Adult Volunteers - Advisors &
Validators
Why
Advisors and Validators?
As
an advisor or validator, you play an important role in a young
person's pursuit of The Congressional Award. To earn the Award,
participants set goals in four program areas: Voluntary Public
Service; Personal Development; Physical Fitness; and Expedition/Exploration.
Advisors guide participants through
the goal-setting process in each of the four program areas and
monitor their progress toward The Congressional Award. Validators
assist the participant with individual activities.
While any 14 to 23 year-old may pursue a Congressional Award,
it takes the commitment of volunteer adults to help them realize
their potential. Your part in The Congressional Award is essential.
Your guidance will be remembered long after the participant
successfully meets his or her goals and is presented a Bronze,
Silver, or Gold Certificate or Medal by the U.S. Congress.
Who
is eligible?
Any
adult may serve as an advisor or validator with the exception
of parents, relatives, and peers. Gold Medal Congressional Award
earners may also serve, regardless of their age. Keep in mind
that it is the responsibility of the young people to identify
their advisor and validators.
Advisors meet with the young people while they set personally
challenging goals, stay in touch while the participant pursues
the Award, and provide assistance with the Record Book detailing
their goals and activities. Teachers, coaches, neighbors, club
sponsors, and civic leaders all make excellent advisors.
The appropriate validator depends on the participant's activities.
Validators should be knowledgeable in the activities a participant
pursues to achieve a particular goal. For example, if a young
person's goal and activities involved basketball, a coach would
make a suitable validator. Similarly, if a young person volunteered
at an animal shelter, an employee or the volunteer coordinator
would be an appropriate validator.
The
Advisor's Role and Responsibilities
-
With the participant, review The Congressional Award requirements
and guidelines as provided in the program booklet.
- Assist
the participant in setting goals that are personally challenging,
achievable, worthwhile, measurable, and fulfilling.
- Help
the participant identify appropriate activities and qualified
validators for each goal.
- Maintain
periodic contact with the participant while he or she works
toward The Congressional Award.
- If
the participant needs to revise goals, help him or her set
new goals and find activities to achieve them.
- Encourage
the participant to obtain written comments and signatures
from his or her validators as soon as an individual goal
has been met.
- Once
the participant has completed the set activities for a given
Award level, review his or her records and help complete
the Record Book. Please be sure to provide comments. Make
certain that you and the participant keep a photocopy of
the Record Book.
- Once
the participant has mailed in the Record Book, work with
him or her to set new goals and begin working on the next
level of the Award.
The
Validator's Role and Responsibilities
- Review
The Congressional Award requirements and guidelines listed
in the participant's program booklet.
-
Discuss the specific requirements for the program area in
which you'll be working with the participant.
-
Help the participant identify his or her starting level
in a particular area of endeavor.
- Make
certain that the participant's goal is personally challenging,
achievable, worthwhile, measurable, and fulfilling.
Once
minimum hours and duration of activities have been met in your
program area,
review
all of the appropriate documentation and sign the Record Book.
Please be sure to provide comments.
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