Gold Award ( Girl Scouts of the USA ) - wikipedia Gold Award ( Girl Scouts of the USA ) Gold Award Owner Girl Scouts of the USA Created 1980 Scouting portal The Gold Award is the highest achievement within the Girl Scouts of the USA, earned by Senior and Ambassador Girl Scouts. Only 5.4 % of eligible Girl Scouts successfully earn the Gold Award. Contents 1 History 1.1 Golden Eaglet of Merit : 1916 to 1918 1.2 Golden Eaglet : 1919 to 1938 1.3 First Class : 1938 to 1940 1.4 Curved Bar : 1940 to 1963 1.5 First Class : 1963 to 1980 1.6 Gold Award : 1980 to present 2 Requirements 2010 to present 3 Insignia 4 After earning the Gold Award 5 Notable recipients 6 Highest awards in other programs 7 See also 8 References 9 External links History Girl Scout 's highest award was created in 1916 and has gone through changes over the years. Golden Eaglet of Merit : 1916 to 1918 This award was a pin of an eagle with its wings spread, on a red, white, and blue ribbon. Golden Eaglet : 1919 to 1938 In 1919 the name of the award was changed to the Golden Eaglet. Requirements for the award ranged through the years from earning 14 out of 17 specific badges, earning the Medal of Merit, earning a different number of badges, and the acceptance of a letter of Commendation instead of the Medal of Merit. The award itself changed from the spread - winged eagle and ribbon to an eagle with half - furled wings and a `` G '' and an `` S '' on either side of its head. The founder of Girl Scouts, Juliette Gordon Low, wrote in November 1923 : `` The five requirements for winning the Golden Eaglet are character, health, handicraft, happiness and service, and that others will expect to find in our Golden Eaglet a perfect specimen of girlhood : mentally, morally, and physically. '' First Class : 1938 to 1940 In 1938 the Golden Eaglet changed to the First Class Award. Curved Bar : 1940 to 1963 This award was earned by Intermediate Scouts who had already earned the First Class Award and were the way to bridge to Senior rank. Because of the shortage of metal during WWII, at first the award was a curved embroidered patch worn on the uniform. In 1947, the Curved Bar pin was introduced. First Class : 1963 to 1980 In 1963 the award went back to being called First Class. Requirements for earning the First Class Award changed over the 17 years it was offered. Beginning in 1963, Cadette Scouts were required to earn four Challenges, plus at least six badges in specific areas : Social Dependability Emergency Preparedness Active Citizenship Girl Scout Promise In 1972, eight new Challenges were offered : Arts Community Action Environment International Understanding Knowing Myself My Heritage Out - of - Doors Today 's World The Scout was permitted to choose any four of the twelve Challenges. In addition to the four Challenges, a Scout was required to earn at least one badge in each of six areas : Arts Home Citizenship Out - of - Doors Health and Safety International Understanding Alternately, from 1972 to 1980, a Scout could earn any seven of the twelve Challenges, with no badge requirements. Gold Award : 1980 to present In 1980 the Gold Award was introduced. In 1990, National Council Session delegates approved a proposal which would keep the name of the Gold Award in perpetuity. Until 2004, requirements for earning the award were : Earning the Girl Scout Gold Leadership Award, which requires girls to complete 30 hours of leadership work, as well as earn three Interest Projects and one Focus Book relevant to their project. Earning the Girl Scout Gold Career Award, which requires girls to complete 40 hours of career exploration. Earning the Girl Scout Gold 4Bs Challenge, which required girls to assess their community and its needs, and develop a vision for change. Up to 15 hours work on the 4Bs challenge could be counted toward the 65 hours for the service project. Requirements 2010 to present Complete two Girl Scout Senior or Ambassador Journeys, or complete one Girl Scout Senior or Ambassador journey and have earned the Silver Award. Plan and implement an individual `` Take Action '' project that reaches beyond the Girl Scout organization and provides a sustainable, lasting benefit to the girl 's larger community. Once these steps have been met, girls use their vision for change to complete a service project that reaches beyond the Girl Scout organization and provides lasting benefit to the girl 's larger community. It requires a minimum of 80 hours of work in planning and