In this time of disruption due to COVID-19, it’s more important than ever to celebrate young people making a difference through volunteer service.
Today through November 10, Prudential Financial and the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) are calling on youth volunteers in every U.S. state and the District of Columbia to apply for scholarships and national recognition through The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards.
Students in grades 5-12 are invited to apply for 2021 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards if they have made meaningful contributions to their communities through volunteering within the past 12 months — virtually or otherwise. The application is available at http://spirit.prudential.com.
“More than 25 years ago, we founded The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards to honor young volunteers working to meet the needs of our changing world — a mission that feels especially timely today,” said Charles Lowrey, chairman and CEO of Prudential Financial. “As life evolves due to COVID-19, young Americans are continuing to address urgent issues facing their communities, and we celebrate their service in hopes that they’ll inspire others to do the same.”
“While this is one of the most unusual times in recent history for American students, we know that young volunteers have a long history of rising to the challenges of the moment,” said JoAnn Bartoletti, executive director and CEO of NASSP. “Today through November 10, we call on parents, educators and local leaders to join us in celebrating the young volunteers who are innovating and adapting to serve their communities, and setting an important example for their peers in the process.”
How to Apply
To apply for a 2021 Prudential Spirit of Community Award, students and certifiers must complete the following steps:
- Students complete the online application by November 10, 2020.
- Then, students submit the application for certification to their principal or head of a local participating organization.
Certifiers review all applications for their school or organization, then select a Local Honoree to nominate for state-level judging by November 20, 2020.
Applications can be certified by a middle or high school principal or head of a Girl Scout council, county 4-H organization, American Red Cross chapter, YMCA or a Points of Light Global Network member.
The 2021 Awards Program
In February, the top middle level and high school volunteer from each state and the District of Columbia will be named State Honorees. They will receive a $1,000 scholarship, engraved silver medallions and an invitation to the program’s national recognition events in May.
During the national recognition events, a distinguished national selection committee will name 10 of the 102 State Honorees as America’s top youth volunteers of the year. These National Honorees will receive additional $5,000 scholarships, gold medallions, crystal trophies for their nominating schools or organizations, and $5,000 Prudential grants for nonprofit charitable organizations of their choice.
Several Distinguished Finalists in each state will receive bronze medallions, and runners-up will receive Certificates of Excellence. Local Honorees selected by schools and participating organizations for state-level judging will be presented with Certificates of Achievement and, if they have served the minimum number of volunteer hours to qualify, President’s Volunteer Service Awards.
