The President’s Volunteer Service Award (PVSA 2023)
(Updated on 3/12/2023. Application Form)
Chinese American Parent Association of Montgomery county (CAPA-MC) is a PVSA certified organization. As a certified organization, CAPA-MC is authorized to issue PVSA award to volunteers who meet certain volunteer services.
What is the PVSA?
The President’s Volunteer Service Award (PVSA) is an initiative of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) and is administered by Points of Light. Through a shared mission of inspiring more to answer the call to service, the President’s Volunteer Service Award celebrates the impact we can all make in bettering our communities and our world. For more information, please visit https://www.presidentialserviceawards.gov/.
Criteria
Individuals that meet the criteria are eligible for the PVSA.
- Recipient(s) must be a United States citizen or a lawfully admitted permanent resident of the United States.
- Awards are issued for service hours served within a 12-month time period or over the course of a lifetime.
- Awards are issued for volunteer service only; additional levels of participation with the organization (i.e., charitable support) are not a factor considered for the award.
- Court-ordered community service does not qualify for the award.
- Awards are issued by approved Certifying Organizations.
- Service must be with an approved Certifying Organization that is legally established in the United States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico or one of the U.S. territories.
Eligibility
Hours are measured over a 12-month period and awards are designated based on cumulative
hours. The awards are offered in multiple levels and are designed to recognize each milestone of
your service achievement.
| Age Group | Bronze | Silver | Gold | Lifettime Achievement Award |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kids (5–10) | 26–49 hours | 50–74 hours | 75+ hours | 4000+ hours |
| Teens (11–15) | 50–74 hours | 75–99 hours | 100+ hours | 4000+ hours |
| Young Adults (16–25) | 100–174 hours | 175–249 hours | 250+ hours | 4000+ hours |
| Adults (26+) | 100–249 hours | 250–499 hours | 500+ hours | 4000+ hours |
fter the Chinese American Parent Association of Montgomery County (CAPA-MC) was announced to be a President’s Volunteer Service Award (PVSA) certified organization, we received several inquiries, which are answered as following:
What is CAPA’s 12 months service time period?
The CAPA-MC’s 12 months service time period is annually April 1st to March 31st. All the service hours which are used to apply for the award must be completed in the aforementioned time period and all documents/forms must be submitted to the CAPA-MC volunteer coordinator at pvsa@capamc.org no later than June 1st.
What kind of volunteer hour is eligible to count toward a PVSA award if you apply the award through CAPC-MC?
The volunteer hour used to count toward the award MUST be MCPS approved SSL hour. But it is important to note that NOT all MCPS-approved SSL hours are eligible. The following volunteer hours are not eligible:
- Volunteer activity not conducted in the US
- Learning hour
- Political lobbying (Non-partisan voter registration is an eligible activity)
- Religious instruction
To ensure the integrity of the PSVA award, CAPA-MC has the discretion to decide if the SSL hours submitted by applicant is eligible to count toward PVSA award. You also MUST have volunteer hour affiliated with CAPA-MC to apply the PVSA award through CAPA-MC.
Is there an application fee for the award?
No application fee is needed to apply for the award.
What will happen if the age group changes in the 12-month time period?
If within the time period your age group changes (Kids, Teens, Young Adults and Adults), your hours requirement will be divided into two parts, the months before and after your birthday. Your service hours will need to meet the required hours in each age group by month to be eligible for the award.
Are there other requirements to apply for the PVSA through CAPA?
One of your family members must be a CAPA-MC general or voting member. If not, please register your family member at https://www.capamc.org/ or scan the below bar code to join. Our general membership is free and we want to build a strong Chinese American community so together we can make a difference.