Philly Service Award

🎉 Congratulations to the winners of the Safer, Cleaner, Greener Awards! 🏆

🥇 First place and a $20,000 prize go to Esperanza Academy for their project “How Va**ng, W**d, and Ho**ah Threaten Teen Mental Health,” which raises awareness about the impact of substance use on youth well-being. Since November, students have researched the physical and emotional effects of va**ng, ma*****na, and ho**ah use. They explored the symptoms, underlying causes, and long-term consequences of these behaviors and presented this information to students at various events.

🥈 Girard College earned second place and a $10,000 prize with their project "Garnet Goes Green," a student-led initiative addressing food insecurity among Girard families and the Northern Philadelphia community. Through weekly snack distribution, student-grown produce, and community pop-up events, Girard College students provide fresh food while teaching sustainability and self-sufficiency. By combining direct service with education, their project has created immediate and long-term impact.

🥉 Third place and a $5,000 prize were awarded to Boys' Latin of Philadelphia Charter School for their "Enough" project. They raised awareness of gun violence prevention and partnered informally with the city of Philadelphia to mitigate this issue. Project participants lead community events focused on safe gun storage, violence prevention, and advocacy, mainly supporting youth in the city.

Check out these amazing projects and all the projects on our YouTube channel. The link in the comments!

🎉 Congratulations to the winners of our Innovation Awards, which celebrate new initiatives that think outside the box to . 🏆

🥇 First place and a $20,000 prize were awarded to Philadelphia High School for Girls for their "SAFE Summit (Safety, Assistance, Family, and Empowerment)," helping students, families, and school staff citywide by providing vital safety information and direct access to supportive community resources. Treating this mission as a passion, the students bridged the gap between local organizations and the community members who need them most.

🥈 George Washington High School earned second place and a $10,000 prize for their "Unity Project: Kindness in Action." The goal was to brighten the day for those dealing with illness and treatment by delivering small, thoughtfully curated boxes of joy and companionship. They also designed boxes that brought happiness to seniors and community members struggling with food and housing insecurity.

🥉 Third place and a $5,000 prize went to South Philadelphia High School for their "Look Good, Feel Good" project. They held a clothing collection for students and community members, a distribution event providing business attire, and partnered with organizations to offer free haircuts and gift certificates.

See these amazing projects and more on our YouTube channel. The link is in the comments!