Congratulations to the 2024 Spirit of Youth Awardees and Runners-up!
We will celebrate this year’s amazing honorees at the 26th Annual Spirit of Youth Awards, Saturday, April 13, 5:00pm at the Heritage Theatre at 49th State (717 W 3rd, Anchorage, Alaska).
The Spirit of Youth Awards will recognize 16 teens and youth groups from across Alaska who have demonstrated outstanding dedication to their communities. The ceremony is an opportunity to share their stories of courage, inspiration, and innovation.
Tickets to the event are now available and can be purchased here:
Individuals and groups will be honored by category:
PHOENIX AWARD The Phoenix Award celebrates youth who display exceptional determination and perseverance as they overcome significant life challenges.
Josephine “Josie” Herbert (Wasilla) has volunteered for multiple fundraising efforts across Southcentral Alaska. Josie does not allow anything to hold her back, despite a traumatic start in life, and recently won the title of Miss Alaska High School. Josie wants to be a pillar of hope to girls who might feel alone as they navigate through the emotions of being a teenager or subjected to a bad situation.
Runner-Up: Preston Maes (Anchorage) is an engaged member of Service High Schools Partners Club serving as a peer teacher and community volunteer. He embodies the principles of inclusion, demonstrating acceptance and respect for the differences and inherent dignity of individuals experiencing disabilities.
DREAMER AWARD The Dreamer Award recognizes teens who are actively engaging in their community through the preservation of cultural practices and arts, those who share personal expression through visual or performing arts, and those who cultivate youth voice through media and digital art forms.
Sara DeVolld (Soldotna) is a 16-year-old, fourth-generation Alaskan whose L.E.D. “Artwear” creations have been recognized by 3M, Discovery Education, and The Alaska Society for Technology in Education for her innovative fusions of science and technology with art and design. Her design company, “Vintage Train Case,” produces dresses, jewelry, and ballet-performance costumes. Sara has developed and implemented fundraisers for the dance non-profit, Peninsula Artists in Motion and also teaching and mentoring 7-12 year old ballet students.
Runner-Up: Innoko River Middle and High School (Shageluk) Shageluk has a three-mile road between the village and the runway which is under construction. There are ancient pit houses of Shageluk ancestors along the road. This spring, students at Innoko River School ensured their community’s history was being preserved while a construction company came in to resurface the road. Students put markers out that identified the pit houses, which the company honored and left the area alone. They are learning how to own their history including the land, lifestyle and beliefs.
HUMANITARIAN AWARD The Humanitarian Award recognizes youth who have put forth efforts to make their community a better place or are active in local or state government.
Lily Gosnell (Ketchikan) is a founding member of Ketchikan Youth for Change, a group of youth who are dedicated to substance misuse prevention. She serves as the student body president and serves on the school board. She volunteers on the Lords Table, a program serving home-cooked meals to community members experiencing homelessness. Lily works as an intern at the Women in Safe Homes Organization and as member of their peer education team.
Runner-Up: Anamanu Tu’uholoaki (Anchorage) currently works with children at the Hmoob Cultural Center of Alaska. Anamanu has volunteered by cleaning Anchorage, constructing a blessing box to feed homeless. She’s spent time volunteering with Clare House, Beans Cafe, Food Bank of Alaska and Suicide Prevention Awareness. Additionally, Anamanu has gone on two missions, one to clean up ocean waste in Kodiak and another to serve those living on Navajo Land.
VISIONARY AWARD The Visionary Award recognizes youth who have turned their creativity and knowledge into an entrepreneurial or economic venture.
Jack Boelens (Aniak) In his rural community Jack secured a coffee machine and sells espressos, lattes, and breves along with food, starting his own entrepreneurial venture to reach his financial goals. He taught other students how to run the espresso machine as well as consumer math, profit margins and customer service. Community members look forward to hot lattes at morning athletic events or hot breakfast items to pick up on busy workdays, along with great customer service.
