DENVER – Now through Nov. 5, The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards is looking for Colorado’s top youth volunteers of the year. In 2019 Amaya Garcia-White Buffalo, 14, of Antonito, who launched her “Wolf Pack Unity Project” to encourage students to respect and value themselves, others, their elders and the environment.

Students in grades 5-12 are invited to apply for 2020 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards if they have made meaningful contributions to their communities through volunteer service within the past 12 months. The application is available at www.spirit.prudential.com and www.nassp.org/spirit.

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, sponsored by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), was created in 1995 to recognize the exemplary volunteer work of middle level and high school students. Since then, Prudential Spirit of Community Awards have been given to more than 130,000 middle and high school students across the country at the local, state and national level.

“We’ve honored young people from three generations since this program began, and while the world has changed many times over, one thing has stayed the same: Young volunteers are doing remarkable, meaningful work to address the challenges facing their communities,” said Charles Lowrey, chairman and CEO of Prudential Financial, Inc. “As we enter our 25th year, we remain inspired by these young people and their stories of service, and hope that they’ll inspire others to get involved, too.”

Colorado’s top youth volunteers of 2019 were Hannah Mitchell, 18, of Colorado Springs, who helped start a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping teens who are dealing with suicidal feelings, and raised more than $4,000 for that cause by organizing two citywide art shows to focus public attention on teen mental health and suicide prevention, and Amaya Garcia-White Buffalo, 14, of Antonito, who launched her “Wolf Pack Unity Project” to encourage students to respect and value themselves, others, their elders and the environment. Read more about Hannah and Amaya at www.spirit.prudential.com/honorees/2019/co.us.