Every year, the Palo Alto PTAs honor volunteers with Honorary Service Award (HSA) – This award is given to recognize an individual volunteer or organization for outstanding service to children and youth in your community, going above and beyond what is asked of them.
The 2026 HSA Reception was Friday, April 24, 2026, 5:30-8:00PM
Light appetizers served, cash bar.
No kids/students.
Needed from each unit:
Name of Award recipients, contact information & short blurb.
Name of attendees & their email.
8-9 photos of PTA events to be shown during the event
- Rename the files so that it includes your PTA name
- Keep photo size small by resizing as needed (< 1MB per photo)
- Drop your photos here
Cost: $350 per PTA unit, includes:
- 4 awards per PTA, $40 for each extra award
- 10 attendees, $40 for each extra attendee
How should our PTA select award recipients?
Appoint a committee and approve it at the executive board and composed of an uneven number (five is suggested).
The unit HSA chair and committee:
- Publicizes to the PTA membership that the HSA selection committee will be meeting and asks for suggestions for honorees.
- Meets for the specific purpose of selecting honorees. All proceedings must be kept confidential.
- Presents the nominees to the executive board for approval
The applicants being considered should be volunteers recognized for outstanding service to children and youth, and not necessarily for routine, assigned responsibilities or for retirement.
It is recommended that you avoid establishing a pattern such as always presenting an award to the outgoing president or retiring faculty members.
Remember to consider those who work behind the scenes, quietly and efficiently serving youth.
Please, no more than 1 staff member per PTA as this event is to celebrate volunteers.