Silver Award | Girl Scouts

You have the power to improve your community through action

Ready to help your community and earn one of the highest awards in Girl Scouting? Cadettes can team up with a small group of fellow Girl Scouts or work on their own. To earn the Silver Award, you will research an issue you care about, make a plan to address it, and then take action to improve your community.

You can become a Silver Award Girl Scout if you:

Are in sixth, seventh, or eighth grade
Are a registered Girl Scout Cadette
Have completed the Bronze Award OR a Cadette Leadership Award

Earn the Girl Scout Silver Award:

Let GSMW know you want to earn it.
Find an issue you care about.
Build your Girl Scout Silver Award team or decide to go solo.
Explore your community and think of how that issue affects your community.
Choose a Silver Award project that can lead to lasting change.
Develop your project.
Make a plan and put it into motion.
Reflect, share your story, and celebrate.

Steps to Silver Award Training & Project Submission

STEP 1: Before you start your Silver Award project toggle arrow

Use the resources listed in this section to become familiar with the Silver Award and how to earn it.

Before embarking on the project part of the Silver Award, please be sure that you have completed the prerequisites.

GSMW recommends but does not require a Troop Leader to review the gsLearn Modules and Adult Guide and then take the Silver Award Quiz, however these are required steps for a project to be considered for the GMSW Silver Award of the Year.

Downloadable Resources

Online Training Resources

gsLearn Modules - My Account Tip Sheet: gsLearn
- GSUSA Silver Award Overview
- GSUSA Silver Award Requirements: A Closer Look
Volunteer Toolkit - Accessing VTK Meeting Plans
- Meeting 1: Silver Award Overview

New Leadership Awards!

Introducing fresh ways for Girl Scouts to lead with confidence, mentor others, work as a team, and take action in their communities.

One award leads to the next, see how in the
Highest Awards Prerequisites overview.

The new Leadership Awards include flexible options that allow girls to explore and shape their own leadership style. The bonus—they’re part of an expanded set of options to fulfill the prerequisite toward earning Girl Scouting’s Highest Awards.

STEP 2: Formulate your Project Proposal and Submit for Approval toggle arrow

Using the following resources, Cadettes will formulate their Silver Award Project Proposal.

GSMW does not require but recommends that Cadettes seek project approval from council BEFORE starting their project. It is a required step for a project to be considered for the GMSW Silver Award of the Year.

If you choose to have your Troop Leader approve your project, please download and use the Girl Scout Silver Award Project Proposal.

Downloadable Resources

Online Training Resources

gsLearn Modules - My Account Tip Sheet: gsLearn
- GSUSA Silver Quest: Complete the Steps for Earning Your Silver Award (3 modules)
Volunteer Toolkit - Accessing VTK Meeting Plans
- Meeting Plans 3-4: Silver Award

STEP 3: Execute your Project and Submit your Final Report toggle arrow

At the end of your project, you will need to submit your Final Report to GSMW by September 30^th the year you or your oldest team member finishes 8^th grade.

GSMW prefers that you use the online Final Report form. You can download and preview the Silver Award Final Report.

You will also need to use the Budget Log and Individual Time Log while executing your project and submit them with your Final Report.

Downloadable Resources

Final Report complete?

Other Helpful Resources

Additional GSMW & GSUSA Resources toggle arrow

GSMW Resources

GSUSA Resources

Hey, grownups!

When you support Girl Scouts earning their Silver Award, you’ll help them see their own power and be by their side as they make a lasting change in their community. Download this guide to get started today.

GSMW Silver Award of the Year Criteria toggle arrow

Silver Award of the Year FAQ's

GSMW Silver Award of the Year Training

GSMW Silver Award of the Year FAQ's

1. What is the GSMW Silver Award of the Year?

Each membership year GSMW will honor one Silver Award project with the GSMW Silver Award of the Year. A membership year starts on 10/1 and ends on 9/30 of the following year.

