BOISE, Idaho, Feb. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Lilian Smith, 17, of Coeur d'Alene and Kaleb Chatelain, 14, of Ammon today were named Idaho's top two youth volunteers of 2020 by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, a nationwide program honoring young people for outstanding acts of volunteerism. As State Honorees, Lilian and Kaleb each will receive $1,000, an engraved silver medallion and an all-expense-paid trip in early May to Washington, D.C., where they will join the top two honorees from each of the other states and the District of Columbia for four days of national recognition events. During the trip, 10 students will be named America's top youth volunteers of 2020.
The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, now in its 25th year, is conducted by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP).
These are Idaho's top youth volunteers of 2020:
High School State Honoree: Lilian Smith
Nominated by Coeur d'Alene High School
Lilian, a junior at Coeur d'Alene High School, co-founded a nonprofit that has organized competitive math teams and/or peer mentoring math programs at 12 local schools over the past three years. When Lilian was in fifth grade, she joined a math team and loved it. But "I knew that many kids in my community, especially at schools that serve low-income families, did not have this opportunity," she said. So three years ago, Lilian outlined a program that could encourage kids to have fun with STEM subjects while improving their math and critical thinking skills.
First, she persuaded the principal of a local elementary school to let her start an after school math team. The team did so well that Lilian began forming competitive math teams at other elementary schools in her area, recruiting middle and high school students who excel at math to coach grade school kids each week as they play math games, solve problems and learn new skills. Soon after, she introduced a program in which older elementary students provide one-on-one mentoring to younger learners who need help or extra challenges in math. In addition to recruiting student coaches and mentors, securing funding and charting future plans, Lilian has been the head math coach at one school for the past two years. So far, more than 400 young students have benefited from Lilian's "Growing the STEM" organization. "The most memorable part of this experience is the time I get to spend with kids each week and getting to see the light bulb go off when they learn something new," Lilian said.
Middle Level State Honoree: Kaleb Chatelain
Nominated by Sandcreek Middle School
Kaleb, an eighth-grader at Sandcreek Middle School, collected cash, gifts and supplies last fall for a charity that provides physical therapy to children with disabilities – children like Kaleb's 3-year-old cousin, who was born with a gene mutation that has made her unable to speak or hold her body upright. "She brings joy to everyone she sees and is so lovable," said Kaleb. "I wanted to do something for her and people like her." So Kaleb contacted the Now I Can Foundation in Provo, Utah, to see how he could be of service.
They suggested that he provide gifts for patients' families, and cited a need for basic materials such as toilet paper, paper towels and cleaning supplies. With the help of some friends, Kaleb distributed flyers around his community to solicit contributions. Two weeks later, he gathered all of the donations. "I was so excited to see an entire room stocked with donated supplies, gifts and cash donations of almost $300," said Kaleb. He and his family then sorted the goods and loaded them into his parents' car for the 250-mile trip to Provo. As a result, Christmas gifts brightened the holiday of families with children with disabilities, supplies were replenished at a place to stay for families who travel far from home to get treatment for their children, and money was available to offset the cost of therapy. "The foundation was thrilled with the success of our project," said Kaleb. "It felt great to help a great organization!"
Distinguished Finalists
The program judges also recognized two other Idaho students as Distinguished Finalists for their impressive community service activities. Each will receive an engraved bronze medallion.
These are Idaho's Distinguished Finalists for 2020:
Vishali Sutharsan, 14, of Boise, Idaho, a freshman at Les Bois Junior High School, volunteers in a variety of ways to benefit people with special needs in her community; she raised more than $1,000 for Autism Speaks and founded the "Sunflower Lunch Bunch," which connects volunteers with students who have special needs. Vishali also regularly spends time in her school's special education classroom, visiting with students and helping them complete adaptive physical education exercises.
Emma Watts, 17, of Pocatello, Idaho, a senior at Century High School, is a project manager for Youth Activism Society (YAS), which encourages local teens to participate in community service; through this organization, she has helped raise more than $4,000 to help fight food insecurity in southeastern Idaho. Along with spreading awareness of community issues, Emma helped establish partnerships with local businesses and solicited donations to benefit an Eastern Idaho food bank and the Idaho Kidney Institute.
"In our 25th year of honoring young volunteers, we are as inspired as ever by the work students are doing to address the needs of a changing world," said Charles Lowrey, chairman and CEO of Prudential Financial, Inc. "We hope that their resolve, their initiative and their perspectives on society's challenges move others to consider how they can make a difference, too."
"Middle level and high school students are doing remarkable things to shape the future of their communities through volunteer service. They inspire all students and schools to drive learning with real-world challenges," said JoAnn Bartoletti, executive director of NASSP. "Congratulations to each of the 2020 honorees – it's an honor to celebrate your commitment to creating positive change."
About The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards
The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards represents the United States' largest youth recognition program based solely on volunteer service. All public and private middle level and high schools in the country, as well as all Girl Scout councils, county 4-H organizations, American Red Cross chapters, YMCAs and Points of Light Global Network members, were eligible to select a student or member for a local Prudential Spirit of Community Award. These Local Honorees were then reviewed by an independent judging panel, which selected State Honorees and Distinguished Finalists based on criteria including personal initiative, effort, impact and personal growth.
While in Washington, D.C., the 102 State Honorees – one middle level and one high school student from each state and the District of Columbia – will tour the capital's landmarks, meet top youth volunteers from other parts of the world, attend a gala awards ceremony at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, and visit their congressional representatives on Capitol Hill. On May 4, 10 of the State Honorees – five middle level and five high school students – will be named America's top youth volunteers of 2020. These National Honorees will receive additional $5,000 scholarships, gold medallions, crystal trophies and $5,000 grants from Prudential for nonprofit charitable organizations of their choice.
Since the program began in 1995, more than 130,000 young volunteers have been honored at the local, state and national level. The program also is conducted by Prudential subsidiaries in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Ireland, India, China and Brazil. In addition to granting its own awards, The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program also distributes President's Volunteer Service Awards to qualifying Local Honorees.
For information on all of this year's Prudential Spirit of Community State Honorees and Distinguished Finalists, visit http://spirit.prudential.com or www.nassp.org/spirit.
About NASSP
The National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) is the leading organization of and voice for principals and other school leaders across the United States. NASSP seeks to transform education through school leadership, recognizing that the fulfillment of each student's potential relies on great leaders in every school committed to the success of each student. Reflecting its long-standing commitment to student leadership development, NASSP administers the National Honor Society, National Junior Honor Society, National Elementary Honor Society, and National Student Council. Learn more at www.nassp.org
About PrudentialFinancial
Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU), a financial services leader, has operations in the United States, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Prudential's diverse and talented employees are committed to helping individual and institutional customers grow and protect their wealth through a variety of products and services, including life insurance, annuities, retirement-related services, mutual funds and investment management. In the U.S., Prudential's iconic Rock symbol has stood for strength, stability, expertise and innovation for more than a century. For more information, please visit www.news.prudential.com.
For Spirit of Community Awards program logo and medallion graphics, please visit https://spirit.prudential.com/resources/media
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SOURCE Prudential Financial, Inc.