Today, Tennessee’s First Lady Maria Lee announced the seventh annual Tennessee Kids Serve Summer Challenge. The challenge serves as an encouragement for students across Tennessee to get involved in their communities by serving others throughout their summer break.

The challenge is open to rising kindergarteners through rising sixth graders from June 1 to August 1 as part of the First Lady’s Tennessee Serves initiative.

“Every summer, I am inspired to see the ways kids use their God-given gifts to serve their communities, “said First Lady Maria Lee. “I believe kids can greatly benefit in being taught to give back at an early age. It’s our hope that this challenge will instill a spirit of confidence, compassion, and care into Tennessee’s next generation.”

To complete the challenge, participants must complete a service activity from at least two of the eight service categories provided and a minimum of two service hours. Top challenge participants will be invited to join the Governor and First Lady for a carnival at the Tennessee Residence in September.

More than 3,000 kids have participated in the summer challenge since 2019, serving 11,147 collective hours in Tennessee communities.

Service activities have included baking cookies for first responders, holding a neighborhood food drive, hosting a lemonade stand benefiting a local nonprofit, playing bingo with the elderly at a nursing home, and leading a park clean-up day, and more.

Registration for the challenge opens today. Parents and guardians can register their child and find additional information about the challenge on the First Lady’s website.