Young Leaders in Civic Engagement Awards Winners
2022 Winners
First Place
Girls Supporting Girls
Naile Uslu, Fazilet Kazkondu, Meryem Uysal
Girls Supporting Girls group from Chicago, working to provide feminine hygiene products to women in need, including through shelters and food pantries.
Second Place
Climate Enthusiasts of San Antonio (CESA)
Seyma Kilic, Betul Ufak, Nesibe Celik, Esma Korkmaz
Climate Enthusiasts of San Antonio, Texas, dedicated to spreading awareness on climate change and environmental issues, including organizing actions, like tree planting, for communities to address these issues locally.
Third Place
Youth 4 Success Platform
Sevval Ogutcu, Zeynep Begum Cam, Nurefsan Kurdoglu, Zeynep Ceren Ejder, Humeyra Gokce, Ilknur Azra Ince
Youth for Success group in Canada, organizing seminars and programming on the connection between youth unemployment and crime.
2022 Honorable Mentions
Raindrop Foundation Health Education Team
Zeynep Korkmaz, Ceyda Tunca, Ozge Alkan
Raindrop Foundation Health Education Team group in San Antonio, working to provide information on community health issues to immigrant communities that otherwise may not pay attention to normal public health communications channels.
Golden Youth Group
Hatice Kubra Ozey, Emine Meryem Kaklik,
Husna Akkaya, Meryem Sarikamis
Golden Youth group from Ohio, organizing school supply donation drives to help underprivileged youth.
2023 Winners
First Place
Nurturing Hope
Yunus Goral, Nihat Topcu, Emre Tunca, Mustafa Nalcaci
Raised awareness for domestic violence victims living in shelters and did toy drives for the kids living there in collaboration with the Jewish Community in San Antonio.
Second Place
FAIR
Emine Yalcin, Saierakhon Ismailova,
Rumeysa Cakir
FAIR, a group in Texas, organizing Career and Health Fair for middle school, high school and college students.
Third Place
Climate Enthusiasts of San Antonio (CESA)
Seyma Kilic, Betul Ufak,
Nesibe Celik, Esma Korkmaz
Climate Enthusiasts of San Antonio, Texas, dedicated to spreading awareness on climate change and environmental issues, including organizing actions, like park cleanups, for communities to address these issues locally.
2023 Honorable Mentions
Freshman Girls of TASO
Nesibe Ozey, Betul Ucan,
Muhlise Kenc, Nadide Aydin
Freshman Girls of TASO group in Columbus, Ohio who worked together to fundraise scholarships for teens in foster care.
The Herd
Butterfly Effect
Nilufer Kabul, Hansa Oguz,
Nilgun Soysal, Elif Cicek
The Herd group in California raising money to provide homeless individuals hygiene products. After the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria they shifted gears to fundraise for earthquake relief efforts.
ECHO
Husna Akkaya, Zehra Kaya, Mary Mutlu,
Hatice Ozey, Hatice Kucuk, Asude Budak
ECHO group in Columbus, Ohio working with local organizations in identifying key issues in underprivileged areas in their community and working towards solutions.
2024 Winners
First Place
Student World Impact Film Festival
Mark Leschinsky, Gary Leschinsky, Barbara Leschinsky
In 1 st place, the Student World Impact Film Festival (SWIFF) elevates the voices of young filmmakers from underrepresented communities. Mark Leschinsky, a Stanford University student, founded SWIFF with the help of Gary Leschinsky and Barbara Leschinsky, as an annual film festival aimed at addressing inequality in the film industry, and within the arts more broadly. They were mentored by Kymberly Acuña, school counselor at the Bergen County Academies. In 2023, SWIFF showed 13,890 student-films from 149 countries and has mobilized 996 volunteers to screen eligible films. Leschinksy has fundraised over $200,000 in grants from Google and became Amazon’s first youth distribution partner, circulating a SWIFF film to 100 million viewers. “Stories have a power to transform perspectives, connect people and inspire change,” said Leschinsky.
Second Place
Spread the Vision
Aarushi Guin, Anushka Chowdury, Bomini Chandra
Spread the Vision is a sustainable initiative to gather and distribute used eyeglasses to mitigate the societal impacts of health and education-based disparities for vision care. Aarushi Guin, Anushka Chowdury, and Bomini Chandra, high school juniors from outside of Atlanta, developed and implemented Spread the Vision. They were mentored by Melek Cetinkaya, a teacher at Fulton Science Academy. Spread the Vision established a partnership with Eye Foundation in Kolkata, India. Eye Foundation will use donated glasses from Spread the Vision in July 2024 during a biannual eye camp, which provides free eye care to rural communities in Kolkata.
