Posted: 8/7/02

Students earn service award

Seven Forest Lake students recently earned the Presidentís Student Service Award.

This award is modeled after the Presidential Physical Fitness Award. In 1997, during the Presidentsí Summit for Americaís Future, the Presidentís Student Service Challenge served as a respresentative for Goal 5: an opportunity for young people to give back through service to the community.

The Silver Service award, which indicates 50-100 hours of service to community in a 12-month period was presented to was presented to Ashley Benson, Alex Geving, Jessica Bystrom, Leah Zins, Sarah Davies and Paul Rosman.

Ashley Corbett was presented with the Gold Service Award, which indicates more than 100 hours of service to the community in a 12-month period.

All award winners are members of ISD 831 Community Servicesí Youth Advisory Council.

The youth were recognized for identifying community needs and developing and implementing a plan to carry out those needs.

They visited Birchwood Health Care Center on a regular basis to play board games, share their talents on musical instruments or visit.

The youth have taken disability awareness training and traveled to area elementary schools educating children on disability awareness, tolerance and respect for differences through the PACER Puppet Program.

They have coordinated and participated in the annual Make a Difference Day where more than 800 youth and adults district wide gave back to their communities by performing a needed service.

They also have mentored fifth and sixth grade students and are participating in a new project called Reading Buddies this summer.

ìThey have responded immediately and with enthusiasm to requests by school staff to help with a project or two over the summer months. And they have done these things voluntarily, because they care about building a better community,î said Kathy Bystom, ISD 831 youth development coordinator who coordinates the local Presidentís Student Service Award program.

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