What makes a good goal
- SMART: specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely. “I will help serve my community” and “I will get into shape” are too broad to be accepted.
- A challenge for you. You can continue an activity you already do, if the goal makes you improve rather than just keep going.
- Umbrella goals work. A goal like “help young people in my community” can cover tutoring at the library, helping at the YMCA and packing school lunches at a food bank.
- No double counting. An activity counts in one area only.
- Spread it out. The award is a marathon, not a sprint: each area needs its months of activity, not just the hours. If a goal packs its hours into a few weeks, add follow-up activities or a second goal to reach the months.
- Limits per Record Book: 4 service goals, 2 personal development, 2 physical fitness and 1 expedition.
- You can change them. After each level is submitted and approved, you can set new goals for the next.
Too broad, and better
| Instead of | Try | Why |
|---|---|---|
| I will help serve my community. | Tutor elementary students in reading at the public library, 2 hours every week. | Too broad: say what you will do, where and how often. |
| I will get into shape. | Run a 5K in under 30 minutes, training three days a week. | Too broad, and nothing to measure. |
| Become team captain. | Raise my free-throw rate from 50% to 70%. | Fitness goals cannot depend on others’ decisions. |
| Walk to school every day. | Train for and finish a 10-mile hike. | Your daily routine does not count as fitness. |
| Help out at a private dance studio. | Teach a free dance class at a community center. | Service cannot be for a private business. |
Voluntary Public Service: 8 goal examples
Sharing your time and talents for the benefit of others, with hands-on volunteering in your community.
| Goal | How you show progress |
|---|---|
| Tutor elementary students in reading at the public library, 2 hours every week. | Sessions and students you work with; reading levels if the library tracks them. |
| Sort and pack food at a regional food bank, 3 hours every other Saturday. | Shifts, and the pounds or meals the food bank reports for them. |
| Teach residents of a senior center to video call their families, one 90-minute session a week. | Residents who can make a call on their own by the end. |
| Run a monthly cleanup at a city park with the parks department. | Bags collected and volunteers who join; keep the planning within the 25% indirect limit. |
| Make hygiene kits for a homeless shelter and deliver them, 3 hours every other week. | Kits made and delivered, and what the shelter says it needs next. |
| Coach in a nonprofit youth sports league that offers reduced fees or financial aid to families who need it. | Practices and games coached, and a skill each player improves. |
| Serve meals at a community dinner your congregation holds for anyone who comes. | Dinners served; the service must reach the wider community, with no religious instruction. |
| Volunteer at a nonprofit hospital, starting with its volunteer training. | Shifts and departments; count the training as indirect service. |
The rules for Voluntary Public Service
- No private or for-profit businesses, such as a law firm, doctor’s office, sports camp, private dance studio or private school.
- Non-partisan only: no political campaigns, elected officials’ offices, political action committees or 501(c)(4) groups.
- Indirect service (planning, meetings, organizing, training, research, fundraising) can be at most 25% of your hours.
- No pay, no class credit, and no hours you use for a graduation requirement.
- Service with a religious institution must serve the wider community, with no religious instruction.
- If an organization charges participants a fee, it counts only if the organization offers financial aid.
More ideas and the official Activity Checker’s answers: Congressional Award Voluntary Public Service.
Personal Development: 8 goal examples
Pursuing a new interest or taking an existing one to the next level.
| Goal | How you show progress |
|---|---|
| Reach conversational Spanish: finish three levels of a course and hold a 15-minute talk with a native speaker. | Levels finished and the conversation. |
| Learn guitar from scratch and play six full songs, practicing three times a week. | Songs learned; a recording at the start and at the end. |
| Learn Python and publish a small game or app. | Lessons finished and the working project. |
| Read 12 books from a list you set with your Advisor and write a page on each. | Books and reflections. |
| Raise your SAT practice score by 100 points with a weekend course that is not for class credit. | Practice test scores over time. |
| Learn every station at your part-time job, if you are a full-time student. | Stations or skills signed off by your manager. |
| Build a 15-minute daily mindfulness habit and keep a weekly journal. | Days practiced; you do not have to share private details. |
| Fill a sketchbook with 50 drawings and show a piece at a library or community exhibit. | Drawings finished and the exhibit. |
The rules for Personal Development
- The goal has to be measurable and challenging for you.
- Nothing that earns school or class credit or is a class assignment.
More ideas and the official Activity Checker’s answers: Congressional Award Personal Development.
Physical Fitness: 8 goal examples
Improving your quality of life through fitness activities.
| Goal | How you show progress |
|---|---|
| Run a 5K in under 30 minutes, training three days a week. | Your times, week by week. |
| Swim a mile without stopping, starting from 200 yards. | Distance swum without a break. |
| Go from 10 to 40 push-ups and from 0 to 5 pull-ups. | Monthly counts. |
| Hike 100 trail miles over seven months. | Miles and trails logged. |
| Raise your free-throw rate from 50% to 70% with extra practice outside class time. | Shots made out of 50 each week. |
| Earn your next belt in a martial art. | Classes attended and the belt test. |
| Rebuild strength after an injury with a physical therapist’s plan. | The milestones your therapist sets. |
| Practice yoga three times a week and hold poses you cannot do today. | Poses and how long you hold them. |
The rules for Physical Fitness
- Goals are about your own well-being, not competition: “become team captain” does not work.
- Gym or PE class does not count, and neither does your daily routine, like walking to class.
- Planning and preparing healthy meals can be at most 25% of your fitness hours.
More ideas and the official Activity Checker’s answers: Congressional Award Physical Fitness.
The fourth area: your trip
Every level also needs an Expedition/Exploration. See Congressional Award expedition ideas for what counts and 12 trips you can plan, including the virtual option.
Plan the hours and months
Once your goals are set, the Congressional Award planner shows the hours a week each area needs for your level and date. Your Advisor and Validators confirm the hours at the end, so log them as you go: track your Congressional Award free, or print the activity log (PDF).
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my school’s required service hours for the Congressional Award?
No. The Program Book does not allow Voluntary Public Service that fulfills a graduation requirement, earns class credit or is paid. Hours you do not use for your school’s requirement can count if they meet the other rules; if you are unsure, ask the national office at information@congressionalaward.org.
How many goals can I set?
Each Record Book can hold at most 4 Voluntary Public Service goals, 2 Personal Development goals, 2 Physical Fitness goals and 1 expedition. An umbrella goal can group similar activities.
Can I keep doing an activity I already do?
Yes, as long as the goal pushes you to improve, rather than simply continuing what you already do.
Can one activity count in two areas?
No. If dance is your Personal Development goal, your Physical Fitness hours have to come from something else.
Do Scouts, 4-H or club activities count?
Often, if they follow the award’s rules. What counts is the activity the group does, not regular club meetings where business is discussed.
Can the national office approve my goals in advance?
No. Once you have registered and met with your Advisor it can give initial feedback, but only the review of your Record Book decides.
What if I do not reach a goal?
The Program Book says that is alright, as long as you worked toward it and can show improvement.
Can I use AI to write my goals or Record Book?
Only for research. The Congressional Award does not allow AI tools to generate, draft, proofread or revise Record Book answers, and suspected AI or copied work is sent back for a redo.