Youth of the Year

"I can't thank the Boys and Girls Club enough for developing me into the young man I am today. The responsibilities I have learned and the work ethic I have developed I can thank soley the Boys and Girls Clubs of Elko. It's made an impact on me and it will continue making an impact on the lives of kids in the future."

In Boys & Girls Clubs around the world, caring staff members encourage and support the Club members they serve. Through this nurturing environment, many develop sound character, leadership abilities and the willingness to give back to their community. These are the qualities that make a Youth of the Year. They are also some of the most important qualities young people need to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens.

The National Youth of the Year program, Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s premier character and leadership initiative, recognizes outstanding contributions to a Club member’s family, school, community and Boys & Girls Club: as well as personal challenges and obstacles overcome.

Participants are chosen on local and state levels, culminating with five regional winners meeting in Washington, D.C., to compete for the National Youth of the Year honor.

Since the program’s inception in 1947, each National Youth of the Year has met with the President of the United States to formally accept the award and begin a one-year term as the teen spokesperson for all Boys & Girls Club members.

The young people who earn recognition as Youth of the Year are living proof that Boys & Girls Clubs work. Indeed, there is no stronger testimony that Clubs are truly “The Positive Place for Kids.”