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Silver Award
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On this page we will include information about the Silver Award

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The steps below may be completed in any order, but must be completed before beginning the final project.  All of this must be done after you are registered as a Cadette Girl Scout.

Cadette Girl Scout Silver Award

The Girl Scout Silver Award is the highest award a Cadette Girl Scout can earn. It is symbolic of accomplishments in Girl Scouting and community activities, as you grow and work to better your life and the lives of others. The first four requirements of the Girl Scout Silver Award help you build skills, explore careers, gain leadership skills, and make a commitment to improving yourself. The final activity, the Girl Scout Silver Award Project can be undertaken when the first four requirements are completed. The Silver Award requirements include:

1. Earn three Cadette and Senior Girl Scout Interest Project awards related to the project you will do for the Silver Award. (These are found in Interest Projects for Cadette and Senior Girl Scouts.)

2. Earn the Dreams to Reality Award, which is about careers.

3. Earn the Cadette Girl Scout Leadership Award.

4. Earn the Cadette Girl Scout Challenge Pin.

5. Design and carry out a Girl Scout Silver Award Project.

A more complete discussion of the Girl Scout Silver Award can be found in your Cadette Girl Scout Handbook.

Confused about the Silver Award and Leadership Pin requirements?

If you are using a first, second, or third edition of the Cadette or Senior handbooks, you'll find some discrepancies between the requirements stated for the Silver Award and the Leadership Pin, and the contents of the current Interest Projects for Cadette and Senior Girl Scouts book.

The older editions of the handbooks have the following requirements:

From Dreams to Reality: Do 2 activities from the Career Interest Project.

Problem: There is no longer a Career Interest Project

Solution for Dreams to Reality: Do any two career activities, from any interest project or combinations of interest projects.

HOWEVER: The activities you choose may NOT have been activities you have done to earn that interest project. And, if you haven't earned the interest project from which you are selecting the career activities, but think you might want to earn it later on, you MAY NOT count these career activities toward earning the interest project in the future.

Silver Award: Do the Career interest project

Problem: There is no longer a Career interest project

Solution for Silver Award: Do any five career activities, from any interest project or combinations of interest projects.

HOWEVER: the activities you choose may NOT be activities you have done to earn those interest projects. And, if you haven't earned the interest projects from which you are selecting the career activities, but think you might want to earn them later on, you MAY NOT count these career activities toward earning other interest projects in the future.

Leadership Pin: Do the Leadership Inventory in the Leadership interest project.

Problem: There is no longer any such inventory.

Solution: Do two activities from the Leadership interest project.

HOWEVER: The activities you choose may NOT have been activities you have done to earn the Leadership interest project. If you haven't earned the Leadership interest project, but think you might want to earn it later on, you MAY NOT count these activities toward earning it in the future.

 

FAQ About
the Girl Scout Silver Award

Q: Can we do a project as a troop?
A: Yes! Girl Scout Silver Awards are often done by troops. Each girl needs to make sure that she contributes her part, and puts in a minimum of 30 hours on the project. Individual projects are great too, especially if your interests take you in a different direction from other troop members. (Of course, you can always volunteer to help each other!)

Q: Do we need to submit a plan to the council for approval?
A: No. You do need to submit a project report at the end of you work. This form is available through your council office. It needs to be signed by your leader or consultant.

Q: Do we need an advisor?
A: Your leader can act as your advisor. You are encouraged to use resource people whose knowledge or careers can make your Girl Scout Silver Award the best that it can be. If you are an individual member, ask your council to help you find an advisor for the process.

Q: Do we need to complete the Girl Scout Silver Award before we are Senior Girl Scouts?
A: Yes, it can only be earned by Cadette Girl Scouts.  You don't have to complete a Girl Scout Silver Award as a Cadette Girl Scoutit is an option and opportunity there for you.

