Purpose:
This award was started in 2004-05 by the Association of American Schools of Central America to honor two community service projects in the region, one that is a school-wide initiative (this can mean whole school, elementary, middle, secondary or high school) and one that is designed and executed by students on a smaller level (a class project, a club project, etc.).
Qualifiers:
The project must have been in place for at least 2 years at the time of application.
The project must show sustainability, creativity and have a strong relationship-building component.
The project must reach out into the greater community.
Application Process:
Any group wishing to submit a project for this award needs to put together a presentation that includes:
Project description including why it was started, when it was started, who started it, what its purpose is, and reasons this project should be considered for the award.
Testimonials from various participants affirming in their own ways what the project has meant to them.
Ways the project has made a difference and can continue to.
This presentation needs to be sent to the Principals’ meeting in the spring and the principals will select the top three projects they receive in each category. These will then be sent to the Directors meeting when the award-winning project will be chosen.
Showcasing and Sharing the Project:
The Director of the winning school will take home a plaque to engrave the school’s name and the project’s name on. This plaque can be displayed in the school unit the next spring when the Director will take it to the conference to be passed on to the next award winning school.
At the Leadership Conference in the fall, the winning school will present their project and at this conference they will receive a $500 project donation plus a traveling plaque to take home to share with their school and have their project’s name engraved on it to return to the conference the following year and be sent home with the new exemplary project leaders.