Runner-Up: Lola Swanson (Seward) at the age of 10, Lola decided to share her love for dance with the Seward community and began teaching classes to young people. She started a business offering week-long summer camps, earning a reputation as a mature and talented youth teacher and leader who inspires her students to love dance. Determined to not let finances stand in the way of a young person’s desire to learn to dance, Lola formed a partnership with Seward’s Youth360 program to provide dance scholarships to families in need.
LIFESAVER AWARD The Lifesaver Award celebrates youth who have gone above and beyond “the call of duty” by preventing injuries and illness and saving lives.
Madeleine (Maddy) Reckmeyer (Anchorage) started working with special-needs students in middle school and continued her involvement at Service High in Partner’s Club, a social inclusion club for students with and without intellectual disabilities. Maddy has participated in Mental Health Advocacy Through Storytelling as a storyteller, advocate, and facilitator, founded the Health and Wellness Club at Service High, and developed her own mental health platform, The Future Is Good.
Runner-Up: Arianna Anderson (Seward), as part of the Seward Sources of Strength Peer Leader team, creates and implements youth-led campaigns to foster connection, highlight resilience and increase help seeking behaviors in her school and community. Arianna also shines as a leader, putting on school-wide activities to increase connection and fight isolative factors. She serves as a resource to her peers and provides other teens with knowledge of local resources and trusted adults that can help in a time of crisis.
ROLE MODEL AWARD Teens nominated for the Role-Model Award lend a helping hand to peers and younger youth in their community.
Anika Biss(Anchorage) has helped form a teen volunteer program where teens spend time helping teach Sunday School to elementary-aged children and toddlers. She plays keyboard for worship at her church and school while encouraging young musicians to pursue their passions and inspiring young pianists. Anika has been a part of American Heritage Girls, including hosting caroling nights in her neighborhood. She has also set up her own entrepreneur booth to display and sell her items, donating a portion of her proceeds to charity.
Runner-Up: Ben Kolendo (Wasilla) is the Student Advisory Representative of the Mat-Su School District School Board. In this role, he is an outstanding example to his peers. In 2023, the Adult School Board acted to remove the student representative’s ability to offer student input to the Board of Education. Despite this, Ben has continued to represent his fellow students in a respectful courteous manner.
INNOVATOR AWARD The Innovator Award shines the spotlight on the efforts of youth who have shown excellence in the fields of math, science and engineering through research, study, or improvement in their community.
Evelyn Mills (Fairbanks) is an avid chess player whose passion for chess drove her to approach her teacher to be the sponsor to start a club at her school. The chess club is now incredibly active, hosting tournaments for the school and the community at large. Most recently, Evelyn worked with UAF and coordinated a tournament on an even larger scale. Evelyn is a quiet leader who leads by positive example.
Runner-Up: Sahara Brentor (Trapper Creek) joined the Trapper Creek Community Council to represent the youth of the community and participate in local governmental activities. She developed summer Saturday sports events that hosted both youth and adults to engage in physical activities such as softball, frisbee, and volleyball. In addition, Sahara and family baked or purchased items to sell to participants.
DISCOVERY AWARD The Discovery Awardhighlights accomplishments made by youth in science with a specific focus on the environment.
Dimond NOAA Ocean Guardians(Anchorage) have been involved in remote beach cleanups near Whittier and have removed over 1,000 pounds of marine debris off of remote beaches in Prince William Sound over the last three years. The students worked with a local engineer to learn how to sort the debris, grind some of it, and extrude it to make recycled lumber. They have also removed hundreds of pounds of trash from their school campus, performed weekly recycling of paper, aluminum, and plastic bottles, started a coral reef tank to teach their peers and students from nearby Chinook Elementary about the importance of coral reefs, and given out prizes of reusable water bottles decorated with student art and t-shirts decorated with student art to celebrate recycling and trash cleanups.
Runner-Up: Nora McBride (Anchorage) has worked with the Ocean Club in the removal of hundreds of pounds of debris from beaches in Alaska. She has contributed to college-level papers for the Tsunami Bowl, helped present those papers to students and scientists, and also competed in the quiz bowl. Nora shared the results of her carbon sequestration experiment with the students in her Ocean Club and also with teachers to share with other students in science classes. It was an inspiration for other students to see and hear about a youth-led experiment that was related to solving a global problem.