Q: Does that mean we need to complete the Silver Award before we work on the Girl Scout Gold Award?
A: This is kind of a trick question. You can not work on the Girl Scout Gold Award as a Cadette Girl Scout. The good news is, you don't have to have the Girl Scout Silver Award under your belt to begin the Girl Scout Gold Award as a Senior Girl Scout. It is helpful, as some of the processes are the same, and many of the skills you developed for the Girl Scout Silver Award are a foundation for working on the Girl Scout Gold Award.

Q: We really want to help raise money for our local hospital, because someone in our troop is sick. Can we do this?
A: You need to follow national and council guidelines for fund raising. You can not raise money for another organization according to GAUSS policy. However, you can volunteer for that organization. Instead of marching in a walkathon, what about volunteering to help with registration, first aid, or making sure everyone has water and a snack along the route? It is really important that you clear any fund raising plans with your Girl Scout council.

Idea Corner

Need an Inspiration? 
Sample Girl Scout Silver Award Projects

The Arts

  • An arts day for younger girls
  • Learning to be clowns and visiting hospitals on holidays
  • Writing and performing a puppet play for a special event

Environment

  • Starting a sustainable recycling program at school
  • Planning and dedicating a Lou Henry Hoover Memorial Sanctuary at camp
  • Creating an environmental awareness display and fair at local mall
  • Working to get a stream cleaned up for wildlife

Literacy

  • Planning and hosting a book trading fair for school
  • Learning how to rebind books and opening a book hospital for kids
  • Collecting books for kids and adults at hospitals
  • Making puppet boxes to accompany stories for Daisy and Brownie Girl Scouts

Helping Others

  • Setting up a computer center and teaching senior citizens how to use the Internet for e-mail
  • Establishing a sustainable food pantry in your community
  • Making a video of how to use camp facilities for traveling troops

Science

  • Developing a troop Web site
  • Planning and coordinating a science day for younger girls
  • Creating a "science nook" at camp
  • Building an exhibit at your local science museum


 Share Your Project
and Read What Others Have Done

    •

    Silver Award
    Helps and ideas
     

    One of the unique things about the Silver Award is that before you start on the Interest Project Patches you should have an idea what general direction your project will take.
     

    **Helpful Hint**

    Some of the IPPs lend themselves to almost any project and are truly helpful when it comes time to implement your final project.  These are:
            ** Conflict Resolution
              ** It's About Time
              ** Computers in Everyday Life
              ** Do You Get the Message?
              ** Public Relations
              ** Emergency Preparedness
              ** Media Savvy

    All of these are the type of IPP that you might need to put on a large project, especially if you have to work with others and communicate to people what you are doing.
     
     



    Planning the Project:

    This is the time when you take all you have learned about yourself and your community and put it into action.

    First you need to decide what your interests and talents are.  Then decide how can you use those to benefit your community.  To help you to define your interests and talents check out the "All About Me" page below!

    By now, you should have learned a lot about yourself by earning the Interest Projects and the career, leadership and challenge components.


    How do I know what I want to do??!!

    Good question!

    Part of what should be happening while you earn the challenge, leadership award and the career exploration pin is to find out who you are and what you are interested in.

    The worksheet below will help you narrow down the possibilities:

    All About Me

    Directions:
    Take a sheet of 8 1/2 X 11" paper and fold it in thirds (like a brochure).  The folds should be parallel to the 8 1/2" ends.

    In each section (there should be 6 sections, 3 on either side) write  the following headings:
    Name, Girl Scouting, School, Other Interests and Hobbies, Service, Careers
     

    After you have filled them out, use the following guide to help you fill in each section:
     

    Side one:

    1. Name - put your name and list all of the Interest Project Patches you have earned as a Cadette Girl Scout

    2. Girl Scouting
    List those things in Girl Scouting that you enjoy.  Some samples may be, but you may add you own:
        Outdoors
        Crafts
        Interest Projects
        Friends
        Travel
        Leadership
        Service....

