THE future of the region is in great hands, demonstrated by the Buloke, Loddon and Gannawarra Youth Awards in Boort late last month.
The awards, now in their second year, aim to highlight and acknowledge outstanding youth within the three neighbouring shires.
North Central LLEN project assistant Molly Meadows said the night honoured some of the region’s youngest members who were achieving great things and showcasing their leadership qualities.
“A lot of the time, the work and achievements of the recipients goes under the radar, so it’s nice to be able to recognise the contribution they make,” Ms Meadows said.
More than 130 awards were handed out on the night, across four different categories: teamwork, inspiration, community service and artistry.
A large cohort of Kerang Technical High School students were among those presented with awards this year.
Year 10 student Isabelle Matheson was presented with a community service award after volunteering to help deliver Meals on Wheels to elderly Gannawarra community members.
She was one of five students involved in the monthly initiative.
“It felt really nice to have a chat and know you were helping out,” she said.
Year 11 student Kaiden Clapham was awarded a community service award for his contribution to the school’s Breakfast Club.
Each Wednesday he volunteered his time to serve free breakfast to students before school.
He said he thoroughly enjoyed the experience, while interacting and meeting new students.
Year 10 student Sam Miller was presented with a teamwork award for his role in preparing and organising a health and physical education day, alongside his health and physical education class.
Sam said students were responsible for organising different activities that promoted health and physical activity within the school.
“It was good to see people join in and have a good time,” he said.
Members of the Student Voice Team were recognised with a teamwork award for their work in promoting the school’s values – respect, resilience and responsibility – through a range of organised activities and initiatives.
This year marked the first full school year the newly formed group was able to launch, following disruptions due to COVID and floods.
With many more projects in the pipeline, the group said that while it was nice to be recognised for their efforts as part of the youth awards, they enjoyed contributing to the school and helping to make a difference.
