By Eileen Miller, Program Director

This year marks the 100^th anniverary of the Girl Scout Gold Award which is the highest achievement a Girl Scout can earn.  While it has gone through numerous changes over the years (Golden Eaglet of Merit, Golden Eaglet, First Class, Curved Bar, Gold Bar and Gold Award), the meaning of this national award has always remained consistent. A young woman who has earned her Girl Scout Gold Award has demonstrated leadership and citizenship skills that set her apart. A recipient has used her creativity and ingenuity, donating 80 hours or more, to make her community a better place.

To celebrate this momentous occasion, Girl Scouts – NC Coastal Pines award recipients have shared some personal reflections about the meaning the award has brought to their lives.

“In the lives of busy high school students, there are few activities that can inspirit outreach as Girl Scouts can. Through my Girl Scout Gold Award I merged my passion for innovative science with a purpose to excite kids, especially girls, towards the unimaginable possibilities in STEM. My Girl Scout Gold Award allowed me to learn from, teach, and most importantly, inspire youth through my maturation. The sense of fulfillment I received from being able to design and perform my project was a feeling that I wanted to have life-long which led me to choose a career path towards social impact with science.” – Sadhana

“Earning the Girl Scout Gold Award has been an incredible achievement! I met a lot of interesting people and I hope I inspired younger girls to “Go for the Gold”! Girl Scouts has set the bar high for the award requirements. It was hard work! But I am so glad that I did it, even though it was challenging to balance school work while researching my project.  Over all it was an amazing experience! Congratulations Girl Scout Gold Award on your 100th anniversary.”– Addy

“As a Girl Scout for the past twelve years, I wanted to complete my Girl Scout Gold Award because I feel that it is my duty to give back to the community. It was an opportunity to turn my passion into action, new connections, and to experience the joy of being an educator. To me, the Gold Award is especially significant because it epitomizes the skills of leadership, diplomacy, and commitment to doing the right thing that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.” – Rachel





“Earning my Girl Scout Gold Award was meaningful because music has always been my passion along with helping people. My project allowed me to put these two things together and the outcome I created was a great accomplishment.”– Brittnay

Interested in making a difference in your local community? To learn more, register to attend a Girl Scout Gold Award workshop. Girl Scouts – NC Coastal Pines looks forward to celebrating and recognizing your future achievements.

Happy Birthday Girl Scout Gold Award!