Archives: 2014 & Earlier

Awards for March 2007

By Marie Delahoussaye

Posted on March 1, 2007

Laura Bush presents Alicia Guadalupe Montero Perez, center left, and Ingrid Janet Noh Canto, center right, both of La Chacara Children’s Cultural Center, with a Coming Up Taller Award at the White House.

Photo: Office of the First Lady

Coming Up Taller Awards

For: Groups that teach U.S. or Mexican youth about arts and humanities.

By: President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities.

Winners include: La Chacara Children’s Cultural Center in Campeche, Mexico for arts, crafts, dance and music instruction; Starfish Academy, a literacy program of the YMCA of Greater Charlotte, N.C.; Studioworks, a Communities in Schools program in Newark, N.J., that offers visual and performing arts training and employment; and the Tlingit Language and Culture Program in Haines, Alaska, for teaching the language, culture, art and history of the native people of the Chilkat Valley.

Contact: (202) 682-5409, http://www.cominguptaller.org.

National Network for Youth Annual Awards

For: Championing the needs of runaway, homeless, and other disconnected youth through advocacy, innovation and community services.

By: National Network for Youth.

Winners include: Agency of the Year – Oasis Center, Nashville, Tenn.; Lifetime Achievement – Deborah Shore, Sasha Bruce Youthwork, Washington; Golden Pen Media Award Winner – Chris “Kaze” Rolle, Art Start, New York City; and Executive Leadership – Sparky Harlan, Bill Wilson Center, Santa Clara, Calif.

Contact: (202) 783-7949, info@nn4youth.org.

The Campus Kitchen Project Nopalitos Innovation Award

For: Demonstrated innovation in programming, sustainability, and/or student development in Campus Kitchen Project activities.

By: The Campus Kitchen Project.

Winner: Brian Larkin, Campus Kitchen coordinator at Gonzaga College High School in Washington, for developing and maintaining a blog that chronicles the Campus Kitchen’s activities.

Contact: (202) 387-2888, info@campuskitchens.org, http://www.campuskitchens.org.

‘Best’ Kid Towns Named

America’s Promise/The Alliance for Youth (AP) announced the second annual batch of winners in its 100 Best Communities for Young People competition. The awards recognize community collaborations that make progress toward helping youth meet AP’s “five promises.”

Representatives of the winners gathered for a reception in Washington in January. Just over half of the winners were repeat honorees.

Winners included Abington, Pa., for its school district’s partnership with local police, which includes a PAL program and homework clubs; Bonneville County, Idaho, noted for its employment training programs and internships; the city of Lakewood, Wash., recognized in part for raising test scores and graduation rates; and Newport News, Va., praised for its gang prevention outreach.

Some observers in the youth field have said AP’s efforts could be better used for activities that directly benefit youth.

Amy Sichel, superintendent of the Abington School District, said last year’s award for the town inspired her to spread the word about Abington’s efforts to other communities. “When you have a situation that works, you go out and publicize,” Sichel said. “It’s the only way to make a difference.”

Besides getting good publicity, winners can apply for a share of $300,000 in grants.

More than 750 applicants from all 50 states entered the competition, up from 478 applicants for last year’s contest, AP said. The five promises are to provide youth with: caring adults, safe places, a healthy start, effective education, and opportunities to help others. The selection criteria also included innovation and improvement, population size, density, ethnicity and poverty.