Second Place
Spread the Vision
Aarushi Guin, Anushka Chowdury, Bomini Chandra
Spread the Vision is a sustainable initiative to gather and distribute used eyeglasses to mitigate the societal impacts of health and education-based disparities for vision care. Aarushi Guin, Anushka Chowdury, and Bomini Chandra, high school juniors from outside of Atlanta, developed and implemented Spread the Vision. They were mentored by Melek Cetinkaya, a teacher at Fulton Science Academy. Spread the Vision established a partnership with Eye Foundation in Kolkata, India. Eye Foundation will use donated glasses from Spread the Vision in July 2024 during a biannual eye camp, which provides free eye care to rural communities in Kolkata.
Co-Third Place
Hopeful Baristas
Leyla Guclu, Aliye Kutlu, Hulya Yazici.
Hopeful Baristas are led by Leyla Guclu, a high school sophomore, and supported by freshmen Aliye Kutlu and Hulya Yazici. All students attend Pioneer Academy in Wayne, New Jersey, and were mentored by Nilgun Atay, an instructor, advisor, and college counselor. The Hopefully Baristas established “A Cup of Hope,” a project that provides scholarships to girls in Kenya. Guclu, Kutlu, and Yazici sourced wholesale coffee from Kenya and partnered with a sponsor organization, the Omeriye Foundation, to sell coffee and connect with the constituents they aim to support.
Co-Third Place
Nurturing Hope
Omer Tunca, Nihat Topcu, Mustafa Nalcaci, Mesut Aliyev, Abdulaziz Imanaliyev
Nurturing Hope, based out of San Antonio, Texas, implemented fundraising initiatives to impact meaningful change for survivors of domestic violence. Team members Omer Tunca, Nihat Topcu, Mustafa Nalcaci, and Abdulaziz Imanaliyev consulted with a Youth Advisory Council to identify local shelter needs and improve facilities through fundraising and organizing book drives. The team was mentored by Dr. Sumeyra Tek, board vice president at the Raindrop Foundation. Nurturing Hope donated more than 5,000 books and hosted a Teen Dating Violence awareness fundraiser to fund the purchase of necessary shelter supplies.
2024 Special Recognitions
Special Recognition for Passing the Torch:
Community Action for Rising Engagement
(CARE)
Betul Ufak, Seyma Kilic, Meryem Korkmaz, Hafsa Tek, Hatice Goral, Elif Ufak, Neva Aksoylu, Neda Oguz
CARE, a youth-led initiative in San Antonio, is dedicated to improving community health by promoting education, raising awareness of health concerns, and encouraging healthy lifestyles. Their focus on civic engagement aims to unite diverse communities and spark informative conversations through inclusive gatherings. By connecting health professionals with local residents, CARE seeks to address common health issues such as mental health, hygiene, and menstrual health. Through a variety of past and upcoming events, including presentations, seminars, collaborations with health institutions, volunteering, and community runs, CARE demonstrates its commitment to empowering individuals and enhancing overall quality of life in the community.
Special Recognition for Environmental Consciousness:
Youth for EcoJustice
Nimet Aysan, Sueda Teke, Fatima Gurakar, Elif Sebnem Kalayci, Nermin Citci
Youth for EcoJustice aims to address environmental and social issues in the Pittsburgh community by bridging gaps between the Turkish community and local organizations. Their project focuses on organizing ecojustice events to raise awareness about climate change and air quality issues. By involving the Turkish community and partnering with local organizations, they plan to foster networking, inform attendees, and raise funds through auctions featuring traditional Turkish art. Their strategy involves planning events, establishing partnerships, inviting community representatives, and holding interactive activities like planting events and trash cleanups. Through ongoing communication with partners and continued event coordination, Youth for EcoJustice seeks to make a positive impact on environmental issues in the Pittsburgh area.
Special Recognition for Cross-Generational Engagement:
The Butterfly Effect
Elif Cicek, Nilufer Kabul, Nilgun Soysal, Hansa Oguz, Saliha Elif Dogan
The Butterfly Effect’s project, STEAM Safari, aims to transform learning into an exciting adventure for children by introducing them to Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM) concepts through engaging monthly sessions. Their mission is to spark curiosity, creativity, and social consciousness in young minds, fostering a generation eager to make a positive impact. By providing fun activities that encourage exploration and discovery, STEAM Safari seeks to address the lack of encouragement for curiosity in children, empowering them with lifelong learning skills. The project will commence with planning and promotion in December, followed by bi-monthly educational sessions lasting three hours each..