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Ask a Girl Scout: Ananya Jain

Girl Scouts of Orange County is proud to announce that Ananya Jain has received the National Gold Award Scholarship from Girl Scouts of the USA.

This $5,000 award is earned by one Girl Scout from each council who demonstrates extraordinary leadership, measurable and sustainable impact, and addresses an issue of national and/or global significance while earning the Gold Award—the highest achievement in Girl Scouts.  

Ananya partnered with Olive Crest Foster Home and Trabuco Hills High School to create a financial literacy education program for teens. Ananya is a shining example of the Girl Scout mission to build girls of courage, character, and confidence!

How did you decide on the topic for your project? 

Realizing that a significant part of the American population lacked financial literacy skills, leading to situations like poverty and homelessness, I decided to use my own financial literacy skills from college classes and partnerships with financial advisors to create a financial literacy course to educate the youth in my community to help prevent these situations for youth in the future. 

How did you make the project sustainable? 

I trained adult volunteers to continue the program at Olive Crest for the following years. I also implemented a financial literacy club at my school for younger students to continue. After finishing my Gold Project, I even founded my own non-profit, Money Matters Education Foundation. 

What is the one most important financial literacy for a young person?

I would recommend a young person to track where they are spending their money because small purchases can quickly add up without people realizing where their money is going, leading to future debt.

As you enter your next chapter of life, what memories or skills are you bringing with you that you gained in Girl Scouts? 

I will remember the initial hardships that I faced when pursuing my Gold Project and how I overcame them to help myself persevere in the future when things may become difficult.

What are your plans for the future?

This fall, I am attending UC Berkeley as a double major in economics and political science. I plan to continue spreading financial literacy to the communities around me by expanding my Money Matters Education Foundation nonprofit.

Voice for Girls: We've Got News

We are thrilled to share new details about Voice for Girls 2026, Presented by US Bank.

Join us on Friday, September 18, 2026, 8:00 AM at Newport Beach Country Club for GSOC’s annual advocacy event!

This year’s theme is Care as a Catalyst for Change, featuring Keynote Speaker Kelly Vlahakis-Hanks, President and CEO of ECOS, the #1 selling green laundry detergent in the country. A panel of Girl Scouts will also share their inspiring “Take Action” projects, demonstrating how care becomes action, and action creates change.

Sponsorships and tickets are available now! We do expect to sell out, so we suggest you reserve your sponsorship or seat today, and mark your calendar for September 18!

Three are Silver and the Other Gold

On May 19, Girl Scouts earned a different kind of Gold Award: a Telly!

“Facts,” a PSA for Girl Scouts of Orange County, won three Silver Telly Awards and a Gold Telly Award in Local TV and Not-for-Profit categories.

The Telly is the premier award honoring video and television across all screens. Established in 1979, The Telly Awards receives over 13,000 entries globally.

We are thrilled that the spotlight remains exactly where it belongs: on the Girl Scouts who are leading the way and making the world a better place.

Photo-Rama: Events Galore!

As you know, Girl Scouts stay busy. And these past few months have been no exception. Whether it's graduation, cookies, or Gold Awards, we've been celebrating all of it. 🎓🍪

We hope you were able to join us for some of these events, but if not, we're happy to share photos.

Click the green tiles below to view a photo album for each event.