Prudential Financial Inc. has announced the latest state honorees of its annual Spirit of Community Awards.
The awards were given to 102 middle- and high-school students in the U.S. for excellence in community service.
Given in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals, the awards honor students in the fifth through 12th grades who make "meaningful contributions to their communities through volunteer service," a news release said.
The 2021 award winners from all 50 states and the District of Columbia were honored for initiatives completed at least in part between the fall of 2019 and the fall of 2020.
Each honoree receives a $2,500 scholarship and an invitation to the virtual national recognition event in April, when 10 of them will be named top American youth volunteers of the year.
"We are proud to celebrate the vision and determination of Spirit of Community's Class of 2021, and all the ways they're making their communities safer, healthier and more equitable places to live," said Charles F. Lowrey, chairman and CEO of Prudential Financial, in the news release.
Many of the honorees provided services as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Those include Sharon Kim, 18, of Anchorage, Alaska, who spearheaded a project to make and distribute face masks; Pratheek Kuimanda, 18, of Andover, Mass., who formed a team to produce 2,200 face shields using 3D printers and distribute them to health-care facilities and nursing homes; and Ava Pinnow, 10, of Racine, Wis., who made arts and crafts for nursing and retirement home residents to let them know they're not forgotten during the pandemic.
The program was created in 1995 and has recognized more than 140,000 young people in the past 26 years.
The full list and details on the 102 state honorees are available on Prudential's website.
