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GSNI Recognition

Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois recognizes volunteers, girls and community partners in a variety of ways. Our members and communities change the world for girls across our council. Because of them, our girls are one step closer to their true potential. 

Below you can find the amazing ways GSNI recognizes our members and community partners. Don't forget to nominate an awesome volunteer when Adult Recognition nominations opens up in early January. 

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April is Volunteer Appreciation!

Volunteer-Month-

April is Volunteer Appreciation Month. Below you can find different resource to have girls and adults to show their appreciation for all of the hard work Girl Scout Volunteers and Leaders do for them throughout the year. 

Printable Thank You Cards
GSUSA's Volunteer Appreciation Resources

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Adult Recognition

Every day, our volunteers provide girls with the environment they need to pursue the interests, causes, and leadership roles that matter most to them. Girls are learning from them that being scientists, CEOs, and advocates for social change are paths they can take to make a difference in the world. Under their guidance, girls are standing up, standing out, and standing tall in every aspect of their lives.

GSNI's Recognition Committee reviews each and every Adult Recognition Nomination that is submitted in mid-February. If you would like to join the Recognition Committee, email Customercare@girlscoutsni.org with the email subject: Recognition Committee.

Those who receive one of our Adult Recognition Awards will be honored at GSNI's Annual Recognition Event each year. 

Nominations are now open. Don't forget nominations close on February 1.

Annual Nomination Process

To nominate a volunteer for an Adult Recognition Award, complete the following steps when nominations open:

1. Review the criteria for each National Adult Volunteer Award in GSNI's Adult Recognition Handbook or the links below under each award. 

2. Review the list of Past Recieptients to ensure the volunteer has not recieved the award in the past.

3. Submit a nomination form for the National Adult Volunteer Award that fits best for the volunteer.

  • Online submissions ONLY!
    • Online Adult Volunteer Recognition Nomination Form
    • Online Letter of Endorsement for the Hall of Fame 

General information about Adult Volunteer Recognitions, tips, questions for nominations can be found  here.

Check out our  Decision Tree to help you identify which award to nominate your nominee. 

Appreciation Pin


Appreciation Award

 

 

The Appreciation Pin recognizes an individual's exemplary service in support of delivering the Girl Scout Leadership Experience. This service which has had measurable impact on one geographic area of service, helps reach and surpass the mission-delivery goals of the area. 

Online Adult Volunteer Recognition Nomination Form
List of past awardees

GSNI's Hall of Fame

 

Hall of Fame Award

The Hall of Fame Award recognizes a lifetime commitment to the Girl Scout Movement within Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois. The recipient has supported GSNI in a varitey of ways including advocating for Girl Scouts in the community, volunteering in a variety of roles and financially supporting GSNI. No more than two current individuals shall be inducted into the Hall of Fame in a given year. The Hall of Fame Award can be given to 2 posthumously individuals each year. Presentation of the Hall of Fame Award will be done at the Annual Volunteer Recognition event. 

*The Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois Hall of Fame Award replaced the Courage, Confidence, and Character Award in 2015. Those volunteers who received that award are automatically members of GSNI's Hall of Fame. 

Online Adult Volunteer Recognition Nomination Form
Online Letter of Endorsement Form
List of past awardees

Honor Pin

 

Honor Pin

 

The Honor Pin recognizes an individual's exemplary service in support of delivering the Girl Scout Leadership Experience, which has had measurable impact on two or more geographic areas of service, allowing the council to reach and surpass its mission-delivery goals. 

Online Adult Volunteer Recognition Nomination Form
List of past awardees

President's Award

 

President's Award

 


The President's Award recognizes the efforts of a service-delivery team or committee whose exemplary service in support of delivering the Girl Scout Leadership Experience surpassed team goals and resulted in significant, measurable impact toward reaching the council's overall goals. 

Online Adult Volunteer Recognition Nomination Form
List of past awardees

Thanks Badge

Thanks Badge

 

The Thanks Badge honors an individual whose ongoing commitment, leadership and service have had an exceptional, measurable impact on meeting the mission-delivery goals and priorities of the entire council or the entire Girl Scout Movement. 