Sponsors of the Spirit of Youth Awards include: Alaska Airlines, Alaska Children’s Trust,Alaska 529, Altman, Rogers & Co, Atwood Foundation, ENSTAR Natural Gas, Nick Begich Scholarship Intern Fund, and Recover Alaska.
Approximately 20% of students age 12-18 in Alaska have experienced bullying. Spirit of Youth, Anchorage Youth Vote, and other community partners are working as a coalition to build inclusive environments free from bullying in Alaska.
The Spirit of Youth Coalition was created to decrease the risk factor of bullying and to promote protective factors among Alaska youth. Spirit of Youth is dedicated to creating, promoting and recognizing youth involvement in communities across Alaska. Anchorage Youth Vote works to amplify youth voice and create opportunities for meaningful youth engagement in Anchorage. Together, with other partners in the Spirit of Youth Coalition, we work to ensure that all Alaska youth are included, heard, and empowered.
The $3,000 Bullying Prevention Campaign Grants are specifically intended to support youth-led projects for middle and high school students in Alaska that meet the following goals:
Promote respect and inclusion
Increase the broad community awareness and concern of bullying and its serious consequences
Reduce stigma among middle and high school youth about reporting bullying
Increase bullying awareness among students, parents, teachers and school staff of institutions within the State of Alaska.
Apply for grant funding by November 17, 2023.
Access the grant guide and application HERE.
Previous grant recipients have included:
Alaska Teen Media Institute – Youth Health Reporters
Alaska Youth Orchestras
Anchorage Youth Court
Anchorage Youth Task Force
Benny Benson Secondary School
Boys & Girls Club – Southcentral Alaska
Choosing Our Roots
Clark Middle School
East High Dance Contempo
Girl Scouts of Alaska
Identity
Ignition Mentorship – Dimond High School
Koahnic Broadcast Corporation
League of Women Voters Anchorage / Anchorage Youth Vote
National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) Alaska
National Junior Honor Society
See Stories
Stone Soup Group
You Are Not Alone (YANA) – West High
You Are Not Alone (YANA) – Hanshew Middle School
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Teens who engage in regular, positive connections with both adults and peers show fewer signs of suicidal thoughts and behaviors, studies show. Spirit of Youth and Empowering Youth Voice to End Bullying, through the Alaska Teen Media Institute, recently produced PSAs for local radio stations, encouraging teens to reach out to each other on a regular basis.
Bullying is a major cause of suicide among youth, and the Empowering Youth Voice to End Bullying website provides Alaska adults and teens with several resources to help create connections, get information, and locate allies within their communities.
Families, friends, and community members joined together on Saturday, May 6 in celebration of the 2023 Spirit of Youth Award winners. Produced by Alaska Teen Media Institute members and hosted by the Spirit of Youth Teen Advisory Council, the ceremony featured winners and runners up for each of the eight categories, and included descriptions of their projects and community innovations.
Missed the ceremony? It is available to watch HERE.
*Nominations are now open for the 2024 awards! Know a young Alaskan between the ages of 12-19? Take a few minutes to nominate them for their outstanding work in service of Alaska.
Spirit of Youth is pleased to announce recipients of the 2023 Spirit of Youth Awards, recognizing 16 teens and youth groups from communities across Alaska. Now in its 25th year, the recognition ceremony will take place on Saturday, May 6, 2023 via Zoom.
The Spirit of Youth Awards highlight dedicated young people and unsung heroes of our state, acknowledging the hard work and efforts of Alaska’s future leaders through sharing their inspiring stories. Selected by the Spirit of Youth Teen Advisory Council, individual recipients will receive a college savings scholarship account from Alaska 529, and awarded groups will receive a grant.
Individuals and groups will be honored by category:
PHOENIX AWARD
The Phoenix Award celebrates youth who display exceptional determination and perseverance as they overcome significant life challenges
Catheryne “Catey” Habberstad (Anchorage) is involved with South High School student government, and has mentored other students with cerebral palsy at her school and online through a website called CHASA (Childhood Hemiplegia and Stroke Association).
