Honoring the contributions of our volunteers
Volunteer service and committment drives the OpenStreetMap project. OpenStreetMap US recognizes eligible volunteers and their impact with the President’s Volunteer Service Award.
About the Award
The President’s Volunteer Service Award honors individuals whose service positively impacts communities in every corner of the nation and inspires those around them to take action, too. OpenStreetMap US is proud to serve as an official certifying organization of the President’s Volunteer Service Award. Eligible and certified volunteers will receive a PVSA Award Package including a personalized Certificate of Achievement and a Congratulatory Letter signed by President Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
2023-2024 Award Year
Eligible service must be completed within a 12-month period between May 1st, 2023 and April 30th, 2024. All service hours must be submitted to OpenStreetMap US by May 15, 2024 to be considered for the Award Year.
| Age Group[1] | Bronze | Silver | Gold | Lifetime Achievement Award |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teens (13–15)* | 50–74 hours | 75–99 hours | 100+ hours | 4,000+ hours |
| Young Adults (16–25) | 100–174 hours | 175–249 hours | 250+ hours | 4,000+ hours |
| Adults (26+) | 100–249 hours | 250–499 hours | 500+ hours | 4,000+ hours |
PVSA Volunteer Eligibility
To be eligible to receive the Presidential Volunteer Service Award from OpenStreetMap US, applicants must be:
- An active individual member of OpenStreetMap US
- A United States citizen or lawful permanent resident of the United States (i.e. green card holders) [2]
- 13 years or older [1]
- Able to provide documentation on service hours completed within the 12-month period
Eligible Service
- Unpaid acts of volunteer service benefiting others (can be in-person or virtual) [2]
- Service hours do not have to be exclusively OpenStreetMap related. Service hours, if they meet the eligibility criteria, can be earned through service generally.
- Service hours earned in pursuit of higher awards (Bronze, Silver, Gold and Silver Trefoil) can be used to count towards PVSA minimums if they meet eligibility criteria
- Eligible Service does NOT include: donating funds, political lobbying (non-partisan voter registration is an eligible activity), religious instruction, conducting worship service, proselytizing, volunteer service performed as part of court-ordered community service and serving only family members.
Examples of OpenStreetMap-related Service Activities
- Mapping, directly on OSM.org or through tools such as the OpenStreetMap US Tasking Manager
- Coding and development for OpenStreetMap tools and related open source projects
- Participating in OpenStreetMap US working groups and committees
- Volunteering online and in-person for events such as State of the Map US
Tracking Service Hours
Volunteers are expected to track their own volunteer service hours throughout the year. OpenStreetMap US provides a Service Log that volunteers should download and complete. For each activity, the following information will be needed:
- Date of the volunteer service
- Description of activity
- Number of Service Hours
- For applicants under 18: An adult signature (i.e. teacher, parent, club advisor) is required
- For applicants aged 18+: For reporting mapping hours, changeset information from contributions are required.
Applicants may print out a hard copy of the log to track volunteer work by hand throughout the year, but the final version submitted must be typed into a copy of the spreadsheet.
Reporting Service Hours
Volunteers will submit their service log using a form to be added soon.
FAQs
1. Is any pre-registration required to be eligible for this award?
No registration is required prior to completion of service hours or reporting service hours.
2. I am not a US citizen or I am a US citizen living outside of the country, am I eligible?
Please refer to the national PVSA eligibility requirements to determine your situation.
3. I have documented service hours eligible for the Lifetime Achievement Award. How do I submit?
Please reach out to us directly at volunteer@openstreetmap.us
4. I just learned about this program and it’s part way through the annual cycle. Can I use hours previously completed?
Yes, as long as you can meet the reporting requirements for those hours, you can report any eligible volunteer hours completed within the Award Year.
Other questions?
Please be patient as this is a new program and we’re still working out the details. If you do have questions, feel free to email volunteer@openstreetmap.us.
[1] While children aged 5-12 are eligible for the Presidential Volunteer Service Award, OpenStreetMap US is not able to award service hours to this age range at this time.
[2] This is a requirement made by the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation; OpenStreetMap US cannot make exceptions for non-US residents or citizens.
[3] OpenStreetMap contributors often wear many hats - contributing both through their employment and on their volunteer time. If necessary, OpenStreetMap US may request additional documentation from your employer that documented activities were not compensated.
