Awards to recognize youth
Merritt’s Asset Development Committee is taking nominations for exceptional youth to be recognized at the first-ever Youth Celebration Night in April.
“There might be all sorts of kids who are involved in volunteerism or have talents that are kind of under the radar,” committee member Ryan Reid said. “Those sorts of people might be overlooked in the traditional ways we recognize youth, like school awards and sports.”
Reid said there are no strict guidelines for who can be nominated, as long as they make a positive impact on the community in some way. The nominees will then be invited to a celebration night featuring refreshments and entertainment at the Merritt Civic Centre on April 26. The deadline for nominations is March 28 and the nomination form (on page 4 of today’s Herald) can be dropped off at the Community Policing Office and at the front office of Merritt Secondary School.
The Asset Development Committee, made up of representatives from various community groups including the Community Policing Office and Nicola-Similkameen School District 58, gets its name from a model of 40 internal and external factors that affect a child’s development and likelihood of engaging in negative behaviour, such as violence or crime. Half of the assets are external influences such as family support, community support and safety, while the other half are internal values such as honesty and sense of purpose.
“In general, the more of them you have, the better you do,” Reid said. “That’s the theoretical basis for what we’re doing, but what we’re really trying to do is give the community an opportunity to recognize youth who are doing something that they consider exceptional.”
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