PROGRAM DETAILS
Awards & Scholarships
Girl Scouts of Michigan Trails offers opportunities for young women to earn various awards as well as some scholarship opportunities. For information on any of the following awards or scholarships, please download the Teen Recognition Packet.
Also, visit the Events Calendar for award trainings and celebrations throughout the year.
The Gold Award
This is the highest award a Senior Girl Scout (10 th -12 th grades) may earn, encompassing four prerequisite activities which incorporate the mission and four program goals of Girl Scouting. To earn the award, you must develop, design and implement a project that addresses a community need and incorporates the skills and knowledge gained through your prerequisite activities. If you're interested in earning the Gold Award, you must fill out a project proposal form and have it approved by the Girl Scouts of Michigan Trails Teen Advisory Committee, at least six weeks before the final project begins. Project proposals received by the first of the month will present the third Tuesday of that month to the Teen Award Committee.
The Silver Award
The Silver Award is the highest honor a Cadette Girl Scout (7 th -9 th grades) can earn. This commitment requires determination and responsibility. Each recipient must demonstrate leadership skills, explore careers and complete the Cadette Girl Scout 4 B's Challenge, followed by submitting a proposal to implement an extensive service project that benefits the larger community. If you're interested in earning the Silver, you must fill out a project proposal form to inform the Teen Advisory Committee of your project and submit the Girl Scout Silver Award Final Report Form upon completion of project.
The Bronze Award
The Bronze Award is the highest award for Junior Girl Scouts (4 th -6 th grades). Three requirements and a project are required to be completed.
Ten Year Pin
The Ten Year Pin represents 10 girl years of active Girl Scout membership , in preparation for leadership and service. This pin, awarded at our Girl Recognitions Celebration in the spring, symbolizes each girl's ten year commitment to the goals of Girl Scouting: Developing Values, Developing Self Potential, Relating to Others and Contributing to Society.
The Senior Scholarship
The idea for the Senior Scholarship was originally a Gold Award project in the late 1980's. The purpose of the Senior Scholarship is to recognize a young woman's time and effort contributed to Girl Scouting. The scholarship provides financial assistance for a young woman's freshman year in college, vocational school or technical school and promotes active participation in Campus Girl Scouting.
Eligibility for the Senior Scholarship consists of being an active, registered Girl Scout and having been registered for at least five years, including the year previous to making the application. The applicant must have met the requirements for high school graduation and have a minimum 2.5 grade point average. She must submit two recommendations; one from a high school teacher or counselor and the other from an active adult Girl Scout who is not a relative. Awarding of the scholarship is based on past Girl Scout experience and future plans to continue involvement.
The Olivet Community Responsibility Scholarship
Olivet College and Girl Scouts of Michigan Trails are proud to present the Community Responsibility Scholarship Awards to outstanding Senior Girl Scouts who have made significant contributions to their communities in the area of service and volunteerism. Olivet College and Girl Scouts of Michigan Trails will award scholarships to individual Senior Girl Scouts, who have earned the Gold Award. The recipients are selected from grade 12. The award can be reapplied for annually. All financial awards will be applied to study at Olivet College .
The Lisa Verbrugge Service Award
Each year, the Lisa Verbrugge Service Award recognizes one Senior Girl Scout who has shown exceptional involvement and personal initiative in volunteer work within her troop, council and wider community.
The award was established in 1983 in memory of Lisa Verbrugge, a Girl Scout at Michigan Trails, who died the summer after graduating from high school. She was a hard-working, fun-loving girl who was very involved in volunteer work in Girl Scouting, her school, her church and an area hospital. We remember her as we honor each year's recipient.
Nominations for this award must be made by a Senior Girl Scout Troop Leader for a currently registered, active member of Girl Scouting. Letters of recommendation from two other adults and a record of the nominee's service during her senior year must be provided.
Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA)
The Dinah Shore Scholarship , The Dinah Shore Scholarship of one of two awards granted annually through The LPGA Foundation and the Dinah Shore Scholarship Fund. The objective of the Dinah Shore Scholarship award is to grant a scholarship to a female high school senior who played golf during high school and is pursuing a college education, but will not be pursing playing golf.
The Marilynn Smith Scholarship , The Marilynn Smith Scholarship is granted annually through The LPGA Foundation and the Marilyn Smith Scholarship Fund. The objective of the Marilynn Smith Scholarship award is to grant a scholarship to a female high school senior who played golf during high school and is pursuing a college degree in education or business and playing collegiate golf. Contact the council office for an application.
The Elks Scholarship
The Most Valuable Student contest awards 500 scholarships to the country's top students. The scholarships are for students pursuing a four-year degree, on a fulltime basis (minimum of 12 semester hours), at a U.S. College or university. (Students may enroll at a two-year college for the first two years of the four-year program.).
Additional Scholarships
There are many other higher education organizations that provide scholarships to Gold Award recipients. Colleges and Universities in increasing numbers are beginning to recognize the merits of the Girl Scout experience by awarding and making available scholarships and grants for Girl Scouts and recipients of the Girl Scout Gold Award . Senior Girl Scouts are encouraged to check with their high school guidance counselor or with the financial aid office at the school they wish to attend for information on other scholarships that might be available to Girl Scouts or Gold Award recipients.
Although the more than 50 schools included in the scholarship listing are registered, accredited institutions, GSUSA does not perform on-site visitations. We strongly encourage prospective students to thoroughly examine the academic and social environment the institution offers. As with the acceptance of admission to any college, girls and their parents should investigate the school to ensure it provides the desired educational challenges and social atmosphere.