Girl Scouts Honor 319 Local Girls for Earning Highest Awards
Gold, Silver, and Bronze Award Girl Scouts make lasting differences in their communities
MILWAUKEE – (May 23, 2022) – Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast (GSWISE) will recognize 319 local Girl Scouts for earning the highest honors a Girl Scout can earn at the annual Highest Awards Celebration on Tuesday, May 24 at Milwaukee Area Technical College-Downtown Campus Cooley Auditorium (1015 N. 6th St, Milwaukee). Girl Scout Gold, Silver, and Bronze awards will be given to Girl Scouts who together contributed more than 9,500 hours of service on projects over the past year that they are passionate about that make the world a better place.
Girl Scout Highest Awards are presented to Junior, Cadette, Senior, and Ambassador Girl Scouts (ages 9 – 17 years old) who display leadership while engaging in projects that benefit their communities and beyond. To earn the Gold, Silver, and Bronze Awards, Girl Scouts must complete required Journeys, identify an issue in their communities, work with other Girl Scouts and/or local leaders to make a plan that creatively addresses the problem, and take action that leads to measurable, lasting change. Highest Awards encourage Girl Scouts to dream big, to move outside of their comfort zones, give them opportunities to develop their time management skills, gain experience in goal setting, and discover firsthand how to take action in communities they care about. At the Highest Awards Celebration, GSWISE will honor the achievements of:
- 13 Gold Award Girl Scouts who contributed more than 1,040 hours of developing and carrying out lasting solutions to issues in their neighborhoods and beyond. Projects focused on practicing sustainable and eco-friendly habits, increasing cultural awareness and diversity in career exploration, providing the community with essential items, and managing mental and physical health, to name a few.
- 78 Silver Award Girl Scouts who gave more than 3,900 hours of service through their projects. They addressed community issues that include the COVID-19 pandemic, homelessness, microplastics and other pollutions, bullying in school, neighborhood beautification, public safety, endangered species, literacy, and so much more.
- 228 Bronze Award Girl Scouts provided nearly 4,560 hours of service to the community through projects. They addressed community issues like helping animals, collecting supplies for community members in need, promoting nature and outdoor exploration, and more.
“We are excited to celebrate Girl Scouts earning Highest Awards for their exceptional leadership skills, determination, and resilience, demonstrating the Girl Scout commitment to bettering themselves and the world,” said Christy Brown, chief executive officer of Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast. “As they take action to transform their world, Girl Scouts earning Highest Awards gain tangible, real-world skills and prove they are the leaders that communities, campuses, and workforces need.”
Girl Scouts who achieve the Gold, Silver, and Bronze Awards distinguish themselves from peers through their perseverance and grit, while building their resumes that set them up for college scholarships and future career opportunities. According to recent research, Girl Scouts who earn Highest Awards 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 of Gold Award Girl Scouts agree that earning their Gold Award gave them skills that help them succeed professionally.
- Seventy-two percent of Gold Award Girl Scouts said earning their Gold Award helped them get a scholarship.
- Once achieved, Gold Award Girl Scouts entering any of the U.S. military branches will immediately rise one rank.
Visuals and Interviews:
- Interviews available onsite Tuesday, May 24 from 5:30 p.m.- 6:15 p.m. at Highest Awards Celebration with:
- Christy L. Brown, chief executive officer of Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast
- Bronze, Silver, and Gold Award Girl Scouts (as available)
- Images, video, and photos Tuesday evening, May 24 at Highest Awards Celebration:
- 6:30 p.m.- 8:00 p.m.
- Interviews available after May 24 with Gold Award Girl Scouts and Christy L. Brown, chief executive officer of Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast, as requested.
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About Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast (GSWISE)
Girl Scouts bring their dreams to life and work together to build a better world. Girl Scouts of all backgrounds and abilities can be unapologetically themselves as they discover their strengths and rise to meet new challenges. 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. We serve approximately 10,650 girls in grades K5-12, and 5,200 adults who believe in our mission of building girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. With programs in Kenosha, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Walworth, Washington, and Waukesha counties, we give every girl in our council the chance to reach her full leadership potential. To volunteer, reconnect, donate, or join, visit gswise.org, email customercare@gswise.org, or call 800-565-4475.
