History of the Brightest Stars Awards

The Governor's Brightest Stars awards recognize Idaho's "unsung heroes" who work tirelessly on behalf of families and children in their communities. The purpose of the Governor's Brightest Star Awards is to encourage and affirm active participation by citizens of all ages in their communities throughout Idaho.

These everyday heroes are truly Idaho's brightest stars! The Governor and First Lady will select Idaho's Brightest Stars from the constellation of stars, representing communities across the state, both large and small.

The Governor's Brightest Star Awards Program is now housed with Serve Idaho and operates in partnership with Boise State University, the Association of Idaho Cities and the Idaho Association of Counties.

This year's Brightest Star Awards program is open to all volunteers. Brightest Star Awards are presented in seven categories; Individual, Student, School, Organization, Small Business, Corporation, and Community.

The Governor’s Brightest Stars Awards were established in 2001 by Governor Dirk Kempthorne and the Governor's Coordinating Council for Families and Children (GCCFC), in partnership with the Association of Idaho Cities (AIC). Since then more than 325 individuals and groups have been recognized as Brightest Stars.

Any citizen can nominate Brightest Stars by completing the application and submitting it to Serve Idaho for review. Serve Idaho then submits the applications to the Brightest Stars Prize Panel. They forward their top three recommendations to the Governor and First Lady, who selects the Grand Prize Award winners. When submitting a nomination, consider the following:

Does the candidate:

• provide necessities such as food, shelter, etc.?
• inspire others (nation, state, regional, county, local levels) to serve?
• help at-risk children or youth?
• volunteer beyond their traditional work / school day?
• NOT have a political motive for service?
• serve in more than one organization or activity?
• have deep community support for their nomination?
• engage in Service Learning?

Is the candidate:

• a caring person?
• an asset builder?
• a visionary and program builder?
• a positive community role model?
• a long-time volunteer?