How It Works

From your first hour of service to a permanent certified record — every step explained.

Step 1

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

Step 2

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

Step 3

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

Step 4

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

Step 5

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 Service Excellence Award (500+ 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

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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.

Ready to Start?

Create your account and submit your first certification.