Youth Leaders Elect Co-Presidents
Eva Januskiewicz and Parvati Vaish
On July 15th, 2008, Eva Januskiewicz and Parvati Vaish were elected the 2008-2009 Co-President’s for the Valley United Way Youth Leadership Program.
Eva, an Ansonia High School senior said, “I’m extremely honored to have been elected as one of the Co Presidents for Valley United Way’s Youth Leadership program. I really believe that, along with the help of all of the other youth leaders, we can accomplish whatever we set our sights on.”
Parvati, a senior at Shelton High School said “I am very excited for this opportunity and to fill this position. Volunteering is the best way to improve and give back to the community. Together we can make a difference in the world.”
Many benchmarks have been set for the year by these two ambitious and accomplished young women. One goal in particular includes directly working with Valley Middle School students in addition to helping educate middle schools on how to become better volunteers and philanthropists. Both Eva and Parvati feel that with the help of their Youth Leader colleagues, they hope to establish, and complete a project so unique it will be used as an example for all youth leaders around the state and beyond.
The Valley United Way began the Youth Leadership Program in 1990. The program’s primary purpose is to provide a vehicle by which the Valley’s future community leaders are trained and developed. Each year, members are put through a series of training programs that help them develop the skills related to team building, problem solving and decision making, organizational and personal skills, as well as self-esteem and self confidence.
Since 1990, the Youth Leadership Program members have allocated over $50,000 in funding to the community for a variety of new and innovative programs that benefit Valley Youth. Close to 500 Valley teens have successfully participated in the Youth Leadership Program. The Youth Leadership Program is currently building a Youth Leadership Alumni and working hard to find and connect all of its graduating Youth Leaders through email. At this time we have heard from 40 alumni and will be posting stories that clearly show the impact that the Youth Leadership Program has made.
For more information on the Youth Leadership Program call Patricia Tarasovic at 203.926-9478 or email patricia.tarasovic@valleyunitedway.org.
The Youth Leadership Program is made possible through the generous support of the Raymond P. Lavietes Foundation which provides core funding.
