Gold Award Project Ideas

Gold Award Project Ideas for Senior Girl Scouts

The Gold Award is the highest award a Senior Girl Scout can earn. Many girls, especially those just starting to work on their project, feel a bit daunted at the task ahead. Often, they wonder what sort of project they can do to finish their Gold. On this page, I have collected ideas for different Gold Award projects. However, please remember that guidelines vary by council, so be sure that whatever project you choose falls within those guidelines. Some projects may not be acceptable in your council. These are just suggestions. If you have any suggestions that aren't on this list, send them to the e-mail address at the bottom of this page. I have only included ideas on this list that would (as far as I know) be acceptable under my council's guidelines, which require that the Gold Award project affect a group outside the Girl Scout community & must have the possibility of being sustainable. If this does not apply in your council, you may find some very good ideas on the
Silver Award Project page.

Project ideas are divided by areas of interest. Some may fall under more than one area, but I have included it in only one, in the interest of space.

Animals:

Organize a pet food drive for a local animal shelter or humane society. Post flyers announcing when & where the food can be dropped off (or will be picked up).
Create awareness of the importance of spaying/neutering pets. Hold a community awareness day. Invite local veterinarians, animal shelters, pets stores, etc. to set up booths about proper pet care & the importance of spaying & neutering pets. Work with local vets to offer discounts to people who agree to get their pet spayed or neutered.
Organize a community pet show. Work with animal organizations in your area to advertise the show. Award prizes for various categories, such as most unusual pet, smallest pet, etc. Also invite individuals & organizations to set up booths on proper pet care. Award prizes to best booths.

Children:

Work with a local hospital to set up a toy room for the children's ward or the emergency room. Help choose the space, decorate it & collect toys for the area. Make sure the toys meet safety guidelines. Try to involve groups such as the hospital auxiliary that would be willing to keep up the area in the future.
Create an activity kit for children who are hospitalized for long periods. Include games & activities they can do while in their hospital bed. Make up a group of the kits & donate to a local hospital.
Have a stuffed animal drive for a local organization. One good use for stuffed animals is for Policemen to keep in the trunks of their cars. When called into a situation that involves a child, the stuffed animal can be very soothing, & also lessen the child's fear of the police officer.
Collect needed items for a local emergency shelter, homeless shelter, or women's shelter. Work with the shelter to see where their needs are greatest. Possibilities include toiletries, coats & gloves, or clothes for job interviews.
Organize an Easter egg hunt for children in a disadvantaged community. Ask area businesses for donations of prizes & gifts. Work with other area groups to provide Easter dinner baskets to the families of the children.
Work with a local women's shelter of homeless shelter to start a childcare program for children at the shelter. The program can provide childcare during certain hours, enabling the parents to go to counseling or seek work.

Community:

Research your community's history. Use your new knowledge to plot a self-guided historical walking tour of your community. You could do this through the use of a brochure, or through narrated cassettes. Work with your local tourism department or historical society to make the tour available to the public.
With the help of your local government, tourism department, and/or local historical society, plan & carry out a community history festival. Get older local businesses involved by inviting them to set up booths about their company's history in the community. Invite older residents to share stories about their lives & how the community has grown during their lifetime. Invite local historians, landmarks, & museums to set up booths.
Beautify an area of your community. Plant a butterfly garden, paint a mural, plant some trees. Choose an area that needs a facelift, & recruit members of the community to help make it happen.
Work with your local government & police agency to create a crime watch program in your neighborhood. Train residents in safety & crime awareness & sponsor self-defense workshops.

Environment:

Work with your community government to organize an effort to clean up a polluted area of your community ( a stream, park, etc.) Include community organizations by asking them for volunteers. Include area businesses by asking for donations of items to be raffled off to volunteers, or to sponsor t-shirts for volunteers.
Does your school recycle? If not, start a recycling program at your school. Put recycling bins in each classroom & the teacher's lounge. Talk to classes about the importance of recycling. Offer incentives, such as prizes for the classes who have the least paper thrown into the trash cans. Arrange with your local disposal company or recycling center to keep the project going.
Educate your community about the danger of chemical pesticides. Post fliers & offer workshops the teach about environmentally friendly substitutes for chemicals.

Literacy:

Hold a book drive for a local library, nonprofit literacy group, or children's charity.
Work with a local homeless shelter to start a literacy program for residents. Involve residents of the shelter who can read in teaching their peers. Collect books of various reading levels for the shelter to use. Work with a local literacy program to train volunteer tutors.
Record books on tape for the blind & donate them to your local library.

Peers:

Start an after school program for at-risk girls. Secure space from you local school or community group & find adult mentors for the program. Focus the group on helping at-risk girls stay in school & complete their education.
If your school does not have a student newspaper, start one. Work with your school to get funding, work space & credit for students who participate.
Hold a day-long self-esteem workshop for abused girls. Invite counselors & older women who have overcome abuse to speak. Do activities with the girls to build their self-esteem. Work with a counselor to arrange follow up activities for the girls.

Promoting Volunteerism:

Organize a volunteer fair in your community. Invite area volunteer organizations to set up booths to tell people more about their goals & to recruit volunteers. Make a directory of the organizations for your local Chamber of Commerce or Welcome Wagon to give to those moving to your area.
Start a community service oriented youth group at your church. Organize projects for the group to take part in & recruit members for the group.
Establish an entertainment troupe that travels to children's hospitals, nursing homes, etc. to entertain patients.

Senior Citizens:

Organize a community dinner/gathering for Senior Citizens in your community. Get donations of food, prizes for drawings, etc. Work with local community organizations to arrange transportation for those who need it. Recruit local Girl Scout troops to make centerpieces. Organize activities for the Seniors to enjoy after eating.
Plan & carry out several holiday & seasonal parties for the residents of a long-term care facility or community center. Involve other Girl Scout troops. Have games, songs, & other activities for the residents.

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