The Philly Service Award 2025

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The Philly Service Award Provides:

1. The chance to compete against all Philadelphia high schools for over $140,000 in prizes.

2. A $1,000 grant for your school to complete a community service project benefitting the city. 

3. An additional $1,000 in wish list fulfillment of non-project-related supplies for the participating faculty member. 

4. Special events for participating students and faculty. 

Please note: The Philly Service Award is designated for high schools in Philadelphia only. We are only accepting one application per high school per year.

The Philly Service Award is an invitation-only program for Philadelphia high schools. We are only accepting one application per high school.

Who can participate in the Philly Service Award?

All high schools in Philadelphia are eligible to participate in the Philly Service Award competition.

How are the grants distributed?

Registered high schools that qualify for the competition will receive a grant to fund their proposed community service project. Schools must complete the formal application and be approved to receive the grant. The grant will come in the form of a spending card that can be used to purchase materials in person or online.

Are there any specific guidelines for community service projects?

While we encourage creativity and innovation, there are certain guidelines to ensure that projects have a positive impact and are feasible within the grant budget. Funds cannot be used for school improvement projects; the project must benefit the city. Additional funds cannot be raised; schools must stay within the grant budget.

How are the winners of the competition determined?

Schools will be invited to submit their completed projects for our Impact Awards in the spring. Submitted projects will be evaluated based on their impact, feasibility, innovation, and level of community engagement. A panel of judges will review each project, and winners will be announced at the annual Impact Awards ceremony. The school must submit an Impact Award application to be considered for these additional prizes.

What are the Impact Awards categories?

Please see below for the Impact Awards categories. Schools will select which categories they would like to submit their project for when completing the Impact Awards application in the spring. Schools can submit their projects to multiple categories except where otherwise noted below.

Community Partner Awards (3)

First Place: $20,000, Second Place: $10,000, Third Place: $5,000

Description: These awards recognize the projects that worked with community partners in a significant way, whether establishing relationships with a multitude of community partners or working strategically with one community partner to strengthen their project's impact. Please Note: If PSA determines that community partners provided substantial resources beyond the initial funding to drive the project's outcome, your submission may be limited to the community partner and people's choice awards. Projects will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Legacy Builders Awards (3)

First Place: $20,000, Second Place: $10,000, Third Place: $5,000

Description: We want to recognize the projects that are creating sustainable change for the city. Projects submitted to this category can be new ideas for 2025-2026 or continuations of a school's previous year's project. Please Note: If you are building upon last year's project, this is the only category you will be eligible for.

Safer, Cleaner, Greener Awards (3)

First Place: $20,000, Second Place: $10,000, Third Place: $5,000

Description: These awards honor the projects that help make Philadelphia safer, cleaner, greener, or all 3! These projects will need to demonstrate how they improved the city in one or more of the following ways.

The Innovation Awards (3)

First Place: $20,000, Second Place: $10,000, Third Place: $5,000

Description: The Innovation Awards will celebrate creative new initiatives that think outside of the box to make a better Philly. These awards recognize the entrepreneurial minds who are paving the way for the future of service projects.

Please Note: 95% of the prize money must be utilized for improvements and programs within the winning school. If a school wants to support its community partner(s), no more than 5% of the award money can be allocated.