 

Online Adult Volunteer Recognition Nomination Form
List of past awardees

 

Thanks Badge II

 

 

Thanks Badge II

 

 

The Thanks Badge II honors a previous Thanks Badge award recipient who has continued to provide exemplary service in a leadership role, resulting in a measurable impact that benefits the entire Girl Scout Movement. 

Online Adult Volunteer Recognition Nomination Form
List of past awardees

Volunteer of Excellence

 

Volunteer of Excellence Award

 

The Volunteer of Excellence Award recognizes those volunteers who have contributed outstanding service while partnering directly with girls in any pathway to implement the Girl Scout Leadership Experience through use of the national program portfolio, or who have contributed outstanding service in support of the council's mission delivery to girl and adult members. 

Online Adult Volunteer Recognition Nomination Form
List of past awardees

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Community Recognition

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GSNI's Board of Directors established the Community Partnership Award as a way to recognize special donors or organizations that have significantly supported GSNI to better serve our girls and volunteers. Donors or organizations who recieve this award are recognized at GSNI's Annual Meeting each year in April. 

Nomination is currently OPEN! All nominations must be received by February 28 at 11:59 pm.  

Nomination Form
Past Recipients

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Girl Paths of Leadership

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Girl Scouts is a place where girls can find their inner leader! Throughout the different levels of Girl Scouting, girls are able to explore what type of leader they are whether it is to lead a group of younger girls during a meeting or in the outdoors. 

Check out GSNI's Community Service Leadership page for a list of different girl leadership awards Girl Scout Juniors through Girl Scout Ambassadors can earn throughout their Girl Scout experience. 

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Volunteer Spotlight

Volunteer Spotlight Award Photo

The Volunteer Spotlight Award is a GSNI council staff-nominated award and recognition blog highlighting our exceptional volunteers with a gift and story. This is awarded monthly to volunteers who have contributed outstanding service by either integrating or modeling The Three Processes (girl led, learn by doing, cooperative learning) into their Girl Scout volunteer role, or by going above and beyond the position’s expectations by supporting our council’s mission-delivery goals. 

Past Recipients

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Highest Awards

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Every Girl Scout goes above and beyond to make a difference in her community and the greater world. GSNI takes pride in honoring all of our Girl Scouts who achieves one of our highest awards: Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards.

If you have a girl who is interested in earning one or all three of the highest awards, check our our Highest Awards page to get started! 

Girls who earn the Gold Award are recognized at GSNI's Annual Forever Green Ceremony during the Annual Recognition Event in April every year. 

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President's Volunteer Service Award

Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois is a certifying organization for the President's Volunteer Service Award. The President's Volunteer Service Award recognizes United States citizens and lawfully admitted permanent residents of the United States who have achieved the required number of hours of service during a specified time frame. 

Hours are measured over a 12-month period and awards are designated based on cumulative hours. For GSNI, hours must be completed between February 1, 2022 to February 1, 2023 to be honored at GSNI's Annual Recognition Event in April 2023. 

For more information on eligiblity, criteria, hours and timeline for each level of the President's Volunteer Service Award, please download GSNI's President's Volunteer Service Award guidelines and log

For questions, please email customercare@girlscoutsni.org with the subject title: President's Volunteer Service Award. 

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Service Unit Recognition

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There are several ways Service Units can recognize their volunteers and girls locally. Below you can find resources for Service Unit Recognition Chairs to share with their Service Unit Teams as they plan their recognition activities for the year. 

If you have an idea on how to recognition volunteers and girls at the service unit level, please submit ideas to customercare@girlscoutsni.org with the subject line: Service Unit Recognition Idea. 

Service Unit Recognition Chair Training

GSNI offers Recognition Chair Training for all Recognition Chairs through gsLearn. If you are a new or current Recognition Chair and would like to take the new Recognition Chair Training; log into your MYGS Community at the top of the webpage and click on gsLearn. 

If you are interested in becoming a Recognition Chair in your Service Unit, contact your Member Support Specailist at customercare@girlscoutsni.org.

Recognition Chair Position Description

Resources for Adult Recognition

For information on Adult Recognition, please refer to GSNI's Adult Recogniton Handbook located HERE.

Resources for Girl Recognition