The Youth of the Year

Erica Fuentes Warner A. Gabel Branch	Amanda Combs Louis & Elizabeth Sands Branch
George Whitten Glendale Branch	Amanda Cocciardi Spencer D. & Mary Jane Stewart Branch
Jarmarkus Anderson I. G. Homes Branch	Jacob Elston Woodrow C. Scoutten/Tolleson Branch
Desiree Brock Herbert Kieckhefer Branch	Jasmen Gilmore Jerry & Helen Wisotsky/Peoria Branch
Daisy Villalobos Harry & Sandy Rosenzweig Branch	Derrika Howard Tri-City West/Thornwood Branch

 

The Journey

The Journey is a 16-week program beginning on November 6, 2007 that highlights the BGCMP’s Character and Leadership Core Area to empower youth to support and influence their Club and community, sustain meaningful relationships with others, develop a positive self-image, participate in the democratic process, and respect their own and others' cultural identities. Past Youth of the Year participants are very enthusiastic and positive about the personal growth they've experienced during the 16-week Journey.

Ten outstanding Valley youth, from each branch of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Phoenix, participate in this program. They are youth who have overcome seemingly insurmountable odds and are chosen based upon their exemplary contributions to the community, school, family and their local Club. Clubs also select a second younger teen as an “usher” for the Youth of the Year to mentor through this journey.

In collaboration with ToastMasters International, the Youth of the Year program emphasizes public speaking skills to teenagers. This program also involves life skills workshops, team building, etiquette training and social outings. The ten branch representatives vie for the annual Youth of the Year award. The representatives are judged by a panel of community volunteers.

The Journey culminates in the social event “Today’s Kids Tomorrow’s Stars” on February 23, 2008. During Stars one extraordinary youth will be selected before an audience of more than 1000 guests to move onto the state-wide competition for the Arizona State Youth of the Year title. In 2005, Chantel Sanchez, a 13-year member of the BGCMP was selected as State Youth of the Year and also won the Pacific Region Youth of the Year competition. In 2006, Shaun Yingling was selected as the Youth of the Year for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Phoenix and was selected as one of the four finalist for the State Youth of the Year competition. Each year, five regional winners selected from among the state winners compete for the national honor in Washington, D.C., where the President installs the National Youth of the Year officially in a White House ceremony in September.

The Youth of the Year program is a nationally recognized program honoring young men and women who have overcome obstacles to achieve a leadership capacity within their own communities.