue. Even if a girl decides not to do the project she comes up with during her initial research, she has not wasted the time in learning the process required to begin planning a project. A girl shouldn’t be focusing on a project that she really doesn’t want to be doing, or isn’t able to do because of something she’s discovered in her research or community networking. A girl might even discover a project advisor in the community networking process who sparks a different twist on her vision. The more that is found out about something, the more possibilities there are — the trick is to end up with a project that meets needs of the community and that allows a girl to be effective and passionate in what she is doing. For example, a girl may find that a safety program is not what is needed to prevent accidents in her community. What’s needed is a stop light at a dangerous intersection. That will require focusing on a different network as she works with the community to make that kind of a change and her project advisor may need to be someone from the city council instead of a safety educator. Q: Is the Girl Scout Gold Award Project an individual project, or can it be worked on by a group of girls? 28 A: The Girl Scout Gold Award is an individual project. All girls are encouraged and expected to work with a team of individuals and organizations to complete the Gold Award project. This team can include family and friends, community members and fellow Girl Scouts. 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 troop/group volunteer receive trainings about the award. Chat sessions are offered for girls live or via the You Tube videos, adult learning opportunities are also either live or via the online self-study. See the Gold Award page and online calendar on the P2P website for chat session and ALO dates, along with links to the videos and self-study options. Q: Who are the Adult Volunteer Guides for – council staff, parents, or volunteers? A: Any adult is welcome to use the adult guides. The guides were designed for volunteers working directly with girls on achieving their awards. Q: What is the role of our council’s Girl Scout Gold Award committee? A: Girl Scout Gold Award committees support Girl Scout Seniors and Ambassadors as they go through the process of earning their Girl Scout Gold Award. Committees are comprised of community members, educators, key volunteers and young women who have earned their Girl Scout Gold Award committees. The committee works with designated council program mangers. There are three regional Gold Award committees meeting in the following locations: western – Asheville, central – Gastonia and Hickory and eastern – Colfax. The committee’s role is to ensure that girls’ projects meet the national guidelines. The committee members review Girl Scout Gold Award Project Proposals, make recommendations for project development and resources, are a resource to each girl as she implements her project, review the final report, and approve 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. Q: What is an entry interview? A: After a girl submits her project proposal, she attends an entry interview with the Gold Award committee to make her Gold Award project proposal. Entry interviews usually last about 45 minutes and girls usually meet with two to four members of the Gold Award committee. The committee members will ask questions about the Gold Award prerequisites, reasons for selecting her project, the impact her project will have on the community, and the details of her project plan. Q: What is an exit interview? A: A girl attends an exit interview after she has completed her project and has submitted her final report. Exit interviews usually last about 30 minutes and girls usually meet with two to four members of the Gold Award committee. A girl will bring her Gold Award project notebook for review by the committee. She will also be asked questions about the accomplishment of her project, skills she developed while carrying out her project and the impact her project had both on her and the community. Q: Can an adult attend an entry or exit interview with either her daughter or troop member? A: A girl may choose to have one adult, either her parent/guardian or troop/group volunteer, join her in her entry and exit interview. This adult is meant to be a note-taker for the girl and observe the interview. They are not to participate in the interview in any way. Q: What is the difference between a troop/group volunteer and a project advisor in the Girl Scout Gold Award process? Do girls need both? A: A troop/group volunteer is the adult who works with an ongoing troop or group. Once a girl identifies her issue, the troop/group volunteer might help her identify a person in the community who could be a great project advisor. A project advisor is a volunteer who guides a girl as she takes her project from the planning stage to implementation. The project advisor is not a girl’s parent or her Girl Scout troop/group volunteer. The project advisor is typically someone from 29 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 or troop/group volunteer be a Girl Scout Gold Award Project Advisor? A: Girls are encouraged to connect with their community when earning the Girl Scout Gold Award. That means working with a project advisor who is not her parent or troop/group volunteer. Q: At what point should a Girl Scout Gold Award project advisor be identified? A: The project advisor should be identified in the planning phase before the Girl Scout Gold Award Project Proposal is turned in to our council. The 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 project advisor from the very beginning. 