Global Youth Service Day

April 26 – 28, 2024

Youth Service Month 2024: April 12 – May 12

April 25 – 27, 2025

Youth Service Month 2025: April 11 – May 11

Celebrating 36 years of youth changing the world, Global Youth Service Day (April 26-28, 2024) is the longest-running annual youth participation event in the world and the only one that asks all youth ages 5-25 to work together for the common good while also recognizing the impact youth make on their communities every day of the year.

Global Youth Service Day is powered by Youth Service America with support from:

Campaign Sponsor

Campaign Sponsor

Program Sponsors

Global Youth Service Day 2024 is April 26-28

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4 Ways to Participate in GYSD 2024

1. Lead ASAP Projects

Lead Awareness, Service, Advocacy, or Philanthropy projects to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

Choose & Plan a Lead ASAP Project

Use this tipsheet and watch this video to choose a Lead ASAP project.

These resources in the YSA Knowledge Center have many project ideas, examples, and how-to guides.

Service is for everyone, and it is important that we create opportunities where all youth can make an impact in their community. These in-depth resources can help:

The GYSD Event Planning Toolkit will guide you as you plan your ASAP Project.
2. Register & Educate Young Voters

4 million people turn 18 each year and become eligible to vote. Organize voter registration drives and educate voters.

Voter Registration Resources

4 million people turn 18 each year and become eligible to vote.

Check out Rock the Vote’s Democracy Class, Teaching for Democracy Alliance, iCivics Election Headquarters, Learning to Give, Learning for Justice, GenerationCitizen, and Civic Influencers for civic education activities to help educate new and future voters.

3. Celebrate Youth Service

Recognize and honor youth, staff, and partners for the work they do year-round. Tell your story to inspire others.

Celebration Ideas

Recognize youth volunteers & share stories that show power of youth. Present certificates of recognition to your youth volunteers. Download an editable certificate template in PowerPoint or Word.

Track service hours in InnerView by April 15 to be eligible for National Community Service Awards, become a Certifying Organization for the President’s Volunteer Service Awards, partner with Multiplying Good’s Youth Recognition programs, or nominate youth for YSA’s Everyday Young Heroes Award.

4. Increase Youth Service

Identify and address the barriers to increasing the quantity & quality of youth service opportunities in your community.

Help More Young People Join & Lead

Even though these participation rates are at or near record-high levels, we’re still leaving 3 of every 4 young people out of actively participating in our democracy. Participation rates are even lower among youth from historically excluded and underserved low-income communities and communities of color. Join YSA in working to change that. 

Young people who belong to one of America’s great youth development organizations have the best chance of volunteering, voting, and giving on a regular basis now and when they grow up. With that in mind, we encourage:

  • every young person to join a youth development organization or afterschool program that offers service opportunities;
  • every adult to help more young people become members of a youth development organization, enroll in an afterschool program, or join an extracurricular team, club, or group; and
  • every local club/chapter/affiliate of these organizations to add service to your programs and to use those service opportunities to recruit new members.

Host a Youth Forum or Listening Session

Download How to Hold a Youth Summit guide from Search Institute.

Conduct an Inclusivity Check

Take time to think about whether your youth service projects really do provide all youth equal opportunities to serve. Make sure that all youth are not only included, but are able to take on a leadership role in your service projects. These in-depth resources can also help:

Train Adult and Youth Leaders

The following resources will help you train the adults in your community on how to be powerful champions of young people. Organize a training for your adult staff and volunteers.

Share Your Youth Service Month & GYSD 2024 Plans

In a few sentences, tell us about your activity plans. What is your goal? Who will participate? How will youth take action (what will they do)?
Please provide an address for mapping purposes even if your activity is virtual. A partner organization office address or school address is fine.

Lead Agencies are listed by alphabetical order of the states in which they are located.
Choose a name that's descriptive of your project.
Which one best describes the primary action your volunteers will take during your project?
Select the one that best fits your project.
Please select the one that best fits your activity.
Please select the one that best fits your activity.
Your Project's Impact
Youth from underserved communities include, but are not limited to, youth with disabilities, youth who are economically disadvantaged, and youth in the juvenile justice system.
Count those who are directly impacted by your project. For example, if a person comes to a healthy cooking class and is served a meal there, they are directly benefiting (i.e., a direct beneficiary).
Count those who you are helping, but not directly connecting with. For example, if you help sort food at a food bank, you might count all the people who visit that food bank that month.
If so, please include their names, positions/titles, and describe how they were involved.
You can upload your favorite 3-5 photos that best show the story of your project. Choose photos that show the creativity, impact, and fun of your project. We’re especially looking for action and candid shots that communicate the energy and enthusiasm of young people in service or before & after photos that show the difference your project made.Please select and upload your favorite 3-5 photos or short videos that best show the story of your project. Choose photos that show the creativity, impact, and fun of your project. We’re especially looking for action and candid shots that communicate the energy and enthusiasm of young people in service or before & after photos that show the difference your project made. Additional photos can be emailed to kreusch@ysa.org.
Hidden Fields

Contact Information

Plan Your GYSD Activity

Use the free downloadable resources and video trainings in the YSA Knowledge Center to take your project from idea to action through the project planning steps of investigation, preparation & planning, action, reflection, and demonstration/celebration.

Post Your GYSD Activity

If you register a project/activity by May 1, post a picture or video on any social media platform using #GYSD24, and submit an impact report by June 1, you will be eligible to be selected for a $100 or $250 GYSD Award for a future project.

Promote Your GYSD Activity

Find everything you need to share your project: logos, graphics, press release templates, public official outreach tools, a social media toolkit, a recognition certificate template, a story template, tips for taking good photos, a sample photo release form, and more.

Participate in a Youth Service Month Partner Event

One of the reasons we decided to create Youth Service Month is because there are so many youth service events that take place in April and May. While we’ve always said that people could celebrate any of these events and Global Youth Service Day together with a single project/activity, there’s such a wide range of dates that we wanted to officially extend the celebration to a full month to include all of our partners’ amazing events

Partner Days of Service

There are many GYSD Partner Days of Service that take place in April. You can choose to participate in one (or more) of our GYSD Partner Days of Service and be a part of multiple national or global events with a single activity.

Partner Days of Service During Youth Service Month