How it works
From your first hour of service to a permanent certified record — every step explained.
- 01
Create your free account
- Register with your name and email address
- No fees — account creation is completely free
- Your account tracks all submissions and shows your award progress
- 02
Complete the certification form
- Fill in your student information, school, and grade
- Enter the organization where you served and your activity details
- Provide your supervisor's name, title, and email address
- Upload supporting documents (letters, signed forms, or logs)
- Certify that your hours meet the eligibility requirements
- 03
Supervisor receives verification email
- An email is automatically sent to your supervisor with all submission details
- Your supervisor clicks a secure link — no account or app needed
- They review the service information, confirm the hours, and digitally sign
- They may also upload a signed PDF if they prefer
- This step is entirely paperless and typically takes under 5 minutes
- 04
Registry staff review
- Once your supervisor verifies, our team receives a notification
- We review the submission for completeness and eligibility
- If approved, you receive a confirmation email
- If we have questions, we reach out before making a decision
- 05
Receive your certified record
- Your dashboard shows your approved hours and current award level
- Certificate and recognition details are issued based on your award level
- At the Youth Service Excellence Award (200+ hours) and above, your name is listed on the public registry
- Keep adding hours — all awards are cumulative across grades 6–12
What qualifies?
Qualifying service
- Volunteer, unpaid service at registered nonprofits, schools, hospitals, or government agencies
- Tutoring or mentoring other students
- Community programs run by faith-based groups (non-religious activities only)
- Hours supervised and verifiable by an adult supervisor in an established organization, advisor of a club, or a teacher — not a parent, relative, or peers
Does not qualify
- Any paid work or internships
- Hours already counted by another organization towards their service recognition and awards (e.g. Scouting America, etc.)
- Court-ordered or legally-mandated service hours
- Personal participation hours in a school club (only mentoring or teaching hours within the club can count)
A note for supervisors
You will receive an email containing all the details of the student's submission. There is a secure link in that email — clicking it takes you to a verification page where you can review the information, make corrections if needed, and digitally confirm the hours. You do not need to create an account or download any app. The entire process typically takes under 5 minutes.
To protect the integrity of the registry, YouthVolunteer may request additional proof of service — such as photographs of the completed work or other supporting documentation — and may follow up with the supervisor by email or phone. We reserve the right to grant final approval or denial of any submitted hours.