Georgia Student Service Award

"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others."- Mahatma Gandhi  

Purpose

In an effort to engage high school (grades 9-12) aged youth in service and to support the development of Georgia’s citizens who are committed to life-long service to their communities, Georgia Serves instituted the Georgia Student Service Award (GSSA). The goal of this award is to recognize teenagers who make significant contributions in their communities through volunteer service. 

Student Eligibility

To qualify for the Georgia Student Service Award, a graduating senior student must complete a minimum of 200 service/volunteer hours. Graduating seniors who reach the milestone will receive a certificate and a red/white/blue service cord to be worn at graduation ceremonies.  There is no financial award or assistance provided to the recipients.  At their discretion, schools may elect to provide additional recognition of their students.

To participate, a member of the school staff must act as sponsor/administrator and submit student information and service hours using the online registration link. The sponsor/administrator is responsible for certifying student hours. This record of service may only include direct contact hours/ hours on task, although students may count participation hours from all 5 stages (IPARC/D) of a service-learning project.

Qualification Deadlines

Graduating seniors must have a minimum of eligible (200) hours submitted  to qualify for the award by 3/31/2025.

The school sponsor/administrator must submit the sum of eligible hours via the GSSA Excel spreadsheet for their graduating seniors via email to the Georgia Student Service Award program. See the 2025 GSSA Spreadsheet for Senior Names and Hours needed for submission.

Eligible Service / Volunteerism

Service can be performed through school sponsored activities and/or through outside organizations such as churches, Boy/Girl Scouts and other civic clubs. Both public and private schools are eligible to participate in the Georgia Student Service Award program. Home schooled students may also participate if hours can be certified by an adult. Schools may have students log their hours using their certification form. The type of documentation should be submitted to the sponsor/administrator by early April. After the school staff registers with our system, service hours for Senior students can be entered by the sponsor/administrator as they are completed. Please note that court-ordered service does not qualify a student for this award.

Georgia Serves is the division of the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) whose mission is the promotion and support of service and volunteerism by Georgians in communities across the State.