Donna Cook, Founder of youthrive, to Receive National Honor
Donna Cook, Executive Director and founder of Twin Cities-based youthrive, the upper Midwest affiliate for PeaceJam International, will receive a national award for her work engaging young leaders in peace programming. Cook will receive the 2012 Stellar Service-Learning Award from the National Youth Leadership Council, a Saint Paul, Minn.-based nonprofit that convenes the National Service-Learning Conference annually. Cook will be honored Wed., April 11, at this year’s event in Minneapolis.
As the director of youthrive, Donna Cook works to fulfill the organization’s mission and engage young leaders with adult partners in peace building, leadership, service and governance. Cook also directs the Day of Peace programming that engages incarcerated youth in leadership and skill-building activities.
Cook’s history in the youth service field precedes her involvement with youthrive. She was the first Director of the Minnesota Alliance with Youth and the MN AmeriCorps Promise Fellow Program, has served on numerous boards, and received state and national awards as a champion for youth voice and youth leadership for all young people. A strong advocate for authentic youth-adult partnerships, Cook is passionate about supporting emerging young leaders, and co-wrote the book Giving Voice to the Leader Within, a practical guide for working with young people.
The Stellar Award is named after Stella Raudenbush, an accomplished and longtime activist, scholar, and teacher who was passionate about children, social justice, and urban education. She long promoted service-learning in K-16 education, as well as partnerships between universities and communities that facilitate this approach to education.
Photo: Donna Cook with youthrive leaders.
