The Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes, an award that celebrates inspiring, public-spirited young people from diverse backgrounds all across North America, announces its 2017 winners. Established in 2001 by author TA Barron, the Barron Prize annually honors 25 outstanding young leaders ages 8 to 18 who have made a significant positive difference to people and the environment. Up to 20 top winners each receive $5,000 to support their service work or higher education.
"These amazing young people see a need and use heroic qualities like compassion, perseverance and courage to find a solution," says Barron. "Their message is clear: Find your passion and take action. Start small but dream big and you can truly make a difference -- no matter how old you are."
This year's winning projects address a wide range of today's important issues, including pollution, protecting wildlife, literacy, STEM, the homeless, cancer research and more. The 2017 Barron Prize winner from Vermont is Riley Callen, age 14, who founded Be Brave For Life and in two years, has raised more than $265,000 for benign brain tumor research. Over the past six years, Riley has had multiple surgeries to remove two benign brainstem-based tumors.
The Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes welcomes applications from young people residing in the U.S. and Canada. The annual application deadline is April 15th. For more information, please visit www.barronprize.org.