Runner-Up: Briley Loncar (Anchorage) is a mentor, volunteer, and advocate for those less fortunate. She donates her time to help empower young girls to set goals, prove their self-confidence, and become stewards of their own communities.
DREAMER AWARD
The Dreamer Award recognizes teens who are actively engaging in their community through the preservation of cultural practices and arts, those who share personal expression through visual or performing arts, and those who cultivate youth voice through media and digital art forms.
Sophia Moon Layos-Wagaman (Fairbanks) is an aspiring circus arts performer and competitive gymnast. She was the the first-ever recipient of the $5,000 Connecting Circus Students Around the World Tuition Grant for a U.S. Circus Artist of Color.
Runner-Up: Mazzy Adkins (Anchorage) is a skilled Athabaskan beader, creating a beading class for third and fourth-graders at her school. Mazzy helps shine a light on Indigenous knowledge, making it something desirable and important.
HUMANITARIAN AWARD
The Humanitarian Award recognizes youth who have put forth efforts to make their community a better place or are active in local or state government.
Alora Wassily, Trista Wasily, Harmony Larson (Dillingham) as 5th graders began an initiative to change the derogatory name of a local creek after learning the origins of the name during a presentation at the Curyung Tribal Council.
Runner-Up: Josephine “Josie” Violet Adasiak (Fairbanks) is the only Fairbanks representative for Alaska Youth for Environmental Action, addressing the issues of food justice and security in her community to improve sustainable and inclusive access to food for all.
VISIONARY AWARD
Visionary Award recognizes youth who have turned their creativity and knowledge into an entrepreneurial or economic venture.
Abbey Markell (Anchorage) started her own business from scratch, baking healthy, homemade dog treats for a local pet supply store’s two locations. Abbey gives away treats to family and friends, and expired treats go to the Alaska SPCA.
Runner-Up: Luke Jack (Angoon) is a longtime volunteer in the Alaska Youth Stewards program, addressing issues of local littering and marine debris in Southeast Alaska. He also serves his school through a small school cafe he created himself.
LIFESAVER AWARD
The Lifesaver Award celebrates youth who have gone above and beyond “the call of duty” by preventing injuries and illness and saving lives.
Sycely Wheeles (Anchorage) is a student leader with a passion for student mental health advocacy. Sycely has dedicated time and energy to raising public awareness of student mental health issues, and toward improving conditions for young people in Alaska.
Runner-Up: Leena Edais (Anchorage) is an advocate for tobacco prevention, co-writing a presentation for the Northwest Arctic Borough School District about the dangers of nicotine addiction. She is planning the 2023 Youth Encouraging Alaskans Health Summit.
ROLE MODEL AWARD
Teens nominated for the Role-Model Award lend a helping hand to peers and younger youth in their community.
Jaeden Binion(Anchorage) is an incredible leader and is passionate about spreading the message of inclusion. He is a Special Olympics Alaska athlete and is one of two Special Olympics U.S. Youth Ambassadors representing Alaska.
Runner-Up: Aaron Harkley (Anchorage) is an intuitive, natural leader as a longtime member of the Mountain View Boys & Girls Club, working to set up activities and events for younger members. Aaron is also a gifted student of music and video production.
INNOVATOR AWARD
The Innovator Award shines the spotlight on the efforts of youth who have shown excellence in the fields of math, science and engineering through research, study, or improvement in their community.
Mo Narus, Skylar Berg, and Grainne Rogacki (Anchorage) worked with Huffman Elementary PTO to start and facilitate a Science Club for students at their former elementary school.
Runner-Up: Hannah Lewellyn (Fairbanks) participates in Lego Challenge events that test students’ abilities in technology and science. She has assisted younger students with the skills of coding and problem-solving. She also works with homeless youth as a volunteer.
DISCOVERY AWARD
The Discovery Awardhighlights accomplishments made by youth in science with a specific focus on the environment.
Lauryn Maiyuraq Nanouk Jones(Unalakleet) is addressing problems like renewable energy and sustainability for rural Alaskans, and is focused on the bigger picture of helping remote communities regarding environmental issues, renewable energies, and gathering people together.
