LPB and the Rotary Club of Baton Rouge are soliciting nominations for the 2018 Louisiana Young Heroes, honoring exceptional young people from around the state who excel in the classroom, serve their local communities and demonstrate great personal courage in overcoming adversity.
The program, for students in grades 7-12, is now in its 23rd year and has spotlighted 125 exceptional young people, many of whom have gone on to become entrepreneurs, professionals, teachers and community volunteers.
This year, program organizers are particularly focused on trying to increase the pool of applicants from outside the Baton Rouge and New Orleans areas.
“Often, we receive a limited number of applicants from Monroe, Houma, Lake Charles, Lafayette and Shreveport,” says Monique Scott-Spaulding, who chairs the Young Heroes committee for the Rotary Club. “It is important to make the best selection from a varied pool of applicants from throughout the state.”
Businesses, schools, nonprofit organizations and other Rotary Clubs are excellent resources for identifying and nominating students who excel in their philanthropic and academic endeavors, she says.
The deadline for entries is Wednesday, Jan. 31. Nominees must be enrolled in a Louisiana school or home schooled, and cannot be older than 19. Nomination forms can be downloaded and completed or submitted online.
Letters of recognition, newspaper articles and other supporting materials should be included to support the nomination. Previous winners are not eligible.
Winners will be announced Friday, Feb. 23, on LPB’s Louisiana the State We’re In, and will be honored on Louisiana Young Heroes Day, April 16.
—Stephanie Riegel
