Does time spent working on the proposal count towards a girl's
final hour tally?
Yes, the proposal is considered a part of the planning process
and can, therefore, be included in a girl’s final hour tally. Girls
can include up to approximately 10-15 hours of planning time towards
their final tally, including time writing the proposal.
Do Girl Scouts have to complete a proposal before starting their project?
All new Silver Award projects must submit a proposal to the
Higher Awards Committee for review. You can find the form here.
Why must girls complete Journeys before earning a Girl Scout Silver Award?
Earning one of Girl Scouts’ highest awards challenges girls to
be their best. By first completing a “regular” Journey, girls learn
what it takes to successfully complete a Take Action project—so
they’re better prepared to develop, plan, and implement the more
involved Take Action project for their Silver Award.
Can my whole troop work on
the same project?
Up to four girls can work on one project. If working in a
group, each girl must have an individualized role. Girls may also
choose to work individually.
Why can only four girls work on one project?
With smaller groups, girls are more likely to take on
leadership roles. In large groups, a few girls step up and take charge
while others are just along for the ride. With smaller groups, girls
are able to vocalize their opinions more easily and their decisions
hold more weight.
What do you mean when you say a girl’s Journey is “completed”?
We say a Journey is “completed” when a girl has earned the
Journey awards, which include creating and carrying out a Take Action project.
How many hours should it take to earn a Silver Award?
No two projects are alike, so the time to plan, share, and
complete a project will vary depending on the scope of the project,
team, and community support. The quality of the project should be
emphasized over the quantity of hours necessary to complete it.
However, after fulfilling the required Journey, the suggested minimum
number of hours for a Silver Award is 50 hours.
Can girls, or even an entire troop, work together on an award?
Girls working toward their Silver Award may work individually
or in small groups of no more than 4 people.
Can girls get a head-start and begin working on their award
projects right after they bridge (transition) to the next level?
Absolutely. Once a girl bridges to the next level, she can
begin working on her award; this includes the summer months.
Is it possible to choose Girl Scouting itself as the focus of a
Silver Award?
It is highly discouraged to pick Girl Scouting itself as a
focus of a Silver Award. Cadettes are encouraged to go into the
communities around them, connect with new role models, and make the
broader world a better place.
If I’m working in a group, how do we count our hours?
If you are working in a group, each girl’s hours must be
counted separately. You can only count hours spent working on your own
portion of the project. An individual project should aim to have 50
hours. A group project with four girls should aim for 200 hours.
What counts as hours?
Any time when you are working on your project, you can count it
as hours. Brainstorming, finding an advisor, and speaking with your
mentor all count as hours. Up to 25% of your hours can come from
fundraising. At least 20% of your hours should come from leadership
and working with others. Helping another girl in your troop with her
project does not count as hours.
What happens when a girl moves to a new city, state, or country
while she’s in the middle of her award project? Can she still earn
her award?
Yes, but she may need to seek special
permission. We advise a girl in this situation to work with her new
council and/or Overseas Committee to complete the project. And we
encourage councils and Overseas Committees to be flexible and serve
girls’ best interests.
Are adult guides just for council staff and volunteers? Or can
parents use them too?
Even though the guides are designed for volunteers working
directly with girls achieving their awards, any adult is welcome to
use them.
What about girls with disabilities? Is there a different set of
requirements for them?
No. Because the Silver Award work is to be done to the best of
a girl’s ability, there really is no need for special requirements for
girls with disabilities. We encourage advisors to be flexible and to
work with the girl individually as she earns her award.
How do you define “sustainable” when it comes to the highest awards?
Simply put, a sustainable project lives on in the community
after a girl’s involvement ends. How do girls achieve that? They might
focus on education and raising awareness. Or they might develop
workshops and hands-on learning sessions that inspire others to keep
the project going. Working with local government, community groups,
nonprofit agencies, civic associations, and/or religious organizations
can also help ensure the project lasts beyond the girl’s involvement.
Does my project need to be sustainable?
Yes and no, we encourage girls to incorporate a sustainability
plan into their project objectives, however it is not necessary to
follow through with that sustainability plan.
Do you have any advice on how to generate higher-quality projects?
A good first step is to make sure girls and their advisors
understand the difference between a one-time community service project
and a highest award Take Action project that serves an entire
community for an extended period of time. The troop/ group volunteer
or council staff member should also work closely with girls to ensure
that every project meets the quality requirements of the award.
How can we accurately measure the impact of a highest award project?
Check the award guidelines. We provide tools to help girls
identify project goals for their community, target audience, and
themselves using a “success indicator” matrix.
When is the project due?
The project Final Report is due before September 30th of the
year a girl graduates 8th grade. For example, if a girl graduates 8th
grade in June of 2022 then the report must be submitted before
September 30th of 2022. There is no deadline for project proposals but
they must be council approved before starting the actual project.
Your final report needs to be submitted…
If you submit your final report by March 1st, you will be
included in that same year’s Council award ceremony in June. After
March 1st, you will be included in the following year’s Council
ceremony.
- For example: to be part of the 2023 ceremony: deadline is March 1st, 2023
Final submission deadline for Silver Award is before you become a Girl Scout Senior: September 30th of the year you start 9th Grade.
- For example: the 2022 – 2023 School Year
8th Graders – September 30, 2023
7th Graders – September 30, 2024
6th Graders – September 30, 2025