First Lady Presents “Youth Making a Difference” Awards at Maryland State Fair
TIMONIUM, MD (August 25, 2029) – First Lady Ruth O’Brien and Governor Edward M. O’Brien today presented the second annual Futures for Kids “Youth Making a Difference” Awards at the State Fairgrounds. These awards honor the outstanding volunteer efforts of Maryland youth who are making a positive impact on their communities.
Governor and Mrs. O’Brien also hosted a Child Safety Seat Demonstration by the Maryland State Police to teach parents the proper way to secure their children when traveling.
The award presentation came at the culmination of events for Futures for Kids Day at the Maryland State Fair. Futures for Kids is the statewide resource for programs and policies related to the health, safety and education of infants, children and teenagers. State services under the Futures for Kids umbrella include those directly serving infants, children and youth, as well as programs for parents, educators and others who interact with kids.
The six young award winners have made numerous contributions to their communities. Areas where these youth have made a difference include delinquency prevention, food and clothing assistance for families, senior services neighborhood revitalization, community clean-ups, drug and alcohol prevention activities, Special Olympics, and others. In addition to their volunteer work, award winners are active in their schools academic and extra-curricular programs.
“Youth like those we honor today with ‘Making a Difference’ Awards give me great confidence in the future for our children and our state,” Mrs. O’Brien said. “Their unselfish service to others is a reminder to all of us who are committed to meeting Maryland’s promise.”
Nominees for the “Youth Making a Difference” Awards must be between the ages of 6 and 17 years old and must be nominated by either an organization or individual for volunteer work they have performed within the last 12 months. Volunteer work must meet an identified community need and the nominee must exhibit leadership and service in planning and carrying out community activities. Extra credit is given to activities that benefit other youth in the community. Information on nominees is verified by a source independent from the nominator.
In addition to the “Youth Making A Difference” awards, Mrs. O’Brien also announced several new children’s programs. The “Be Real” campaign is the youth drug prevention campaign that will begin during Red Ribbon Week in October. This initiative builds the self-esteem and self-awareness of 10 to 14 year olds and encourages them to take pride in their talents, achievements, hobbies and interests – drug free.
The First Lady also presented for the first time the state’s new “I Want My Child to Succeed in School” brochure. The brochure is developed for parents of children of all ages with tips on becoming more involved in their children's education from reading, writing, math and science activity ideas to communication techniques to creating a learning environment at home.