Girl Awards & Scholarships
Girl Scout Gold Award
The Girl Scout Gold Award is the highest award in Girl Scouting. It symbolizes outstanding accomplishments in the areas of leadership, community service, career planning and personal development. A girl must be a registered Girl Scout Senior or Ambassador and have successfully completed specific requirements before she may begin working on the Girl Scout Gold Award project. This special project is an extension and a compilation of all that she has learned in Girl Scouting.
Girl Scout Silver Award
The Girl Scout Silver Award is the highest award you can earn as a Girl Scout Cadette. To attain this award, a young woman works to complete a series of leadership challenges and an extensive service project in her community.
- A BIG “Thanks!” and congratulations goes out to: Girl Scout Cadette Troop 3138: Paige M., Hannah L., Emma A., and Talia W. For their Girl Scout Silver Award project, the girls took action to improve the training resources available to new Girl Scout volunteers by making videos of various songs (with movements) and ceremonies. Check out the videos!
Girl Scout Bronze Award
The Girl Scout Bronze Award is the highest recognition a Girl Scout Junior can achieve. It helps girls improve the community around them while building leadership skills. To earn this award, a Girl Scout Junior will do a project that shows she understands and lives by the Girl Scout Promise and Law. If a girl decides to earn the Bronze Award, she must complete it before she bridges into Girl Scout Cadettes.
GSEIWI Awards Girls of Courage, Confidence and Character Scholarships
On April 18, 2009, GSEIWI honored three Girl Scouts with the Girl of Courage, Girl of Confidence
and Girl of Character Scholarship at “Tell-abration:” Sharing Girl Scout Stories Volunteer Appreciation
Event in Coralville, Iowa. The $1,000 scholarships were funded by an anonymous donor who believes
in the work of GSEIWI and wanted to be able to give something back to the girls. The scholarships
will be available for the Girl Scouts to use toward higher education after they complete high school.
The following Girl Scouts were awarded with the scholarships:
Girl of Courage -- Michaella G. (Williamsburg, IA) has been a Girl
Scout for 10 years and is a high school freshman in Williamsburg, IA. Over
the past year, Michaella has had four surgeries at the University of Iowa
Hospitals and Clinics, as well as numerous follow up appointments. Through her
involvement in Girl Scouts, Michaella has found the strength and courage to
live each day not only for herself but “to help people at all times.” Michaella is
unquestionably GSEIWI’s Girl of Courage.
Girl of Confidence -- Darian A. (Fort Madison, IA) is a Girl Scout Senior
and a sophomore at Holy Trinity High School in Fort Madison, IA, she has been
a Girl Scout for 11 years. Darian’s leadership and initiative both in Girl Scouts
and her academic community are qualities that others notice in everything she
does. Darian’s determination to be her own person, rather than to follow the
crowd, her leadership, and her belief in her abilities are traits that characterize
the GSEIWI Girl of Confidence.
Girl of Character -- Eleanor S. (East Moline, IL) is a Girl Scout Ambassador
from East Moline, IL, she has been a Girl Scouts for 12 years. She is currently
a senior at United Township High School. Eleanor is an advocate and voice
for the disabled population. She is always one of the first students to assist
another student in need. She truly cares about others. This characteristic is
rare with youth today and this is why Eleanor is the recipient of GSEIWI Girl of
Character award.
GSEIWI Awards First Lifesaving Award
On Saturday, April 18, Courtney B. (Sherrard, IL) was honored
with the Bronze Cross Lifesaving Award at the “Tell-abration:”
Sharing Girl Scout Stories Volunteer Appreciation Event. The Girl
Scout Bronze Cross Lifesaving Award is given for saving a life or
attempting to save a life with risk to the candidate’s own life. Her
quick thinking and bravery were displayed the day she helped
save her friend who was struggling in the pool. Congratulations,
Courtney!
“I thank Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa & Western Illinois for giving me
more than just this award – encouragement, friends and learning to
pursue my dreams,” Courtney said in a narrative of the event that
led to her receiving the award.
Doneta Schaeffer Scholarship Award
Doneta Schaeffer was a Girl Scout volunteer and
council staff member who believed that there was
always something new to learn, different things to
see, and more fun to experience. The annual Doneta
Schaeffer Memorial Scholarship was established to
help all girls and adults remember and renew this
legacy at least once a year. Designed to help the
recipient further her education, the $1,000 scholarship
is given to a Girl Scout who exemplifies the ideals that
Doneta held dear.
On April 18, 2009, GSEIWI honored Rebecca
B. (Davenport, IA) with the Doneta Schaeffer
Memorial Scholarship at “Tell-abration:” Sharing
Girl Scout Stories Volunteer Appreciation Event
in Coralville, Iowa. The $1,000 scholarship will
be available for Rebecca to use toward her higher
education after completion of high school.
New~ Wings to Grow Scholarship
Wings to Grow is a foundation dedicated to assisting women and girls with education expenses.
Wings to Grow offers a $1,000 scholarship for a graduating high school senior who is a registered Girl Scout in Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois. This is a non-traditional scholarship in that materials are due on July 15, 2010, with a notification following shortly after that. The applicant must be a resident of Iowa and must be enrolling in an educational institution in Iowa. All applications require a 1,000-word essay on Courage, Confidence and Character, references and verification of Girl Scout membership and proof of acceptance at an educational institution in Iowa.
Wings to Grow also offers a $1,000 scholarship to an adult female volunteer of Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa & Western Illinois who is returning or continuing their education at any institution in Iowa. This scholarship is non-traditional with materials due on July 15, 2010. All applications require references and verification of Girl Scout membership and proof of acceptance at an educational institution in Iowa.
Applications are available at the Waterloo Area Service Center of Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa & Western Illinois. For information, contact Jamie at 319-232-6601.
For any further questions regarding criteria for the application or to submit the application, please contact Karen at wingstogrow@hotmail.com.
The Soroptimist Violet Richardson Award Program
The Violet Richardson Award program begins at the local Soroptimist club level, where the type of award
varies. Club level winners then become eligible for one of 28 $1,000 awards. In addition, $1,000 will be
contributed in honor of these winners to their volunteer organizations. One finalist will be chosen from
among the 28 winners for an additional award, including a contribution of $2,500 to the finalist’s volunteer
organization.
If you think you would make a good Violet Richardson Award candidate, please complete the application (Deadline: December 1, 2009) and tell us about your volunteer action. Send it to the local Soroptimist club listed on the application.
Good luck! And, even if you don’t win a Violet Richardson Award, we applaud your efforts to make your
community and the world a better place.
Herbert Hoover Uncommon Student Award for Iowa High School Juniors
The Herbert Hoover Uncommon Student Award, a $5,000 scholarship program for Iowa juniors, does not evaluate grades, test scores, or essays. Applicants propose a project they want to accomplish. Approximately 15 juniors are chosen in April to participate and then complete their projects. In the fall of the senior year they make presentations about their projects at the Hoover Presidential Library-Museum in West Branch, near Iowa City. Each student receives a $1,000 stipend. Three are chosen to win $5,000 scholarships for a two or four year school anywhere in the nation. More information: www.hooverassociation.org, 800-828-0475 or scholarship@hooverassociation.org.
Applications and letters of recommendation must be mailed by March 31, 2010.
