Girl Scouts of the USA Celebrates International Day of the Girl by Honoring Nearly 3,500 Girls of the 2022 Gold Award Class

The 2022 class of Gold Award Girl Scouts used practical leadership skills to create sustainable impact in their communities and become the next generation of influential leaders.

NEW YORK, Oct. 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) is recognizing the 3,500 members of the 2022 Gold Award Girl Scout class who identified the root cause of pressing issues in their communities, created sustainable solutions, and took action to earn the Gold Award: Girl Scouts' highest achievement. This year's class of world-changers invested over 300,000 hours in addressing real-life problems such as environmental sustainability, racial justice, mental and emotional wellness, and gender inequality in STEM.

A Gold Award Girl Scout, no matter their background or ability, learns to tap into the world-changing power within them. They take the lead in designing and enacting a plan for change, providing innovative solutions to address issues in their community and beyond. In addition to leading a team, the 2022 Gold Award class generated more than $1.9 million dollars to invest in projects, amplifying their impact.

"We applaud the 2022 class of Gold Award Girl Scouts and their dedication to improving their communities and the world," said GSUSA CEO Sofia Chang. "Gold Award Girl Scouts harness their innovation, vision, and civic mindedness to identify problems, create solutions, and make a sustainable impact that will continue to benefit others for years to come. This is a significant milestone in their leadership journeys, and we know that they are just getting started."

The 2022 Gold Award Girl Scouts demonstrate the breadth of issues American teens feel are most prevalent in society today. The most frequent project focuses include: 

• Environment and Sustainability (13%): including climate change, pollution, alternative energy, clean water, farming, and preserving outdoor spaces
• Education (11%): including literacy, career training, and financial know-how
• Physical health (9%): including fitness, nutrition, drug abuse, and global health
• Mental Health (9%): suicide prevention, self-esteem, self-image, self-care, and body positivity
• Arts, Culture, and Heritage (7%): including cultural awareness, languages, historic preservation, performing arts, visual arts, and music

GSUSA's 111 councils were each provided the opportunity to nominate one of their outstanding Gold Award Girl Scouts to receive a national scholarship for over $2,000 each. The Girl Scouts of the USA Gold Award scholarship recipients represent $225,000 invested, made possible by Insight Global, The Coca-Cola Foundation, and Kappa Delta Foundation.

Gold Award Girl Scouts become innovative problem-solvers, empathetic leaders, confident public speakers, and focused project managers. They learn resourcefulness, tenacity, and decision-making skills, giving them an edge personally and professionally. As they take action to transform their world, Gold Award Girl Scouts gain tangible skills and prove they're the leaders our world needs.

According to recent research, Gold Award Girl Scouts are more likely to fill leadership roles at work and in their personal lives and are more civically engaged than their non-Girl Scout peers. Eighty-seven percent (87%) of Gold Award Girl Scouts agree that earning their Gold Award gave them skills that help them succeed professionally. Seventy-two percent (72%) said earning their Gold Award helped them get a scholarship. Changing the world doesn't end when a Girl Scout earns her Gold Award. Ninety-nine percent (99%) of Gold Award Girl Scout alums take on leadership roles in their everyday lives.

To view the list of the 3,500 outstanding Gold Award projects, visit: girlscouts.org/goldawardclass. 

Girls in grades K–12 can join Girl Scouts any time during the year to begin their Girl Scout journey. As girls grow with Girl Scouts, they learn hands-on leadership skills they'll use to make their mark through the Gold Award and beyond. To join or volunteer, visit www.girlscouts.org/join.

We Are Girl Scouts of the USA 
Girl Scouts bring their dreams to life and work together to build a better world. Through programs from coast to coast, Girl Scouts of all backgrounds and abilities can be unapologetically themselves as they discover their strengths and rise to meet new challenges—whether they want to climb to the top of a tree or the top of their class, lace up their boots for a hike or advocate for climate justice, or make their first best friends. Backed by trusted adult volunteers, mentors, and millions of alums, Girl Scouts lead the way as they find their voices and make changes that affect the issues most important to them. To join us, volunteer, reconnect, or donate, visit girlscouts.org.  

SOURCE Girl Scouts of the USA