Submitted by: Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana
Status: Passed by Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana board and sent to councils
Proposal: THAT the National Council establish a volunteer task group charged with developing a college scholarship foundation as a partner to the Gold Award Alliance, and create a scholarship program to benefit Gold Award Girl Scouts. This task group will complete its work by the 2023 National Council Session.
Reasons: When the list of available scholarships dedicated to Gold Award Girl Scouts is examined, there are VERY few scholarship opportunities offered nationwide, no matter what college or university a recipient is attending. There are some local councils that have college scholarship opportunities for young women in their jurisdiction who have attained the Gold Award, but these are usually very limited in the number of recipients and the amount of financial help awarded. Certain colleges and universities offer scholarships to Gold Award Girl Scouts, but again, these are small in number and in the amount of financial assistance. When investigating the scholarships available to our male counterparts, the National Eagle Scout Association has a plethora of scholarships for the young men to access. As a national organization, we can do better for our Gold Award Girl Scouts. By establishing a foundation which has the sole purpose of funding and awarding college scholarships to Gold Award Girl Scouts, we would be sending the message that we value what our girls have already accomplished AND that we are committed to helping them attain their future goals. If as a National Council we are thoughtful in how this scholarship foundation is created and funded, we would be able to offer a significant number of college scholarships to some of the brightest and most dedicated young women in the country. By establishing a National Girl Scout Gold Award Scholarship Foundation to benefit Gold Award Girl Scouts, we would truly be upholding our mission to make the world a better place.
Financial Impact Statement: At the onset of a National Girl Scout Gold Award Scholarship Foundation, GSUSA would have the responsibility of providing the “seed money” to implement the college scholarship program. Perhaps the National Board could designate ten cents of every membership registration as college scholarship money. An on-line donation capability could also be established. The task group would seek out donors and develop other means to fund the foundation.
