Project Cornerstone’s Annual Asset Champions Awards Breakfast, to be held on March 19, 2009, will honor the individuals and organizations whose ongoing commitment to building positive relationships with young people helps make our county a better place for young people to live and grow.

The nomination period for the Asset Champions Awards is now open. Use the following links or scroll through this page to learn more about how to nominate individuals and organizations for these awards.

What is an Asset Champion?
Award Categories and Criteria
How to Nominate an Asset Champion
Nomination Deadlines and Important Dates
Eligibility
For More Information

What is an Asset Champion?
Asset champions are individuals or organizations that make extraordinary efforts to build developmental assets and create positive connections with young people, and inspire others to do the same. Developmental assets are the set of positive experiences, values, relationships, and behaviors that enable young people to thrive. (Click here for more information about
developmental assets.)

Award Categories and Criteria
Award categories and criteria for nominators and nominees are as follows:

• Positive Cultural Identity Award
• Adult Role Model Award
• Positive Peer Influence Award: Because this award recognizes positive peer influence among young people, both the nominator and nominee must be 24 years old or younger.
• Community Values Youth Award
• Caring School Climate Awards: Individual awards will be presented to elementary, middle, and high schools.

Each section below contains the nomination form for the award.

Positive Cultural Identity Award

Description: Nominees in this category help young people feel comfortable with and proud of their cultural identity, including but not limited to ethnicity, faith/religion, disabilities, family status, gender, language, and sexual orientation.

Who May Nominate? Anyone familiar with the nominee’s efforts.

Who Should You Nominate? An individual, family, or organization with significant impact in Santa Clara County.

Download the Positive Cultural Identity Award Nomination form:
PDF format - 82K PDF
MS Word format - 43K document

Adult Role Model Award

Description: Nominees in this category model and inspire positive responsible behavior for young people.

Who May Nominate? Anyone familiar with the nominee’s efforts.

Who Should You Nominate? An individual over 24 years of age with significant impact in Santa Clara County.

Download the Adult Role Model Award Nomination form:
PDF format - 79K PDF
MS Word format - 43K document

Positive Peer Influence Award

Description: Nominees in this category model and inspire positive responsible behavior for other young people.

Who May Nominate? Because this category recognizes positive peer influence among young people, nominators must be a peer of the nominee and under 24 years of age.

Who Should You Nominate? An individual under 24 years of age with significant impact on his or her peer group(s)  in Santa Clara County.

Download the Positive Peer Influence Award Nomination form:
PDF format - 80K PDF
MS Word format - 43K document

Community Values Youth Award

Description: Nominees in this category demonstrate to young people that the community values their contributions and efforts.

Who May Nominate? Anyone familiar with the nominee’s efforts.

Who Should You Nominate? An organization serving Santa Clara County (no individual nominees).

Download the Community Values Youth Award Nomination form:
PDF format - 81K PDF
MS Word format - 45K document

Caring School Climate Awards

Description: Nominees in this category provide a safe school environment where all students feel respected and valued. Separate awards will be given for elementary, middle, and high schools.

Who May Nominate? Students, parents, school site staff, district office staff, or community members.

Who Should You Nominate? An elementary, middle, or high school in Santa Clara County intentionally promoting a more caring climate where all students are supported and empowered to achieve.

Download the Caring School Climate Award Nomination form:
(The same form is used for elementary, middle, and high school nominees.)
PDF format - 104K PDF
MS Word format - 46K document

1. Review the categories of awards (above), and make sure that both you and your intended nominee meet the requirements for “Who May Nominate?” and “Who Should You Nominate?”
2. Download the application for the award category in which you wish to nominate an asset champion.
3. In no more than two pages, answer the questions on the form as completely as possible.
4. Submit your nomination in one of the following ways:

• Email: Send your nomination by email to Nominations@projectcornerstone.org.
• Fax: Fax your nomination to (408) 298-0143, to the attention of Project Cornerstone.
• Postal mail: Mail your nomination to Project Cornerstone, Attn. Award Nominations,
  1922 The Alameda, 3rd Floor, San José CA, 95126.

• Nomination deadline: All nomination forms must be received by November 7, 2008.
• Notification of winners: Winners and their nominators will be notified by January, 2009.
• Awards Presentation: Awards will be presented at the Asset Champions Awards Breakfast at the Fairmont Hotel in San José on March 19, 2009.

• Individuals who serve on Project Cornerstone’s Steering Committee and governing board may not be nominated for awards. However, the organizations that they represent may be nominated.
• For the Positive Peer Influence award, both the nominator and the nominee must be under 24 years of age.