About the Award - Frequently
Asked Questions
What
are the age requirements?
When can I begin
counting hours toward my goals?
Are hours accepted
for work I've already completed?
What if I can complete
the hours in less time than required?
How many hours of planning or training may count towards Voluntary Public Service?
Can I skip levels?
Can I pursue just
one of the four Program Areas?
What if I go over
the required number of hours?
Are the days and
nights for the Expeditions cumulative? Do they have to be consecutive?
How long does it
take for a Record Book to be approved?
When is my Record
Book due?
Can activities
for one level of the Award be used for another level?
Can my activities
with other organizations count toward The Congressional Award?
Can the time I
spend at regular club meetings count toward an award?
Are adjustments
made for person with disabilities?
Can an advisor
also serve as a validator?
Who would make
a good advisor or validator?
What
is the Difference between an Expedition and an Exploration?
What
should I include in the write-up of my Expedition or Exploration?
What Qualifies as an Expedition or Exploration?
What
are the age requirements?
The
Congressional Award program is for youth ages 14-23 years of
age. Participants can register when they are 13 ½ years
old. However, they cannot earn their first Award until they
are 14. All goals must be completed by their 24th
birthday. Any young people below the age of 13 ½ do not
yet qualify for the Congressional program. We encourage those
youth to register once they become eligible.
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When
can I begin counting hours toward my goals?
You
may begin counting hours once you have submitted your Registration Form
and your goals have been approved by your advisor.
Are
hours accepted for work I've already completed?
No.
Hours completed before you register for The Congressional Award are unacceptable.
However, once you register, hours can be counted and carried to each level
of the program.
What
if I can complete the hours in less time than required?
When
earning an award, goals achieved by activities requiring intense hours
over a short period of time, e.g. 100 hours in 14 days, should be extended
over the requirement for the level (for example, 7 months at the Bronze
Medal level), either with follow up activities or by choosing a second
goal. Part of earning a Congressional Award is making a commitment to
your activities over a period of time. In order to earn an award, you
must demonstrate that you have completed activities during at least the
number of months required at your current level.
How many hours of planning and training may be counted towards Voluntary Public Service?
Training and planning hours for Voluntary Public Service work for the Congressional Award must consist of less than 15% of the total hours completed. All other Voluntary Public Service hours must consist of a direct service to the community at large.
Can
I skip levels?
You may begin with any level that you choose. We consider every participant
to be on the road to the Gold Medal, and we'll give you everything you
earn along the way. Simply submit a Congressional Award Record Book for
the level that you'd like to pursue once you fulfill those requirements.
Once you're approved, we'll be sure to also send you any lower levels
that you qualify for. For instance, if you choose to start with the Bronze
Medal level, we'll send you the Bronze Medal and all three Certificates
as well. However, we strongly recommend that participants start at one
of the lower levels. As the work is cumulative, the only cost will be
the short time taken to fill out a Record Book and the money for postage.
Plus, if you submit at a lower level, you can be sure that you understand
The Congressional Award’s program requirements.
Can
I pursue just one of the four Program Areas?
In order to earn a Congressional Award, participants must complete
hours for all four of the Program Areas. You cannot choose to
pursue only certain ones. The Congressional Award program is
about exploring new and different activities, thus becoming
a well-rounded and balanced individual.
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What
if I go over the required number of hours?
Please submit a complete Record Book that includes all of your hours for
each of the Program Areas - even if you go over the minimum hour and time
requirements. Remember that the minimum program requirements are just
that - a minimum. All hours carry over from one level to the next, and
we add them up in our database at the National Office. We want to be sure
that you get credit for all hours that you accumulate throughout the program.
Just remember to only list your new hours - not your total number that
includes previous levels. We'll already have that information in our database.
Are
the days and nights for the Expeditions cumulative? Do they have
to be consecutive?
