Do you know an exceptional youth?

[attach]6456[/attach]The Town Crier is looking for the city’s best youth.

Every year the Ontario Community Newspapers Association, of which Town Crier is a member, searches the province to look for a dozen amazing young people who work to make their communities and the world a better place.

The Ontario Junior Citizen of the Year Awards recognize youth between 6 and 17 years of age, who have had a positive effect on our communities by showing exceptional bravery, overcoming circumstances to help others or going out of their way to make the world better.

“They’re giving of their time,” OCNA executive director Anne Lannan says of nominees. “They’re doing it selflessly, so most of the time they don’t even realize they’re making a contribution. They’re just often doing it for themselves, doing it for the groups that they’re involved in. They don’t understand the impact that they’re having. This award recognizes their contribution.”

Winners from 2011 raised funds for cancer, gave students a forum to speak out against bullying, and stopped a friend from committing suicide.

Nomination forms, available at [url=http://www.ocna.org/juniorcitizen]ocna.org/juniorcitizen[/url], along with supporting nominations and documentation recording the young person’s contributions, must be submitted to the association by Nov. 30. Winners will be announced in January.

Lannan says young people nominated will be recognized in their community newspaper, whether or not they are selected as one of the 12 finalists.

“Community newspapers are seen as leaders in their community,” she says. “They’re cultivating the younger generation, who are our leaders of tomorrow.”