Silver Award | Girl Scouts

You have the power to improve your community through action

Ready to help your community and earn one of the highest awards in Girl Scouting? Cadettes can team up with a small group of fellow Girl Scouts or work on their own. To earn the Silver Award, you will research an issue you care about, make a plan to address it, and then take action to improve your community.

You can become a Silver Award Girl Scout if you:

Are in sixth, seventh, or eighth grade
Are a registered Girl Scout Cadette
Have completed the Bronze Award or a Cadette Leadership Award

How to earn the Girl Scout Silver Award

Let our council know you want to earn it; email gshighestawards.gsccc@gmail.com.

Find an issue you care about.
Build your Girl Scout Silver Award team or decide to go solo.
Explore your community and think of how that issue affects your community.

Choose a Silver Award project that can lead to lasting change.
Develop your project.
Make a plan and put it into motion.
Reflect, share your story, and celebrate.

Silver Award Girl Scout wearing uniform vest standing outdoors with bench that was part of her project

Resources

Highest Award Prerequisites & FAQ

Leadership Awards

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Highest Award FAQ

Going for your Bronze, Silver, or Gold Award? Get answers to the most common questions to get started.

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Is Silver Award training required to earn the Silver Award? toggle arrow

Yes, the adult volunteer/caregiver who will be signing the proposal paperwork before it is submitted must take the online GSUSA Earning the Silver Award: Your Guide to the Requirements and Process learning path, which can be found in gsLearn.

What projects do not qualify as Silver Award Projects? toggle arrow

Collection projects (gathering and donating items)
One-time event for service unit or others
Journey in a day/badge workshops for Girl Scouts
Little lending libraries/food pantries/beach toy lending boxes
Projects that are already established
Beautifications/flower gardens
Fundraising for other organizations
Patch and/or badge programs
Making something and donating it
Volunteering for another organization

Silver Award projects must solve the root cause of an issue. They are done with the community. They are solving a need, not a want.

Can the Silver Award benefit Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast?

Yes, an example would be a project involving a council property. However, the project must solve a need, not a want. Once a girl identifies a need at a council property, they are instructed to email the committee with their findings of the problem and their intent to solve it. This is to be done before the girl develops an official proposal. Note that the council’s property director will only consider and approve a Silver Award Project after the Highest Award Committee has determined the project meets specific standards. If the project is approved by the committee and the property director, the girl will be notified by the committee to proceed with the submission of a proposal. This also applies to girls interested in working with GSCCC’s Program Department, excluding patch programs, those are automatically not viable.

Can girls participate in extra money-earning activities to obtain money for Silver Award Projects? toggle arrow

Yes, but please note that if the Troop or IRM or Single Girl Team have not participated in both the Cookie Program and the Fall Product Program, they will not be eligible to participate in any additional money-earning activity to support their project. A Money-Earning Activity Request Form must be completed and submitted to the Highest Award Committee along with the Silver Award Proposal for approval before the activity takes place. (Note: This form is specifically for Highest Awards only.)

What about in-kind donations?

Again, participation in both the Cookie Program and the Fall Product Program is a requirement for approval. The Money-Earning Activity Request Form must be completed and submitted to the Highest Award Committee along with the Silver Award Proposal before the ask is made. This includes asking for building materials, donations of products (including prepared food to be served at events), Amazon wish lists, craft supplies, etc. Girl Scouts may not accept gift cards or monetary donations if offered instead of product. All locations, organizations and individuals being asked must be listed.

Does the Highest Award Committee need to approve the Silver Award Project before it is begun? toggle arrow

Yes. Girls will need to complete the form found in the Girl Scout Silver Award Project Proposal Instructions and submit it to the Highest Awards Committee (gshighestawards.gsccc@gmail) for approval prior to starting the project. This form is required to be typed. (See “How to Fill and Save Electronic Forms” tab below.)

What is the turnaround time to get a Silver Award Project approved?

Please allow seven days for the Silver Award Project to be reviewed by the committee and to receive a response. Contact the committee if you do not receive a response within seven days to confirm receipt of your email.

How does the Silver Award Final Project get approved?

Girls will need to complete the Girl Scout Silver Award Final Report Instructions where they will find the final paperwork. If the girls (no more than four) worked together, they would complete one final report. Most likely the troop leader will have to forward the final report to the Highest Awards Committee (gshighestawards.gsccc@gmail). Allow seven days for the committee to review the final report and notify the troop leader. The committee will ensure that the girls have met the project standards and earned the Silver Award.

How can the troop leader purchase Silver Award pins once the girls have earned their Silver Award? toggle arrow

Once the final Silver Award Project has been approved, the troop leader can purchase the Silver Award pin at the GSCCC Shop. The shop will need to verify that the Highest Awards Committee has approved each girl’s earning of the Silver Award. Leaders may no longer purchase pins without the Highest Awards Committee’s approval.

Is there an annual council-wide ceremony for the girls who earned their Silver Award? toggle arrow

Yes! During the spring of each year, those girls who earned their Gold Award, Silver Award, or Bronze Award between April 1 of the prior year through March 31 of the current year will be honored at the ceremony. (Check the Event Calendar for details.)

What is the Changemaker Award? toggle arrow

The Changemaker Award is a puzzle piece, and each of the puzzle represents the highest award a Girl Scout has earned for her grade level. Girl Scout Juniors who have earned their Bronze Award receive the Bronze Award patch. Girl Scout Cadettes who have earned their Silver Award receive the Silver Award patch. Girl Scout Seniors and Ambassadors who have earned their Gold Award receive the Gold Award patch. If a Girl Scout earns all three awards, she receives the final Changemaker patch. The girls will receive their part of the puzzle from GSCCC’s Chief Executive Officer at the annual highest awards ceremony in the spring.

Our girls earned their Bronze Award, but they did not receive the Bronze Award piece of the Changemaker patch; how can we receive it?

Please complete the Bronze Award Form.

How to Fill and Save Electronic Forms toggle arrow

Both the Silver Award Proposal and the Girl Scout Silver Award Final Report are writeable PDFs with pre-formatted form fields. We encourage you to fill them out electronically if possible, to eliminate any confusion or delays that may arise from submitting handwritten information.

Open the PDF
Depending on the browser you are using, you will either click the “Download” or “Save” icon at top right
Select the location on your computer where you’d like to save the PDF
Click “Save”

You may now open the file on your computer and get to work! Simply type your information into each field or text box. Be sure to save your information as you go.

When ready, send your file as an email attachment to gshighestawards.gsccc@gmail.com.

Hey, grownups!

When you support Girl Scouts earning their Silver Award, you’ll help them see their own power and be by their side as they make a lasting change in their community. Download this guide to get started today.

Our Silver Award Girl Scouts