What SHINE-Together Offers

SHINE-Together helps students turn everyday passions into nationally recognized achievements. We connect members with meaningful volunteer opportunities, personal growth resources, fitness challenges, and expedition planning support, then guide them every step of the way toward earning the Congressional Award. From logging hours to submitting the final application, our team and online tools make the entire journey simple, motivating, and rewarding.

What is the Congressional Award?

Established by the U.S. Congress in 1979, the Congressional Award is the only award for young Americans authorized by Congress and presented by Members of Congress. It is a self-directed, non-competitive program open to anyone ages 13½ to 23, regardless of background or ability. Participants set their own goals across four program areas and earn Bronze, Silver, and Gold recognition as they reach each milestone.

Why is it Important?

Earning the Congressional Award is a powerful statement of character, commitment, and leadership. Recipients are honored at a special recognition ceremony, and Gold Medalists may be invited to a ceremony on Capitol Hill. Beyond the honor itself, the Award helps students build lifelong habits of service and self-improvement, strengthens college and job applications, boosts confidence, and connects members with a network of motivated, high-achieving peers.

Program Requirements

Certificates

Program Area	Bronze	Silver	Gold
Voluntary Public Service	30 Hours	60 Hours	90 Hours (6 Months)
Personal Development	15 Hours	30 Hours	45 Hours (6 Months)
Physical Fitness	15 Hours	30 Hours	45 Hours (6 Months)
Expedition/Exploration	1 Day	2 Days	3 Days

(6 Months) = Minimum of 6 months of at least 1 hour of activity in the month

Medals

Program Area	Bronze	Silver	Gold
Voluntary Public Service	100 Hours (7 Months)	200 Hours (12 Months)	400 Hours (24 Months)
Personal Development	50 Hours (7 Months)	100 Hours (12 Months)	200 Hours (24 Months)
Physical Fitness	50 Hours (7 Months)	100 Hours (12 Months)	200 Hours (24 Months)
Expedition/Exploration*	2 Days, 1 Night	3 Days, 2 Nights	5 Days, 4 Nights

(7 Months) = Minimum of 7 months of at least 1 hour of activity in the month

* Must be a consecutive day and an overnight trip

For more info, see the Official Program Book

The Four Program Areas

1. Voluntary Public Service

Voluntary Public Service means unpaid volunteer work that benefits your community. Members choose causes they care about and log hours toward their goal. Example: tutoring younger students, volunteering at an animal shelter, or organizing a neighborhood food drive.

2. Personal Development

Personal Development means learning a new skill or improving an existing one, unrelated to physical fitness or volunteer service. It's about growing as a person and pursuing a genuine interest. Example: learning to play an instrument, studying a new language, or taking a cooking or coding class.

3. Physical Fitness

Physical Fitness means committing to a regular exercise routine that improves your strength, endurance, or overall health. Members track consistent activity over time rather than a single event. Example: training for a 5K, joining a swim team, or practicing a sport like soccer or martial arts several times a week.

4. Expedition/Exploration

Expedition/Exploration means planning and completing an independent journey or experience that challenges you to explore something new, develop self-reliance, and learn through firsthand experience. It should involve preparation, a clear purpose, and time spent outside your normal routine.

The Congressional Award

At SHINE-Together, we’re proud to support young people who want to pursue The Congressional Award, the United States Congress’ award program for youth. The program recognizes initiative, service, personal growth, and achievement through sustained goal-setting and participation in four areas.

What is The Congressional Award?

The Congressional Award is a non-partisan, voluntary, and non-competitive program for young people in the United States. Participants set personally challenging goals and work toward them at their own pace.

The program is built around four areas:

Voluntary Public Service – Giving your time and talents to benefit your community and others.
Personal Development – Developing a new skill or advancing an existing interest.
Physical Fitness – Setting and pursuing goals that improve your health and physical well-being.
Expedition or Exploration – Planning and completing an experience that encourages independence, discovery, and personal growth.

Who Can Participate?

Young people may register beginning at age 13½. Award activities can be submitted beginning at age 14 and must be completed by the participant’s 24th birthday.

There is no minimum GPA requirement, and the program is designed to allow participants to pursue goals based on their own interests, abilities, and circumstances.

Important: You must register for The Congressional Award before beginning activities you intend to count toward the program. Activities completed before your official registration date generally cannot be counted.

Award Levels

Participants can work toward six levels of recognition:

Bronze Certificate
Silver Certificate
Gold Certificate
Bronze Medal
Silver Medal
Gold Medal

Each level requires progress across all four program areas, with the requirements increasing as participants advance through the program. Hours and time invested are cumulative, allowing participants to build toward higher levels.

For example, the Gold Medal, the highest level of The Congressional Award, requires a minimum of:

400 hours of Voluntary Public Service
200 hours of Personal Development
200 hours of Physical Fitness
A 5-day, 4-night Expedition or Exploration
At least 24 months of participation toward the required goals

Why Pursue The Congressional Award?

The Congressional Award provides young people with an opportunity to demonstrate much more than volunteer hours. Participants develop a record of community service, goal-setting, perseverance, personal development, physical achievement, and independent initiative.

The program can help participants:

Make a meaningful contribution to their communities
Develop leadership and goal-setting skills
Explore new interests and strengthen existing skills
Build healthy habits through physical activity
Challenge themselves through an Expedition or Exploration
Demonstrate sustained commitment and achievement over time

Most importantly, The Congressional Award is earned through individual goals and sustained effort rather than competition with other participants.

How SHINE-Together Can Support Your Journey

SHINE-Together can help members organize and pursue activities that may contribute toward their Congressional Award goals.

Volunteer Opportunities

Discover meaningful community-service opportunities that can support your Voluntary Public Service goals.

Activity & Hour Tracking

Keep track of your service activities, hours, dates, and accomplishments so you have an organized record of your progress.

Goal-Setting Support

Use SHINE-Together resources and mentorship to develop meaningful goals and identify activities that align with your interests.

Guidance & Resources

We can help you understand the different program areas and encourage you to stay on track as you work toward your goals.

Participants are responsible for ensuring that their goals and activities meet the official Congressional Award requirements and for completing the official submission process.