For the 18th year, the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program is beginning its search for America’s top youth volunteers. Every year since 1995, this search has turned up inspiring stories of youth volunteer community service. Like the California high school senior who created a business that enables women in Uganda to earn a living and educate their children by selling their handmade paper-bead jewelry in the United States. Or the Idaho sixth-grader who, with her sister, created a nonprofit charity that has raised more than $60,000 to benefit families of children needing heart surgery. And there's the Wisconsin high school junior who created a nonprofit organization that collects and disposes of unused or unwanted pharmaceuticals so that they don't end up in the water supply.
The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program, sponsored by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals, has honored more than 100,000 students at the local, state and national level.
Now through Nov. 6, students in grades 5-12 can apply for a Prudential Spirit of Community Award at http://spirit.prudential.com or www.nassp.org/spirit.
Want to learn more about the program? Visit the Spirit of Community Web page to hear 2012 honorees share their thoughts on volunteering. Want to talk to someone about the program? Contact Harold Banks.