2. How can a Silver Award project be considered for this recognition?

A Troop Volunteer or Juliette Mentor complete the following gsLearn modules: GSUSA Silver Award Overview and GSUSA Silver Award Requirements: A Closer Look in gsLearn and the GSMW Silver Award of the Year and then take the GSMW Silver Award Quiz achieving a minimum score of 8/10.
Each girl is a registered Cadette Girl Scout in 6th, 7th or 8th grade and have completed the prerequisite Bronze Award, Cadette Leadership Award.
Cadette Girl Scout Silver Award teams or individuals work with their Troop Volunteer or Juliette Mentor to submit the GSMW Silver Award Project Proposal. Only one form per project is needed.
If the project is not immediately approved by GSMW, the Cadette Girl Scout(s) alongside with their Troop Volunteer or Juliette Mentor work with the Highest Awards Coordinator to rework the Silver Award project so it meets the Silver Award standards set by GSUSA. This step should be girl-led, meaning that the Troop Volunteer/Juliette Mentor can be the point of contact with the Highest Awards Coordinator, but the project is reworked through girl-led team discussions and ideas.
The Silver Award project team or individual if completed that way submits the Silver Award Final Report by September 30th.
- To be considered for the Silver Award of the Year, the Silver Award, the prerequisite, project approval and project start date do not have to all occur in one membership year. The Silver Award process can span over multiple membership years.
The Silver Award team submits a 1-2 minute video describing their project and the impact it has made on their community and themselves. The video must be submitted with the Silver Award Final Report.
Silver Award projects that have completed steps 1-6 will be considered for nomination and reviewed by a committee. The Silver Award of the Year will be announced by October 30th.

3. What if I have already started my Silver Award, can I still be eligible?

Yes! Have your Troop Volunteer/Juliette Mentor complete the following gsLearn modules: GSUSA Silver Award Overview, GSUSA Silver Award Requirements: A Closer Look and GSMW Silver Award of the Year and then take the GSMW Silver Award Quiz achieving a minimum score of 8/10. Then complete the GSMW Silver Award Project Proposal. The team will have the opportunity to make project adjustments as stated in step 2 above.

4. Why is there an approval process for the Silver Award?

It is not required for a Silver Award to be approved by GSMW, however if a project team or individual would like their Silver Award project to be eligible for the Silver Award of the Year recognition, the project will need to be approved by GSMW. GSMW encourages everyone to submit their Silver Award project for approval so that girls and volunteers have an increased understanding of the Silver Award and are better equipped for the Silver Award and the Gold Award and approval process.

5. Where do I find more information about the Silver Award and the GSMW Silver Award of the Year?

Project Funding toggle arrow

If a Cadette Girl Scout working towards earning her Silver Award needs to earn additional funds for project costs, the Money Earning Request form must be completed for each activity.

To comply with additional money earning guidelines for in kind donation and monetary sponsorship/donation, girls can be part of the process, for example, help write a letter, create a flyer or presentation but adults must do the "ask".

Project Money Earning

Review the Money Earning Activity Guidelines prior to submitting a Money Earning Request Form.

Leadership Awards

Celebrate all the ways you lead–yourself, your team, and your community–with new & updated leadership awards.

Highest Awards FAQs

Going for your Bronze, Silver, or Gold Award? Get answers to the most common questions to get started.

You have the power to improve your community through action

You can become a Silver Award Girl Scout if you:

Earn the Girl Scout Silver Award:

Steps to Silver Award Training & Project Submission

Before you start your Silver Award project

Use the resources listed in this section to become familiar with the Silver Award and how to earn it.

Formulate your Project Proposal and Submit for Approval

Using the following resources, Cadettes will formulate their Silver Award Project Proposal.

Execute your Project and Submit your Final Report

At the end of your project, you will need to submit your Final Report to GSMW by September 30th the year you or your oldest team member finishes 8th grade.

Other Helpful Resources

Hey, grownups!

Silver Award of the Year FAQ's

GSMW Silver Award of the Year Training

GSMW Silver Award of the Year FAQ's

At the end of your project, you will need to submit your Final Report to GSMW by September 30^th the year you or your oldest team member finishes 8^th grade.