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| Girl Scouts Megan Shissler, Jamie Neely and Gabrielle Corcoran |
The honor was
granted to Megan Shissler, 14, of Delmont, Jamie Neely, 12, and Gabrielle
Corcoran, 13, both of Pittsburgh, as part of the Prudential Spirit of Community
Awards.
A nationwide
youth volunteer recognition program, the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards
are sponsored by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National
Association of Secondary School Principals.
By selecting Shissler,
Neely and Corcoran as its top youth volunteers, GSWPA has advanced their applications
for state-level judging in the 2017 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards
program. Prudential will announce Pennsylvania’s top youth volunteers of the
year on February 7, 2017.
Shissler, a
ninth-grade student at Greensburg-Salem High School, earned a Girl Scout SilverAward for her project to redesign and update her community’s website,
delmontboro.com. Her goal was to make the website not only more relevant and
updated, but to also increase web traffic and give her community a better
online presence.
Neely, in
seventh grade at North Hills Junior High School, helped renovate a community
garden in Troy Hill. She assisted in creating a brightly colored cinder block
garden and adding picnic tables with built-in chess\checker boards. To help
make the project environmentally friendly, recycled cinderblocks, pallets, and reclaimed
wood were used and new rain barrels were installed. Neely organized a picnic at
the completion of the project to reveal the improvements to the community.
A seventh grade
student at Providence Heights Alpha School, Corcoran wanted to help the Sisters
of Divine Providence at her school take time from their duties to relax and
have fun. She scheduled social time for the sisters and introduced games for
them to play. Corcoran also created a Knit-a-Thon, benefitting the sisters who take
a vow of poverty. More than 200 people were involved in the event, including
three local businesses.
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| Girl Scout Katie Handy |
GSWPA also
recognized Katie Handy, 17, of Jeanette, for her exemplary volunteer service
with a Prudential Spirit of Community Certificate of Merit. She is a senior at
Hempfield Area Senior High School.
Handy is
working toward a Girl Scout Gold Award for her project to landscape the grounds
at the Baltzer Meyer Historical Society’s one-room Harrold Schoolhouse in
Greensburg. She is leading a team of volunteers to remove trees, weeds, plant
flowers, and bury an exposed pipe. Her project will make the grounds safer and
more beautiful for the historic schoolhouse’s many visitors.
“We’re
extremely proud of each one of these Girl Scouts who have worked so diligently
and creatively to help make their corner of the world a better place,” said
Patricia A. Burkart, CEO of GSWPA. “Their leadership is an inspiration to us
all.”
As Local
Honorees, Shissler, Neely and Corcoran are now in the running to be named one
of two Prudential Spirit of Community State Honorees for Pennsylvania. State
Honorees receive a $1,000 award and an all-expense-paid trip with a parent or
guardian to Washington, D.C., for several days of special recognition
events. Other state-level honorees will receive bronze medallions or
Certificates of Excellence.
During May’s
national recognition events in Washington, America’s top 10 youth volunteers of
the year will be named by a distinguished selection committee. Each of these
National Honorees will receive an additional $5,000, a crystal trophy for his
or her school or organization, and a $5,000 Prudential Foundation grant for a
charitable organization of their choice.
"Young
people who contribute their time and talents to their communities are role
models for all of us," said Prudential Chairman and CEO John Strangfeld.
"We salute their dedication, their achievements, and their spirit of
community."
"Demonstrating
civic responsibility through community volunteerism is an important part of
life," said NASSP Executive Director JoAnn Bartoletti. "These
Honorees practice a lesson we hope all young people, as well as adults, will
emulate."
The Prudential
Spirit of Community Awards represents America’s largest youth recognition program
based exclusively on volunteer service. Since 1995, the program has honored
more than 115,000 youth volunteers at the local, state and national level.
Learn more at spirit.prudential.com or www.nassp.org/spirit.
