Youth Advocate Award

Another word for activism is imagination…
being able to envision a world that doesn’t yet exist.

— Eddie Ndopu

Youth Advocate Award
Thank You For Submitting Your 2025 Youth Advocate Award Nominations!
What is the Youth Advocate Award? 

The Youth Advocate Award is presented to a young person (under the age of 18 or a current K-12 student) who has worked diligently over the past year as an advocate, initiating positive change for themselves, their peers, their communities, or statewide. Congratulations again to our 2025 Youth Advocate Award recipient, Christopher Page of Page by Page National Book Drive Program.

Youth Advocate Efforts and Examples May Include, but are Not Limited to: 
  • Creating public awareness
  • Engaging in creative efforts and activities
  • Demonstrating strong youth leadership
  • Working collaboratively to improve the lives of others
  • Supporting programs and/or policies that have benefited children and families
Who is Eligible to Receive this Award?
  • Nominees must be under 18 years of age or in school (K-12) at the time of their nomination
  • Nominees should be actively involved in advocacy at the local or state level that have improved the lives of children, teens, and families
  • Self-nominated candidate
  • Candidate nominated by teachers, parents, mentors, students and others
  • Youth nominees will have the option to submit a 2-minute video or a 500-word personal statement in addition to their nomination form. These videos and statements will also be shared with the award review committee.
Who Selects the Recipient and How? 

Nominations are reviewed by the Florida After School, Inc. Board of Directors and the Children’s Week Florida Advocacy Awards Committee, which is composed of former award recipients, community partners, and dedicated advocates. All nominations will be pre-screened to ensure eligibility. If a nominee’s qualifications align better with a different award category (Chiles, Impact, or Youth), the nominator will be contacted regarding any recommended changes.

Please stay tuned for the call for 2026 Youth Advocate Award nominations!

2025 Youth Advocate Award Nominees
Christopher Page_Youth Nom
Christopher Page
2025 Award Recipient
President - Page by Page National Book Drive Program
Anna Borzenkova
Anna Borzenkova
Don Soffer Aventura High School
Patrick Keedy Brown
Patrick Keedy Brown
Ransom Everglades School
Landyn Spellberg
Landyn Spellberg
Western High School
Chloe Dickinson_Youth Nom
Chloe Dickinson
Pinetta Elementary School
Kathleen Bennett
Kathleen Bennett
Florida State University
LaRae Smith
LaRae Smith
Freeport High School
Nicole Haragutchi
Nicole Haragutchi
Switzerland Point Middle School