At the Certificate levels, the Expedition activities are cumulative and
carry over from one level to the next. However, for the Medal levels,
please note that the required overnights must be consecutive. Therefore,
you can not add your overnights together from previous levels.
How
long does it take for a Record Book to be approved?
It may take several weeks to approve Record Books. Please be
patient. Participants should hear back from their Program Manager
regarding their Record Book within 4-6 weeks. Gold Medal Record Books are reviewed by a committee and take about 8 weeks for approval.
When
is my Record Book due?
Record
Books are accepted all year. There are no deadlines. Work at your own
pace. Just make sure you achieve your goals by your 24th birthday.
Can
activities for one level of the Award be used for another level?
Yes.
Everyone is on the road to the Gold Medal. Hours are carried
from one level to the next. Additional hours required at each
level may be spent achieving your current goals or pursuing
new goals. As you move from one award level to the next, you
will work with your advisor to determine the best approach for
exploring your potential.
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Can
my activities with other organizations count toward The Congressional
Award?
Often,
they do. If you belong to groups such as Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Venturing,
4-H, etc., your activities may often by used to achieve a particular goal.
The activities used for The Congressional Award program, however, are
to be consistent with the guidelines of the Award program.
Can
the time I spend at regular club meetings count toward an award?
Not
usually. Hours accumulated by attending regular club meetings where regular
business is discussed are unacceptable. It is the activities the club
undertakes, not the meetings it holds that count toward the Award. For
some goals, time invested in gaining leadership skills or planning award
activities might be allowable.
Are
adjustments made for person with disabilities?
Yes.
Adjustments to the requirements can be made to suit the individual needs
of participants with physical or mental disabilities. However, the degree
of challenge and effort required to earn the Award is not diminished.
Can
an advisor also serve as a validator?
Yes,
but to do so he or she must be knowledgeable in the particular activity.
Who
would make a good advisor or validator?
Teachers, guidance counselors, coaches, club leaders and Scout Masters
would all make excellent advisors and validators.
What
is the Difference between an Expedition and an Exploration?
Expeditions
are typically outdoor excursions that include camping, hiking,
and wilderness activities. This usually forces the participant
to forgo the comforts of home and learn to pack and prepare
equipment, set up a tent, and cook food over an open fire. Participants
should always take safety precautions and consult an adult when
necessary.
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Explorations
are trips that provide the participant with a new cultural experience.
These may include living on a farm, traveling to a foreign country, or
exploring a new environment. Explorations involve preliminary research
and preparation. Challenges may include language barriers, traveling great
distances, or learning new tasks. You may want to consider an overnight
stay with a local family if possible.
Whether
alone, or as part of a group, everyone's personal Challenge Level is different.
Be sure to plan an Expedition or Exploration that's right for you.
What
should I include in the write-up of my Expedition or Exploration?
The
presentation of your Record Book is very important. Be sure to provide
as many details as you can, and be specific. There are three questions
to consider when you are writing-up your Expedition or Exploration in
the Congressional Award Record Book.
1)
How did you prepare or plan?
2) How is this different from anything you have ever done before?
3) How were you self-reliant? Include details of how you were able to
think on your feet and provide examples of how you took initiative.
The
National Office Review Committee will look for this information, especially
at the medal levels.
What
Qualifies as an Expedition or Exploration?
Expeditions
and Explorations are all about adventure and discovery. Participants should
plan, prepare, and be responsible. Pre-planned activities, or "Sign
Up and Go" type trips would not qualify as a Congressional Award
Expedition. School band trips, sport camps, conferences, leadership workshops
or competitions are examples of these pre-planned type trips. There are
three exceptions to this rule that are acceptable due to the time commitment,
total immersion into a new environment and the level of physical and mental
challenge required. These include:
- Philmont,
NM BSA Camp
- Outward
Bound
- People
to People Ambassador Trips
Also
note that family vacations are fun and relaxing, but there must
be a level of challenge and discovery involved with the trip
to count as an Expedition or Exploration.
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