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: 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. After the Bronze Award is complete, Girl Scout Juniors will reflect on how the project could be kept going. Girl Scout Cadettes demonstrate an understanding of sustainability in the project plan and implementation. Girl Scout Seniors and Ambassadors work to ensure the sustainability of their project in order to meet the Gold Award standards of excellence. Q: How does a girl measure project impact? A: Girls identify their project goals for their community, target audience and themselves by developing success indicators using a matrix provided in the guidelines. Q: What should be the scope or reach of a Gold Award Take Action project? A: While Juniors explore an issue that affects their Girl Scout or local community, Cadettes create a community map of their neighborhood or community and complete a Take Action project that makes the local neighborhood or community better. Meanwhile 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. A Gold Award project makes a lasting difference in the community, region or beyond. Q: Can Take Action projects for the Gold Award focus on Girl Scouting? A: No, Girl Scout Seniors and Ambassadors must move beyond Girl Scouting and share their leadership skills with the wider community. It is in fully exploring their communities that older girls exemplify the Girl Scout mission to “build girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place.” Q: What if a girl has already done some similar activities while earning other Girl Scout awards? Can these activities count toward her Girl Scout Gold Award? A: Activities done prior to working on the Girl Scout Gold Award may not count toward the number of hours for this award. Q: Can a girl use the work from her Gold Award project to meet the requirements of a school project, such as a senior project? 30 A: Girls may use work from their Gold Award project towards a school-related requirement. However, a girl still must follow ALL of the guidelines and procedures established for completion of a high quality Gold Award project. Committee members will not take into account any other work done to complete the requirements of the school project. Q: When does a girl “officially” become a Gold Award recipient? A: Once a girl’s final project has been approved by the committee, she is a Gold Award recipient. At this time she can identify herself as a recipient anywhere she would like, such as: college applications, transcripts, scholarship applications, resume, etc. After committee approval, girls may choose to hold their own ceremony with their troop, church, partnering organization from her project, etc. This ceremony can either be in addition to or in lieu of our council ceremony. Q: What if a girl’s project is not completed by the deadline to participate in our council’s annual Gold Award Ceremony? A: Girls must have submitted their final report, completed their exit interview with the committee and received approval by the appropriate committee meeting date during the month of March. Girls finishing by this March deadline will be invited to attend that year’s ceremony in the late spring. Girls finishing after this March deadline will be invited to the following year’s ceremony. All Gold Award recipients will be invited to attend a council ceremony. Neither our council, Girl Scout Gold Award committee, nor troop/group volunteer can not insist that a Girl Scout Gold Award project be completed by a certain time other than within the national guidelines, which is by the end of the Girl Scout membership year when a girl graduates from high school. Q: How does a Gold Award recipient get letters of congratulations and certificates of recognition? A: Girl Scouts Carolinas Peaks to Piedmont requests a letter of congratulations and certificate from Girl Scouts of the USA and a letter of congratulations from the President of the United States for each recipient. Each girl also receives a letter of congratulations from the Peaks to Piedmont Board President and a certificate from our council. These letters and certificates are presented to each girl at our council’s annual Gold Award ceremony. From year to year, other local civic organizations, such as the Rotary or VFW may make special presentations or add a certificate to the girl’s packet. Q: Who purchases the Girl Scout Gold Award for the girl? A: Girls Scouts Carolinas Peaks to Piedmont purchases the Gold Award pin for each recipient. These are available to the Gold Award recipient after her final review, if she chooses to hold her own ceremony or will be presented to her at our council’s annual Gold Award ceremony. A Girl Scout wears her Gold Award pin with pride, signifying the leadership and dedication she demonstrated in earning this prestigious award. She can also recognize her parents or other special adults for their support with a Gold Award Parent Pin. This miniature Gold Award pin may be worn by significant adult(s) associated with a Gold Award recipient. 