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See How It Works

Members Get So Much Out of Lion's Heart

Receive Opportunities

We find local, age-appropriate, volunteer opportunities from non-profits near you leaving time for teens to serve their communities.

Create Your Portfolio

The Lion’s Heart Teen Volunteers and Leaders' volunteer digital portfolio shows each student's cumulative hours, top causes, awards earned, and leadership positions held.

Choose Your Causes

Teens serve the community on their schedules, find new passions, choose causes meaningful to them, and step out of their comfort zones.

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AWARDS AND SCHOLARSHIPS

Our Members are Problem-Solving, Cause-Loving, Go-Getters and often Distinguish Themselves as Leaders.

President's Volunteer Service Award

This national award is a Presidential honor that recognizes the valuable contributions of volunteers who are answering the President's call to serve others through their current volunteer activities. As many as 40% of our members earn this award. Read More

Congressional Award

The Congressional Award is a national award program that was established by congress in 1979 to recognize initiative, service, and achievement in young people. The award is about challenge and is a fun way for young people to become more involved in activities they enjoy.Read More

Torchbearer Award®

The Torchbearer Award® is the highest earned award attainable through Lion's Heart for high school age members. Members will earn this award by completing 100 hours of service in at least four dedicated cause areas, which include human service, environmental, animals, arts and culture, education, international, and health. Once 100 hours are completed, they will submit, organize, and complete an approved service project to earn the distringuished Torchbearer Award®.Read More

Roar to Soar Award

The Roar to Soar Award is awarded to senior Lion's Heart members (Grade 12) who demonstrate throughout their time in Lion's Heart that they clearly went above and beyond. Seniors will be nominated each year through the Lion's Heart website by people who know them best, including their Class Coordinator, Chapter President, peers, teachers, family, etc. the nominations will open from February 1 through March 31 yearly and the members who earn it will be awarded in May/June.

T.O.B.Y. Award

The T.O.B.Y. Award is awarded to a Lion's Heart member (individual or group member), an entire group, or a group of members not necessarily in the same group in grades 6-11 who demonstrate that they clearly went above and beyond. Members and groups of members will be nominated each year through the Lion's Heart website by people who know them best, including their Class Coordinator, Chapter President, peers, teachers, family, etc. the nominations will open from February 1 through March 31 yearly and the members who earn it will be awarded in May/June.

#BelikeBradley Award

The #BeLikeBradley Award is awarded to a Pride of Lions Family who demonstrate that they clearly went above and beyond. Families will be nominated each year through the Lion's Heart website by people who know them best, including their Chapter President, peers, teachers, family, etc. The nominations will open from February 1 through March 31 yearly and the families who earn it will be awarded in May/June.

Golden Lion Award

The Golden Lion Award is presented at the Pride of the Lions Awards Event in June to every member at the end of his or her senior year of high school. Only members who remain in Lion's Heart for six years, log a minimum of 150 hours, receive the Golden Lion. Read More

25 Hours Badge

Members who reach the required 25 volunteer hours each year (based on their anniversary date) will receive a digital 25 Hours Badge they can share with friends and on social media.

College Scholarship Opportunities

Our members are eligible for many college scholarships. We curate community service related scholarships on our members' behalf and make them aware of the opportunities and deadlines.

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Learn More

Informational Videos

Lion's Heart

Teen Volunteers and Leaders Explained

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What is a Chapter?

A Chapter is a geographical area where all members live within about a 20-30 minute drive from one another. All Lion’s Heart Teen Volunteers and Leaders' groups and individual members are part of a chapter. Chapters will most often be named after a city, but if the city is too large (like Los Angeles), then the chapter is named for an area in the city.

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What is a Group?

Lion’s Heart Teen Volunteers and Leaders' groups are required to host at least six meetings during the Lion’s Heart year and members are responsible for attending at least 4 of the 6 meetings, they elect officers to serve as the teen leadership team for their group and all the members decide what service events they would like to do together as a group.

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What is an Individual Member?

Individual Membership is the perfect option for the busy teen who wants to participate in volunteering and leadership development experiences on their own schedule and enjoy the freedom of not having any meeting requirements.

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What is a Class Coordinator?

A Lion’s Heart Class Coordinator (CC) is an adult who coordinates and is responsible for one group of Lion’s Heart members. Each group has as few as three members and up to 20 Members of the same gender in the same grade. The Chapter President forms the groups on a first-come, first-serve basis.

The Power of One and a Son

Founding Lion’s Heart Teen Volunteers and Leaders

Terry Corwin and her son Spencer, then 13 years old, were driving after visiting her parents in the summer of 2004. Mother and son started discussing avenues for Spencer and his friends to give back to the community. This mother of two concluded that no organization in the area provided a broad-based platform for doing so. Thus, Lion’s Heart Teen Volunteers and Leaders was born.

The very first group project was collecting new hygiene items that became kits for an orphanage in Mexico. The group split up into smaller groups of 2-3 and organized themselves in front of different grocery stores in the community. They typed up a note asking for donations and politely handed them out to shoppers entering the store and collecting the items as they left the store. At the next meeting, the boys created an assembly line armed with large plastic bags to create hygiene kits. Over 200 kits were made that night.

Those hygiene items have long since been used, but the memory of helping others and the inspiration to continue has endured for these original members and thousands to follow in their footsteps. Thank you, Class of 2010, and congratulations to all 12 of the original members who started in 2004, continued all six years of Lion’s Heart, and then graduated from college!

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