President’s Volunteer Service Award
Dear Inspiring Girls USA Young Ambassadors,
We are thrilled to share some exciting news with you all. Inspiring Girls USA has been selected and approved as an official Certifying Organization for the President’s Volunteer Service Award.
The President’s Volunteer Service Award (PVSA) is a prestigious national honor established by the White House to recognize the invaluable contributions of volunteers in our communities. Since its inception in 2003, the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation has been dedicated to honoring individuals and groups who inspire others through their commitment to volunteerism.
As Young Ambassadors of Inspiring Girls USA, you are eligible to earn this esteemed award through our organization. The PVSA acknowledges individuals, families, and groups who demonstrate a commitment to service by tracking their volunteer hours over a 12-month period, as well as cumulative hours earned over a lifetime.
To begin your journey towards earning the President’s Volunteer Service Award, you can track your volunteer hours using the provided PVSA Workbook Template available for download below. Please note that your volunteer efforts need not be limited to activities exclusively for Inspiring Girls USA. They can encompass a wide range of projects and service activities, provided they meet certain requirements and a minimum threshold appropriate for your age category.
For more detailed information about the PVSA program, please visit https://presidentialserviceawards.gov/.
As a Certifying Organization, Inspiring Girls USA reviews and approves PVSA submissions once a year. Those who are approved will be recognized at our annual Inspiring Girls USA Young Ambassador Graduation.
Please note that the deadline to apply for the President’s Volunteer Service Award is 5:00 pm PST on March 1st annually. Eligible activities must occur between January 1st and December 31st of the previous year. The application window for PVSA consideration is from January 1st through March 1st annually. You can find complete instructions for the application and link to download the PVSA Workbook Template below.
We are incredibly proud of your dedication to service and look forward to celebrating your achievements as you pursue this prestigious award.
Warm regards,
The Inspiring Girls USA Team
Reporting Instructions
Download and Save the PVSA Workbook Template: Please download and save the PVSA Workbook Template document immediately. Use the following format for the file name: “PVSA Workbook [Your Name]”. When saving, select “Excel Workbook”. Ensure to save the document after recording each service activity as well.
Complete Member Information: Fill out the member information at the top of both the “Instructions” and “Activities” tabs.
Record Service Activities: Utilize the “Activities” tab in the Excel workbook to record your service activities.
Recording Format: Each activity should be documented in its own row on the “Activities” tab.
Column A (“Date”): Specify the exact date of the service activity. Please try to avoid date ranges if possible for accurate reporting.
Column B (“Benefitting Organization”): Provide the name of the person or entity for which you volunteered (e.g., Main Street Soup Kitchen).
Column C (“Activity Description”): Describe the volunteer activity in a full sentence (e.g., “I volunteered at a soup kitchen as a dish washer.”). Ensure that each volunteer activity is fully described. Please avoiding generic descriptions. Ineligible services can be found here.
Column D (“Hours”): Indicate the number of hours volunteered for each specific activity (e.g., 3, 2.25, 4.5, etc.).
Column E (“Verification Information”): Provide the Name and Contact Phone Number or Email of the individual you reported to.
Upload Completed Workbook: Once all activities are recorded, upload the completed workbook to the application portal.
Should you have any questions or require further clarification, feel free to reach out to your us at hello@inspiringgirlsusa.org or directly to your Inspiring Girls USA representative.