Award Nominations

Each year at our Annual Conference, TNOYS presents annual member awards to youth service professionals and volunteers. Award categories are described below. Nominations for 2019 awards are now closed. 

Professional Youth Worker

  • Recognizes outstanding performance of a TNOYS member agency staff who goes above and beyond in the performance of their duties and in their communities
  • Employed by a TNOYS member agency, including direct services staff and program staff including social workers, program directors, shelter managers, house managers, caseworkers, therapists, etc.

June Bucy Award for Excellence

  • Recognizes TNOYS member agency executive directors and upper level managers and supervisors
  • Recognizes program excellence, leadership and significant contributions to the field of youth services in the state or across the nation
  • This award honors June Bucy, former Executive Director of the National Network for Youth, and one of the guiding forces behind the youth services network.

Steve Wick Innovative Program

  • Recognizes new, expanded, or innovative programs that make significant contributions to the field of youth services in the state or across the nation
  • This award is given to the program, by name, rather than to specific person(s)
  • This award is named in tribute to Steve Wick, one of the founders of TNOYS

Volunteer of the Year

  • Recognizes someone who donated substantial unpaid time to a TNOYS member organization
  • This award recognizes that many of TNOYS’ member organizations are on tight budgets and could not provide the highest quality of care to youth without volunteer support

Outstanding Youth Partner

  • Recognizes a youth or young adult (ages 16-24) who has partnered with TNOYS or one of its member organizations over the past year and brought significant value to their services or training
  • This award recognizes that incorporating youth voice and youth-adult partnerships is a best practice of positive youth development and can help make youth service organizations stronger and more relevant