Eighth-grader Jordan Bayang of Wahiawa has been named one of Hawai'i's top two youth volunteers for 2007 by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards. Ho'ala School head Nancy Barry, left, and Jordan's mom, Lori Fukuoka, were on hand to congratulate him. Ho'ala School   As a state honoree, Jordan Bayang will receive one thousand dollars, a silver medallion and a trip to Washington, D.C., in early May, where he will compete with 101 others to be named one of America's top 10 youth volunteers. Ho'ala School

Each will receive a $1,000 award, an engraved silver medallion, and a trip to Washington, D.C., for several days of special recognition events in early May.

Only 102 young people nationwide, one middle level and one high school student in each state and the District of Columbia, receive this honor, the organization said in a news release.

The award winners were announced this morning.

Jordan, an eighth-grader at the private Ho'ala School, has participated in numerous community service projects over the past five years, a news release from his school said. He started volunteering when he was 8 after he attended Camp Kokua, a Summer Service-Learning Camp sponsored by Ho'ala School. Since then, Jordan has spent more than 100 hours each year volunteering. He reads stories to preschool children, picks up trash around his community, collects clothing for a local shelter and helps educate tourists and local residents about green sea turtles, along with other projects throughout the year and at the annual summer camps.

Kendra, who was was nominated by University of Hawai'i 4-H in Kealakekua, is a junior at Kaua'i High School. She developed a program to decorate the dining hall of a local soup kitchen with a different theme each month to lift the spirits of people who eat there. After attending a 4-H conference, Kendra received a small grant to start a service project in her area and approached her island's new Salvation Army Soup Kitchen with an offer to help.

To keep her recruitment efforts going, Kendra helped develop a promotional brochure and a Power Point presentation to share with community groups, and then worked on a training manual to prepare volunteers for the project.

In addition, the program judges recognized two other Hawai'i students as Distinguished Finalists for their impressive community service activities. Each will receive an engraved bronze medallion:

Kathryn Kawauchi, 17, of Hilo, a senior at Hilo High School, conceived and developed the "Viking Community Service Center," a volunteer resource service at her school that encourages young people to serve their communities. The center provides students with information, peer and faculty advice and support, and other resources to help them find volunteer opportunities in the Hilo area.