Honoring significant organizational achievement in poverty alleviation, early education, or community health.
The Sargent Shriver Excellence in Community Service Award celebrates Head Start Preschools or Early Head Start programs making an extraordinary difference for children, families, and their communities—often in partnership with others.
Eligibility
Nominees must:
- Be a Head Start or Early Head Start grant recipient with active NHSA membership, making an innovative, positive impact on children, families, and their communities. The recipient may or may not have a community partner.
- Provide two letters of reference from organizational leaders external to the program and/or the community partner who know the impact of the partnership first-hand.
- Submit a statement describing:
- Key demographic and historical context of the local community
- The specific contribution(s), approach, and leaders of the effort
- Outcomes that are unique and/or go beyond Head Start’s performance standards.
- Comply with NHSA’s general rules and guidelines as listed on the Scholarships & Awards page .
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Past Sargent Shriver Excellence in Community Service Award Recipients
2024-25: VyStar Credit Union and Orange County Head Start, Orlando, FL
2023-24: Alliance for Community Empowerment, Inc. and National Center for Housing and Child Welfare, Bridgeport, CT
2022-23: Children First, Inc.