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Going for the Gold
Tips of the Trade
By Lisa Manns, staff writer
Leadership skills, goal setting, time management, record keeping, community service…does it seem as if embarking on a Girl Scout Gold Award® project is kind of like climbing Mt. Everest?
Maybe you have your sights set on earning the Girl Scout Gold Award (the highest achievement in Girl Scouting) but the thought of you making your mark in your community while completing an action project is a bit overwhelming. While it is true that working on the project takes a lot of time, effort, and commitment, you will gain a major sense of pride and accomplishment—and of course benefit your community when you have completed your project.
Time Overload
So you decide that it's a pretty cool idea to work on a project that will benefit your community—but devoting 65 hours to a community service project seems like an insane amount of hours. Especially since you're not really sure how much work is really involved. Well, take courage, because once you start your actual project everything you do counts towards your 65 hours—including research, planning, and doing. To get a better understanding of what you have to do to earn the Girl Scout Gold Award, let's break down the requirements into seven steps which will make "Going for the Gold" seem much more manageable.
- Get organized
- Put leadership into action
- Explore careers
- Get to know yourself and your community
- Plan your project
- Take action
- Evaluate your project
You've seen the requirements to complete a Girl Scout Gold Award project but still are not sure if you're up for the challenge. Can one person really make a difference? Am I expected to make a lasting impact on my community by myself? How will I come up with a project idea that will make a mark? Where will I start?
Do "You" First
Before you can decide on what project you are going to tackle in your community it is important to get to know yourself first. Start by asking yourself these questions:
What are some of the things I love to do? What skills would I like to develop? What am I passionate about? Can I do something really well that I can teach others to do?
Make a list of all your skills, interests, and talents, including things you wish you were able to do and set goals to further develop these skills.
Community Watch
Once you've gotten to know yourself a little better, get to know your community. Who lives in your community? Familiarize yourself with your local government, board of education, the health department, and community and professional organizations. What sector of society did you find most interesting? What do you like about your community? What areas need improving? Identify some issues in your community that need addressing. Brainstorm why these needs exist and what can be done to address these needs. What can you do to help?
It Takes a Village…
Based on what you discovered about your skills and interests, choose one aspect of the community where you would like to see change. How can you apply some of your skills to help address this issue? Find out who else in your community is concerned about this issue? Let them know you are concerned about this issue too. Research this issue thoroughly and build a network of people in your community to help you come up with a solution to this issue. If possible, select a person from this network to become your project advisor, someone who can provide expertise and help you shape your vision for change.
Get in Focus
Now that you've zoomed in on an issue that you would like to focus your attention on, be sure that it truly captures your interest, as you will spend a considerable amount of time mapping and carrying out your plan of action. Working on an issue you are passionate about will help you to be flexible if your project takes unexpected twists or you have to switch gears mid-project. Most importantly it will make it easier to remain committed to the cause and your vision of change for the community.
Just Do It
"Going for the Gold" is a once in a lifetime opportunity. It is considered the most challenging, but rewarding, experience in Girl Scouting. Girls who have earned the Girl Scout Gold Award say that they have grown personally from the experience and learned skills that will last a lifetime. So if you're still pondering, if you have what it takes, if it's worth the time and effort—just do it!
This article is an overview of the seven steps to earn the Girl Scout Gold Award. Girls should refer to Go for it! The Girl Scout Gold Award workbook for a step-by-step guide of the Gold Award requirements. |
