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President’s Volunteer Service Award

Youth and Students for Peace is proud to be a certified organization to give the President’s Volunteer Service Award (PVSA). This prestigious award was created in 2003 by the United States President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation to recognize volunteers and the important role they contribute to our nation.

Who is eligible to receive the award?

The PVSA can be given to all age groups from child, youth or adult. Based on the age and hours of service within a 12-month period volunteers can receive a Bronze, Silver or Gold award. The Youth and Students for Peace 12-month period is from January 1st to December 31st with awards given the following January.

  • United States citizen or lawful permanent resident of the United States (i.e., green card holder)

  • Individuals at least five years old and up

  • Those who complete eligible service within a 12-month period (for annual Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards)

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The Lifetime Achievement Award is for volunteer hours of 4000+ during the course of a lifetime. *

How to receive the award

To receive the PVSA through International Association of Youth and Students for Peace (IAYSP), individuals need to become a member of IAYSP and submit their eligible volunteer hours and details through the member account.

Eligible Service:

  • Unpaid acts of volunteer service benefiting others

    • Service through National service programs that provide a stipend (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) may count towards the Lifetime Achievement Award*, but not for the annual Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards)

    • Travel stipends, transit/parking passes, membership passes, expense reimbursements, and other nominal volunteer support do not impact service eligibility

Eligible Service does not include:

  • Donating funds

  • Political lobbying (Non-partisan voter registration is an eligible activity)

  • Religious instruction

  • Conducting worship service

  • Proselytizing

  • Volunteer service performed as part of court-ordered community service

  • Serving only family members

Submitting Volunteer Hours

Eligible volunteer hours must be recorded by event or project done instead of a lump amount over the course of a time period. All volunteers submitting hours need to give detailed information about the date and location of the volunteer service as well as information of the group or leader who led it. A “Volunteer Hours Approval” form is available to download and use for volunteer events and can be filled and uploaded as an alternative option for submitting service hours.

* The Lifetime Achievement Award is not available to be awarded at this time.