North Hills School District launches Community Service Award

When the coronavirus pandemic hit last spring and left countless people out of work and struggling, residents in North Hills School District quietly out to help others their neighbors in need.

To honor those unsung heroes, the district has launched a Community Service Award program.

“Whether it was delivering meals, holding food drives or finding other ways to help people who were facing difficult times, the people in our district really stepped up for their neighbors,” said Heather Pelat, the district’s spokeswoman.

“We know that people don’t do these things because they are seeking recognition, but we think it’s nice to able to provide a way to honor the important contributions they have made,” she said.

The new North Hills Community Service Award was established to “honor individuals in the community making significant contributions to the North Hills School District through their time, talents and dedication striving to make the community a better place,” according to the district.

Nominations for the award will be accepted through May 1 and the inaugural award will be presented in June.

“We had hoped to have this award ready so we could begin the nominating period in the fall and give the award out in January,” Pelat said. “But we weren’t able to get it done in time because of the pandemic, so we decided to do it now. But moving forward, we’ll be seeking nominations during the fall.”

Nominations will be reviewed by each member of the district’s nine-member board of education. Their selections will be narrowed down to a single candidate by a panel that includes the school superintendent, the school board president and vice president, the chief liaison for community and intergovernmental relations and the board secretary.

The person selected will then be contacted to confirm that they will accept the award. If they decline, the award will go to the runner-up selected by the panel.

School board member Phil Little, who pushed for the award to be created, said his goal was to establish different criteria for honoring people.

“We have awards for distinguished alumni as well as a sports hall of fame,” said Little, who serves as the board’s chief liaison for community and intergovernmental relations. “And I think it’s great that we honor people for their accomplishments after they graduate or for the athletic achievements. But I felt we should have a way to champion people who are doing great things now.”

Little said the new award also sends a positive message to students.

“We want them to know that you don’t have to have great athletic ability or be successful in your profession after graduation to be recognized,” he said. “We want them to know that if they are willing to do things that make the community a better place to live, then they are worthy of being honored and praised.”

To be considered, all nominees must reside in the North Hills School District and have made a significant community contribution through their time, talents and dedication.

The contributions also must have been made outside any volunteer work done for their employer. The honoree should also serve as a role model for compassion and service, striving to make our community a better place.

Nomination forms for the Community Service Award are available on the district website.