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HEROES for Youth

Announcing the New
HEROES for Youth Award
Presented by National Safe Place and Southwest Airlines

Recipients

We are proud to announce the recipients of the HEROES for Youth Award, for complete biographies of our recipients please click here.
 

Purpose

In conjunction with the 25-year anniversary of the Safe Place program, National Safe Place (NSP) has established a brand new recognition program to honor up to ten (10) individuals who have made extraordinary contributions nationally to the services provided to at-risk youth. This year's award winners will establish the initial "Hall of Fame" class, and one individual will be recognized annually in subsequent years.

The lives and work of these individuals provide an opportunity to learn about both the important strides that have been made in serving at-risk youth and the challenges still inherent in the field. It also serves as a celebration, as each of the honorees will have worked toward NSP's anniversary theme of "Building A Safety Net For Youth."

Criteria

HEROES serves as an acronym for individuals who:

H		Hear the voices of at-risk youth
E		Engage in the discussion
R		Respond to the call
O		Observe the need for change and take action
E		Educate and Encourage key stakeholders to make a positive difference
S		Significantly change the lives of at-risk youth for the better

Additionally, award recipients will have:

• Developed effective, innovative responses to the needs of youth
• Demonstrated exemplary youth advocacy efforts
• Exhibited broad leadership and commendable service
• Achieved recognizable accomplishments and positively influenced the field of services to youth

Nominations and Selection

Nominations for HEROES may include those active in their career, retired or posthumous. The bulk of nominees' achievements should have occurred within the past 25 years.

Think broadly as HEROES may include anyone who has effected broad, positive changes in the lives of at-risk youth. HEROES may come from, but are not limited to, the following fields:

• Youth service professionals
• Business, civic and political leaders
• Athletes, artistic and literary figures, and entertainers
• Members of the media
• Academics and researchers
• Members of the medical/public health and legal communities

Self nominations will not be accepted.

All nominations will be forwarded to an impartial review and selection committee comprised of representatives from national youth-serving organizations. The committee will make the final decision on HEROES selections.

Presentation

Individuals selected as HEROES for Youth will be invited to the HEROES Banquet to receive the award on October 2, 2008. The banquet will be held as part of the "Building A Safety Net For Youth" Conference, presented by NSP and the Southeastern Network of Youth and Family Services.

Award recipients will be asked to sign a release granting NSP permission to use descriptive material and photos without compensation for the express purpose of promoting recognition of the recipient, the award and the organization. 

Recipients will be announced to the news media and will receive the following from NSP:

• An honorary HEROES for Youth Hall of Fame plaque;
• A profile in the HEROES for Youth section of the NSP Web site that details the contributions of award winners
• Assistance with travel and lodging accommodations to attend the "Building A Safety Net For Youth" conference, Oct. 2-4, 2008, in Louisville, Ky.