Maine students in grades 5 through 8 who have volunteered over the past year may apply for a Prudential Spirit of Community Award and inspire other young people to follow their example.
In order to apply, students must complete an application and have an authorized certifier (such as a school principal or head of a Girl Scout council, county 4-H group, American Red Cross chapter, YMCA or HandsOn Network affiliate) certify the application for state-level judging. Students should email or print out instructions for their certifier on the application’s “Certification” tab.
State-level honorees will be announced in February. The top middle level and high school applicant in each state and the District of Columbia, called state honorees, will receive an unrestricted award of $1,000, an engraved silver medallion, and an all-expense-paid trip with a parent to Washington, D.C., next May 4-7.
From two to 10 runners-up in each state, called distinguished finalists, will receive bronze medallions. Other state-level winners will receive Certificates of Excellence.
Finally, 10 of the state honorees will be named America’s top 10 youth volunteers of the year at a special ceremony in Washington on May 6. These national honorees will be awarded an additional $5,000, gold medallions, crystal trophies and $5,000 grants for the charities of their choice. In addition, all local honorees who have devoted a minimum number of hours to their volunteer activities will receive the President’s Volunteer Service Award.
These awards, sponsored by Prudential Financial and the National Association of Secondary School Principals, have honored more than 100,000 youth volunteers at the local, state and national level over the past 17 years.