BISMARCK, N.D., Feb. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Micah Schlittenhardt, 17 and Alexis Thompson, 12, both of Bismarck, today were named North Dakota'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, Micah and Alexis 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 North Dakota's top youth volunteers of 2020:
High School State Honoree: Micah Schlittenhardt
Nominated by Legacy High School
Micah, a junior at Legacy High School, spent more than 150 hours raising awareness across North Dakota about the benefits of dance for people with Parkinson's disease, while also raising funds for dance lessons, support groups and research. When Micah was 12, her best friend's father had to quit his job when his Parkinson's symptoms progressed. "The impact this disease had on her family left an impression on me that I will never forget," said Micah. Coincidentally, she had been involved in fundraising to enable her ballet studio to offer free dance classes for people with Parkinson's. The two experiences made it clear what her volunteer mission should be.
In addition to her own observations, Micah found studies that showed how dancing improves the cognition, motor skills, mood and confidence of people with Parkinson's. But many health care professionals are unaware of the therapy, patients themselves don't understand the benefits, and dance instructors lack funding to become certified in the techniques. So Micah began spreading the word, arranging demonstrations for people with the disease, speaking to Parkinson's support groups and at state conferences, developing informational fliers for health care professionals and writing a magazine article on the subject, which led to several radio and television interviews. In addition, Micah teamed up with a bakery to create a special donut resembling the Parkinson's logo; $3,000 of the sales have been donated to train North Dakota's first American Dance Therapy Association Certified Dance-for-Parkinson's instructor, to help fund Parkinson's support groups, and to advance research into the disease.
Middle Level State Honoree: Alexis Thompson
Nominated by Horizon Middle School
Alexis, a sixth-grader at Horizon Middle School, started an annual toy drive that has provided gifts for more than 400 adolescent hospital patients, launched a campaign to increase scoliosis awareness and screening, and organized a support group for girls with curvature of the spine. A couple of years ago, Alexis was having a dress altered when her seamstress mentioned that her shoulders looked uneven. When she was evaluated at Shriners Healthcare of Minnesota, doctors found three curves in her spine. After all her tests, she was allowed to pick out a toy from a collection intended to distract patients from uncomfortable or scary procedures. But most of the toys, Alexis noticed, were for younger kids. So she decided to organize a drive to provide toys for kids her age.
She sent out donation request letters to businesses and individuals and posted information on social media. After two drives, Alexis has collected toys and more than $1,500 in cash from donors across North Dakota and even in other states; she delivers toys to the hospital every two months. Realizing that many schools in her state no longer routinely screen children for scoliosis, she contacted media outlets and gave interviews explaining the importance of early detection, and then partnered with a local chiropractor to provide free screenings and information about scoliosis. Alexis also started North Dakota's first chapter of "Curvy Girls," an international support group for girls with scoliosis. "Many girls don't talk about their condition because it causes anxiety or has hurt their confidence," Alexis explained. "I want girls to know they are not alone and they will get through this."
Distinguished Finalists
The program judges also recognized two other North Dakota students as Distinguished Finalists for their impressive community service activities. Each will receive an engraved bronze medallion.
These are North Dakota's Distinguished Finalists for 2020:
Teagen Nicholes, 13, of Minot, North Dakota, an eighth-grader at Erik Ramstad Middle School, established a food pantry at his middle school; along with contacting local businesses for financial support, he spread awareness about food insecurity and organized several school-wide activities to raise funds and donations. Teagen also helped stock the pantry shelves and recorded an automated phone message that was delivered to families to let them know how to access the food pantry.
Amorelle Upton, 18, of Fargo, North Dakota, a senior at Davies High School, has raised more than $1,200 to benefit the Rape and Abuse Crisis Center; over the course of a year, she secured donations from local businesses, hosted several fundraising events and sent more than 300 letters soliciting support from her local community. Amorelle also started a mental health club in her high school, and shares her personal experience with dating abuse to spread awareness of the impact of toxic relationships.
"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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