31 MY GIRL SCOUT GOLD AWARD How do I get started? 32 MY GIRL SCOUT GOLD AWARD Important Reminders along the Way Prerequisites 33 Gold Award candidates attend a Girl’s Gold & Silver Award chat session or view the chat session videos “Mission Possible”, “Green Carpet Interviews” and “Show Me the Money” offered by our council prior to beginning work on your Gold Award. This session will help you understand the Gold Award process. Step 2: Investigate Research your project thoroughly. This includes making initial contact with any community agency or organization that may be involved in your Gold Award project. Be prepared with all vital information pertaining to your project (i.e. pictures, documentation, any proof statements, etc.), most importantly the feasibility, measurability and sustainability of the project. Research does not mean you may begin the project. Be sure to document and log all time spent on project research. Step 5: Present your plan and get feedback Submit the Gold Award Project Proposal to our council at least four weeks prior to the entry interview. Consult our council’s published Gold Award committee meeting schedule to coordinate your deadline with the regional committee you wish to see. You may see any Gold Award committee you choose, but you need to plan to see the same committee for your entry interview as well as your exit interview if at all possible. Project proposals must be MAILED, EMAILED or HAND-DELIVERED to the appropriate council service center by the published deadline. Please do not fax project proposals; plan accordingly to meet your deadline. Keep a copy of your complete project proposal for your project notebook. The correct forms are found at http://www.girlscoutsp2p.org/girl-scout-program/girl-scout-awards A complete project proposal packet includes: o Project proposal on Peaks to Piedmont forms – please do not use the GSUSA forms as they don’t include important information that the Gold Award committee needs such as what committee you wish to see and when you completed the chat session. o Community agency/organization agreement (signed by your project advisor and possibly an additional contact person) o Tentative project timeline o Estimated budget worksheet o Any necessary letters of support for your project Assure that your project proposal is neat and legible, and typed using the appropriate and current forms – DO NOT HAND WRITE YOUR PROPOSAL!! USE BLUE OR BLACK PEN FOR SIGNATURES! Make sure your project advisor has a copy of the Community Agency/Organization Agreement. Submit a copy, signed by your project advisor, with your project proposal. If any additional letters of support for your project are needed, submit them with your project proposal. An additional letter(s) would be needed from the organization that you will be working with and/or who will benefit from your project or from the meeting space/location/use of facilities involved in your project. These should be on agency letterhead and would be needed from partners other than your project advisor. Submit your tentative project timeline to our council with your project proposal. If needed, submit your revised timeline, within 30 days after project approval, to your Gold Award committee member and our council. Submit an estimated budget worksheet with your project proposal. This budget should account for all income, including donations, gifts-in-kind, and money-earning projects; as well as all expenses. The budget should balance (income minus expenses equals zero.) After submitting your project proposal, you will be notified via email that it was received. You will also be notified, either via mail or email, if any needed revisions or additions are necessary prior to meeting with the Gold Award committee. You will be notified via email of your scheduled appointment time with the Gold Award committee. Please be sure your project proposal includes your current email address and that you check it regularly. 34 DO NOT begin your project until you have received approval from the Gold Award committee. Practice your presentation skills. Ask your troop/group volunteer to assist in preparing you for your entry interview. You may use any visual aides (drawings, photographs, diagrams, examples of what you plan to make, etc.) during your entry interview with the Gold Award committee. Proper attire for your meeting with the Gold Award committee is the Girl Scout uniform. As with any presentation, you dress appropriately for the occasion. Step 6: Take Action At your entry interview with the Gold Award committee, your project will receive either approval or approval pending additional information. Approval means you are free to start your project immediately. Pending approval means that the committee will need to receive some additional information or project revisions prior to approving your project. You will discuss with the committee the additions or revisions needed, and when and where to submit this information. You will be assigned a Gold Award committee member at your entry interview, regardless of approval or pending approval. This committee member will assist you as