Have you ever looked around your neighborhood or school and wondered how you could make a change for the better? Going for the Girl Scout Silver Award—the highest award a Girl Scout Cadette can earn—gives you the chance to show that you are a leader who is organized, determined, and dedicated to improving your community. Earning the award puts you among an exceptional group of girls who have used their knowledge and leadership skills to make a difference in the world.

Take Action Silver Award Guide for Girls - DOC.
Take Action Silver Award Guide for Adults  - DOC.

REQUIREMENTS

Here are the steps you’ll take to earn your Girl Scout Silver Award:

1. Go on a Cadette journey. 
NOTE: You will need to purchase or borrow either one of the Cadette journey books and complete it.

• CHOICES:
  • Breathe, It's your planet - love it
  • Amaze, It's your world - change it
     
• ADDITIONAL TROOP REQUIREMENT:
  You must complete one (1) IPP/badge related to your service project.  This can be recorded in your Troop notebook.

2. Identify issues you care about.

3. Build your Girl Scout Silver Award team (no more than 2) 
    or decide to go solo (suggested).

4. Explore your community.

5. Pick your Take Action project.

6. Develop your project.

7. Make a plan and put it into motion.

8. Reflect, share your story, and celebrate.

Once you complete your journey, the suggested minimum time for earning your Girl Scout Silver Award is  50 hours* . These suggested hours are a guide. You can start by planning the time in chunks, dividing it up by the steps. 

*Please print out this time tracker and post it in your notebook. Remember to have Mrs. Wood sign off on your time at different intervals or progress check-in meetings.

As a Girl Scout, you are committed to doing your very best with each step, but how much time per step is different for every Girl Scout, so the hours aren't a rule. Remember, too, that the hours include the fun and challenges you’ll share with your Silver Award team. Each step you take toward making a difference in the world around you gives you a great chance to learn and grow, and that will make your award project an amazing one!

Take Action Silver Award Guide for Girls - DOC.
Take Action Silver Award Guide for Adults  - DOC.

Do's and Don'ts

Inspiration Corner

Need inspiration? Here are some sample projects to get you thinking.

• Clean up a polluted stream for wildlife
• Create a "science nook" at a school
• Work with a federal natural resource agency on a Linking Girls to the Land project.
• Establish a sustainable food pantry in your community
• Host a walker "pit stop" for an extended breast cancer walk
• Learn to be clowns and visit hospitals or senior centers
• Make puppet boxes to accompany stories for Daisy and Brownie Girl Scouts
• Plan and coordinate a math day for younger girls
• Put on a bicycle safety fair in your community
• Start a sustainable recycling program at school
• Write and perform a puppet play to teach children safety tips they can use when not in school.

For projects within our service unit / council - please click here.
Also, see below for other web resources and grant information.

COMPLETING THE AWARD

Troop Advisors helping with the Silver Award will decide if the girls have fulfilled the requirements and chosen an appropriate project. Girls are not required to have projects approved by their Girl Scout council or anyone other than a leader or the person helping with Girl Scout activities. 

Evaluate your project with your Girl Scout Silver Award advisor. You may need to fill out the Girl Scout Silver Award Final Report form, have your advisor sign it, and submit it to your Girl Scout Council office. 

Many Girl Scout councils honor Girl Scout Silver Awardees at a special ceremony in the spring of the year. In order to be eligible for the award, find out what the submission deadline is for your council. Ceremonies can also be planned by individuals, groups, or service units to honor girls upon completion of their award.

If you would like to work on your Silver Award, please meet with Mrs. Wood personally before you start to discuss plans, options and strategies. 

Also remember that these are a scout projects (not parents) - we need to ensure everyone is following the guidelines, have presented their outlines for projects outside of council events, tracking their time, progress properly and are on task

GIRLS WORKING ON SILVER:

Rachael & Emily - Reading Program
Kelsy - Ventura County Animal Shelter Volunteer

WEB RESOURCES & IDEAS FOR SERVICE PROJECTS:

• United We Serve

• Global Youth Action Network is a youth led organization working to improve the world in 190 countries

• Global Youth Service Day is the largest service event in the world

• National Service-Learning Clearinghouse’s Resources for Kids and Teens

• Prudential Spirit Awards honor outstanding youth volunteerism

• Taking IT Global is a global issues social network

• What Kids Can Do

• World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts

• Youth Venture is global community of young change-makers

Girls can partner with their Girl Scout councils on small grants to support their Awards take action projects. 
Contact your council if you plan on applying for a grant.

• Do Something Grants

• Youth Service America Service Wire

• Youth Venture Grant Listing