Skip to main content

Leadership Awards and Programs for Older Girl Scouts

SHOP
DONATE
Español
Events
Forms
myGS

Discover Discover
About Us About Us

What Girl Scouts Do What Girl Scouts Do

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Diversity, Equity, Inclusion
Our Council Our Council

Contact Us Contact Us

Visit Us Visit Us

Newsroom Newsroom

Careers Careers

Partners Partners

Podcast Podcast
Properties Properties

Girl Scout DreamLab Girl Scout DreamLab

Camp Properties Camp Properties

Girl Scout History Center History Center
Discover your local Girl Scout council: about Girl Scouts, what they do, what activities are available locally, and how to contact us.
Get Involved Get Involved
Become a Girl Scout Become a Girl Scout

Join a Troop Join a Troop

Go Solo Go Solo

Become a Girl Scout Daisy Become a Girl Scout Daisy

Benefits of Girl Scouts Benefits of Girl Scouts
Become a Volunteer Become a Volunteer

Start a Troop Start a Troop
Support Us Become a Donor

Donate Donate

Alums Alums

Partners Partners

Fundraising Events Fundraising Events

Community Connection Community Connection
Learn how to get involved with Girl Scouts: join a troop, go solo, or become a volunteer.
Cookies Cookies
Find Cookies Find Cookies

Find Cookies Find Cookies
Available Cookie Flavors Available Cookie Flavors

Cookie Flavors Cookie Flavors
Volunteer Resources Volunteer Resources

Volunteer Cookie Resources Volunteer Cookie Resources

For Cookie Sellers For Cookie Sellers

Fall Product Program Fall Product Program

S'mores Club S'mores Club
Find out how to buy Girl Scout Cookies, explore Girl Scout Cookie flavors, try delicious recipes, see how girls learn essential life skills, and more.
Activities Activities
Events Events

Event Calendar Event Calendar

Event Search Event Search

Girl Scout DreamLab Events Girl Scout DreamLab Events

Girl Scout Week Girl Scout Week
Anytime Activities Anytime Activities

Patch Programs Patch Programs

Field Trips Field Trips

Partner Programs Partner Programs
Outdoors Outdoors

Summer Camp Summer Camp

Troop Camp Troop Camp

Outdoor Adventure Club Outdoor Adventure Club

Properties Properties
Find events in your area
Members Members
For Girl Scouts For Girl Scouts

Badges and Journeys Badges and Journeys

Camp and Outdoors Camp and Outdoors

Highest Awards Highest Awards

Leadership Awards Leadership Awards

Travel Travel

Represent GSCO Represent GSCO

Renew Your Membership Renew
For Volunteers For Volunteers

New Leader Resources New Leader Resources

Forms and Documents Forms and Documents

Volunteer Cookie Resources Volunteer Cookie Resources

Volunteer Essentials Volunteer Essentials

Training & Enrichment Training & Enrichment

Troop Year Planner Troop Year Planner

Volunteer Appreciation Volunteer Appreciation

Membership Connection Committee Membership Connection Committee
For Parents & Families For Parents & Families

Renew Your Membership Renew Your Membership

Family Newsletter Family Newsletter
Resources for Girl Scout members. Find volunteer, Girl Scout, and family tools and support. Explore badges, activities, and more.

SHOP
DONATE
Español
Events
Forms
myGS

Council Finder

Use this finder to connect with your local Girl Scout council.

You are leaving girlscouts.org for a website opened by an external party. You will be subjected to the privacy and security policies of the website

Members
For Girl Scouts
Leadership Awards and Programs for Older Girl Scouts

Leadership Awards and Programs for Older Girl Scouts

Girl Scout Cadettes, Seniors, and Ambassadors looking for volunteer opportunities in their area or questions about older girl leadership programs may reach out to our Older Girl Program Specialist, Grace Chovil at grace.chovil@gscolorado.org

Leader in Action (LiA) Award

Achieving your LiA award is a prerequisite to earning the Cadette Program Aide and must be completed before taking a Program Aide training. This award is earned by assisting a group of Brownie Girl Scouts on any of their National Leadership Journeys or badgework.

Check out the steps to earn your LiA here.

Cadette Program Aide (PA) Award

Grow your leadership as a Girl Scout through the Program Aide award!

Grow your leadership skills as a Girl Scout through the Program Aide award! The Cadette Program Aide experience offers Girl Scouts the opportunity to complete a council-designed leadership training and apply their skills by working with younger Girl Scouts. Following an eight-hour hybrid course, girls will complete an internship by working with younger Girl Scouts.

Learn More toggle arrow

To earn the Cadette Program Aide award a sixth-, seventh-, or eight-grade girl must:

Register as a member of the Girl Scouts of the USA.
Complete a Leader in Action (LiA) award before taking Program Aide training.
Take Program Aide training prior to assuming their responsibilities.
Complete a Program Aide Internship by working directly with younger girls over six activity sessions. This might be assisting girls with Journey activities, badge activities, or general Girl Scouts activities. They might work with a group at their meetings, day camps, overnight camp, or during special council events.

Completed your training and Program Aide Internship? Upload your activity tracker to be approved! We will send you more information on how to order your pin after council approval.

Cadette Program Aide Completion Form

Want to run your own Program Aide training?
Use the documents below to run your own training with five or more Girl Scout Cadettes!

Cadette Program Aid Training (In-Person Workbook)
Cadette Program Aid Training (Virtual Workbook)
Program Aide Facilitator Guide
Tips Working with Middle Schoolers

Want more information on upcoming trainings?
Check out opportunities on our Events Page or contact us at contact us at highestawards@gscolorado.org

Questions about Day Camp or Resident Camp? Check out GSCO's Camp Leadership page for information on how to become a Program Aide at camp.

