Hobbies And Interests
Fullfill Prerequisites
Before undertaking a Gold Award project, a Girl Scout must already have completed certain steps. She must be a registered Girl Scout Senior or be in ninth, 10th, 11th or 12th grade. She also must be a registered Girl Scout Ambassador. She must complete two Senior or Ambassador Journeys, or complete one journey and earn the Silver Award. A journey is, according to GirlScouts.org, a coordinated series of activities grouped by theme.
Find And Investigate An Issue
A Girl Scout must choose an issue for her award project. She should use the skills and values she has cultivated as a Girl Scout to identify a community issue about which she feels passionately. In doing so, she must adhere to the Girl Scout Standards of Excellence, demonstrating civic responsibility and living the Girl Scout Promise and Law. Scouts have chosen a wide array of community issues, including social, environmental, creative and safety. For example, one recipient wrote and produced a play while filming a movie about her experience. Another recipient produced a public service announcement about teen suicide, and traveled with her message raising awareness.
After finding an issue, the Scout should then investigate the issue, researching as much as possible. She should conduct interviews, find professionals and organizations, and read as much as possible to comprise her sources. She should also seek out help from others in the community, forming a team and assigning a project advisor to aid in investigation and implementation of the project.
Create Your Plan
A Scout must have a plan of action to execute her Gold Award project. This plan should outline the steps needed to implement the project, and also demonstrate how the project will have a lasting effect on the community. The plan should, according to the Gold Award guidelines, "achieve a sustainable and measurable impact." When formulating the plan, the Girl Scout should keep these guidelines in mind. She should demonstrate leadership outcomes she hopes to achieve, and how they will effect her as an individual and the community on the whole.
Present Your Plan
The plan of action must be submitted as a proposal to the Scout's council. The goals of the plan should be presented, along with the intended steps for achieving these goals. The plan should be concise, with detailed points for implementation. The Scout should be prepared to accept critique from the council, and use the advice to refine her project.
Put Your Plan Into Action
A scout should challenge herself to seek different ways to implement her plan of action. She should invoke the help of the community and seek partnerships that will lead to greater impact of her plan. For example, one Scout sought the help of the community and local politicians to change traffic laws in a high-accident area. Putting the plan into action will require speaking publicly to garner attention. A Scout seeking to create a learning center for people with sight disabilities in India gave a presentation to raise awareness to the issue as part of her plan.
Present A Final Report
After the project has been successfully implemented, the Scout must present a final report to the council. She should demonstrate the effectiveness of her project and how it has benefited the community. She should also show how she has grown and learned from her project. After presenting her final report, the Scout should continue to educate and inspire people in other communities to continue the goals of her project. For example, a Gold Award honoree who focused on teen suicide prevention continued to speak out to Girl Scouts to spread her message after receiving the award.