Leadership Award ($$) for Girls (ages 14-17) Deadline to apply = December 1, 2012

Are you a young woman between the ages of 14 and 17 who is a leader and volunteers in your community or school?

Do you see challenges instead of obstacles?  Hope instead of despair?

If you are a young woman who believes in the power of volunteer action, then you may be eligible to win the Soroptimist Violet Richardson Award.

This award recognizes young women (ages 14-17) for demonstrating leadership by identifying an issue that is important to them in their communities and the world and addressing it through their volunteer efforts.  In addition to recognizing young women for their efforts to make the world a better place, the program provides recipients with leadership opportunities to encourage and support them to continue their work as community leaders.  Volunteer actions that benefit women or girls are especially valued. 

Soroptimist is an organization of women whose members volunteer in their communities, often working on the same problems that you do.  Although Soroptimist members realize that volunteering is its own reward, we want to recognize girls – the leaders of tomorrow – for their volunteer actions today.

The Soroptimist Violet Richardson Award program begins at the local Soroptimist club level, where the type of award varies.  (The local club, Soroptimist International of Roxborough, PA awards a 1st place award of $250 and a 2nd place award of $150.)

Club‐level honorees become eligible for region‐level awards. One region‐level cash prize of $1,000 will be given to each region honoree to support her leadership development and an additional $1,000, given in her honor, to the organization where she is most active as a volunteer.  Each region‐level honoree is eligible for the federation‐level award. This honor culminates in one young woman receiving international recognition, a certificate, a personal gift from Soroptimist and $2,500 given in her honor to the organization where she is most active as a volunteer.  The federation will use a panel of non‐Soroptimist judges to make the final decision.  Applications that are incomplete or ineligible will not be included in the judging.

If you think you would make a good Violet Richardson Award candidate, please contact us today for an application and tell us about your volunteer action.  All applications must be received by December 1, 2012 to be considered for an award.

Good luck!  And, even if you don’t win a Violet Richardson Award, we applaud your efforts to make your community and the world a better place.

Soroptimist is an international volunteer organization for business and professional women or women of comparable status dedicated to improving the lives of women and girls in local communities and throughout the world.