Runner-Up: Riga Grubis (Fairbanks) dedicates her time to the Model United Nations project. She also serves on the Friends of Creamer’s Field board of directors as its youngest member, and volunteers at Tanana Lakes to remove invasive vegetation.
Sponsors of the Spirit of Youth Awards include: Alaska Children’s Trust,Alaska 529, Altman, Rogers & Co, Atwood Foundation, Enstar Natural Gas, Mat-Su Health Foundation, and the Nick Begich Scholarship Intern Fund.
Empowering Youth Voice to End Bullying has launched a new website to address the issue in Alaska. EndBullyingAKwas built through partnerships with the Alaska Department of Health, Anchorage Youth Vote, and Spirit of Youth, and seeks to empower the community to work together to build inclusive, bullying-free environments across the state.
One in five Anchorage youth report they have been the target of bullying, which is classified as unwanted, aggressive behavior among peers that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. This behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time.
Empowering Youth Voice to End Bullying has been working to address the problem for more than five years, and the website will prove to be an important tool in those efforts. Featuring resources that range from anti-bullying trainings, podcast recordings, and downloadable fact sheets, the website will be a valuable asset for educators, employers, parents, coaches, and youth themselves.
The website also lists grant opportunitiesspecifically designed for youth-led projects that address the issue of bullying. Aimed at middle and high school youth, grant applicants are encouraged to create projects or programs that promote respect and inclusion; increase community awareness; and reduce stigma around bullying among their peer groups.
Funding for the website was provided with support from a Comprehensive Behavioral Health Prevention and Early Intervention grant from Alaska Department of Health, received by Spirit of Youth.
The Spirit of Youth Coalition is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2022-2023 “Empowering Youth Voice to End Bullying” grants. The coalition awarded up to $3,000 for youth-led projects that work to prevent bullying in schools, clubs, or other programs in the greater Anchorage area. Grantees will establish and implement programs that promote respect and inclusion; increase the broad community awareness and concern of bullying and its consequences; and reduce stigma among middle and high school youth about reporting bullying.
Four programs were selected from among the applicants:
One Eagle project at West High School
Students in the International Baccalaureate (IB) program will provide presentations to peers at West High and other Anchorage high schools regarding bullying, its impacts, and resources for teens. Student artists will also craft an anti-bullying sticker to distribute to all members of the high school community.
You Are Not Alone (YANA) at West High School
Funding for the You Are Not Alone (YANA) program will provide assets for the “Bee Kind” campaign, that recognizes bullying speech and behavior, and empowers youth to speak up in support of peers experiencing bullying. Presentations will be delivered to all math classes at West High, with pencils printed with the 988 Careline number as a prompt for student action. Additionally, a monthly giveaway of “Bee Kind” sweatshirts will be conducted at the school.
Alaska Youth Orchestras (AYO) “Making Beautiful Music Together” project
Youth leaders among the orchestras will establish a peer-to-peer awareness and discussion platform to better equip these high-caliber teen musicians with tools to address bullying. This increased awareness will come about through training for adult and youth leaders, including parents, teachers, and staff of the orchestra programs, with the goal of feeling empowered to address concerns to the Anchorage Youth Orchestras leadership and community at large.
Dance Contempo at Bettye Davis East Anchorage High School
The members of East High School’s Dance Contempo group are creating a community-minded performance to present to local middle schools and showcase to fellow high school peers between February and April, 2023. Led by a student choreographer, the performance will center around the themes of respect for those who are different, and finding beauty in the power of creating as a team, while also providing tools for addressing bullying behavior.
Learn more about the Spirit of Youth Coalition’s anti-bullying efforts at www.endbullyingak.org. Funding was made available through a grant from Alaska Department of Health, Division of Behavioral Health, Prevention and Early Intervention.
Youth producers from the Alaska Teen Media Institute contacted awardees to record the 2022 Spirit of Youth Awards radio stories, featuring teens from across the state being honored for the good work they are doing in their communities.
The Spirit of Youth Awards highlight dedicated young people and unsung heroes from around Alaska. Now in its 24th year, the awards recognize the hard work and efforts of these future leaders who utilize this opportunity to share their inspiring and heartwarming stories.
