Check out our expert-written blog posts about the Girl Scout Gold Award!
The Gold Award extension applies to Girl Scout Ambassadors who were in 12th grade on March 31, 2020 and will bridge to the next program level (Adult Girl Scouts) on September 30, 2020.
For 12th grade girls whose Gold Award projects were underway during the development of COVID-19, the deadline to complete their project and submit the Final Report is extended to September 30, 2021. New proposals from Girl Scouts who completed 12th grade in Spring 2020 are not being accepted, as the intention of the extension is to allow Girl Scouts whose progress was halted or slowed by COVID-19 a chance to overcome new obstacles that are outside of their control.
To complete the Gold Award, girls should submit the Final Report to council for final approval no later than September 30, 2021.
Gold Award girls currently in 9th, 10th, or 11th grade will not receive an extension, as they will still have an additional one to three years to complete their projects. Girls may still submit project proposals to be reviewed by the Gold Award Committee during shelter-in-place. Please note that to gain approval to start work, girls need to submit a complete proposal to GSNorCal through GoGold Online that meets all Gold Award requirements, demonstrates that their plan is accepted by any groups they are working with, and is actionable. If girls wish to start work during shelter-in-place, they should be both realistic and very specific describing what they plan to do during shelter-in-place versus after.
Reward Card Conversions for the Gold Award will still be available throughout this extension. Troop leaders and girls, please remember that all money for awards must be processed through the troop, and it must be agreed with the troop ahead of time how much money is earmarked for award projects. Once decided, money set aside or earned for awards may not be spent another way.
We recognize that after 12th graders graduate from high school, they will be on to their next chapter—whether that is work, school, service, travel, or something else. It is up to the Girl Scouts in this position to decide if utilizing this deadline extension or a portion of it is the right choice for them. For those who will be moving, it will be important to think critically and work with their Committee Coordinator/council about the specifics of their projects as they pertain to their original communities and/or their new setting. For this reason, we encourage Gold Award girls especially to think creatively about how they can continue to work on their projects during this time, and use their resources wisely to adjust their plans in relevant ways.
