Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida Announces 2026 Gold Award Recipients 

Patrice and Morgan Robinson

Twenty-Two Young Women Earn Girl Scouting’s Highest Honor Through Transformational Community Service Projects

Deerfield Beach, Fla. (June 3, 2026) – Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida recognized 22 outstanding young women from Broward, Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, Okeechobee and Indian River counties with the prestigious 2026 Girl Scouts Gold Award, the highest achievement in Girl Scouting. The annual Gold Award Ceremony was recently held at the Doubletree by Hilton Deerfield Beach. 

During the ceremony, each Girl Scout was presented with a Gold Award pin by a special adult who supported her through her project and Girl Scout career. In return, the girl presented this adult with the Companion Gold Award pin.

Awarded to only 5% of eligible Girl Scouts nationwide, the Gold Award recognizes girls in grades 9 through 12 who demonstrate exceptional leadership, dedication and commitment to creating meaningful, sustainable change in their communities. Twelve of this year’s recipients are graduating high school seniors, six completed their projects last summer and returned to participate in the event following their first year in college, and four are current high school underclassmen

To earn the Gold Award, each Girl Scout must identify a community issue she is passionate about and lead a large-scale service project designed to create lasting impact. The Gold Award Class of 2026 took on issues including literacy; mental health; breast cancer, concussion, autism and endometriosis awareness; food insecurity and waste; foster care; and environmental sustainability. Their collective projects contributed more than 2,500 community service hours and partnered with dozens of local organizations to impact thousands of lives close to home and as far away as Tanzania in Africa. 

Gold Award projects require advanced communication, leadership and project management skills, often involving collaboration with nonprofits, schools, local governments and community organizations. The experience is designed to inspire a lifetime of civic engagement and leadership.

Often described as “what you want to be remembered for,” the Gold Award leaves a lasting legacy of activism, compassion and service long after a Girl Scout’s journey ends.

“I am impressed by the determination and creativity the Gold Award Class of 2026 demonstrated through their projects. Their community collaborations are remarkable, showing everyone the power of partnerships,” said Lisa Johnson, CEO of Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida. “Earning a Gold Award marks an important milestone in a Girl Scout’s career. The vision, commitment and leadership will continue to carry these extraordinary young women to new heights. This will forever distinguish them on scholarship applications, college admission essays and resumes.”

The 2026 Gold Awards ceremony sponsors included HCA Florida Healthcare, Amazon, Florida Power & Light and Publix Super Markets Charities and table sponsor Tula Hudson-Miller. To learn more about the Gold Award, scholarship opportunities or how to support Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida, please visit gssef.org.

Brianna Wilkinson, a Weston resident and senior at Cypress Bay High School, completed her project, Fear-Free Vaccines. Of the 72 million children between birth and age 17 in the United States, approximately 94% visit a doctor’s office to receive vaccines annually. While vaccines help fight diseases, they can also cause children to experience high levels of anxiety and fear that lead to a traumatizing experience for children and their parents. Brianna sought to talk about this common challenge and help minimize the stress and fear by providing an innovative educational program complete with a vaccine care package that offered patients and children tools to understand and help improve their overall in-office experience. Through her partnership with Pediatric Associates in the Weston and Sky Lakes offices, Brianna targeted patients between four and 12 years old with a kit for reducing fear and managing stress, thus improving the children’s quality of visits, long-term health outcomes from receiving the vaccines and improving healthcare workers’ environment. Her written materials were complemented with a video for the children that has already received more than 350 views. Survey results from patient’s families have shared an increase for the overall understanding of the vaccination process, a decreased sense of anxiety prior to vaccinations, an increase in confidence about continuing a recommended vaccination protocol with their children, and appreciation for the tools and tips provided as part of the program. Brianna will attend University of Miami in the fall.

About Girl Scouts 

We are the preeminent leadership development organization for girls who believe that every girl can be a go-getter, innovator, risk-taker, and leader with the power to change the world. More than any other organization in our community, Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida empowers girls ages 5 to 17 with vision and voice—girls who command their future, engage their communities, and inspire others. We offer every girl a chance to practice a lifetime of leadership, adventure, and success. Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida serves more than 6,900 girls in Broward, Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River, and Okeechobee Counties. To explore opportunities to volunteer or partner with Girl Scouts, call 561-427-0177 or visit http://www.gssef.org.