Thank you to the Alaska Teen Media Institute for creating these radio stories!
Suella is a facilitator and communicator on important social issues. Most recently, she has been focusing on the Missing and Murdered Indigenous People epidemic, bringing outreach to her community through her projects, participation in community events, and social networking.
Mia helps beautify Cordova by picking invasive species and maintaining the local native plants. She helps with recycling efforts and organized a youth-led march to garner attention for climate change.
When Emaline was 13, she started a nonprofit called Duchess Foundation. The nonprofit provides feminine products to school nurses and school districts. She is now 16 and continues to help her community through the nonprofit.
E was instrumental in crafting Alaska Youth Orchestra’s revised Concert Black attire requirements, setting a nationwide example of this classical music norm, which has historically been gender specific.
Mia works with with KSTK 101.7 FM in Wrangell, Alaska to create a podcast series about the Tlingit language. By broadcasting Tlingit phrases and their English translations, she is helping to preserve the language Indigenous to her community.
Levi was determined to help the current music teacher build up the music program. Thanks to his efforts, numbers in choir and band increased and the entire music department has been reinvigorated.
Hannah and Sophie were instrumental at West Anchorage High School in reviving the You are Not Alone Club after students returned to in-person learning.
Katrina serves as both a TRIO Leadership Committee member and as a mentor for new students in TRIO. TRIO Upward Bound is a college prep program for students who have the potential to be first generation college students and/or of limited income households.
Spirit of Youth, Anchorage Youth Vote, and other community partners are working as a coalition to build inclusive environments free from bullying.
Approximately 20% of students age 12-18 have experienced bullying. The Spirit of Youth Coalition was created to decrease the risk factor of bullying and to promote protective factors among Anchorage youth. Spirit of Youth is dedicated to creating, promoting and recognizing youth involvement in communities across Alaska. Anchorage Youth Vote works to amplify youth voice and create opportunities for meaningful youth engagement in Anchorage. Together, with other partners in the Spirit of Youth Coalition, we work to ensure that all Alaska youth are included, heard, and empowered.
Up to $3,000 is available for awardees of Bullying Prevention Campaign Grants are specifically intended to support youth-led projects for middle and high school students in Anchorage that meet the following goals:
Promote respect and inclusion
Increase the broad community awareness and concern of bullying and its serious consequences
Reduce stigma among middle and high school youth about reporting bullying
Increase bullying awareness among students, parents, teachers and school staff of institutions within the Municipality of Anchorage.
Apply for grant funding by December 9, 2022.
Access the grant guide and application HERE.
Previous grant recipients have included:
Anchorage Youth Court
Koahnic Broadcast Corporation – Youth Health Reporters
You Are Not Alone (YANA) – West High
You Are Not Alone (YANA) – Hanshew Middle School
Anchorage Youth Task Force
League of Women Voters Anchorage / Anchorage Youth Vote
Stone Soup Group
National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) Alaska
Spirit of Youth is offering one grant, of up to $15,000, to promote youth advocacy in Anchorage. The Youth Advocacy Grant is specifically intended to support youth-led projects that meet the following goals:
Increase advocacy skills among Anchorage youth.
Provide forums to discuss issues impacting the context/environment for youth in Anchorage.
Explore factors that impact youth mental health.
Priority will be given to youth-led initiatives within the 12-24 year old age range.
The Spirit of Youth Awards highlight dedicated young people and unsung heroes from around Alaska! The awards recognize the hard work and efforts of these future leaders. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we held this year’s award ceremony on Zoom again. With award recipients from Anchorage to Cordova to Wrangell.
Congratulations to the 2022 Spirit of Youth awardees!
Hannah Yi and Sophie Mayers of Anchorage won theLifesaver Award. They were instrumental at West High School in reviving the YANA club (You are Not Alone) after the pandemic and students returned to in-person learning. Once clubs restarted in the fall of 2021, Sophia and Hannah were the main students who picked up the work that had been left off. They also have put a lot of effort into restarting the presentations for classes and have recruited a team of students to make those presentations in February.
