Maine students in grades 5-12 who have made meaningful contributions to their communities through volunteer service in the past year are invited to apply for a Prudential Spirit of Community Award.
In order to apply, students must complete an application by Nov. 4 and have an authorized certifier (such as a school principal, head of a Girl Scout council, county 4-H agent, American Red Cross chapter, YMCA or HandsOn Network affiliate) certify the application for state-level judging.
State-level honorees will be announced in February. The top middle level and high school applicant in each state and the District of Columbia 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 2-5.
Ten of the state honorees will be named America’s top 10 youth volunteers of the year at a special ceremony in Washington in May. These national honorees will be awarded an additional $5,000, gold medallions, crystal trophies and $5,000 grants for the charities of their choice.
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 19 years.