By Nancy Healey
I spent a very special afternoon today at the Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles 2025 Gold Award ceremony. Last fall my granddaughter created and presented her Gold Award project to our Conejo Valley Village senior group at the local library. Her topic was “Helping Seniors Increase Their Media Literacy,” which addressed the growing issue of how misinformation is spread online. She provided our seniors with the tools to distinguish between trustworthy and untrustworthy sources of news and information through fact-checking strategies and understanding unfamiliar terminology like “memes” and “deepfakes.” Her project included creating a website called Media Literacy for Seniors to house her presentation and the resources she created.
I will gladly admit to a little bias but even our most discerning members said her presentation was excellent, and the materials she provided were very helpful.
As a “retired” Brownie, Girl Scout, and Brownie leader, I hate to admit that prior to her project I was unaware of what the Girl Scout Gold Award is. I have known what the Boy Scout’s Eagle Scout award is for years and have assumed that the award is given to very special young men. When my granddaughter was a baby, I remember walking on a trail designed and laid out as an Eagle Scout project.
I am very happy to share how proud I am of my granddaughter, but I also want to highlight the Gold Award and previous Girl Scout awards through the years. The program for the Gold Awards ceremony said, “Gold Award Girl Scouts are rock stars, role models and real-life heroes.” They use their Girl Scout experience to help fix a problem in their community or make a lasting change in their world.
Earning the Gold Award requires the girls to spend at least 80 hours planning and implementing a challenging, large-scale project that is innovative, engages others, and has a lasting effect on its targeted community. This prestigious award recognizes Girl Scout Seniors and Ambassadors – girls in grades 9 through 12 – for outstanding accomplishments in leadership, community service, career planning, and personal development.
Beginning in 1916 the best and brightest took on projects that improved their communities and the world. The Gold Eaglet, the highest award in Girl Scooting from 1916-39, sparked the beginning of a long tradition of recognizing the extraordinary efforts of extraordinary girls. From 1940-63, the Curved Bar Award was the highest honor in Girl Scouting. From 1963-80, the highest award was called First Class. Since 1980, the Gold Award has inspired girls to find the greatness inside themselves and share their ideas and passions with their communities.
Nationwide only 6 percent of all eligible Girl Scouts achieve the Gold Award. Girls who earn their Gold Award automatically enter the military one rank higher, qualify for college scholarships, and are eligible for additional national service awards.
The 2025 Gold Award ceremony honored 184 extraordinary young women, leaders who have earned the most prestigious and highest in Girl Scouting, the Gold Award. Out of the 112 Girl Scout councils, Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles continuously boasts the highest number of girls reaching Gold each year. They contributed more than 14,720 hours of service to their communities in 2025.
I came away with a much more positive feeling about our country’s future after seeing these remarkable young women on stage at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium and learning about their amazing projects. I was very moved by their obvious enthusiasm, compassion, and support for each other; I believe with these qualities they can make meaningful lasting changes in our futures and theirs. I told a friend that I would not be surprised to see one of them elected President, but I hope there will be several women occupying that important office before they reach the age to run.
Thanks to the Girl Scouts of America for continuing to serve our country’s girls and young women and for providing them with powerful beginnings for their lives’ journeys.