Katrina Katoanga of Anchorage won the Role Model Award. She is in her first year serving as both a TRIO Leadership Committee member and as a mentor for new students in TRIO. TRIO Upward Bound is a college prep program for students who have the potential to be first generation college students and/or of limited income households. Most recently, Katrina helped spearhead a community service project where she helped collect diapers and wipes for Afghanistan refugees newly settled into Anchorage.
Mia Siebenmorgen Cresswell of Cordova won the Discovery Award. She helps to beautify Cordova by picking invasive species and helping to maintain the local native plant garden. She helps with community recycling efforts and to organize a youth-led march to garner support and attention for climate change. She is also an advocate for her generation — she serves as the student council representative to the School Board. Through all of her experiences and accomplishments, she remains level-headed, calm, reflective and enthusiastic for the next opportunity.
Shandiin “Suella” Wendell of Chugiak won the Innovator Award. She is a facilitator and communicator of powerful and important social issues. Most recently, she has been focusing on the Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MAMIP) epidemic, bringing outreach to her community through her projects, participation in community events, and social networking. Suella is an ambassador of Alaska Native issues. She testifies at committees on Native children, works on podcasts with the community and keeps a dedicated presence of how we can all help.
Emaline Buchanan of Wasilla won the Visionary Award. When Emaline was 13, she started a nonprofit called Duchess Foundation. The nonprofit provides feminine products to school nurses and school districts. She started it when she recognized that her friends needed some help. She’s turned 16 in February and continues to help her community through the nonprofit.
E Chythlook of Anchorage won the Humanitarian Award. E has been a powerful example of LGBTQ inclusion. During the first year with the Anchorage Youth Symphony, E was instrumental in crafting Alaska Youth Orchestra’s revised Concert Black attire requirements, setting a nationwide example of this classical music norm, which has historically been gender specific. That revised policy has been shared with every youth symphony organization in the United States and has been used as the new standard for gender inclusive policy within that sector.
Mia Wiederspohn of Wrangell won the Dreamer Award. She is working with KSTK 101.7 FM in Wrangell, Alaska to create a podcast series about the Tlingit language. By broadcasting Tlingit phrases and their English translations, she is helping to preserve the language Indigenous to her community.
Levi Anderson of Kenai won the Phoenix Award. Last year, Levi was determined to help the current music teacher build up the music program. Thanks to his recruiting efforts numbers in choir and band increased. He also helped a local fundraiser by leading a group of dancers from his school in a musical number. Overall, he has reinvigorated the entire music department and is bringing his enthusiasm to the entire community.
The Spirit of Youth Awards highlight dedicated young people and unsung heroes from around Alaska. The awards recognize the hard work and efforts of these future leaders. We utilize this opportunity to share their inspiring and heartwarming stories with the community.
Register for the 2022 Spirit of Youth Awards here.
Spirit of Youth’s Coalition is running youth developed public service announcements (PSAs), promoting use of the Careline, on popular format radio in Anchorage. These messages were crafted by local youth to share the significant protective role that supportive adults and community engagement play in youth mental health and the powerful negative impact bullying has on the lives of young people. The PSAs refer listeners to call or text the Careline if they need to talk to someone. The PSAs are aired during school drive time (before and after school) to encourage parent/child conversations around mental health and bullying.
Call anytime, toll-free: 1-877-266-4357 (HELP) or text 4help to 839-863, 3-11 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday.
Spirit of Youth is offering one grant, of up to $17,000, for youth advocacy in Anchorage. The Youth Advocacy Grant is specifically intended to support youth-led projects that meet the following goals:
Increase advocacy skills among Anchorage youth.
Provide forums to discuss issues impacting the context / environment for youth in Anchorage.
Explore factors that impact youth mental health.
Priority will be given to youth-led initiatives within the 12-24 year old age range.
Youth producers from the Alaska Teen Media Institute contacted awardees for the annual Spirit of Youth awards radio stories, featuring teens from across the state being honored for the good work they are doing in their communities.
