Nominations Now Open for the 2024 Brenda Stark Award
Recognize an extraordinary front-line youth development worker in Northeast Ohio
In celebration of “Thank a Youth Worker Day” on May 5, nominations are now open for the 2024 Brenda Stark Award! The Brenda Stark Award honors a youth development worker operating in the nonprofit sector. Youth Development Workers help youth navigate the challenges of adolescence and young adulthood by coordinating and/or directly providing services that:
Support academic achievement
Promote career awareness and exploration
Foster positive relationships
Enhance job readiness
Nurture ethical behavior during the transition to adulthood
This award is named in honor of a valuable member of Youth Opportunities Unlimited history ‑- Brenda Stark. For over two decades, Brenda exemplified her role as a Youth Development Worker to an extraordinary degree. This award pays tribute to her legacy while celebrating her life.
Brenda Stark
Brenda began her career at Youth Opportunities Unlimited (Y.O.U.) in 1987 as a high school Work-In Coordinator, assisting hundreds of students in the transition between school and work. During this time, she developed various new programs centered on job readiness skills, letting each student explore and pursue careers that spoke to their passions.
In 2000, Brenda left Y.O.U. to become a Training Specialist for Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC), a global non-profit education research and development organization. At EDC, she continued to design and supervise career-oriented programs and curricula while also training others to provide youth development services.
Brenda returned to Y.O.U. in 2007 where she quickly took on a greater leadership role in the organization. Brenda’s impact included exponential growth in Y.O.U.’s summer jobs program and in the expanded integration of national best practices into Y.O.U. operations. Perhaps most importantly, Brenda inspired her colleagues on a daily basis with her passionate commitment.
“Brenda especially believed in youth and devoted her life to seeing that their aspirations were realized. ”
A force for hope, Brenda Stark was a powerful, loving, life-giving presence. She believed in people and their possibilities for growth. Brenda especially believed in youth and devoted her life to seeing that their aspirations were realized. She was a creative, inspiring teacher who believed that education could transform the lives of the youth she cared so deeply about. By the time of her passing, Brenda had positively affected the lives of thousands and had profoundly influenced how youth development work is achieved.
Award Information
Now in its fourth year, the Brenda Stark Award celebrates an exemplary youth development worker who best embodies the work and spirit of this gifted woman. Previous award winners include professional development coach Brenin Davidson, community engagement specialist Rebecca Coiner and re-entry coordinator Tyelisha Johnson.
Nominations for the 2024 Brenda Stark Award are now open and may be submitted through June 21, 2024.
Eligibility
Currently employed by a nonprofit organization that works with young people (ages 14-24) operating in Northeast Ohio.
Primary responsibilities center around youth development
Nominators must be currently working at the same organization as the nominee or know the nominee’s work through organizational collaboration (colleague, supervisor, director, etc.).
Evaluation Criteria
Nominators should provide specific examples on how the nominee’s work meets at least three of the following criteria:
Provides or coordinates services to youth that may include support for academic achievement, promotion of career awareness and exploration, development of positive relationships, preparation for employment and development of ethical behavior.
Equips young people to lead and serve.
Utilizes best practices that support and nurture inclusivity and human resilience.
Models what highly effective youth development workers do.
Engages the community at-large to support youth development initiatives.
Demonstrates positive impact on lives of young people.
Demonstrates high level of leadership, professionalism, and integrity in the field of youth development.
Strengthens the field of youth work by providing quality training opportunities for youth workers to maximize their investment in young people.
Demonstrates exceptional commitment to public service and/or educational leadership.
Selection Process
The Brenda Stark Award Committee will review all submissions and select this year’s honoree. All nominees will be highlighted on the Y.O.U. website. The winner will be recognized at a special in-person event later this year.