you implement your Gold Award project. There are to be no revisions to your project unless pre-approved by your project advisor and your assigned Gold Award committee member or our council. Meet, e-mail or talk on the phone with your Gold Award Committee Member a minimum of three times. o Once at the beginning of your project. This contact will be initiated by your assigned Gold Award committee member. o Once at the mid-way point of your project or the 40 hour mark. You must initiate contact with your assigned Gold Award committee member. o Once at the completion of your project for exit review preparation. You must initiate contact with your assigned Gold Award committee member. o If possible, make one of the meetings at your project site. Keep a time log and all documentation in a notebook, including copies of any correspondence, and make note of phone call(s) received and made. Take pictures of your project. The pictures are for your notebook, which will be displayed for the Gold and Silver Award Ceremony. If you are taking pictures of any people, children and adults, use the photo and press release form. Contact your project advisor or your Gold Award committee member if you have any questions. Contact a council program manager at girlawards@girlscoutsp2p.org if you have trouble reaching your committee member. Step 7: Educate and inspire Prepare and submit your final report to our council four weeks prior to prior to the exit review. Consult our council’s published Gold Award committee meeting schedule to coordinate your deadline with the regional committee you will see. Proper forms for your final report can be found at http://www.girlscoutsp2p.org/girl-scout-program/girl-scout-awards. Final reports must be MAILED, EMAILED or HAND-DELIVERED to the appropriate council service center by the published deadline. Please do not fax final reports; plan accordingly to meet your deadline. Keep a copy of your complete final report for your project notebook. A complete final report packet includes: o Final Report o Actual budget worksheet o Time log 35 o Press release form filled in with your personal information and a head shot photo Assure that your final report is neat and typed using the appropriate forms. DO NOT HAND WRITE YOUR FINAL REPORT. ALL SIGNATURES MUST BE IN BLUE OR BLACK INK. After submitting your final report, you will be notified via email that it was received. You will also be notified, either via mail or email, if any needed revisions or additions are necessary prior to meeting with the Gold Award committee. You will be notified via email of your scheduled appointment time with the Gold Award committee. Please be sure your final report includes your current email address and that you check it regularly. Complete your Gold Award project notebook, using the checklist below and attend your exit interview, as scheduled by our council. Your Gold Award Project Notebook should include: o Project proposal o Community agency/organization agreement o Tentative project timeline o Estimated budget worksheet o Revised timeline and project plan (if applicable) o Copies of any correspondence which need to be included with your project, including log of phone calls received and made o Final Report o Actual budget worksheet o Time Log o Photos of your project o Photo and Press Releases, as needed for your project photograph o A project photo CD with a few pictures for use in the ceremony power point You are also strongly encouraged to put a table top display together (You may use a tri-fold display board similar to what is used for science fair displays). Gold Award recipients At your exit interview with the Gold Award committee, your project will either be approved or will receive pending approval. Approval means you are officially a Gold Award recipient. Having a high quality Gold Award project, following all GSUSA and Peaks to Piedmont policies and procedures and keeping in contact with your assigned Gold Award committee member will help assure final project approval. Pending approval means that the committee will need to receive some additional information or final report revisions prior to approving your project. You will discuss with the committee the additions or revisions needed, and when and where to submit this information. After your exit interview, the committee will keep your news release form, photo of yourself and project photo CD. You may take your notebook and display board with you. Our council will submit your News Release, along with your photograph, to your local newspaper. Write your thank-you notes and acknowledgments in a timely fashion. You will be notified where and when the Gold Award ceremony will be held. You will have the opportunity to display your Gold Award project notebook and project display board. You can also display a head-and-shoulders photo of 36 yourself, if you would like to do so. Each girl will have a display area assigned to them. Following the ceremony and reception, you may take your notebook, display and photo home with you. Our council will keep copy of your proposal and final report on file until 4 years after your high school graduation. Girl Scout Gold Award Take Action Project Ideas Community Development -Civic/Public Infrastructure -Homeless Assistance -Transportation -Community Clean-up -Social Services -Volunteer Capacity/Management -Historic Preservation -Animal Care Services -Independent Living Assistance -Workforce Development -Financial Asst Development -Economic Revitalization -Technology Access Economic Development -Financial Literacy Education -Adult Literacy Disaster Recover and Relief -Disaster Mitigation -Disaster Recovery -Disaster Preparedness -Disaster Relief 37 -Computer Literacy -Special Education Programs -After School Programs -English Language Learning -Classroom Education -Child Literacy -Job Preparedness -Cultural Heritage -School Preparedness Environment and Energy -Clean Air -Environmental Protection -Waste Reduction/Recycling -Clean Water -Environmental Restoration -Weatherization -Energy Conservation -Indoor Environment -Environmental Awareness Health & Wellness/Nutrition -Disabilities Services -HIV/AIDS Prevention -Nutrition Education -Food Distribution/Collection -Substance Abuse Prevention/Rehabilitation -Food Protection -Maternal/Child Health Services -Aid to Seniors/Elders -Health Service Delivery -Mental Health Services -Accident Prevention -Crisis Intervention -Victim/Witness Services -Community Policing -Fire Prevention -Public Safety Education Conflict Resolution/Mediation -Legal Assistance -Crime Awareness/Prevention -Offender/Ex-Offender Services/Rehabilitation -Children and Youth Safety Youth Development -Children and Youth Safety -Juvenile Justice Services -Bullying Prevention -Teen Pregnancy/Parenting Services -Gang Prevention/Rehabilitation -Youth Leadership Development Veterans Assistance -Housing Assistance -Military Family Assistance -Veteran Employment Services -Outreach and Counseling -Veteran Disabilities/Rehabilitation Assistance - Does your project address the ROOT CAUSE of the issue you’ve selected? - Does your project plan include clear provisions for SUSTAINABILITY? - How will you EDUCATE and INSPIRE others to act? - Have you identified the NATIONAL or GLOBAL LINK to your issue? Public Safety The Girl Scout Gold Award Manifesto GO within. See yourself as pure gold, free to shine and way too good to play small. Go deeper, Into problems and places where help is needed, with the strength to spark worldwide change. GO ALL OUT, As a golden-gifted, ginormous force of nature owning your power to lead. Imagine what will happen if we show a girl the heights of achievement, 38 Then promise to get her there. Her inner light will take on an incredible new hue. She’ll see so many paths she can take, She’ll join hands with girls around the globeLearning, leading, lifting, climbing, shining, shaping the future. They’ll dream anew, in color, and together, they will go boldly forward. We’re inviting you to participate in the power of a billion bright lights. A world ignited. When every girl believes that she can GO GOLD. So how do we get her there? We all GO GOLD. We go to her side with the encouragement she needs. We go public with her incredible story. We get everyone talking about what Gold Award means so when girl seek out community support, It’s there. And for every Daisy, Brownie, Junior, Cadette, Senior and Ambassador, we put Gold firmly on her radar, and in their hearts. We reignite the passion of Gold Award Alumnae, we get the entire community on the same glorious page with a clear-cut mission and a powerful rallying cry- a cry that will be heard, and felt, across this nation. Everyone, together, let’s GO GOLD. Girl Scout Gold Award Project Proposal 39 Rd Project Proposal Submit your project proposal to the appropriate council service center by the published deadline for the Gold Award committee meeting that you wish to attend. Project proposals must be mailed ,emailed or hand-delivered. Do not begin your project until you have received approval from the Gold Award committee. Keep a copy of your project proposal. DO NOT FILL OUT BY HAND IN PEN OR PENCIL! Name: Address: City: State: Email: Zip code: County: Phone: Age: Grade: Graduation Date: School: Troop/Group Number: (five digits) Troop/Group Volunteer: Troop/Group Volunteer’s Email: Phone: Girl Scout Gold Award Project Advisor: Project Advisor’s Agency/Organization: Project Advisor’s Email: Phone: Gold Award Committee location desired for Entry & Exit Interview: Entry Interview - First Choice Date: Second Choice Date: I attended a Gold & Silver Award Chat Session (circle one) location and date attended: I completed the video series My troop/group advisor attended a Gold Award Adult Learning Opportunity If yes, location and date attended: She/he completed the on line self-study Prerequisites: Two Senior or Ambassador Journeys OR one Journey and the Girl Scout Silver Award. Senior/Ambassador Journey(s) Date Completed Troop/Group Volunteer’s Signature 1. 