Santa Barbara Youth Council Receives Youth Impact Award

The free awards celebration will be held at the Santa Barbara County Education Office Auditorium, 4400 Cathedral Oaks Road, Santa Barbara from 4-5:30pm. This award celebrates the contribution of young people in the county who have made a significant positive impact on their community. Public and press are invited to attend.

The Santa Barbara Youth Council, an advisory body for the City’s Mayor and City Council, Parks & Recreation Commission, and Parks and Recreation Department, is being recognized for their long-standing volunteer services, their resilience and their ability to transform challenging situations into positive results. The YC has collectively dedicated over 2,000 hours annually towards community service projects, including programs and activities for the City of Santa Barbara as well as collaborations with other nonprofit agencies such as Domestic Violence Solutions, Coalition Against Gun Control, Endowment for Youth Committee, Friday Night Live and Future Leaders of America.

The YC was also recognized for their leadership and teamwork in the development and assistance with the creation of Skater’s Point and the Twelve35 Teen Center as a result of requests from fellow teens. The Youth Council was also instrumental in the creation of the City of Santa Barbara’s Social Host Ordinance, which holds party hosts responsible for underage drinking. The Youth Council is known for its lead in Youth Speak Outs on issues such as suicide, teen rights, and underage drinking.

The Youth Council has served the City of Santa Barbara and nearby cities since 1991. The leadership skills that council members develop along with their passion for community service stays with them: several have joined City boards as adults or joined community service programs in the college cities that they attend. The contributions they have made will definitely outlive the terms of any one Youth Council member; what they accomplish annually has a long range impact on the community at large.

Also receiving 2011 Youth Impact awards are Pete Chaconas and Matthew Wagonhurst. Receiving an honorable mention is Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation Commission Youth Intern Michael Yi.

For more information and to RSVP to the Awards Ceremony, please call 805.346.8356 or go to www.countyofsb.org/kidsnet.