Schools

Search Is On For Top Georgia Youth Volunteers

Do you know of middle or high school students worthy of recognition for their efforts?

The search is on for Georgia’s top youth volunteers. Prudential Financial has launched its drive to find middle and high school winners of the 17th Annual Spirit of Community Award. The students chosen receive cash awards, medallions and a trip to Washgton D.C. to participate in national events.

According to Prudential Financial, over the past 16 years Prudential Spirit of Community Awards have been given to 2,420 middle and high school students across Georgia for helping the less fortunate, promoting health and safety, protecting the environment and serving their communities through many other volunteer activities.

The 2011 winners were Andrew Mirolli, 18, of Acworth and Tiffani Alexander, 13, of Covington. Andrew, Georgia's top high school youth volunteer, was honored for launching an educational and fund-raising campaign to fight poverty locally and internationally.

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This program was built around an annual “challenge week” during which teens in his community voluntarily experience poverty by living on $2 a day. 

Tiffani, Georgia's top middle level volunteer, was recognized for creating and presiding over a “bug club” for children through Prevent Child Abuse Rockdale (PCAR), a family strengthening and abuse prevention program offered at a local church. 

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The search began this week to identify more young Georgians who have made meaningful contributions to their communities over the past 12 months. The top middle and high school volunteers will become the 2012 Annual Spirit of Community Award winners.

These awards, presented nationwide by Prudential Financial, Inc. in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), honor outstanding community service by young people in grades 5 through 12. 

“Since creating this program in 1995, we’ve been amazed every year by the stories of young volunteers and their outstanding acts of community service,” Prudential Chairman and CEO John Strangfeld said in a press release. “We’re delighted to honor these role models and hold them up as examples of how young people can change their communities for the better.”

Young volunteers can apply online at http://spirit.prudential.com or at www.nassp.org/spirit.  Applications must be completed by Nov. 1, 2011, and then submitted to a middle or high school principal, Girl Scout council, county 4-H agent, American Red Cross chapter, , or affiliate of the HandsOn Network. Those without Internet access can get a paper version of the application form by calling 1-877-525-8491 toll-free.

Participating schools and local organizations will select local honorees by November and present them with Certificates of Achievement.  Those selected also will receive the President’s Volunteer Service Award from President Barack Obama if they have contributed the minimum number of volunteer hours to qualify (50 hours for age 14 and younger, 100 hours for older students). 

All local honorees are then reviewed by at the state level by a judging committee, which will name the top two candidates from each state and the District of Columbia – one high school student and one middle level student – as State Honorees on February 7, 2012.

These State Honorees will receive $1,000 awards, engraved silver medallions, and an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C., with a parent for four days of recognition events May 5-8, 2012. Runners-up at the state level will receive bronze medallions or Certificates of Excellence.

In Washington, national selection committee 10 from the 102 State Honorees as America’s top youth volunteers of the year.  These National Honorees will receive additional awards of $5,000, gold medallions, crystal trophies for their nominating schools or organizations and $5,000 grants from The Prudential Foundation for nonprofit, charitable organizations of their choice.


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