VERONA, NJ  | September 2026

Bianca Scalzo, a Verona, New Jersey resident and founder of Project Seizure Aware, has been recognized as a 2026 New Jersey State Governor’s Volunteerism Awards Honoree in the Volunteer Leadership (Youth) category.  The New Jersey State Governor’s Volunteerism Award is the state's highest formal recognition program for individuals and groups performing uncompensated public service with measurable community impact.

Bianca was selected as one of eight finalists from hundreds of nominations submitted across New Jersey, recognizing volunteers who demonstrate leadership, service, and a commitment to making a difference in their communities. As a finalist and honoree, Bianca will receive an Honoree Certificate recognizing her volunteer leadership and service, signed by the Governor and Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey.

Through Project Seizure Aware, Bianca has worked to raise awareness about epilepsy and the importance of knowing seizure first aid. What began as a personal commitment to help others better understand seizures has grown into an ongoing youth-led community initiative focused on encouraging students, athletes, families, and community members to become trained in seizure first aid.

Project Seizure Aware promotes the Epilepsy Foundation’s free seizure first aid training and encourages people to take the on demand course so they know how to respond when someone is having a seizure. Bianca has brought her message into the community through awareness events, social media, fundraising, and efforts to encourage others to become seizure first aid certified. Her work is centered around a simple message: Be the one who knows what to do.

This recognition reflects Project Seizure Aware’s continued commitment to volunteer leadership, epilepsy awareness, and helping others become prepared to respond when someone has a seizure. 

“I’m really proud to be recognized for something that means so much to me. I want to keep growing Project Seizure Aware and getting more people involved in learning seizure first aid.”

Project Seizure Aware is a youth-led epilepsy awareness initiative founded by Bianca Scalzo to educate communities about seizures and promote seizure first aid training. Through awareness campaigns, community outreach, and fundraising efforts supporting epilepsy organizations, Project Seizure Aware encourages people to become prepared to respond when someone has a seizure.

Ceremony Update 

The 2026 NJ State Governor’s Volunteerism Awards ceremony, originally scheduled to be livestreamed on September 27, 2026, was postponed due to the state of emergency. The ceremony has been rescheduled to October 18, 2026