New awards recognise young leaders

New awards recognise young leaders

A major new award programme that recognises young people who have the potential to become future leaders in New Zealand, is being launch by the Child Development Foundation.

The awards, which will be known as the Child Development Foundation Leaps and Bounds Award, highlight the principles and values inherent in the Foundation's social skills programmes Reaching Up, Reaching Forward and Reaching Out which are used in more than 2000 New Zealand schools.

The Child Development Foundation is a charitable educational trust established in the 1980s, to develop, implement, monitor and promote educational programmes directed towards the development and enhancement of personal and social skills in children and young people.

The award winners will be special guests at a charity dinner to be held in Auckland in February.

Child Development Foundation National Director Gaye Moriarty says there are many quiet youngsters in our schools and communities whose achievements demonstrate their ability to inspire and lead others.

"These awards will honour and recognise the achievements of these youngsters, and provide them with an opportunity for further personal development at the country's premier outdoor education venue - Outward Bound," she says. "We want to recognise their commitment, their determination and their achievements which often take place despite financial or social adversity."

The awards are open to 13 to 15 year olds. Nominations are being sought from school principals, teachers, community groups, sports clubs, church groups or from individuals, for young people who have demonstrated qualities and values that have enabled them to triumph through adversity to achieve their goals - often having inspired their peers to change their views of what is possible.

The winners will attend an eight-day Outward Bound Leaps & Bounds course designed for parents and teens in April 2005, giving them a unique opportunity for shared adventure and learning in the peaceful surroundings of Anakiwa in the Marlborough Sounds.

Judges for the awards include Child Development Foundation trustees Judy Bailey, John Langley, a representative of the Commissioner for Children and two younger people yet to be appointed.

Nominations for the Leaps & Bounds Awards close on 1 November. Entries should be sent to: The Child Development Foundation, P O Box 109-697, Newmarket Auckland

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