Youth and Volunteer Awards Presented on International Youth Day

The City of St. John’s is pleased to announce that the following awards were presented at a private ceremony at City Hall today due to public health restrictions.

• The City’s Senior Youth of the Year for 2020 is Lauren Dibbon. Lauren, a student at Waterford Valley High, has numerous achievements in academic, athletics, music and volunteerism. In describing her, Lauren’s school counsellor notes: “her motivation for volunteering and tireless commitment to organizations is a genuine desire to help others and make a positive difference in her world.”  
• The City of St. John’s Junior Youth of the Year for 2020 is Tyler Hayley, a student at Beaconsfield Junior High who is an outstanding academic, athlete, leader and volunteer. According to his school principal, Tyler “is a remarkable human being”. He has become an inspiration to many, sharing his powerful journey with health challenges and learning disabilities. 

The City is especially pleased to present these awards on International Youth Day, a United Nations-led event intended to shed light on the need to enable the engagement of youth by making local, national and global institutions more inclusive.

Also receiving awards at the event were the recipients of this year’s Building Healthy Communities Volunteer Awards.

• In the youth category, Jude Benoit was nominated for their leadership and volunteer work as an advocate for inclusivity and anti-racism in community, particularly as a leader and mentor in the 2SLGBTQ community and for building neighbourhood based support systems for trans, queer, and indigenous youth and other marginalized persons during Covid-19. 
• In the community category, Fridays For Future St. John’s received an award for their work raising awareness of the climate crisis. Fridays For Future St. John’s has hosted five climate protests thus far, their most successful taking place on September 27, 2019, where over five thousand strikers took part. 
• And finally, in the adult category, Barbara Albrechtsons, a retired public health nurse, was awarded for her volunteer work with the Association for New Canadians (ANC). Of particular note, she was instrumental in creating 'Fresh Start', a breakfast program which takes place at the ANC Language School and serves refugee adults and their children. 

The City applauds all volunteers and young people making a difference in the community.