The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards is beginning its search for Idaho’s top youth volunteers of 2016.
The annual national awards program, sponsored by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals, honors students in grades 5-12 who have made meaningful contributions to their communities through volunteer service.
The top middle and high school volunteer in every state will receive $1,000, a silver medallion and an all-expense-paid trip with a parent to Washington, D.C. for several days of national recognition events. State-level runners-up will receive bronze medallions or Certificates of Excellence.
Out of those top volunteers, 10 National Honorees are named America’s top youth volunteers of the year, which means those volunteers each receive $5,000 in personal awards, a gold medallion, a crystal trophy for their nominating school or organization and $5,000 Prudential Foundation grants for charities of their choice.
Now through November 3, middle level and high school students are invited to apply for 2016 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards at http://spirit.prudential.com. All middle and high schools, as well as local chapters of Girl Scouts, 4-H, American Red Cross, YMCA and HandsOn Network, can select Local Honorees for state-level judging.
Idaho's top youth volunteers of 2015 were Chandler Beard, 18, of Ashton and Tracie Bates-Orgill, 14, of Rigby. Chandler, Idaho's top high school volunteer, helped raise more than $10,000 over the past three years to benefit local people with breast cancer by organizing an annual volleyball game and breast cancer awareness night. Tracie, Idaho's top middle level volunteer, serves senior citizens in her community by preparing and delivering Meals on Wheels and by raising money to replace the old and problem-prone delivery van used in the program.
To learn more about this year’s call for applications, click here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150908005023/en/Search-Idahos-Top-Youth-Volunteers-2016#.Ve7ol7nbJ1s.