President's Council on Service and Civic Participation
The mission of the council is to recognize and encourage outstanding volunteer service and civic participation by individuals, schools, and organizations and thereby encourage more such activity, especially on the part of America's youth.
The President's Volunteer Service Awards
Specifically, the council will recognize the millions of people who serve their communities for their dedicated volunteer service. Beginning in 2003, the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation will launch the President's Volunteer Service Awards. These awards, which will be modeled after the President's Physical Fitness Awards, will be given on an annual basis. The following are guidelines on who can earn the award and how:
Eligibility and Timing
For Individuals and Families
For Organizations
Eligibility and Timing
Who can earn a President's Volunteer Service Award?
-
Every individual and family in America will be able to earn the President's Volunteer Service Award by regularly participating in volunteer service over time. Organizations including businesses, schools, and community and faith-based institutions can also be recognized for their outstanding volunteer service activities.
Back to Top
When will the awards be given out?
- The awards program will be up and running in 2003, but you can
start keeping track of your hours spent volunteering in 2002 and 2003
right now. One way you can begin earning your service hours is to
help address the President's Volunteer Service Action Priorities.
Back to Top
For Individuals and Families
What do I do to earn an award?
-
If you are between the ages of 5 and 14, you can earn a President's Volunteer Service Award if you have completed 50 hours of volunteer service in the prior
12 months.
-
If you are 15 or older, you can earn a President's Volunteer Service Award if you have completed 100 hours of volunteer service in the prior
12 months.
-
If you have completed more than 4,000 hours of volunteer service in
your lifetime, you can earn an award to recognize that you have answered President George W. Bush's two year call to service from his 2002 State of the Union address.
Back to Top
What does my family do to earn an award?
-
If you are a family or group of 2 or more people, you can earn a President's Volunteer Service Award if you have collectively completed 200 hours of volunteer service within the
12 months.
Back to Top
What does an award winner receive?
-
Each individual or family winner will receive:
- A personalized certificate of recognition, and
- A specially designed lapel pin that is embossed with the President's Volunteer Service Award logo.
Back to Top
What volunteer activities count toward the hours requirement?
-
Volunteer service refers to those activities that individuals do to help strengthen the nation by mentoring a child, feeding the hungry, cleaning up parks, participating in service-learning programs, making their communities safer, etc. In general, volunteer service activities should be unpaid, should exclude court-ordered community service, should meet the needs of local communities and should build citizenship skills. One way you can begin earning your service hours is to help address the
President's Volunteer Service Action Priorities.
Back to Top
How can an individual or family keep track of their hours of volunteer service?
- To earn an award, individuals and families must keep a record of their activities and hours of volunteer service. They can do that in a journal at home or through an online service, such as the USA Freedom Corps Record of Service. Individuals and families then submit their record of service to "certifying organizations." "Certifying organizations" are local organizations (see below) that are authorized by the council to review and verify the personal record of volunteer service, and then distribute the awards to individuals and family recipients.
Back to Top
For Organizations
What types of organizations can earn an award?
-
Organizations including businesses, schools, community and faith-based institutions, labor unions, memberships and associations, government agencies or nonprofits can be recognized for their outstanding volunteer service activities.
Back to Top
What does an organization do to earn an award?
-
Any organization in which a percent of its "members" has received the individual President's Volunteer Service Award will earn the organizational President's Volunteer Service Award. For a business or government agency, this would mean a percent of its employees. For a school, this would mean a percent of its students. For a nonprofit membership, union or association, this would mean a percent of its members. Specific numerical percentages will be determined based on the type and size of the organizational membership. Guidance on these
criteria will be released later in 2003.
Back to Top
What does an organizational award winner receive?
- Each organizational winner of the President's Volunteer Service Award will receive:
- A personalized certificate of recognition, and
- The right to customize materials to promote the organization as a President's Volunteer Service Award winner for a one-year period.
Back to Top
What types of organizations can be "certifying organizations" that review the records of service?
- Local "certifying organizations" could include faith-based institutions, schools, nonprofit and community-based organizations, businesses, labor unions, civic or service clubs, membership and trade associations, or
federal, state or local government agencies.
Back to Top
How can an organization become a "certifying organization?"
-
If you are with such an organization and are interested in having it become a "certifying organization," please e-mail your name, organization name, address and telephone number to:
inquiries@presidentialserviceawards.gov.
Back to Top
![[Section Picture]](/all/20040117103106im_/http://www.freedomcorps.gov/images/for_volunteers/bannerMainPic.jpg)
