Highest Awards and Take Action (Highest Awards 101)

Agenda

• Scouting for a New Century• Girl Scout Leadership Experience• Taking Action• Highest Awards

Scouting for a New Century

Challenges Changes• Losing membership since

2004• Tradition bound, risk adverse

and internally focused• Perceived as old fashioned• Internally funded• Intense competition• Inefficient systems

• Focus on what we do differently and better

• Create high capacity councils to deliver Girl Scout Leadership Experience

• Develop measurable outcomes to help secure external funding

• Help girls make a difference• Revitalize the image of Girl

Scouts as the premier leadership organization for girls

Girl Scout Leadership Experience

Take Action Outcomes•Girls identify community needso root cause•Girls are resourceful problem solverso with guidance and encouragement•Girls advocate for themselves and otherso locally and globally•Girls educate and inspire others to acto positive effect on community•Girls feel empowered to make a difference in the

world

The Importance of Taking Action • Girls learn by doing and

gain critical leadership tools

• Increase the relevance and visibility of Girl Scouts in our communities

• Helps make long-term changes

• Raises the bar (outcomes, measurable and sustainable)

.

Service Projects vs. Take Action Projects

Service Projects Take Action Projects

• Limited impact• Symptom-centric• Temporary solution• FOR the community

• Measurable/sustainable • Root cause• Continues to answer

need• WITH the community

Take Action? Scenario A• Issue: an uninsured family’s home is destroyed by

fire.• Solution: clothes, household goods and food is

collected for the family.

Scenario B• Issue: community has racial and cultural tensions.• Solution: sponsor a Diversity Day celebration

History of Highest Awards

• Golden Eagle of Merit, 1916-1919

• Golden Eaglet, 1919-1939• First Class Rank, 1938-1940• Curved Bar, 1940-1963• First Class Award, 1963-

1980• Present Day Highest Awards• Gold Award (1980), Silver

Award (1980), Bronze Award (2001)

Highest Awards Today

• Benefit larger community

• Sustainable• Girl identified issue• Work in teams• Journey-not

destination• Project- not

prerequisites• www.gstakeaction.or

g

Adult Assistance•Troop/Group Award Volunteer•Project/Community AdvisoroRequired for GoldoOptional for Bronze & Silver•Gold Award Committee Member•Staff advisor

Highest Awards Progression

Project Focus SustainabilityGlobal

Connection

Bronze

Troop/Team

Focus on an issue within the Girl Scout or local community.

After project completion, girls talk together about how solutions can be lasting.

Girls talk together about how others in the world might experience the same issue as their project.

Silver

2-4 girls

Focus on an issue within the local neighborhood or community.

Girls demonstrate an understanding of sustainability in the project plan and implementation.

Girls connect with others outside the immediate community to determine similar problems and solutions.

Gold

Individual

Focus on making a lasting difference locally or beyond.

Project includes provisions to ensure sustainability.

Girls identify national/global links to their issue, learning and sharing with others.

Journeys

PROGRAM LEVEL/ AWARD LEVEL

JOURNEY PROGRAM

IT’S YOUR WORLD-CHANGE IT!

IT’S YOUR PLANET-LOVE IT!

IT’S YOUR STORY-TELL IT!

Junior/Bronze Agent of Change Get Moving aMUSE

Cadette/Silver Amaze! Breathe! MEdia

Senior /Gold Girltopia Sow What! Mission Sisterhood

Ambassador/Gold Your Voice Justice! BLISS: Love it! Give It!

GSCO Award Guidelines

• No approval function for Bronze or Silver awards

• Reports are required for all awards

• Volunteer Essentials

• Forms available for download: www.girlscoutsofcolorado.org

• Log all awards projects on the Take Action website www.gstakeaction.org

Bronze Award

Bronze Award Basics

• Registered Girl Scout Junior

• Complete a Junior journey

• Work with a team to take action on a root cause of an issue

• Group Take Action project in the Girl Scout or local community

• Understanding of the wider world

• Understanding of sustainability

• Suggested minimum 20 hours

Adult Role - Bronze Award

• Encourages girls to take on leadership roles• Guides girls in actively engaging their

community• Communicates with the local council to adhere

to Bronze Award process• May advise Juliettes who form a team to work

on project

Silver Award

Silver Award Basics• Registered Girl Scout Cadette• Complete a Cadette journey• Work independently or with 2-4 girls to take

action on a root cause of an issue• Take Action Project that makes the local

neighborhood or community better• Make global connections related to issue and

incorporate lessons learned from others into the project plan

• Demonstrate sustainability in project plan and implementation

• Suggested minimum 50 hours

• Monitors girls’ decisions to delegate responsibilities among themselves

• Coaches girls as they actively engage their community

• Prepares girls on how to communicate with the local council to adhere to the Silver Award process

Adult Role - Silver Award

Gold Award

• Registered Girl Scout Senior or Ambassador

• Journey(s) requirement

• Independently lead a team to take action on a root cause of an issue that she cares about

• Project makes a lasting difference in the local community, region or beyond

• Includes provisions to ensure sustainability

• Girl indentifies national and/or global links, shares results of the project beyond local community

• Suggested minimum 80 hours

Gold Award Basics

oYour role changes here

oSupport, encouragement, sounding board, resourceo Passsive

Adult Role - Gold Award

Resources

• Guidelines for girls and adults at all levels• Girl’s Guide to Girl Scouting• Safety Activity Checkpoints• Trainings• Forums• Internet Safety Pledge• www.girlscoutsofcolorado.org• highest.awards@gscolorado.org

Questions?