    3. School
        List those things that interest you in school.

    Examples:
        Favorite subjects
        Sports
        Clubs
        Drama
        Music/Band
     

    Side two:

    1. Other Interests and Hobbies
        List all.  Examples:

        Your faith
        Lessons:  dance, music, self defense
        Sports
        Collections
        Computers
        Crafts/Art
        Family activites
        Games
        Outdoor activities
        Cooking

    2. Service
        List all.  Examples:

        People: young, elderly, peers, the sick, poverty, literacy, disability
        Environment: clean up, improve nature site, share nature study,provide habitat
        Animals: habitat, humane society, wild animal rescue groups

    3. Careers
        List all.  Examples:
        Math/Science-
            Engineer
            Biologist/botanist
            Geneticist
            Scientist, general
            Medical Field
            Research - medical, scientific
            Law enforcement - forensic pathologist
            Electrical field
            Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines
            Pilot
            Computers
            Veterinarian

          Arts
            Book editor/publisher/literary field
            Journalist
            Writer
            Fine artist
            Graphics artist/Webpage designer
            Architect
            Designer (home-interior)
            Landscape architect
            Chef
            Fashion Designer
            Singer
            Musician/composer
            Music producer
            Actor/director/producer/cameraperson/set designer....
            Photographer

        History/Social
            Museum work
            Geologist
            Archeologist
            Anthropologist
            Interpreter
            Social worker
            Psychiatrist/psychologist/therapist
            Public relations
            Lawyer
            Politician
            Non-profit social services
            Clergy
            Teacher
            And many more...

        Sports/recreation/outdoors
            Ranger
            Coach/teacher
            Professional sports person (skiiing, volleyball, basketball, etc.)
            Environmental work (also Math/science)
            Forrester
            Land management specialist
            Farmer
            Oceanographer (also Math/science)
            Travel/tour specialist
            And many, many more....

    Above are just some examples of careers.  Remember that it is OK not to have a definite career in mind, but you probably at least have the general fields that interests you.  List them all.

    Trends
    After you have filled in each of the sections, see what the trends are.  If you never listed children or games as an interest, then a games day is probably not your best bet.

    Look at the IPPs you have completed.  Do they coincide with your interests?

    Passions
    Ask yourself what you are passionate about.  What makes you mad?  What makes you sad?   If you were ruler of the world, what would you change?  List those under your name on the "All About Me" sheet.  THESE are the things you might try to address in your final project.

    Pulling it all together
    Now that you have taken a personal inventory, let's try to put it all together.

    Here is a sample "All About Me" page.  Read what she has filled in and think about what would be a suitable project for her:


    Name/IPP
    Mary Smith

    Photography
    Women Through Time
    A World of Understanding
    Media Savvy

    Interests in Girl Scouting
    Camping, hiking, singing, doing big events, working with younger girls, friends

    Interests in School
    Photography club
    History/Geography
    Field hockey

    Other Interests
    Talking to friends
    Movies
    Reading
    Ice skating/skiing
    Computers

    Interests in Service
    Working with kids
    Disability awareness
    Trail clean up

    Interests in Careers
    Something in literary field, not writer
    Illustrating children's books
    Web page design
    Photographer/cameraperson/video stuff


    OK, let's analyze.  What are the main trends?  She seems to be fairly commited to photography and likes kids.  Also an interest, though not as strong, in the out of doors.  What might some projects be?

    Remember that they should touch the community at large even if they are directed at Girl Scouts.

    Some possible projects:

    Take pictures of all your local county campsites and display
    them in a book at the county offices for the public to see.  Create  web page so people can access pictures that way.

    Go to a local arts center and teach children camera basics and follow up with a 'show' of their works with help from the center.

    Teach Girl Scouts throughout the council some basic photography principles and then sponsor a "Day in the Life of Girl Scouts" contest - each girl who participates takes pictures of  her life during 24 hours of a given day (like GS birthday)  Theysubmit their pictures and you put together a book.  Maybe for sale in your council.  Lots of possibilites for community involvement, and in depth research into the publishing world - one of Mary's career choices.

    What did you come up with for our Mary Smith?  More importantly, what did you come up with for yourself?

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