Philly Service Award

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Philly Service Award

The Philly Service Award is a city-wide high school community service competition.

06/02/2026

We were honored to celebrate our 2026 PSA Impact Award winners last week alongside Mayor Cherelle L. Parker. The mayor hosted this year's winning schools at the Mayor’s Reception Room at City Hall, where she shared a powerful, uplifting message encouraging students to keep driving change and pushing to .

As part of this special occasion, every student participant received an official commendation from the mayor recognizing their service and impact.

Thank you, Mayor Parker, for championing and investing in the young people who are shaping our city's future.

05/29/2026

Congratulations to this year's Legacy Builders Award winners, who are creating lasting change and impact for years to come.

🥇 First place and $20,000 were awarded to Building 21 High School for their "Every Conversation Counts: Restorative Practices at Building 21 and Beyond" project, which provided a scalable resource guide helping schools move away from traditional disciplinary practices toward a community-first model. By equipping students and staff with the mindsets and skills to facilitate their own councils, they are building safer, more inclusive educational spaces across Philadelphia.

🥈 Vocatio Career Prep High School secured second place and $10,000 with their "We Grow What We Eat" project, a multigenerational, ethnically diverse initiative highlighting food insecurity in disadvantaged communities. Bringing people of different ages and backgrounds together to grow their own nutritious food puts ownership of a healthy lifestyle back into the community's hands. Creating a shared cookbook provides a legacy to pass down.

🥉 In third place, Calvary Christian Academy earned $5,000 for "Calvary Christian On A Mission," creating a clean, green, safe place for "Life Turning Point of Philadelphia," a homeless shelter for women and their children. They provided equipment and manpower for the groundskeeper to complete outdoor cleaning, raking, and weeding for winter, and to continue maintenance by owning the needed equipment.

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

05/27/2026

🎉 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!

05/21/2026

🎉 Congratulations to the winners of the Community Partner Awards, celebrating schools that have worked with one or several community partners to make a substantial impact in their neighborhoods.

🥇 First place and a $20,000 prize were awarded to Murrell Dobbins CTE High School for their "Food For Every Table" Project, a multimedia campaign addressing food insecurity in North Philadelphia. Students created a centralized digital hub, www.food4everytable.com, to connect residents with essential resources. The initiative combines community outreach and storytelling that highlight real experiences, reduce stigma, and build awareness. These efforts create a sustainable platform supporting access, engagement, and long-term advocacy for food equity.

🥈 Mastery Charter Shoemaker Campus earned second place and a $10,000 prize with "Hope, Heal, Rise: A Regional Student Wellness Conference," a wellness event featuring art, yoga, plant, and animal therapy sessions led by professionals for young people from the school and community to elevate mental health awareness. Attendees enjoyed a catered lunch, a resource fair, breakout sessions, a student panel, and confidential one-on-one conversations with therapists in a safe, judgment-free space.

🥉 Third place and a $5,000 prize to celebrate Springside Chestnut Hill Academy's "Literacy Book Nook with the Water Tower Recreation Center." This project worked with students in the after-school program at the Water Tower Rec Center on homework help, reading, and arts-and-crafts projects. They refreshed their pullout room into a fully stocked book nook and arts space, so students have a quiet place to read, create art, and select books to take home.

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

05/19/2026

🎉 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!

05/15/2026

We’re still buzzing from this year’s Impact Awards! ✨

The room was full of energy as we celebrated another year of incredible students, projects, and creative work that is shaping the future of Philadelphia!

Congratulations to all the Philadelphia high schools that took part and helped create real, positive change in our city!

05/12/2026

We are proud to honor Myrtle Strong as the first recipient of our Making a Better Philly Local Legend Award. 🌟

For more than 20 years, Myrtle has helped feed her neighbors in Strawberry Mansion. She and her family created a grassroots support network, working with local organizations, grocery stores, and food suppliers to give out free food twice a week, every week.

On many days, Myrtle and her family load up two to four of their own cars and drive all over the city to make sure good food is shared instead of wasted. She does this quietly and out of kindness, never seeking recognition. Still, her dedication to her community deserves to be celebrated.

To reach more people and work more efficiently, Myrtle and her family have started the Strong Family Foundation. If you want to support Myrtle’s work or get involved, we would be happy to connect you. Together, we can help Myrtle for everyone.

05/08/2026

We are thrilled to announce that our 2026 Making a Better Philly Changemaker is Tyrese Maxey. Tyrese is a changemaker on and off the court. In 2021, he founded the Tyrese Maxey Foundation, committing to creating programs and resources that bridge gaps in education, financial literacy, and personal development, creating pathways for youth and families to thrive. Tyrese feeds thousands of Philadelphia families during the holidays, offers scholarship opportunities for Philly youth, and sponsors basketball skill camps that help young people grow beyond their game.

Tyrese couldn't be with us during the ceremony because the Sixers are working toward a championship! We were thrilled to welcome Maddi Ota from his foundation to accept the award on his behalf. We are excited to cheer on Tyrese Maxey and the Philadelphia 76ers as they bring the series back to Philly tonight! Let’s Go Sixers!

Congratulations, Tyrese, on all you've accomplished. We're honored to call you our 2026 MBP Changemaker.

📸: Tyrese Maxey Foundation, Beyfilmz Media

05/06/2026

Last week’s Impact Awards left us truly inspired. The passion and energy from all the students and schools were incredible. Your dedication to is at the core of the , and we are proud to support your amazing work.

A special thank you to Councilmember Isaiah Thomas and Dr. Debora Carrera, Philadelphia’s Chief Education Officer, for speaking to the students and celebrating their achievements.

We also thank our Board Members, Young Adult Advisory Board, judges, and volunteers for helping us build a truly unforgettable celebration.

Thanks to all of you, the future of Philadelphia looks brighter.

04/30/2026

From creating beautiful boxes for animals at the Philadelphia Zoo during Participating Schools’ Day last fall to wrapping up the year with our Impact Awards tomorrow, and every inspiring project along the way, we are amazed by the dedication Philadelphia students have shown to . We cannot wait to celebrate their achievements. What a remarkable year it has been! Keep an eye out for updates from our Impact Awards!

Address

2400 Market Street, No. 204I
Philadelphia, PA
19103

Telephone

+16106653458

Website

http://www.phillyserviceaward.com/

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