actually completing the project. All of these hours must be completed by the Awardee, and though it is encouraged that the girl use troop members and others from the community to help her, their time spent does not count towards her 80 - hour requirement. Plans must be developed with the aid of an advisor, then a project proposal must be submitted and approved by the girl 's local council before starting the project, and a final report submitted and approved after the project 's completion. Insignia The Gold Award emblem is presented as a pin resembling an eight - pointed gold star with rays radiating from a central, polished trefoil. After earning the Gold Award Recipients of the Gold Award who enlist in the U.S. Armed Forces may receive advanced rank in recognition of their achievements. Some universities and colleges offer scholarships to Gold Award recipients. Yearly, GSUSA selects ten girls to be National Young Women of Distinction based on their Gold Award projects. Notable recipients Betsy Boze, Senior Fellow at American Association of State Colleges and Universities and President, The College of The Bahamas and Kent State University Stark Jan Hopkins, financial news anchor for CNN ( earned the Curved Bar, a Girl Scout Gold Award predecessor ) Natalie D. Hardy, first African American Girl Scout to receive the Golden Eaglet award, as a member of Troop 24, New Haven, Connecticut, the first African American Girl Scout Troop in the country, founded by Laura Belle McCoy. Melissa McHenry, 2015 Gold Award Recipient, former member of Troop 2188, ELLM Association and Lifetime Member of Girl Scouts. Highest awards in other programs Further information : List of highest awards in Scouting The Gold Award is often compared to the Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America. See also Silver Award ( Girl Scouts of the USA ) Bronze Award ( Girl Scouts of the USA ) List of Scouts List of awards for volunteerism and community service References Jump up ^ Girl Scout Gold Award : Highest Award for Girls Ages 14 - 18 ^ Jump up to : `` Girl Scout Golden Eaglet ''. Vintage Girl Scout Online Museum. Retrieved May 10, 2013. ^ Jump up to : `` Girl Scout Gold Award History '' ( PDF ). Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa. Retrieved May 10, 2013. ^ Jump up to : `` The Girl Scout Gold Award ''. Girl Scouts. Retrieved May 10, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Girl Scout History Timeline 1860 - 2002 ''. Scouting Web. Retrieved May 10, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Official Girl - Level Girl Scout Pins ''. Vintage Girl Scout Online Museum. Retrieved May 10, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Gold Award Journey Packet '' ( PDF ). Girl Scouts Western Pennsylvania. Retrieved May 10, 2013. Jump up ^ AFRS Instruction 36 - 2001, Recruiting Procedures for the Air Force ( PDF ). U.S. Air Force. 2005. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 2008 - 02 - 28. Retrieved 2006 - 03 - 06. Jump up ^ Military Personnel Procurement Manual, Volume 2, Enlisted Procurement ( PDF ). U.S. Marine Corps. 2004. Retrieved 2015 - 10 - 10. Jump up ^ Active and Reserve Components Enlistment Program ( PDF ). United States Army. 2007 - 06 - 07. p. 16. Army Regulation 601 -- 210. Retrieved 2009 - 01 - 13. Jump up ^ Fredricksen, Lynn ( September 29, 2012 ). `` In 100th year, Girl Scouts of Connecticut honor trailblazers ''. Post-Chronicle. Retrieved May 10, 2013. Jump up ^ Nichols, Carole ( January 1, 1983 ). Votes and More for Women : Suffrage and After in Connecticut. Routledge. ISBN 0866561927. Retrieved May 10, 2013. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gold Award ( Girl Scouts of the USA ). Girl Scout Central 's Guide to Earning the Gold Award National Young Women of Distinction Girl Scout Gold Award Young Women of Distinction - the ten best Gold Awards of 2004 Girl Scout Gold Award Alliance Girl Scout Gold Award Young Women of Distinction - the ten best Gold Awards of 2005 Girl Scout Gold Award Alliance 2015 National Young Women of Distinction Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gold_Award_(Girl_Scouts_of_the_USA)&oldid=846049174 '' Categories : Girl Scouts of the USA Scout and Guide awards Girl Scouts who have earned the Gold Award Talk Contents About Wikipedia Add links This page was last edited on 15 June 2018, at 22 : 55. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: what is the highest award a girl scout can earn
Answer: The Gold Award