Teachers, students and parents often ask the PSLA for information on how service can be recognized and what options are open to students for service related scholarships.  A great resource for up to date information is the YouthNoise website at http://www.youthnoise.com/.  The site lists scholarships and awards for service and continuing education.  Here are some of the upcoming awards: 

Daily Points of Light Award
www.pointsoflight.org/dpol/ProgramInfo.htm
This award is open to anyone who is actively engaged in volunteer service.
Nominations accepted year-round (awards are given daily).

Global 500 Award - Youth Journalism on the Environment
http://www.youthnoise.com/site/CDA/CDA_Page/
“Every month a news report written by a young person will be published by the Environment News Service. It will be translated into twelve different languages and distributed worldwide. The writers who get their work published will be awarded a sum of money and receive a byline.”
HASBRO Teens with Courage to Give
www.ysa.org/awards/hasbro2002AppNew.html
“This award is for young people who have faced physical and/or emotional obstacles, reached out to make a difference to others, and ultimately helped themselves as a consequence.”  Awards include a $5,000 college scholarship, a $500 grant to fund a project for National Youth Service Day and a collection of games from HASBRO. 
Deadline: mid-February

Discover Card Tribute Award Scholarship
http://www.ysa.org/awards/
“This award is for young people who have faced physical and/or emotional obstacles, reached out to make a difference to others, and ultimately helped themselves as a consequence.”  Awards include a $5,000 college scholarship, a $500 grant to fund a project for National Youth Service Day and a collection of games from

HASBRO. 
Deadline: mid-February
Discover Card Tribute Award Scholarship
“Applicants for the program must be a high school junior as of the September before the January deadline, have a cumulative grade point average from the 9th and 10th grade years only of at least 2.75 on a 4.0 scale, and be enrolled in an accredited public or private high school in the U.S.”  State Scholarship winners receive $2,500 each.  National Scholarship winners receive $25,000 each. 

Check out http://www.youthnoise.com/site/CDA/CDA_Page/0,1004,102,00.html#19 for many other listings throughout the year. 


Mix It Up At Lunch!  Meeting new people can make a big difference.
Sometimes what seems to be a small act  is really an important and overwhelming act of kindness and service.  An initiative of Tolerance.org called Mix It Up encourages students to "mix it up" by sitting with a different group than usual in the lunchroom.  By performing this seemingly simple action, students can cross social boundaries, meet new people, take chances and shake up cliques in school.  The implications of this act can be a great catalyst for dialogue and change in schools. 
 
Though Mix It Up Day was officially last week, any school can implement it on a day that is appropriate for the school.  Perhaps it can coincide with the kick-off of a new service project or an assembly on tolerance.  The Teaching Tolerance website has a “how to guide”, posters and ways to communicate the impact of the day to other students to help your class begin this project.  It also has specific lesson plans that teachers can use to support the day in their classrooms through discussions and other activities.
 
Tolerance.org has a great deal of other information and ideas that can be used by students, parents and teachers to promote tolerance and acceptance