Counselor in Training (CiT) Award

Do you have dreams of being a camp counselor one day? Complete your CiT award!

Senior* and Ambassador Girl Scouts can enhance their leadership and camp counseling skills by learning to create lesson plans, developing behavior management and discipline strategies for campers, and improving their camp skills overall. Girls have the option to earn the award at either of our resident camps: Tomahawk or Sky High.

Learn More toggle arrow

CiT 1 is for girls who are participating for the first time. This two-week period is when they receive training and complete their internship.

CiT 2 is for girls who have completed their internship and are ready to assist in running programming, entertaining kids, and making camp a magical place!

Space is limited for this opportunity and typically sells out.
*must be entering 10th grade

To earn the Counselor in Training Award a 10th, 11th, or 12th grade girl must:

Register as a member of the Girl Scouts of the USA
Register as a CiT 1 (first year) through CampInTouch when summer camps go on sale.
Attend CiT 1 camp session where she will complete her training and internship.
Attend CiT 2 camp session where she will put her skills learned to use.

Contact us for more information

Volunteer in Training (ViT) Award

Want to mentor younger Girl Scouts in their leadership development? Volunteer in Training (ViT) award is for Senior and Ambassador Girl Scouts who want to work with Daisy, Brownie or Junior girls in a troop environment. With assistance of adult members, ViTs take the lead of working with the younger girls to plan troop meetings and activities that guide them through Journeys and badges

To earn the Volunteer in Training (ViT) award:

Find an adult mentor/leader in the area of ViT that you want to work with. They will be your ViT coach.
Complete ViT workshop.
Complete specialty internship for area of focus- troop leadership, event leadership, or day camp leadership.

National Lifesaving Awards

Girl Scouts are eligible to apply for a Lifesaving Award if they have saved or attempted to save human life, with or without risk to their own, and under circumstances that most persons of their age and life experience would not be able to handle. The award includes a medal and a congratulatory letter from GSUSA's CEO.

Instructions for the application process
Narrative statement form
Application

Service Bars and Torch Award

These awards recognize Cadettes, Seniors, and Ambassadors who act as leaders in their communities by making a difference and practicing the values of the Girl Scout Law. It's also a great way to get involved with a particular cause or organization you care about.

Cadette

The Silver Torch Award

Cadettes can earn this award by completing these two steps.

Complete one Cadette Leadership Journey.
Serve for one full term in a leadership position at your school, place of worship, library, town council, community center, after-school club, or a similar organization. For Example, you might serve as a school yearbook editor, on a committee to organize youth events within your faith community, or on an event-planning board at the Girl Scouts. The length of your service will depend on the term specified by the organization or particular role.

Community Service Bar & Service to Girl Scouting Bar

Cadettes can earn these bars by completing the following requirements.

To earn the Community Service bar, first choose an organization you'd like to volunteer with. The organization will need to agree to give you instructions about the work you'll be doing. Once you've chosen your organization, complete at least 20 hours of service to earn the bar.
If you choose to volunteer at least 20 hours to the Girl Scout organization, you can receive the Cadette Service to Girl Scouting bar. For example, you might volunteer your time at a special event for younger girls, be an office assistant for your council or service unit, or help with special projects.

Senior

The Silver and Gold Torch Award

Seniors can earn this award by completing these two steps.

Complete one Senior Leadership Journey.
Serve for one full term in a leadership position at you school, place of worship, library, town council, community center, after-school club, or a similar organization. For example, you might serve on a planning committee for graduation, co-teach a youth class at your place of worship, or serve on a Girl Scout board of directors. The length of your service will depend on the term specified by the organization or the particular position you hold.

Community Service Bar & Service to Girl Scouting Bar

Seniors can earn these bars by completing the following requirements.

To earn a Senior Community Service bar, first choose an organization you'd like to volunteer with. The organization will need to agree to give you instructions about the work you'll be doing. Once you've chosen your organization, complete at least 20 hours of service to earn the bar.
If you choose to volunteer at least 20 hours to the Girl Scout organization, you can receive the Senior Service to Girl Scouting bar. For example, you might volunteer your time at a special event for younger girls, be an office assistant for your council or service unit, or help with special projects.

Ambassador toggle arrow

The Gold Torch Award

Ambassadors can earn this award by completing these two steps.

Complete one Ambassador Leadership Journey.
Serve for one full term in a leadership position at your school, place of worship, library, town council, community center, after-school club, or a similar organization. For example, you might serve on a planning committee for graduation, co-teach a youth class at your place of worship, or serve on a Girl Scout board of directors. The length of your service will depend on the term specified by the organization or particular position you hold.

Community Service Bar & Service to Girl Scouting Bar

Ambassadors can earn these bars by completing the following requirements.

To earn a Ambassador Community Service bar, first choose an organization you'd like to volunteer with. The organization will need to agree to give you instructions about the work you'll be doing. Once you've chosen your organization, complete at least 20 hours of service to earn the bar.
If you choose to volunteer at least 20 hours to the Girl Scout organization, you can receive the Senior Service to Girl Scouting bar. For example, you might volunteer your time at a special event for younger girls, be an office assistant for your council or service unit, or help with special projects.

Contact Us
Visit Us
News
Whistleblower Hotline
Careers
Terms and Conditions
Privacy Policy

© 2016-2023 Girl Scouts of Colorado

A 501(c)(3) Organization. All Rights Reserved.