Awards & Recognitions

Awards and Recognitions for Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta Volunteers

It’s no secret that Girl Scouts would not be possible without our dedicated volunteers. Whether you serve as a troop leader, are part of a service unit team, or help support council-planned events, we are grateful for the time, knowledge, and energy you bring to Girl Scouts.

You help Girl Scouts dream big. You encourage them to become changemakers, trailblazers, and explorers. You’re their role model and that is no small job!

Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta celebrates and honors our volunteers in a variety of ways across the membership year. Anyone can nominate an adult Girl Scout member who has gone above and beyond through our Adult Awards.

We also celebrate Volunteer Appreciation Month every April!

The Year of Impact

Celebrating the stories and recognizing the impact of our Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta volunteers.

READ THE BLOG

Adult Awards and Nomination Deadlines toggle arrow

Adult Awards

Who do you know who has gone above and beyond as a volunteer?

Who truly shows what it means to be a Girl Scout?

Who makes a difference in the lives of girls, makes volunteering easier for adults, and makes the Girl Scout Movement shine?

Show them how much they mean by nominating them for an Adult Award.

Anyone can nominate – girls, adults, volunteers, community members
Anyone can be nominated – any friend to Girl Scouts can be recognized!

Nomination deadlines are:

January 15 for spring presentations
October 15 for fall presentations

Learn more about adult awards

Request a Numeral Guard

How to Nominate

Who can nominate?
Anyone can nominate! Girls, volunteers, staff, neighbors – anyone who recognizes a job well done can nominate an adult, business or organization for an adult award.

Who can be nominated?
For most awards, nominees must:

Be actively registered Girl Scout members
Be an approved volunteer with a current background check on file
Have completed at least one term of service in their volunteer position
Understand and practice inclusive behavior as one of the key values of Girl Scouting
Provide service above and beyond the requirements of their position

What about parents or community members who are not Girl Scouts?
We offer two special recognitions for these ‘friends of Girl Scouts.’

The Extra Mile Certificate recognizes any member of the community whose contribution goes above and beyond in support of Girl Scouts and our mission and goals.
The Special Supporter Certificate recognizes a business or organization that provides a benefit or service in support of Girl Scouts and our mission and goals.

How do I nominate someone?
You’ll need to gather some contact information for the person you are nominating. The form should only take about 15-20 minutes. Click the nominate button below to begin.

Is there a deadline?
Awards which require approval by the Board of Directors have spring and fall deadlines based on the Board meeting schedule. For other awards we request a 60-day processing time to allow for pins and certificates to be prepared and shipped. Check out the chart on page 4 for details.

For spring presentations, we recommend you submit your nominations by January 15.
For fall/winter award ceremonies, we recommend you submit your nomination by October 15.

President's Volunteer Service Award (Ages 5+) toggle arrow

November 2025 Announcement toggle arrow

As decided by AmeriCorps and effective immediately, the President’s Volunteer Service Award program is on a temporary pause.

If there are any questions, please reach out to PVSA@americorps.gov.

In 2003, the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation founded the President’s Volunteer Service Award to recognize the important role of volunteers in America’s strength and national identity. This award honors individuals whose service positively impacts communities in every corner of the nation and inspires those around them to take action, too.

The PVSA has continued under each administration, honoring the volunteers who are using their time and talents to solve some of the toughest challenges facing our nation.

Led by the AmeriCorps and managed in partnership with Points of Light, this program allows Certifying Organizations to recognize their most exceptional volunteers. Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta is a certifying organization.

To have Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta certify your hours, you must submit the PVSA hours log to the Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta Membership team at recruitment@gsgatl.org. Download the hours log form.

Award Levels – Service Benchmarks/Hours
Age Group	Bronze	Silver	Gold	Lifetime
Kids (5-10)	26-49	50-74	75+	4,000
Teens (11-15)	50-74	75-99	100+	4,000
Young Adults (16-25)	100-174	175-249	250+	4,000
Adults (26+)	100-249	250-499	500+	4,000
Families & Groups	200-499	500-999	1,000+	N/A

Heart of Promise Award for Girls toggle arrow

Heart of Promise Award for Girls

The Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta Heart of Promise award is earned by Girl Scouts who demonstrate extraordinary compassion, concern, and awareness of their Girl Scout sisters through selfless commitment to support their needs in a continuous positive effort.

PURPOSE

The Heart of Promise award recognizes outstanding service by Girl Scouts who have gone above and beyond in consistent service and commitment to their troop or service unit to be a sister to every Girl Scout and exemplify the Girl Scout Promise and Law. Additionally, this award aims to heighten Girl Scout awareness of the needs of the community around them. The ideal candidate for this recognition is a Girl Scout who has shown great heart, compassion and service to others over time.

REQUIREMENTS

Eligibility: Registered as a Girl Scout in 4th-12th grade (Junior-Ambassador). Peers, community adults, and GSGATL volunteers or staff may nominate a Girl Scout. Two (2) Troop Co-Leaders must endorse a nominated Girl Scout.
Service:
1. The service performed as a Girl Scout is impactful at the troop or service unit level in a way that is beyond a one-time act of kindness.
2. Consistent service to the troop, troop member, or to the service unit community.
Promise and Law: The ideals of the promise and law are exemplified and observable through actions and behaviors of the Girl Scout.

PROCESS

Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta, Service Unit Directors, and Service Unit Recognition Chairs will inform troops about the Heart of Promise Award.

Peers, community adults, and GSGATL volunteers or staff may nominate a Girl Scout using the nomination submission jotform. Nomination deadlines will follow the same dates as the adult recognition awards (October 15 and January 15).

Any Girl Scout in 4th-12th grades (Junior-Ambassador) can be nominated.

Once approved, the Girl Scout awardee will receive a certificate and pin for their uniform. Girl Scout awardees may be invited as a special guest to a council or service unit event to receive their pin and certificate. Girl Scout awardees will also be announced in GS News and Council social media.