40 2. Girl Scout Silver Award Completion Date Council Where You Earned the Silver Award Troop/Group Volunteer’s Signature Your Team List the names of individuals and organizations that you plan to work with on your Gold Award Take Action project. This is a preliminary list that may grow through the course of your project. Team Members Affiliation Role Gold Award Take Action Project Project Title: 41 Proposed Start Date: Proposed Completion Date: A. Describe the issue your project will address and who is your target audience. Remember your 15-second pitch. B. Discuss your reasons for selecting this project. C. Outline the strengths, talents, and skills that you plan to put into action. What skills do you hope to develop? D. Describe the steps involved in putting your plan into action, including resources, facilities, equipment, and approvals needed. (Attach a detailed project plan with your project proposal.) E. Enter the names of people or organizations you plan to inform and involve. F. Estimate overall project expenses and how you plan to meet these costs. (Detail these on your budget worksheet.) G. What methods or tools will you use to evaluate the impact of your project? H. How will your project be sustained beyond your involvement? I. Describe how you plan to tell others about your project, the project’s impact, and what you have site, blog, presentations, posters, videos, articles, and so on). learned (Web 42 Impact Planning Using the Impact Planning Chart, describe the impact you hope your project will have on your community, your target audience, and you. Impact On . . . Goals Potential Impact Community What community issue do you plan to address? What examples of the project impact might you see in future? Target Audience (workshop participants, other youth, community members, and so on) What skills, knowledge, or attitudes will your target audience gain? How will you know that the target audience gained skills or knowledge? 15 Girl Scout Leadership Outcomes* *Want more information on the Girl Scout Leadership Outcomes? Visit www.girlscouts.org/research/publications/outcomes/transforming_leadership.asp. Which leadership outcomes do think you will develop through this project? Check all that apply. 43 Discover: I will develop a stronger sense of self. I will develop positive values. I will gain practical life skills. I will seek challenges in the world. I will develop critical thinking. Connect: I will develop healthy relationships. I will promote cooperation and team building. I will resolve conflicts. I will advance diversity in a multicultural world. I will feel more connected to my community, locally and globally. Take Action: I will identify community issues. I will be a resourceful problem solver. I will advocate for myself and others, locally and globally. I will educate and inspire others to act. I will feel empowered to make a difference in the world. Your Signature: ____________________________________________________ Date: ______________ Troop/Group Volunteer’s Signature: __________________________________ Date: ______________ Project Advisor’s Signature: _________________________________________ Date: ______________ 44 GIRL SCOUT GOLD AWARD COMMUNITY AGENCY / ORGANIZATION AGREEMENT The Girl Scout Gold Award is the highest award in Girl Scouting. A girl who earns the Girl Scout Gold Award completes several requirements, all which promote community service, personal and spiritual growth, positive values and leadership skills. The Gold Award project is the culmination of this extensive work and must be of outstanding quality. On behalf of Girl Scouts Carolinas Peaks to Piedmont and the Gold Award Committee we wish to extend our sincere thanks for your support of the Gold Award and Girl Scouting. For more information or questions please contact Girl Scouts Carolinas Peaks to Piedmont, Program Manager at 1-800-672-2148 or visit www.girlscoutsp2p.org Girl’s Name: Gold Award Phone: Address: City: Zip Code: Email: Troop/Group Volunteer’s Name: Troop #: Project Summary: Gold Award Project Advisor: Day Phone: Evening Phone: Email: Project Advisor’s Signature: __________________________________________________ Date: ____________ Name of Community Agency/Organization: Contact Person: Title: Phone: Signature of Authorized Contact: ______________________________________________ Date: ____________ 45 GIRL SCOUT GOLD AWARD PROJECT TIMELINE Name: Date: Page of Title of Project: Check one of the following: Tentative Timeline (Submit with Gold Award Project Proposal) Revised Timeline (Send copies to the council program manager and your assigned Gold Award committee member. Be sure your project advisor approves of any revisions to your project.) Tentative and revised timelines should include actual time for work already completed during Gold Award project steps one through four and proposed time in the future for the implementation of your project. Include additional pages as necessary. Date Activity Time (actual or proposed) 46 SUB-TOTAL HOURS FROM THIS PAGE TOTAL GOLD AWARD PROJECT HOURS GIRL SCOUT GOLD AWARD BUDGET WORKSHEET Name: Date: Title of Project: Check one of the following: Estimated budget (Submit with Gold Award Project Proposal) Actual budget (Submit with Gold Award Final Report) Budgets need to balance (income minus expenses must equal zero.) Please account for all income, including any donations or gifts-in-kind. INCOME 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Personal Contribution Family Contributions Troop/Group Contributions Sponsor Contribution Participants’ Fees Council approved money-earning project(s) Donation(s) In-Kind Gift(s) OtherOther- $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ Income Total: $ EXPENSES 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Facility Rental Food/Drinks Promotional Flyers