Region 15 Students Recognized for Volunteer Service

Three students from Rochambeau Middle School -- Delaney Y., Mitchell C., and Griffin N. -- were recognized at the school level by the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards which recognizes young people across America for outstanding community service activities. The students’ applications were submitted for State recognition and Griffin N. was honored for his exemplary volunteer service with a President’s Volunteer Service Award.

Eighth grader Delaney Y. organized a book drive/collection for the Read to Grow Organization. Mitchell C., also in eighth grade, collected cans in his community to recycle and donated the money to the Audubon Society at the Bent of the River, and Griffin N., a seventh grade student at RMS, worked with his church youth group to build homes for the needy.

Volunteer activities were judged on criteria such as personal initiative, creativity, effort, impact, and personal growth.

Sponsored by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards recognizes Americans of all ages who have volunteered their time to serve their communities. The awards were presented on behalf of President Barack Obama. More than 310,000 young people across America have been considered for these awards since the program began in 1995.

“The young people recognized by the Spirit of Community Awards demonstrate an enormous capacity for giving and reaching out to those in need,” said Gerald N. Tirozzi, executive director of the National Association of Secondary School Principals. “NASSP is proud to honor them as they are wonderful examples of the high caliber of young people in our nation’s schools today.”

Program applications were distributed last September though all public and private middle level and high schools, Girl Scout councils, county 4-H organizations, American Red Cross chapters, YMCAs, and affiliates of Hands On Network. After Local Honorees were named, state-level judges selected State Honorees, Distinguished Finalists and Certificates of Excellence recipients.