About the Award - Program Areas

Volunteer Public Service

Sharing your time and talents for the benefit of others is an important part of The Congressional Award program. This requires sensitivity, perception of need, determination, perseverance and dedication. Volunteer Public Service activities must be performed without pay, compensation or school credit. You should provide a direct service, rather than focus on issues. When setting your goals, identify activities that benefit the community at large. Keep in mind that political activities are not eligible for volunteer public service.

Guidelines

1. A series of activities may be combined to achieve one goal. However, a collection of unrelated volunteer service activities would not be acceptable.
   
   Acceptable goals with a series of activities: "I will provide a minimum of 100 hours of service under the direction of the Volunteer Office of Central Florida." (A similar situation could be applied to service clubs, scouting programs, American Red Cross or other organizations).
   
2. In pursuit of your medal, if your volunteer activity requires you to spend several consecutive days, earning many hours in a short period of time, plan a follow up activity or continue other volunteer activities throughout the remainder of your program:
   
   Acceptable goals with activity throughout the program: "I will volunteer as a counselor at a scout camp for 12 days. I also will serve as an assistant scout leader for one year."
   
3. In order to qualify, activities coordinated by a church synagogue or mosque must provide service to the community. Responsibilities related to membership in a religious institution (churches, synagogues, etc.) are not acceptable for volunteer public service, but many are acceptable as Personal Development activities.
   
   Acceptable Volunteer Public Service activities: Assisting with food and clothing drives; Working at soup kitchens; Providing community-wide day care.
   
   Unacceptable Volunteer Public Service activities: Singing in the church choir; Participating in religious education; Baby-sitting in the church nursery; Teaching religious doctrine; and Missionary and proselytizing work (preaching and converting).
   
4. Activities pursued, as a member of an organization or service club such as Key Club, fraternities or sororities must provide service to the community. Work related to internal, membership activities (such as recruitment, training or initiation) does not qualify for Volunteer Public Service.
   
5. Service volunteered at private businesses does not qualify for Volunteer Public Service, but may count as Personal Development. Volunteer service must be nonpartisan.
   
   Unacceptable places for volunteer service: Volunteer work at a private office (such as a law firm or doctor's office), working for an elected official and working for a political campaign are not acceptable Volunteer Public Service activities.

Activity Ideas:

Animal care shelter work Aquatics/water safety instructor Camp/outdoor school volunteer Civil Air Patrol Conservation projects Crime Prevention Day care center volunteer Disabled citizens assistance Fire dept. or Police volunteer First Aid Instructor Health service Hospital volunteer Immigrant services (bilingual tutoring, etc.) Interpreter

Leadership (Scout, 4-H leader) Library work Meals on Wheels Nursing home/aid to elderly Park volunteer Peer counseling Public housing services Red Cross volunteer Safety escort for young children Tutoring United Way volunteer VISTA programs YMCA volunteer

Once you are registered, you can CLICK HERE to get your copy of the Record Book. Work with your Advisor and Validator to set goals in each program area, then set out to achieve them.