Mailing/Postage Equipment Rental Program/Event Supplies Office Supplies Recognitions for participants First Aid Photo Supplies Gifts of Appreciation OtherOther- $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ 47 Expenses Total: $ Balance-or-Difference: $ HIGHEST AWARDS MONEY-EARNING ACTIVITY APPLICATION This form must be submitted for all money-earning activities at least one month prior to each money-earning activity. Please keep a copy of the completed application for your Highest Award records. Check one: Gold Award Silver Award Bronze Award Troop/Group Number: (5 digits) ____________________ Girl’s Name(s): ______________________________________________________________________________________ Phone Number: (______)__________________ Email: ______________________________________________________ Troop Volunteer’s Name: _____________________________________________________________________________ Address: ___________________________________________________________________________________________ City: _________________________________________ State: ______________ County: __________________________ Phone Number: (______)__________________ Email: ______________________________________________________ PROJECT INFORMATION (These questions pertain to the Highest Award project for which you will to raise money.) A. $_________________________________ Amount needed by girl or troop/group for Highest Award activity B. $_________________________________ Total current funds available (include personal, family, troop/group, and sponsor contributions) C. $_________________________________ Amount of deficit (Line A minus Line B) Briefly describe your Highest Award project: __________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________ For what part of your Highest Award project do you need this money? __________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________ MONEY-EARNING ACTIVITY INFORMATION (These questions pertain to the money-earning activity you want to conduct.) Submit a separate form for each money-earning activity. To meet the deficit, we request approval to conduct the following money-earning activity: __________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________ Specifics of girl involvement and leadership in this money-earning activity: __________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________ Date and Time of activity: _____________________________________________________________________________ 48 Location: __________________________________________________________________________________________ Has parent permission been received for this activity? Yes No Is the activity suitable to the ages and abilities of the girls participating? Yes No IN-KIND/MONETARY DONATION INFORMATION (This pertains to the people and places where you will seek in-kind and monetary donations. REMEMBER, girls MAY NOT engage in any direct solicitation for money or cash.) Attach a complete prospect list to this form. List any and all places you plan to ask, their address, expected date of the solicitation, and items/amount anticipated from each solicitation. Please follow the format below. Lowe’s Hardware; 1234 Main St., My Town, NC; Ask Date: October 31, 2012; 3 gallons of paint. First United Methodist Church; 567 First St., My Town, NC; Ask Date: November 27, 2012; new and gently-used books for library, $75 in cash donations. GENERAL TROOP/GROUP INFORMATION (These questions pertain to troop/group money-earning in general.) Did the girl(s) participate in the most recent council-sponsored Cookie Program? Yes No Will the girl(s) participate in the upcoming council-sponsored Cookie Program? Yes No Were there/are there any other planned troop/group money-earning activities or fundraisers this membership year? Yes No If yes, please list: __________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________ For re-registered troop/groups: Annual Troop Finance Report and Troop Progress Report for previous year have been submitted to the Service Unit Specialist and Membership Services Manager? June Financial Report: Yes No December Financial Report: Yes No Annual Troop Progress Report: Yes No We have read and agree to adhere to GSUSA and GSCP2P Policies, Standards and Procedures regarding troop/group and Highest Awards money-earning activities as stated in the Blue Book of Basic Documents, Safety Activity Checkpoints, Volunteer Essentials and GSCP2P’s Bronze, Silver, or Gold Award Information Packets. We are aware that GSCP2P has strict guidelines from the United Way – money-earning activities are discouraged in late summer through fall. No other troop/group money-earning activities are permitted during the Fall Fundraiser and the Cookie Program. Girl’s Signature __________________________________________________________ Date _____________________ Troop Volunteer Signature _________________________________________________ Date _____________________ SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS Submit this application to the attention of the Highest Awards program manager to girlawards@girlscoutsp2p.org or mail to: Triad Service Center 8818 W. Market Street Colfax, NC 27235 49 To Be Completed by GSCP2P Staff – Office Use Only Program Manager Resource Development staff Approved Denied 50