School notes for Sept. 15, 2016

Spirit of Community award nominations open

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards has begun its search for Washington’s top youth volunteers of 2017.

Through Nov. 8, students in fifth through 12th grade can apply for Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, if they have made contributions to their communities through volunteer service within the past 12 months.

The application is available at http://spirit.prudential.com and www.nassp.org/spirit. Paper applications can be requested by calling 877-525-8491.

This program year marks The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards’ 22nd year of honoring youth volunteers. The program, sponsored by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals, was created in 1995 to recognize middle level and high school students for helping people in need, promoting health and safety, protecting the environment, or volunteering in other ways. The awards are presented annually on the local, state and national level.

Applicants for 2017 awards must complete their online applications, then submit them for certification to a middle or high school principal, Girl Scout council, county 4-H agent, American Red Cross chapter, YMCA or HandsOn Network affiliate.

Free recreation passes available for fourth-graders

Fourth-graders can print out a paper voucher for free entry into all federal lands by visiting the Every Kid in a Park website at www.everykidinapark.gov. Students and their families can also redeem a paper voucher for a plastic pass at any Forest Service office.

The voucher and passes are valid through August 2017.

The Forest Service is partnering with schools and educators across Oregon and Washington to plan Every Kid in a Park events in local communities and distribute passes at back-to-school events this fall.

Teachers or adults who engage fourth-graders through a youth-serving organization can print paper passes, and find activities and lesson plans at www.everykidinapark.gov/get-your-pass/educator.

The Every Kid in a Park initiative encourages opportunities to explore, learn and play in parks.

The Pacific Northwest Region consists of 16 National Forests, 59 District Offices, a National Scenic Area, and a National Grassland comprising 24.7 million acres in Oregon and Washington and employing approximately 3,550 people.

To learn more, visit www.fs.usda.gov/r6.