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.
