Shine A Light Award

I. Purpose and Objectives

To encourage Chinese-American middle and high school students to initiate, organize, and participate in various non-profit extracurricular community service activities that benefit the community, society, and others. The program aims to cultivate students' compassion and sense of public service while developing their organizational and leadership skills. To support this mission, the North America Volunteers (NAV) has established the Shine A Light Award.

II. Introduction to the Shine A Light Platform

Any currently enrolled middle or high school student can independently propose and organize non-academic, extracurricular public service activities and apply to the NAV to form a team. Upon meeting the requirements of the Shine A Light platform, team leaders may use the "Shine A Light" title to conduct project organization and management activities under the supervision and guidance of NAV. Participants will be eligible for the Shine A Light Award, presented annually.
To register a new team in Shine A Light, please go here.

III. Shine A Light Team Formation Requirements

1. There must be a local NAV chapter in the applicants' area for effective supervision and evaluation.
2. Teams should primarily consist of students in grades 6-12, with participants ranging from K-12 (minimum age: 5 years old).
3. Each team must have an adult sponsor for supervision.
4. Each team must have at least three members.
5. Each team must complete a minimum of 25 hours of community service per calendar year.
6. Teams must ensure participant safety, as NAV is not responsible for participant safety.

IV. Scope and Requirements of Shine A Light Team Activities

Projects must be community service-based and aim to foster students' compassion, community engagement, and leadership skills. Eligible activities include but are not limited to:
1. Long-term or regular free academic tutoring for students struggling in school.
2. Long-term or regular free services for vulnerable populations in society.
3. Long-term or regular environmental and ecological conservation efforts.
4. If an activity involves fees, all profits (after deducting costs, excluding labor) must be donated to charity.
5. If the nature of an activity is uncertain, please consult NAV.

The following activities do not qualify for the Shine A Light Award:

● Activities aimed at personal academic training, talent development, or profit-making.
● Monetary donations.
● Political lobbying (Nonpartisan voter registration is allowed).
● Religious education, worship, or proselytization.
● Court-ordered community service.
● Service benefiting only family members.

Special Notes:

1. Shine A Light follows the Presidential Volunteer Service Award (PVSA) guidelines. Please refer to PVSA rules for clarification.
2. NAV maintains a zero-tolerance policy for falsified service hours. Any confirmed fraudulent submissions will result in permanent disqualification from the award.

V. Award Recognition

1. Students who complete at least 25 hours of Shine A Light community service within a year will receive a certificate and material rewards.
2. Applications must be submitted between January 1 - January 31, with evaluations conducted from February 1 - March 1.
3. Shine A Light Award recipients may also qualify for the PVSA with NAV’s recommendation.
4. Outstanding participants are encouraged to apply for the North American Outstanding Chinese High School Student Public Service Scholarship, open to all Chinese-American high school students in North America.

VI. Team Application and Approval Process

1. The team leader submits an application form to NAV (online application available in the future).
2. NAV reviews and approves the application.
3. NAV provides necessary support and supervision for the team's projects.

VII. Shine A Light Award Q&A

Q: What are the age requirements?
A: K-12 students can participate, but teams must be led by students in grades 6-12.

Q: What are the residency requirements?
A: Open to Chinese-American students living in North America, regardless of U.S. citizenship or Green Card status.

Q: What are the service hour requirements?
A: Each participant must complete at least 25 hours of team-based community service within one year.

Q: What qualifies as eligible service?
A: Service must follow PVSA requirements and must be conducted as part of a team-based project.

Q: Can I combine hours from multiple Shine A Light teams?
A: Yes. If you participate in multiple Shine A Light teams, your hours can be combined and submitted under one team.

Q: Do volunteer activities organized by religious groups qualify?
A: Some do, some do not. Please refer to PVSA guidelines for details.

Q: Can I apply for both the Shine A Light Award and the PVSA at the same time?
A: No. You must first apply for the Shine A Light Award, which then serves as a prerequisite for PVSA application.

Q: What if I don’t have 25 Shine A Light hours but qualify for PVSA through other volunteer work?
A: You must apply for PVSA through another organization.

Q: When and how do I apply for the awards?
A: Shine A Light Award applications close at the end of January and must be submitted as a team.
PVSA applications close at the end of March and must be submitted individually.

Q: Can students of other ethnicities apply for the Shine A Light Award?
A: Shine A Light was established to encourage Chinese-American students to engage in public service and develop leadership skills, with strong support and funding from the Chinese community. To stay focused on our mission, this award is exclusive to Chinese-American students.
However, students of other ethnicities are welcome to participate in Shine A Light activities, and team leaders may provide volunteer service verification for them to use when applying for other awards.

Q: Can school-based volunteer hours count toward the Shine A Light Award?
A: Yes, if the volunteer work is organized by a Shine A Light team (e.g., tree planting, charity sales).
No, if the service is part of a school club. However, eligible hours may still count toward PVSA applications.