Advisors, Validators & Champions
Mentor. Support. Celebrate.
As an Advisor, Validator, or Champion, you can make an incredible impact on any young person who participates in, or would be a great fit to participate in, the Congressional Award program—and you can do it today.
Advisors Mentor.
Advisors guide, counsel, and encourage Wyoming Congressional Award participants through their journey.
Mentoring is a rewarding experience, no doubt—but the true impact of mentoring Wyoming Congressional Award youth is its ripple effect.
Your ability to provide steady encouragement and support to an aspiring medalist empowers that youth to set out on his or her own accord to make a difference… and the ripples only continue to grow from there!
As an Advisor, you’ll get to:
- Confirm the participant has registered with The Congressional Award
- With the participant, review The Congressional Award requirements and guidelines as provided in the Program Book
- Assist the participant in setting goals that are personally challenging, achievable, worthwhile, measurable, and fulfilling
- Help the participant identify appropriate activities and qualified Validators for each goal
- Maintain periodic contact with the participant while he or she works toward The Congressional Award
- If the participant needs to revise goals, help him or her set new goals and find activities to achieve them
- Help participants apply for an award once they have met the program requirements
-
Learn more about the online platform Submittable and guide your advisee through the process of applying for an award
There’s no training needed for you to be an advisor; all you need to do is say “yes” when you’re asked!
Best of all, we’re only one call or email away if you have questions, concerns, and especially stories to share about your participant’s growth and success.
Validators Support.
Validators are subject area experts, willing to help aspiring Wyoming Congressional Award medalists set challenging, worthwhile, and measurable goals in one of the four program areas.
Chances are, if a Wyoming Congressional Award participant has asked you to be their validator, it’s because they see you as a trusted expert in a specific field or subject area in which they’re committed to improving their skill level!
As a Validator, this is your opportunity to stoke that participant’s spark of interest in an area you’re both passionate about. You’ll also get to be part of helping them develop the skill to set meaningful, personally challenging, achievable, worthwhile, measurable, and fulfilling goals.
As a Validator, you’ll get to:
- Review The Congressional Award requirements and guidelines listed in the participant’s Program Book
- Discuss the specific requirements for the program area in which you’ll be working with the participant
When the participant is ready to complete an online Record Book, you’ll receive a reference form via email from the online platform, Submittable. Once you receive this e-mail, reach out to your participant to ensure their submitted hours have been completed, after which you can e-sign and return the reference form.
There’s no training needed for you to be a Validator; all you need to do is say “yes” when you’re asked!
Best of all, we’re only one call or email away if you have questions, concerns, and especially stories to share about your participant’s growth and success.
Advisor & Validator FAQ
Who is eligible to be a Congressional Award Advisor or Validator?
As long as you’re not a participant’s parent, relative, or peer, you’re eligible! Congressional Award Gold Medalists may also be Advisors or Validators, regardless of their age.
Can I serve as an Advisor or Validator for more than one youth at a time?
Absolutely! As long as you have adequate time to devote to each youth, you can be an Advisor or Validator for as many Wyoming Congressional Award participants as you’d like.
Can I be an Advisor or Validator for a participant in another state?
Yes! You’re free to work with any participant you’re not related to, anywhere in the nation, as long as you’re committed to bridging that distance with check-ins over the phone, Facetime, Zoom, etc.
What qualifications does an Advisor have to meet?
If you have a willingness to mentor youth, you’re 100% qualified. (Oh, and saying “yes” when you’re asked!)
What qualifications does a Validator have to meet?
In addition to being willing to mentor youth, a Validator must have a working knowledge of the specific activity they’re asked to supervise and validate. For example, if a participant is working toward a goal related to improving their gymnastics skills, a rancher with zero knowledge of gymnastics would not be a qualified validator for that skill.
What kind of time commitment can an Advisor or Validator expect?
There’s no set or specific time requirement for these roles, but we encourage both Advisors and Validators to check in periodically with their participant; give them a call, text with them, grab lunch, or catch up in a way that feels comfortable for both of you.
For Validators who regularly see their participants, such as a coach, checking in with your participant about their progress every few practices may be just right.
Do I receive financial compensation for serving as an Advisor or Validator?
No; your service to the Wyoming Congressional Award Council is entirely voluntary.
What if my advisee wants to change his/her goal(s)?
It’s okay! Circumstances change, and it’s absolutely fine to assist your advisee in revising his/her goals.
What if the youth I'm mentoring doesn't follow through with the program?
While you’re in a position to encourage and motivate a participant to keep up with the program, it’s not your responsibility to force participation.
What if my circumstances change and I can't continue to serve as an Advisor or Validator?
If, for any reason, you can no longer be a participant’s Advisor or Validator, please let your participant know as soon as you can. Additionally, we recommend setting them up for success by passing along contact information for other trusted adults who could step in to fill your role.
Champions Celebrate.
We know you’re around world-changers every single day.
That’s exactly why we hope you’ll help us encourage Wyoming’s next generation (ages 13½ to 23) to be part of The Congressional Award program.
You have a way of seeing the potential in the youth around you, no matter where they come from or what their grades are.
As a Champion, you get to help make sure those youth can see that potential in themselves, too.
Request a free toolkit (including posters, information cards, and sponsor sheets) and become a Champion today!
