2012 Ontario Junior Citizen of the Year Awards

Tue, 08/28/2012 - 09:57

Thank you to everyone who nominated an invidiual for the 2012 Ontario Junior Citizen of the Year Awards. This year OCNA and its member newspapers will recognize 150 outstanding young leaders.

The top 12 final recipients have been announced. Click here to find out who will be joining us for a special ceremony on March 8 in Toronto.

Who are tomorrow's leaders? Take a look around - there is one in every crowd and most don't even realize they are making a difference. Across Ontario, youth are dedicating their time and energy to bettering their communities and the world. Every year, the prestigious Ontario Junior Citizen of the Year Awards Program recognizes over one hundred outstanding youth from across Ontario. These are the special young people that will have a lasting impact on their communities in the future.

Coordinated by the Ontario Community Newspapers Association with the support of its 300+ member newspapers and our sponsors.

Nominations may come from anyone in the community who wishes to recognize a deserving young person for all they do. Nominations should document the activities of the nominee with letters, newspaper clippings, recommendations, photographs, etc.

Nominees from previous years who continue their noteworthy endeavours are eligible to be nominated again. New nomination forms and updated documentation are required.

Nominations will be accepted until November 30, 2012.

Nomination and supporting forms are available in both pdf and Microsoft Word formats. If you use the 'Word' format document you will be able to complete it on your computer. The PDF document can be printed and written on. Forms can be e-mailed to - jr.citizen@ocna.org, faxed to 905-639-6962 or mailed to us.

Each submission must include at least two supporting nominations.

Parents/Guardians must sign to acknowledge the PIPEDA policy.

Nomination Form (English Word document)	Nomination Form (French Word document)
Nomination Form (English PDF)	Nomination Form (French PDF)
Supporting Form (English Word document)	Supporting Form (French Word document)
Supporting Form (English PDF)	Supporting Form (French PDF)
Policy concerning the Personal Information Act (PIPEDA)

Nomination forms are also available at, and completed forms may be returned to:

The Ontario Community Newspapers Association,
3228 South Service Rd., Suite 116, Burlington, Ontario L7N 3H8, Tel: 905-639-8720, Ext. 239 · Fax: 905-639-6962 Email: jr.citizen@ocna.org
Your local community newspaper office

Eligibility

Any resident of Ontario, aged six to 17 years (must be at least six years, but no older than 17 years by November 30, 2012), is eligible to receive an Ontario Junior Citizen of the Year Award. Only individuals may be nominated.

Nominees may be involved in

worthwhile community service;
special young people who are contributing while living with a physical or psychological limitation;
individuals who have performed acts of heroism or bravery in the past year;
recipients may also be 'good kids' who show a commitment to make life better for others and do more than is normally expected of someone their age.

The Award

A committee of community newspaper publishers, editors, and our sponsors will select the award recipients from all nominations received.

Up to 12 individuals will be recipients of an award. Recipients and their families are invited to attend an awards ceremony in Toronto in March 2013. Final recipients will be announced on this web site on Wednesday, January 25, 2013.

NOTE: Final recipients will be required to submit photographs depicting their activities and achievements for reproduction associated with the program.

The Ontario Junior Citizen of the Year Awards Program strives not only to recognize the dozen or so outstanding young people who will be the recipients of awards, but to also give recognition to hundreds of others who represent the 'good kids' we all know. To achieve this, everyone nominated receives a Certificate of Recognition from their local community newspaper.

Meet Past Recipients

Read about the 2011 Junior Citizens of the Year
Read about the 2010 Junior Citizens of the Year.
Read about the 2009 Junior Citizens of the Year.

Our Sponsors

Our goal to recognize outstanding young people in communities across Ontario would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors.

Primary Sponsors

TD Canada: Making a Difference Together

TD Community Giving
TD invests in communities to make a positive impact where it does business and where our customers, clients and employees live and work. In 2011, TD donated over $66 million to support community organizations in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. In Canada, we focus on Education and Financial Literacy, Creating Opportunities for Young People and the Environment.

For more information visit www.td.com/corporateresponsibility

Direct Energy. Simple. Friendly. Direct.

Direct Energy: Helping Communities Help Each Other
In 2011, Direct Energy committed over $1.3 million in cash, product and service donations to charitable organizations across North America, raising an additional $104,300 for charitable causes through employee-led fundraisers.

Direct Energy believes we have a responsibility to support the communities in which we live and work. By investing our resources, sharing our skills, knowledge and volunteering our time, we believe we can create valuable inter-connections and develop lasting corporate-community partnerships. Our employees found new ways to partner with the non-profit sector to share skills and ideas and strive to make a difference by volunteering over 12,693 hours to initiatives in their local communities.