The Spirit of Youth Awards highlight dedicated young people and unsung heroes from around Alaska. Now in its 23rd year, the awards recognize the hard work and efforts of these future leaders who utilize this opportunity to share their inspiring and heartwarming stories.
Thank you to the Alaska Teen Media Institute for creating these radio stories!
Anna Boltz — Anchorage, Phoenix Award
Anna has been on the Challenge Alaska Alpine Race Team since she was 8 years old. She has been the only middle-school-aged disabled athlete to compete in school sports such as cross-country running (in a handcycle) and Nordic skiing (in a sit-ski). She is a frequent spokesperson for Challenge Alaska.
Story By Sam Bernitz, Senior Alaska Teen Media Institute Producer
Austin Cline — Homer, Discovery Award
Austin became an Eagle Scout by reopening the upper Homestead Trail. He also was a two time finalist in the Caring for the Kenai competition, which asks students to create a proposal to improve the environment on the Kenai Peninsula.
Story By Grady Cutchins, Alaska Teen Media Institute Producer
Collin Friedli — Eagle River, Innovator Award
Collin used his social media and marketing skills to help small businesses in Anchorage, who were struggling economically.
Story By Ormund Alois, Senior Alaska Teen Media Institute Producer
Eielson Youth Group — Eielson Airforce Base, Visionary Award
Eielson Youth Group is helping keep Eielson Thrift Shop open on a regular basis by volunteering their time sorting, pricing and selling items to the community for a reasonable price. The money that is made at the shop goes directly back to the local community.
Story By Yule Zhang, Alaska Teen Media Institute Producer
Ketchikan Youth Alliance — Ketchikan, Humanitarian Award
The Ketchikan Youth Alliance improves the quality of life in Ketchikan by providing young people with a platform to have their voices heard and the tools to create change.
Story By Sam Bernitz, Senior Alaska Teen Media Institute Producer
No More Mat-Su — Palmer, Life Saver Award
No More Mat-Su is a youth-driven organization that seeks to end domestic violence and sexual assault in the Mat-Su Valley. They spread their message of kindness, respect and fidelity to the practice of active consent through their social media and live events such as Rock the Resilience.
Story By Karl Cranston-Simmons, Alaska Teen Media Institute Producer
Ryann Esteban — Port Graham, Dreamer Award
Ryann is a member of Student Council, Native Youth Olympics, a Sources of Strength youth leader at school, and a teen member on the Port Graham Native Council. She also independently created artwork for a sweatshirt that amplified the voices of missing and murdered indigenous women.
Story By Grady Cutchins, Alaska Teen Media Institute Producer
Tajhrel Prescott — Fairbanks, Dreamer Award
Through his participation at Boys and Girls Club Fairbanks, Tajhrel took the lead in launching the BeYou campaign, which promotes that 78 percent of Alaska teens do not drink alcohol. With the guidance of an adult advisor, Tajhrel led a group of his peers in creating media and hosting events that promoted the organization’s mission.
Story By Karl Cranston-Simmons, Alaska Teen Media Institute Producer
In case you missed it, here is Spirit of Youth’s summer newsletter! You can always sign up to be added to our mailing list if you want to hear more good news about Alaska’s teens.
The Spirit of Youth Awards highlight dedicated young people and unsung heroes from around Alaska! The awards recognize the hard work and efforts of these future leaders. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, this year’s award ceremony was held virtually. With award recipients from Anchorage, Eagle River, Fairbanks, Homer, Ketchikan and Port Graham!
Spirit of Youth is excited to announce the 2021 Spirit of Youth Award Recipients!
We thank you for your support of Spirit of Youth, and the work the organization does to celebrate young Alaskans.
You can read more about this year’s recipients, who were selected by our Teen Advisory Council, at www.spiritofyouth.org. We hope that you can join the virtual award ceremony on Saturday, May 1, at 5:50 p.m. to celebrate the accomplishments of youth in communities across Alaska.
The Spirit of Youth Awards highlight dedicated young people and unsung heroes from around Alaska. The awards recognize the hard work and efforts of these future leaders. We utilize this opportunity to share their inspiring and heartwarming stories with the community. The event is free but registration is required.
