Costello Family Community Service Awards

SkillsUSA Massachusetts Community Service activities are one of the most important types of programs that SkillsUSA members can participate in. The activities enable members to become active participants in their communities, thus allowing students to become aware of community concerns and participate in the solutions.

Community involvement by SkillsUSA Chapters is at the root of what SkillsUSA is all about. The SkillsUSA Pledge states “to base my expectations upon the solid foundation of service.” This service also enables the community to become aware of the outstanding work being done by students.

Individual Chapter Projects

Each individual Chapter is encouraged to conduct a Community Service project geared to the individual needs of their area. All SkillsUSA Chapters will be asked to participate.

SkillsUSA Massachusetts is continuing our recognition initiative. All SkillsUSA Chapters are being asked to compile a report of any and all Chapter Community Service Projects, to be presented at the State Leadership & Skills Conference in April. Winning entries will be recognized at the conference, with the presentation of the Costello Family Community Service Awards. These awards are given in honor of the community service activities of Meg Costello, chapter advisor at Shawsheen Valley Tech, and her family in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

The Report

The report must include a written report on the activities conducted by your Chapter. The written information must be a minimum of four pages in length. It must describe how the project was chosen, who it benefited, what planning was done and how, who participated (how many members/advisors) and any and all outcomes from the project. The written report must be accompanied by no fewer than 12 photographs, accompanied by captions/descriptions under the photos.

Submission

The report must be submitted in a three ring binder with the name of the submitting Chapter clearly displayed on the first inside page. The deadline for submission is April 4, 2008. All entries received on or before that date will be considered for community service excellence awards to be presented at the State Leadership & Skills Conference. The report must be accompanied by the official submission form (below) with all information complete.

Judging

Judging will be done by members of the Massachusetts National & Community Service Commission. The projects will be judged on originality, creativity, benefit to the community or community impact as well as the quality of the written report.