One of the most popular Exchange youth projects, the Youth of the Month/Year Award recognizes hard-working high school students who attain high levels of scholastic achievement, community involvement and leadership. This proven program not only rewards outstanding young people, but also provides an incentive for other youth to strive for equally high levels of achievement. Once a Youth of the Month program has been successfully implemented, the groundwork for conducting an annual Youth of the Year competition is already in place.

Selection of the Youth of the Year is simply made from the club’s Youth of the Month recipients for that school year. The club’s Youth of the Year advances to district competition, and ultimately, an opportunity to vie for the prestigious National Youth of the Year Award.

Purpose/Process

The National Exchange Club’s Youth of the Month program provides Exchange Clubs with the opportunity to honor outstanding students in the community who have exhibited excellence in academics and leadership. When your club becomes involved in this worthwhile program, you are joining hundreds of other clubs across the country to identify and recognize the young leaders of our nation.

This monthly program not only enhances career opportunities for those honored, but it also promotes good citizenship, a desire for greater scholastic achievement, and the development of well-rounded personalities to other young adults in the community. The project’s human-interest appeal will generate community-wide attention and media coverage for your Exchange Club.

THE PROJECT COMMITTEE

A Youth of the Month project committee should be formed by club members to ensure the successful implementation of the program. Responsibilities include:

• Obtain permission, cooperation, and endorsement of the institution or group from which the Youth of the Month nominees will be selected.
• Determine eligibility criteria for nominations.
• Set standards for nominating and judging. Select the judges and make sure they are informed about the nominees as well as all the rules and regulations of the program. (An alternate method is to have school officials make the selection.)
• Determine the type of award(s) to be presented. Appoint a committee person to see that final preparations for the award are made, including purchasing awards on the Exchange Marketplace.
• Plan all the details of the award presentation, including who will make the presentation, what guests will be invited, and the type of program.
• Work closely with the club’s public relations committee to ensure maximum publicity.

ELIGIBILITY AND NOMINATION

Any young person demonstrating excellence in leadership, community service, and academics is eligible for your club’s Youth of the Month program. A more detailed list of qualifying criteria may be developed by the Youth of the Month committee, along with the type of organization or institution from which the candidates will be selected.

Many Exchange Clubs limit candidates to local high schools or organizations such as the Boys and Girls Club. A point system based on participation, good sportsmanship, good citizenship, attendance, academics, etc., should be developed for selecting winners. When the selection is limited to a particular high school, the cooperation of the school’s faculty is helpful when calculating points for potential nominees. A list of the top three to five candidates should be submitted to the judges for a final monthly selection. Judges should base their decisions on a candidate’s well-rounded qualifications, and not solely on one particular outstanding achievement.

AWARDS

The awards presented to the Youth of the Month honorees are decided upon by the committee. It is often appropriate to present an honoree with a plaque or certificate. In any form, the award provides the recipient with the testimony of the honor to his or her family, friends, and classmates. Special Youth of the Month plaques and certificates are available online through the Exchange Shop. Monetary gifts for future education are also appropriate.

When presenting the award, the ceremony should be dignified and professional. A special Exchange Club meeting should be set aside each month for Youth of the Month presentations. The recipient’s family should be invited, along with any faculty members or youth group directors who helped to coordinate the effort.

Before the presentation of the award, someone should briefly outline the accomplishments, future goals, and qualities that led to the honoree’s selection. The youth should be informed in advance that he or she will be expected to make a brief acceptance speech.

PUBLICITY

The importance of publicity for your club’s Youth of the Month project cannot be stressed enough. Since the objective of the project is to give public recognition to young people for their accomplishments, your club’s public relations committee should plan a publicity campaign aimed at the local media. The best way to accomplish this is by sending news releases to area television and radio stations, newspapers, and student publications.

The news release should cover who was selected as Youth of the Month, some of that person’s achievements, where and when the event is going to take place, and finally, an explanation of the Youth of the Month program.

YOUR CLUB’S YOUTH OF THE YEAR

The Youth of the Month project logically leads to a Youth of the Year recipient. Your club should select a panel of judges who will be responsible for reviewing all of the Youth of the Month winners. When the most outstanding student is selected for this prestigious award, a special Youth of the Year Award banquet should be organized. The banquet should also feature a keynote speaker; a distinguished educator or other prominent person in the community would be appropriate. The honoree should also receive an official Youth of the Year plaque or certificate. Many Exchange Clubs choose to give an additional token of congratulations in the form of a U.S. Savings Bond or gift certificate.

DISTRICT COMPETITION

After a club has chosen its Youth of the Year, the honoree’s name and qualifications should be submitted to the district for the District Youth of the Year competition. Please use the Youth of the Year application form available from the National Headquarters or your district youth chairperson. The form ranks candidates using a numerical score based on scholastic and community achievements. This is the official national form. If used at all levels, it will ensure fairness and accuracy throughout the entire process.

Your district should appoint a Youth of the Year chairperson. It is this person’s responsibility to set a deadline for all entries and make sure that clubs are informed of this deadline. During the district’s annual convention, a special ceremony/banquet should be organized to honor the District Youth of the Year.

Your district’s Youth of the Year then becomes eligible to compete with the honorees from all districts in Exchange for the prestigious title of National Youth of the Year. This award spotlights an outstanding young person who excels in leadership, citizenship, and scholarship. The award process facilitates recognition of the high achievements of our young people at the community, district, and national levels.

NOMINATION REQUIREMENTS FOR NATIONAL COMPETITION

1. Ensure the candidate will graduate from high school this year, OR complete GED classes by the age of 19, and by the June 1 National Headquarters submission deadline.
2. If you plan to enter your candidate in the district competition, be sure the Youth of the Year Award chairperson has the description narrative (500 words maximum) and the candidate’s two brief narratives (250 words maximum) before the deadline. The narratives should be submitted in an electronic format that the District Award chairperson can copy and paste into the National application form.
3. The district may select up to two of their winning candidates to submit to National Headquarters by June 1. You should advise the candidate(s) that they may be contacted by a representative of The National Exchange Club to obtain additional information for publicity purposes. 
4. The submission deadline for the National Youth of the Year Award is June 1 and the application must be submitted from the online form available in the Member Website.
5. The winner will be presented the National Youth of the Year Award and a $15,000 scholarship at Exchange’s National Convention.  Winners must be able to read their essay and accept the award in person during the scheduled event, and should be available and willing to attend the Convention from Wednesday through Sunday.  Travel accommodations will be provided to the winner and their parents/guardians.  (One double room and airline fare for the winner and up to two guardians.)
6. The National scholarship of $15,000 is designed to assist with two years of schooling and expires three years from the date of the award. It will be paid in two (2) maximum increments of $7,500 each (one payment per year for the two years selected).

7. The National Exchange Club Youth of the Year Winner should be prepared to submit a high-resolution (150 dpi minimum) digital (head and shoulders) photo upon confirmation of receiving the award.

ORDER YOUTH RECOGNITION MATERIALS